Worn Stories is surprisingly interesting. It tells stories about real people. Some of them are well known, some of them are not. The thematic thread holding these tales together is clothing. This Netflix series was a Jenji Kohan project.
In Worn Stories, the clothing might be a blanket, a dress, a pair of boots, a pocket handkerchief, a jacket, a codpiece, a uniform. There’s even a story about people who wear no clothes. There are many stories about every kind of person and life. All are fascinating. They are told with real people talking to the camera, recreations, animations, drawings, and old photos. It’s always lively. The people and stories are diverse.
The characters include kids just turning 13 and elders going on dates. There are Muslim football players, musicians, former prisoners, members of the House of Representatives, Korean dance troupes, and people who deliver dry cleaning. Every one of them is a delight and every one of them has some special item of clothing that connects them to a vital part of the story of their life.
There are no politics here, just the multitude of diverse humans who make up the United States telling you about their lives. It’s a beautiful reminder that we all have worthy stories and lives.
Take a look at the cast list on IMDb and you’ll realize how many stories are included.
With 8 episodes of about 30 minutes each, watching the entire series goes quickly. Women directors included Dara Horenblas and Claudia Woloshin.
Ever since I watched this doc, I’ve been wondering about what item of clothing I could connect to an interesting story about my life. Do you have one?
Here’s a preview.