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Naturally Funky with Mair Salts
56 Plays1 year ago
We talk getting lost “with conviction,”unearthing hidden treasure, music’s influence on clothing, and more.
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Transcript
Introduction to Apocalypse Duds Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Hi, I'm Connor Fowler. And I'm Matt Smith. Welcome to Apocalypse Duds.
Meet Maya Saltz: Vintage Dealer and Car Enthusiast
00:00:06
Speaker
Today, we are joined by vintage dealer, classic car aficionado, rare camouflage connoisseur, and all around lovely person, Maya Saltz. Hello. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Glad to be here. So how was your day today?
00:00:26
Speaker
uh it was a fairly average day i did a bit of clearing out i'm not i'm not very good at clearing out but i tried to do a bit today um dude me too i did the same i took three bags of clothes to the thrift store that i haven't done that i don't know how long it's been
00:00:45
Speaker
never probably I have taken that much stuff so anyway go on it's something in the air it must be a special clearing out sort of day I think maybe it only happens about two days a year in my house so um yeah I didn't take three bags though I only took one to the charity shop
The Emotional Process of Clearing Out Clothes
00:01:05
Speaker
I bet it was big. I bet it was huge. I bet it was a huge and enormous sack. It was kind of bin liner sized. Yeah. Yeah, that's pretty big. I just had little these are I'm maybe being a little big bigger than I than I truthfully am like they were brown grocery bags. Okay.
00:01:26
Speaker
You know, it was like an overcoat, maybe like four blazers, some other stuff. Anyway, so it sounds like it was equivalent. We can both pat ourselves on the back. Yeah, doing that right now. Yeah. Yeah, it's always fun when you have like, especially as someone that sells clothing, you know, or secondhand clothing, it's like, I've been looking at this for four years. I don't want this in my life anymore.
00:01:55
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. It's a nice purge. Yeah. But you know what happens sometimes is you sit on something for years and years and years and you think you hate it, but then you keep it a bit longer and then you suddenly realize how fantastic it is. Right. Right. Totally. Which is why I don't get rid of very much stuff because I know it comes back round and I think I like it again. Agreed. My dad is a mechanic and I tend to give him like
00:02:24
Speaker
like t-shirts that are just, you know, nothing I really care about. I tend to give them those for grease rags. And it's like, okay, yeah. And then I have a bunch of other stuff that's just like out of sight, out of mind, like hats that I'll probably never sell, but it's like, okay, you know, sometimes you just can't stop yourself from buying certain things. And that is my problem. Yeah, similar here.
00:02:52
Speaker
Uh, what's the weather like, uh, where you are right now? Oh, well, I mean, I can't see it now cause it's dark, but it was very, it was just one of those gray overcast. Yeah. You know, the days that don't really start. Right. Right. But my cats enjoy them because they just look out the window and sleep on the bed all day. That's pretty much how it goes. Well, it's a good, I mean, that's why I stayed home and just did some clearing cause there was no reason to go outside particularly.
00:03:22
Speaker
Right.
Margate's Artistic Transformation
00:03:24
Speaker
So we kind of tend to ask the age old ASL question, but we don't really care about the S. So Maya, what's your age, if you want to give it, and where you locate?
00:03:42
Speaker
So, so my age is 105. Whoa, my God! That is the oldest guest we have ever had. Yes. Yes. I think I might be the oldest guest you've ever had. Anyway, so I, um, I, yes, I, let's say I hit the mid-century during lockdown. Okay. So that should give you no way. Absolutely not. No, no, no. Cause we're going to post your picture. No way.
00:04:11
Speaker
You look great. You look terrific. We're here by our victors riding a moto bike. Come on. Awesome. I'll take that. Thank you. So I mean, at the moment I'm in London, which is where I live most of the time. But I'm also in Margate, which is where I do some selling. So yeah, I go between the two places.
00:04:37
Speaker
And I know very little about the geography of the UK, but in relation to London, which I think everyone kind of understands where that is, like where is Margate? So Margate is about 70 miles to the east, the northern coast of Kent, which is the next county of London. Yeah. So 70 miles in the car. It's a nice little trip out. Yeah.
