Top Five Fashion Documentaries Currently Streaming

We do live in a wonderful time regarding documentaries. I don't subscribe to the notion that you won't watch a documentary because the story doesn't interest you. A good documentary will pull you into the story and make it worth watching. I've found streaming TV shows and Movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime a bit of a joyless chore of late. We're so incredibly spoilt these days aren't we? So I wanted to highlight some amazing fashion documentaries that I've ploughed through these past few weeks and would certainly recommend to anyone looking to learn more about brands, trends, designers, tailors, fast fashion, etc. 

White Hot: The Rise And Fall Of Abercrombie & Fitch

White Hot takes a magnifying glass to the All-American pop culture phenomenon that was Abercrombie & Fitch, and finds an organisation rooted in discrimination at every level lurking beneath the surface. This happened a long time ago. To their credit Abercrombie & Fitch apologised, paid through the nose in legal settlements and have made radical amendments to their work discriminations and equal rights policy. But still worth a watch to see how far we've come as a society. Available on Netflix. 

Casuals: The Story of the Legendary Terrace Fashion 

Some thirty years ago, a working-class subculture was taking grip of cities across the UK that has left a lasting legacy. Produced and researched by Cass Pennant, this film strips away the myth and will give you the real story of an often over-looked casual movement that birthed in cities like Liverpool, Manchester and London. Available on Amazon Prime.

The True Cost: Who Pays the Real Price for YOUR Clothes | Investigative Documentary from 2015

The True Cost is a ground-breaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing? Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth and Vandana Shiva to name a few. Available on YouTube.

Going to Work: The Rag Trade

First transmitted in 1966, Going to Work looks at some of the many sides of the hectic fashion industry in the 60s. The programme features interviews with fashion designers Mary Quant and James Wedge, catwalk shows of the 60s, and follows the process of turning wool into finished cloth. Available on BBC iPlayer.

Roger Moore & Michael Caine on James Bond Suits and Bespoke Tailoring

Excerpt from the BBC documentary British Style Genius: A Cut Above On the tailored on Savile Row suits of James Bond and Michael Caine and Roger Moore visiting their favourite London tailor Douglas Hayward. Available on YouTube.