word on the street - clementine
We’re getting the scoop straight from the sidewalk! Odera caught up with Clementine, a pianist and thrift-savvy style enthusiast who curates their wardrobe straight from the streets—literally. From discovering discarded clothing to embracing femme fashion on their own terms, Clementine shares their unique perspective on personal style, sustainability, and taking chances. Stay tuned for more unfiltered style inspiration from Beacon’s Closet thrifters!
O: Hey guys, it's Odera. Welcome back to another episode of Beacon's Word on the Street. Today we're here with Clementine. Hi...
C: I'll say right away, I don't really know much about clothing or like the clothes that I'm wearing. I wish I did. Almost everything that I'm wearing actually like I pilfered out of the trash.
These pants I found like last week in the garbage. Shoes, you can see they're falling apart. They're like a trash find from a few years ago. Jacket too, recently, last week actually. And this, this sweater vest thing, my roommate gave to me earlier. And it's his birthday, but he gave me the top.
O: So interesting. This is a first. We're on the street with clothes from the streets. Period.
What inspired you to look into trash for your clothes?
C: Way back when I was too embarrassed to go into a store and try on like femme clothing. So looking for clothes in the trash was, like, a relatively shameless form of, like, getting access to non masculine clothing and this was, you know, years and years ago. So like now I'm okay, I'll go to Beacons and try on some heels, you know, that wasn't always the the case.
I do a lot of biking around the city, It's like I think the best way to get around, and that's where like I see all the clothes in the trash on the ground.
O: I'm glad that you were able to find such beautiful pieces. Bring things into your home that lost their homes, you know, repurpose things.
What do you do, Clementine?
C: At the moment, I'm unemployed. I make music, I'm a pianist. I'm part of a Arab pop band. Well, all of our songs are in Arabic. Traditional songs from, like, Lebanon and Egypt. You know, Palestinian songs as well. With, like, a modern twist. So the band is called Taktouk. I play the piano, I play the keys for it.
O: What would you say you're looking for when you go shopping?
C: Uh, only shoes. I have too much of everything else. So whenever I go to, like, you know, Beacons, right? And thrifting, I'm always looking for heels.
O: Any advice for people trying to find their own personal style?
C: I think you guys, you just have to try things, right? Easier said than done, I guess. Um, especially if you have to like spend money on clothing, it's hard to take a chance on something if you've got 20, dollars on the line, right? I think taking those chances is an important part of finding your style. And then you try something on and then you wear it about in a day and then maybe like, I don't know, maybe it fits your, your style.
O: Well, thank you so much for joining us, Clementine.
interview by odera
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