00:05:07
Speaker
Yeah. And are you from London or elsewhere? I'm from elsewhere. So I was born in Ipswich, which is again, it's about 70 miles north east of London in India. So yeah, that's where I grew up, was a child. And then I've lived in the Lake District. We moved there when I was 15. And then I went to university in Wales, north Wales in Bangor, lived in Leipzig in Germany.
00:05:37
Speaker
And then London. Wow. Yeah. Lots of lots of travel and living other places. Yes. Yes. I don't really feel like I feel like I've lots of lots of homes. Yeah, totally. Yeah. But Margate's very close to my heart at the moment. I do love it there. So it's a it's a it's a funky little town. That's cool. Is there a college there or is it just like kind of naturally funky?
00:06:05
Speaker
Well, it doesn't have a college actually, but it does have Margate's school. Now the Margate school, they set up an art school, but I think it's struggling for funding at the moment. It's a very art-centric town, so lots of artists. Oh, that's really cool.
00:06:23
Speaker
And it's in an area called Thanet, so you've got Ramsgate and Broadstairs, which are two other towns really close, which have slightly different vibes, but they're all very interesting in their own right. Yeah, and they've had quite a rise in the last 10 years or so from being fairly down at heel.
00:06:43
Speaker
And now people are moving in from London and from everywhere else and investing in them and making it into a place people want to be and live and raise kids. It's nice.
Passion for Vintage Clothing and Personal Style
00:06:55
Speaker
Is that kind of like Brighton? I know someone that lives in Brighton. And of course, I famously went to study abroad in Swansea, Wales. So I'm acquainted somewhat with the geography over there.
00:07:13
Speaker
I guess Brighton is known for being artsy place. Yes, I think that people compare the two, or they say that Margate is becoming Brighton. Oh cool, so it's like Ascendant. In a way, it's a lot smaller.
00:07:32
Speaker
know it's a different vibe but Brighton is very much to me like a bit like London on sea I mean really London-y like quite a big big city feel to it whereas Margate's much smaller more contained um yeah and we have a good sandy beach in Margate which have in Brighton they have pebbles as far as I know or stone stony beach I gotta say that so these in England or
00:08:00
Speaker
places in England have such cooler names than the states. Just now now now now don't give it to those Anglo. I mean, you know, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. There's something good with American names. We have names like no. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You have Kickapoo Park, which I loved last time I was there.
00:08:27
Speaker
But you've got all the British names as well, haven't you? There's a Margate in New Jersey. Right, yeah, we do. You've got all of them as well. Yeah, we're trying to catch up. I don't know, something about the UK has always drawn me to
00:08:44
Speaker
appreciated so yeah I don't know maybe it's also hearing hearing these things pronounced in your accent and not my terrible American accent makes it that much better I mean maybe I found a little town today and it was called fobbing and I thought that was a good name for a
00:09:04
Speaker
Yeah, it's in. So that's something we can't call the episode. Bobbing with my assaults. So I should have asked you this in the prologue. I didn't.
00:09:21
Speaker
um we have been asking our guests what they are wearing you may maybe who knows what you're wearing you're it's time to go to sleep so i did warn you i might be in pajamas that's that is a fine answer i'm not a fine answer we're an honest show people don't have to get dressed up for the show i'm wearing a fucking t-shirt which i am not often doing
00:09:47
Speaker
I'm actually fully dressed in what I wore all day, so in my clearing out clothes. And this wasn't just for the show, but I do happen to have quite a nice pair of trousers on, which are monkey pants, you know those... Oh! Dark originals? No, these are... but they're very good reproductions.
00:10:10
Speaker
Yeah, that's awesome. What company made them? Bronson. Oh, Bronson's stuff is so solid, especially for the price. Really good. Just nice for all the details. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, so I've got those on. And I've got my favorite sweatshirt on, which is... I don't know what brand it is, but it's just a really nice one. But it says, basketball is hip hop in big silver letters. So I don't know what that...
