Gabrielle Trach

In this episode of Let’s Talk Clothes I sit down with knitter supreme, bicycling enthusiast, and most extroverted introvert (and my sister) Jessica Trach! This episode Jessica and I discuss clothing as self-expression, dressing for different cities and climates, and making your own clothing.

Jessica has always been interested in clothing, and expressing herself through her clothing, since she was young. (A love of clothing and dressing up must be genetic). In this episode she recounts stories from her childhood including the outfits she would put on just to go for walks, and her “purple pizza shirt”. This love of getting dressed up for the simplest of occasions has continued into adulthood. Jessica likes to incorporate a mixture of simple outfits with a touch of theatricality or whimsy, to keep things light. This can be expressed through a bright lipstick colour, a bold pattern on a garment, or a whimsical accessory — or her bright pink, two-toned hair.

Jessica has plenty of experience in dressing for different cities and their associated climates. Growing up in Southern Ontario, moving to Vancouver, B.C. over 10 years ago, and travelling for work, she’s no stranger to making her wardrobe work for multiple climates. The biggest change that Jessica noticed in her dressing habits when she moved to Vancouver was that she didn’t dress for designated seasons as much. Vancouver still experiences all four seasons, but not as drastically as Southern Ontario. This means she can wear garments all-year, rather than for 4-6 months out of the year. This also means that her clothing wears out quicker, which is it’s own issue. Jessica is about to experience a new climate in the fall: Scandinavia. As an avid knitter she’s feeling confident that she’ll be ready for this new weather system.

Jessica’s never been a fan of fitting in or following fashion trends. This was difficult to reconcile against what was available to her in malls and clothing stores when growing up (re: super low-rise jeans, which were everywhere in the early 2000’s). In her adulthood she has turned to making her own clothing, from knitting sweaters, scarves, and other accessories, to sewing tops and dresses. This allows her more control over things like fabric quality and weight, print or pattern, and the biggest factor of all: fit. Jessica has realized that by making her own clothes she not only has more control over how they fit, it also takes the emotional component out of garment sizing. The stress and social anxiety around fitting into pre-determined sizes is removed. Instead, she chooses the pattern and amount of fabric that fits her measurements.

You can follow the podcast on instagram @talksclothespodcast, or get in touch by emailing talkclothes@gmail.com. Please spread the word by sharing, rating and subscribing on Apple Podcasts. Thank you for tuning in, and I’ll see y’all next month!

– Gabby