In Which We Live: Being the Story of a Suit Told by Itself

UK, 1944. Director Richard Massingham.

Produced during WWII by Public Relationship Films and sponsored by Board of Trade, In Which We Live is a charming autobiography of a man's suit. Director Richard Massingham’s idea to turn a garment into a speaking hero with a soul while asking an audience to empathise with ‘him’ had in the context of wartime scarcity an obvious message. The suit stresses key values such as quality, durability, meticulous care, and ultimately also resourcefulness, even in the face of its own destruction/reconstruction (it ends up being remade into kids clothing). Although it was made in the historically specific propaganda spirit of Make Do and Mend, the film may well find a new relevance today in debates on fast fashion and sustainability.

With John Carol and Rosalyn Boulter.

Past screenings

Wearing Time: Past, Present, Future, Dream – London
Friday 24 March 2017, 20:30 | Genesis Cinema
With introduction by Timothy Long. Screened alongside Tales of Manhattan (1942).