00:10:42
Speaker
Nice. I accept it though, right? Isn't that like hip hop definitionally is a combination of sort of arts, you know, including graffiti. So like, yeah, I would say basketball is hip hop. Yeah. In a lot of ways, not as I'm not a follower of the sport, but I am a follower of hip hop. And so I think that that I think that that's reasonable.
00:11:07
Speaker
It's, yes, I think so. I mean, I don't know, I just like the look of it. And then now I wear it and I wonder if people think I'm a bit strange for wearing it, but it's okay. Now that I'm over 50. Who cares? Hell yeah, that's the attitude. So what do you do in your own words? I know we talked about the vintage and we talked about the selling, but what do you do?
00:11:37
Speaker
Well, you know, see, I don't have a job except that I am a mother of three daughters. So that is one aspect of what I do, which is mothering. But that's like, yeah, I mean, if you wanted to call it a job, it is a job, it's work, it's labor.
00:11:55
Speaker
It's quite time-consuming, and I'm learning a household also quite time-consuming. I mean, in a previous life, I was a translator of German. And then I worked in the news industry for four years or so, and then they made me redundant. So since then, I haven't actually had a
00:12:18
Speaker
you know, a boss. I've not had a career since then. That's the goal, right? Yeah, oh yeah. I don't think I could ever go back to having a boss. Yeah, same here. Same here. Yeah, just, you know, make your own, make your own kind of business life, whatever. Yeah, absolutely. And you sell vintage kind of as a source of income and also a passion that you have.
00:12:46
Speaker
Yeah, it's really more that. I suppose you'd call it like a little side hustle. It's not the way I mean, I couldn't sort of fund everything through what I do, but I do love the little bit that I do. I love the interaction with people. I've met so many interesting people through just a similar interest in same types of clothes and things.
00:13:15
Speaker
Yeah, it's just fun. It's fun. The chit chat with people down on the harbor arm in Margate. I love it. Yeah, that's one of the reasons why I also enjoy doing vintage clothing is just meeting people. And like a friend of mine has said this many times, but with furniture or art or something like that, you don't necessarily get to
00:13:45
Speaker
see the person enjoying that thing that they bought from you, but with clothing, you know, with clothing, you see them wear it out of the market or something or like, you know, you can tell them the history of it and they're just so interested.
00:14:03
Speaker
Yeah, that's it. Yeah. And then if you're lucky, they'll send you a photo or they'll post a photo on Instagram of them. Right. And that's so gratifying, isn't it? When they're so happy with it, they want to. It really is. I don't know if everyone approaches like, you know, dealing vintage that way, but like that, I can't help but approach it that way. And it sounds like you're kind of in that same name.
00:14:27
Speaker
Yes definitely yeah and I always say I always tell people because you know like we were saying sometimes you have items that sit there for a very long time and you think it's a really nice thing why is nobody bought that and then eventually someone comes along and they they just fall in love with it instantaneously and it fits them perfectly and I just think things wait for the right person and when the right person comes you know and it might take a while but
Thrifting Culture and Charity Shops in the UK
00:14:55
Speaker
clothing finds finds its owner sometimes. Oh, certainly. Yeah, finds the right person. Yeah, it's always really fun when I when you've had something for so long, and you're like, you know, you're tired of looking at it, but then a person picks it up and they're like, Oh my god, this is this is perfect. And you're like, Okay, cool. Yeah. That's another one of those things that's very validating. Yeah, it really is. Yeah.
00:15:23
Speaker
Because I don't know about you, but do you sometimes go through phases where you think, am I picking the right stuff? Oh, always. Always. Have I gone a bit off? Especially you seem to have kind of an aesthetic that you stick into as do I. And it's mostly stuff that I enjoy, like cemetery stuff, camo, work wear, et cetera. When you kind of look around and you're like, oh,
00:15:52
Speaker
the quote unquote kids these days into this, but then you end up selling some stuff to some people that are really psyched on it. It's just such a good feeling. Yeah, I agree. Yeah, I was in the thrift store yesterday with these like teens and fire bro. One of them's name was Ulrich.
