A Jacket like Jarvis'

When asked what's your most stylish possession I bet most of you are going to say something like "shoes". I'll say my mis-shapes single by Pulp. By far...

I had bought it back in 1995 in London. Before mobile phones, before ipods and mp3, when buying the original was still a thrill.
Mum was shopping next store and I was in HMV, skipping school surrounded by CDs that most probably never reached this country. Special edition tags were flashing on the shelves and I was a brit-pop fan to the bone. Mis-shapes was special in its own right.

Artwork & attention to detail was amazing. It was the second release. First one included a pattern to make a... drugs' pocket which was the band's tongue-in-cheek irony to the issue. It was withdrawn soon after launch to give its place to this one, even better, including a pattern to make lead singer Jarvis Cocker's signature jacket.

Worth every penny I thought back then. I still do now, even though I never attempted to make it.

Cocker's fashion sense has never gone unnoticed. As a child, he would go shopping with his mum dressed as batman. Later on in life he'd be making fashion history wearing his grandad's turqoise shoes, second hand clothing and shapes that would make his imperfections stand out. He feels "it makes walking down the street a bit more of an adventure". (The Tomorrow People)

It's not what the man looks like, but how he supports it that puts him in my list of the eternal stylish. He once said: "obviously it has to do with the way you carry yourself. I mean there are people who wouldn't feel comfortable overstating what they have spent years trying to conceal.

It's like when you're naked you know. Some people stand there looking really vulnerable and they withdraw into themselves. Other people just look like they couldn't give a f*ck what anyone thinks". (The Tomorrow People)

Couldn't have said it better if I tried.

I remember a pulp member saying that "Jarvis is always finding shades of mustard that others never knew existed".

In the past he was approached to design his own clothing line, has done the catwalk and he's never missed an opportunity to admit his passion for fashion. His most treasured possession? Shoes. (Come to think about it, he treasures shoes and I, his old band's single)

Pulp broke it off as a band in 2001. Jarvis Cocker followed a solo career and will be performing live for us in a few days, on June 19th as part of Ejekt Festival's line up. Jarvis will always be Jarvis. Counting the days to see him on stage... (Fingers crossed mis-shapes will be on the playlist)

(wicked: on the back of that CD are the measurements of the entire band...just in case a fan was out shopping? God knows why, but it's special in all strange ways. Click to enlarge)