Meet Hood's new 'man at the back': Paul Fletcher
Image: Stewart Bryden
Paul Fletcher is a Manchester-born entrepreneur and retail expert, who’s been living in Scotland for the past 19 years. As Hood’s new male columnist, and with his finger firmly on the pulse, he shares with us his thoughts and musings…
Hi Hood readers—Fletch here. I’m really excited to have been asked to share some words with you.
For as long as I can remember, fashion has been a way of life. I’m a child of the ‘80s, and when I think back to the days of my youth, I have fond memories of Naf-Naf jumpers, Reebok Classics, and Levi’s 501 stonewash denims, to name but a few.
Not too dissimilar to the fashion of today, I’ve been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt—quite literally. The best thing about seeing these brands making a comeback is that I can dust off all my old clobber and my kids look at me and think ‘wow, my dad actually is cool!’. The downside is, forty is fast approaching, and try as I may to embrace it, I have to admit it does make me feel old.
The best pieces never go out of style. I have had some mega bits and bobs I’ve collected over the years, but my favourite is a Lacoste tennis dress that I robbed from my mam’s wardrobe. I must have been about 10 years old. I remember the day she bought it, on a summer holiday in Ibiza. Off-white with a beige stripe and the famous crocodile logo. I’m not ashamed to say that I tried it on many times in front of the mirror (and would you know, it suited me, too) and I mithered my poor mam for years to let me have it so I could customise it into a polo.
When she wouldn’t, I took it anyway and got my gran to cut it in half (I’m five foot f*** all) and stitch a hem on. I didn’t think I’d get away with wearing a dress—it wouldn’t have gone with my bowl cut. And you know what? I still have that dress-come-polo to this day. And it still looks mint. Every time I wear it, it takes me back to my roots and working class upbringing where hand-me-downs dictated the style agenda.
It’s simple—sustainable fashion is the way forward. Back in the day, it was all about the brand. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve also gotten wiser (ish) and I give more consideration to a company’s ethos and story. I think that all clothes should come with a story, a bit of history, and the more and more I think about it, this fast-fashion thing isn’t my bag. If it’s yours, that’s cool—maybe just buy less and wear what you do own more.
As far as I’m concerned, old skool is always the best skool and, if the same trends keep coming around again, why are we buying it new? I think everyone should have a nosey in the vintage and charity shops, much like Hood has done in this issue. I’ll let you in on a secret—Stockbridge in Edinburgh is my go-to. You can come across some right gems whilst also doing your bit for the planet. You might even find a Lacoste tennis dress.