00:16:15
Speaker
And they kept saying, Ulrich, Ulrich, come over here, man. Oh, these are such sick wranglers, man. They must have been like, they must have been like 17. But they had like armfuls of shit, you know, it was, I don't know, I remember being like, I remember being that age doing that exact thing. So it's, so it's funny, it's really,
00:16:42
Speaker
It's a good name, that Ulrich. I've never heard anyone called Ulrich over here. Really? Not here, no, yeah. Yeah, I guess I haven't come across any Ulrichs either. Vintage Picker Ulrich, yeah. That was right. What did you say? Or was that, where were you?
00:17:08
Speaker
I was in Brooklyn, see to say, to talk to the earlier point about the names all being the same, I was in Brooklyn, Baltimore, which is like, which is like a little, I guess it's a suburb, but it's really like connected to the city of the city of Baltimore is quite large, comparative, comparatively, like, it's the biggest city in the in the state of Maryland anyway. And
00:17:36
Speaker
We were there, I found this leather jacket that I bought. And yeah, that's the stores we were going to talk about thrifting. I'm curious about thrifting in the UK because
00:17:55
Speaker
When I went, the charity shops were really looked down on. I was like, where can I go to the thrift store in Swansea, Wales?
00:18:07
Speaker
And people were like, why do you want to go to the charity shop? So I don't know. I just thought that that was odd, I guess. But maybe it used to be that way in America. Going to the thrift stores really looked down upon. And now it's sort of a hobby of white suburban mom types. And among many others, many other people.
00:18:34
Speaker
Mm hmm. Yeah, I mean, I think I think in the last sort of 10 years or so, it's definitely become much cooler to go and not cool, but you know, it's much more acceptable to go and do stuff from a charity shop. You know, I think when I was growing up, I don't think people really went to them very much. I mean, that's a long time ago. But yeah, lately,
00:19:01
Speaker
It's actually quite hard to get into them on a Saturday. They're quite busy with all sorts of people looking for stuff. But the prices have gone up as well. So, you know, I think sometimes the price is a bit optimistic.
00:19:17
Speaker
That's a perfect way to put it. Yeah. Yeah. I have many friends that like, I'll take pictures of a price tag and an item and be like, just, just what the fuck? Like how, oh cool. This, this crappy eighties leather jacket is $75. Like what, what are you people thinking? You get it for free and you're a thrift store. Like no one that,
00:19:45
Speaker
know, outside of the people that are picking for a certain thing, like most people are not going to pay $75 for literally anything in a threat. No, that would be that's that's excessive. Yeah, it kind of like it kind of defeats the purpose, in my opinion.
00:20:03
Speaker
Yeah, because I mean, it is meant to be sort of not what I don't know. I mean, they're trying to raise money for charity, obviously, but also that's all to people. So and they should be shifting it quickly. Totally. Totally. And the only way to do that is by selling it at a reasonable price. Now, I'm going to say something that I don't really know anything about. So they ostensibly are charitable organizations, but I wonder what
00:20:30
Speaker
I wonder what the breakdown of their profits are. Because I suspect that like the Salvation Army, which is a huge organization over here, I don't know, I guess they are an international organization. I wonder what the penetration of the Salvation Army is to the United Kingdom.
00:20:54
Speaker
they do all kinds of weird questionable stuff, like forcing their members to marry and stuff like that.
00:21:05
Speaker
so I don't I wondered what like what what are the organizations like in the UK the thrift store organizations like are there many big chains one big well I mean yeah we I mean so the Salvation Army has a whole load of charity shops definitely I mean that was I mean it was set up in London wasn't it in the whenever it was 18 something's 18 right
00:21:29
Speaker
I don't know. So yeah, they have charity shops. Then we have a lot of, there's Cancer Research, British Heart Foundation, Scope, which is for people with disabilities. There's Mind. So there's a whole load of different, very well-known charities that have. So maybe it's, maybe it is real in the United Kingdom. Maybe they really are a charitable organization. In the United Kingdom and just in America, they are not.
00:21:59
Speaker
I don't know, don't know enough to answer that, but yeah. I think they're fairly legitimate over here. I mean, you do get, obviously, what we get here is people pushing bags through letterboxes saying we're collecting for charity and we'll be collecting on this day, say next Thursday, please leave us, you know, your bag outside your house. And those ones can be quite spurious.
