ABOUT
This denim jacket was given to Samantha Brown on a trip to Delaware. Samantha was the third or fourth person to receive this jacket, as the group of women on the trip often had clothing exchanges and swaps. This denim jacket is a powerful object for Samantha because it has been with her for over a decade. She also wears this same jacket on an album cover of her music. Through her twenties, this denim jacket was a frequently worn piece of clothing in Samantha’s wardrobe. Her jean jacket symbolizes the intersection of the many roles she plays in her personal and professional life. She loves this jacket, it acts like a security blanket or old friend. The material is denim cotton, also known as serge de Nimes, which originated in Nimes, France. Denim has been manufactured since the late sixteenth century and gained popularity in the United States in 1870. Today things have changed: low paid, poorly treated and hand-to-mouth workers make denim garments, and the Gap embodies the rise of fast fashion. Nevertheless, Samantha observes that, “a denim jacket may evoke an image of a cowboy, or maybe a rock star, and is ubiquitous in both fashion trends and personal styles.” To Samantha, this denim jacket is always in style.

— Stephanie Flores and Nusrat Jahan

LISTEN TO MUSIC BY SAM BROWN