00:22:28
Speaker
Yeah, they might not actually be a proper charity, or they'll only give, say, 2% of the profit they make to a charity. You know, so. Now, that sounds like American charitable giving, 2%.
The Thrill of Finding Vintage Treasures
00:22:40
Speaker
Yeah. It's kind of fun, though, when you go to a for-profit thrift or something like that, and you're like, I found this thing that y'all could have gotten way more money for.
00:22:58
Speaker
I'm gonna buy it and sell it to someone that actually appreciates it rather than you guys putting it on your stupid you know shop at will or whatever website you know there's a little bit of a of a triumph in that I think yeah I think that yeah the thrill of finding something is quite is good when you do find something I mean it's few and far between nowadays but when you do find something really good
00:23:25
Speaker
in a charity shop, that's quite a thrill, isn't it? Like the Treasury. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think treasure, you know, unearthing of treasure is a great way to put it. Yeah. So what is your process for picking the things that you do sell? Do you guys have estate sales and flea markets and things like that? There's certainly flea markets. I mean,
00:23:51
Speaker
I don't, I'm trying to think now really. I mean, I just have such a massive amount of stock at the moment. I'm just, I am. Right. Cause you were, you were a collector first, right? Yeah, that's how it happened really. I just happened to, I, I've always bought stuff and it just, I think reached tipping point. And then one of my friends who is also a very avid collector of clothes that she, you know, we, I wore them all. They were mine.
00:24:15
Speaker
and she had hers and we just decided we needed to do a market stall because we had some good stuff we should sell some of our stuff yeah that's how it started just a one-off little market stall and then yeah but then I got the bug then you know you start to want to do it again yeah so um
00:24:39
Speaker
But yeah, so now I'm not, there are, you've got a mixture of this whole set where you can hand pick as well. So I've done a bit of that, you know, picking out the sort of really juicy bits out of piles of not very good stuff.
00:24:58
Speaker
Um, yeah, or, you know, yeah, occasionally scanning a charity shop and seeing if there's anything good in there or yeah. And also during lockdown, of course, um, eBay was a great, you know, occupier of time. Uh, yeah. Yeah. I feel like a lot of people started like myself included buying stuff more online to sell during that because everything was closed and.
00:25:26
Speaker
you know, it wasn't as accessible to go to things for three or four months here.
Military Clothing and Cultural Perceptions
00:25:32
Speaker
No, no, that's it. You had to get your retail fixed somewhere and that was the only way to do it. Right, right. I mean, I've always been the type like when I was a kid, you know, getting the, getting a Christmas like catalog and going through and circling everything. So like, I feel like even just looking at eBay or another like, you know, other websites like
00:25:56
Speaker
I don't even care if I buy anything, it's just seeing what's available. It's like, oh, this is fun. Yeah, that's true. It's good. I sometimes would put a search in, I just put in like orange jacket or something, just really generic. That's a fun way to find things as well. You know, you scan through and you might come across something, a gem, you know, in amongst orange jackets. Yeah.
00:26:22
Speaker
It's a very similar thing to going to a thrift store. It's like you're going to wade through a thousand things that are awful. Yeah. And then maybe find that one little jam. That's it. Wear a mask and gloves or, you know, goodwill. I've seen that in America. Gives you the same serotonin boost. Yeah. In a cleaner environment. Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Yeah.
00:26:49
Speaker
So do, so in America, they're not, comparing, comparing the two, but that's a little bit the point. There's this concept of stolen valor. Are you familiar with this? I've heard, I've heard people say that. Yeah. I've heard it mentioned. So do people in the UK think we're have weird connotations with camouflage in that way?
00:27:19
Speaker
I haven't.
00:27:21
Speaker
I haven't come across that really at all. Although I did think about it a little bit today, I was thinking, I have a couple of jackets that would have been worn during the Falklands War, which was, well, I don't know if you know about that, the very little war that we had with Argentina in 1982, 81, 82. And so I have a sort of British army Parker that was worn during that.
00:27:50
Speaker
era I don't know if it was actually worn in the Falklands but I did think oh that's sort of weird I wonder if it was worn there and you know it gave it a different meaning I don't know yeah and I think things with badges I think sometimes when you've got badges on or you know not medals but sort of stripes on the arm and things like that sometimes I think that maybe maybe don't wear those I don't know I just
00:28:18
Speaker
No, no, no. And I'm not asking you to make like proclamation, you know. I was just wondering if that concept existed as a way I suspected, probably not. Yeah. I don't know. The idea of impersonating a person in the military is a little bit odd. Like really doing it, you know, saying that you have done it is something so different
00:28:48
Speaker
than having the badges, but I digress. Yeah, I personally will not wear anything that has any insignia or anything on it. I don't fault people that do. I kind of allow the people if they want to or not.
00:29:12
Speaker
But yeah, it's just not something that I'm comfortable with. I mean, my last name is Smith. So if I have one jacket that has Smith written over the pocket, that's the only thing I can do. And if I wouldn't wear anything with someone else's last name on it.
Maya's Love for Classic Cars and Driving Experiences
00:29:31
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's just, yeah. I also, along with Connor, were imagining that it probably wasn't the same kind of like thing in the UK as it is here.
00:29:42
Speaker
No, not in my experience, but I mean, I can't speak for everybody. Yeah, certainly, certainly. Yeah, there are many things that people in Europe are way different on than states. So I'm not shocked that you have not experienced that at all. So we saw that just the incredible VW van that you're selling
00:30:12
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Yeah. What year, just out of curiosity, like what year and what model is it? It's a 1988 VW Transporter, but it's been converted to, it's a mini bus. It's quite nice. Yeah. Yeah. It looks incredible. And anyone that is listening to this, please, whenever
00:30:38
Speaker
She gives out her Instagram, go look at this thing because I've been salivating over it. But have classic cars been a thing that you were into for a long time? Yeah, I actually, you know, for as long as I can remember, I've really liked old cars. And I remember just always wanting to have a car from a really young age as well. Took me ages to pass my test, mind you. Oh, interesting.
00:31:04
Speaker
Yeah, I didn't get my driving license till I was 26. Okay. Did that have something to do with like the transit that was available to you or was that just kind of like how it went for you? It was to do with money because it was quite expensive to learn to drive. I was young, didn't really have the money to do it. I started and then didn't have enough to, you know, complete the driving.
00:31:32
Speaker
then actually what, what got me to actually pass my test was I bought a car before I'd passed. So then there was a bit more incentive to, you know, go out and practice. And, and so I did get a, a mark one golf rabbit as I think you call it. Right. Yeah. And that's what that was. Was it diesel? It, no, it was petrol. That one, the one I thought that was a petrol. Yeah.
00:32:00
Speaker
So yeah, I mean, so I just love old cars and also I think they just got better visibility than modern ones where they've got nice big windows you can see really clearly out of the side of them. Absolutely, yeah. Modern ones have got these tiny weeny little back windows that you can't see anything out of and great big bumpers and yeah, no, I like the old stylings. Yeah, what is your favorite era?
00:32:26
Speaker
Oh, hmm. Save it here. I guess it would probably be for styling, it would be like 50s, 60s. Okay. But like a lot of 80s cars as well. They have such a like interesting design aesthetic to them. I think it is really underrated, or maybe it's not now, but it has been for a long time. Yeah. But like,
00:32:55
Speaker
Yeah, like old Volvos and BMWs from the late 70s and 80s. I don't know. They just have such a cool look to them. They really do. Volvos are really becoming really sought after here as well. You know, the V70s and the XE70s, so they're the big sort of square bat ones. Oh, God, yeah. Those are so good. They are. They're really cool cars. What is the kind of driving experience and culture
00:33:24
Speaker
in London or where you've been in England? Well, London now. I'd say London is quite an, you have to be assertive. You definitely can't be a dithery slow driver. There's no forgiveness at all. Right. So I think one of the earliest things I learned in London was that even if I was lost, I had to be lost with conviction.
00:33:49
Speaker
You just got to really just follow the bus if nothing else. Pretend you know where you're going, do it with conviction and do not dither because people will be on your case very, very quickly. Yeah. I would say that's pretty comparable. That's kind of a New York attitude of driving. It's like, yo man, get out of the fucking way if you're not going to like... That's exactly what happens.
00:34:18
Speaker
So I don't know how good it is for a person's heart or stress levels. I think at some point I might have to leave London just because driving is... I don't find it stressful. I find it sort of fun. It's a bit like a game, but I guess there must be raised adrenaline. Yeah, I don't know. But I wouldn't cycle here.
00:34:43
Speaker
You would? Oh, really? I wouldn't. I mean, people do. Lots of people are brave. I just wouldn't. I mean, the public transit in London is pretty robust also. It's brilliant for a long time, right? It's pretty good. I mean, you can get most, apart from at the moment, because you've got train strikes every week. Oh, true, true. But normally it would be good. Right. So the classic cars, the
00:35:11
Speaker
old clothing, all of that kind of, in my opinion, and something we talk about a lot on the show comes from, in our experience, like a place where music has been involved in someone's life.
Music's Influence on Style
00:35:31
Speaker
So what kind of what role has or has a role
00:35:38
Speaker
or sorry, has music played a role in your kind of development of style and interests? See, that was the question that I got slightly stuck on. Oh, interesting. Okay. It's like, because I love music, I go to, I love live music, I love going to gigs, I have very wide ranging taste, I'd say, although there are certain areas, certain things I'm not keen on listening to, but
00:36:06
Speaker
I don't really know. I'd say lately, also in the last 10, 12 years, I got into this, I really enjoyed listening to this singer, I don't know if you've heard of him, called Pokey Lafarge.
00:36:22
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Of course. Of course. I almost saw him with my dad. Oh, cool. Well, there you go. So I sort of know Andrew a bit and I've been going since about 2011. He came to London and I just was blown away at how good he is. He's such a good singer and his band were brilliant.
00:36:41
Speaker
the South City 3, they're from St. Louis. And I like the style, you know, they wear, or the pokey particularly has a very distinctive, you know, very retro look. Sometimes it's rocker, you know, sort of like 50s, sometimes it's more 30s, 40s. And so I think maybe sometimes when I would go to the gig, I'd modify what I was wearing to sort of fit in a little bit with
00:37:12
Speaker
the vibe, because there's a lot of real vintage-y people would go to these gigs in really good gear. And so I started to absorb that a bit, you know, the sort of great-looking jeans, wide-leg jeans with the turn up and things like that. And yeah, so that's maybe that's had a little influence.
00:37:37
Speaker
you know i couldn't really say i suppose when i was younger it would have been gothic i would have been much more into kind of um the cure and things like that and the down and the cult and so i was a bit more into the goth type stuff but i never really you know i didn't have the money to spend on clothes particularly so i probably you know i tried to put lots of eyeliner on and find a black jumper but that was about it
00:38:05
Speaker
go to a night where they're playing Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy and stuff like that too. Yeah, yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. And I don't know, it's been one of those things since I've been working with clothing that has always just very much interested me because I feel like everyone I meet that is really cool and is really into cool stuff all kind of comes from this same like
00:38:30
Speaker
weirdo place of, you know, non-mainstream music. So like, I don't know. It's just not that we enjoy exploring and it seems to kind of fit. Yeah, yeah. I get that. I understand it's a little hard to answer because like, I'm not always dressing like the musicians I've listened to anymore, right?
00:38:58
Speaker
But there really was a time where I did like Kurt Cobain, hugely influential grunge generally, hugely influential, that kind of like weird, I don't know, weird mixing of stuff that is reflected also in the music. But it does that, I mean, does that apply to my dressing today? I don't know. I think it was a good answer.
00:39:25
Speaker
When you're a teenager, you're much more influenced, aren't you, by what other people are wearing? Yeah. You want to wear the exact same shit. You know, you want to be like exactly exact copy of this person you idolize. Yeah, that's it. So I guess it is growing up.
00:39:44
Speaker
I mean, I really liked Freddie Mercury when I was 14, 15, but I wasn't gonna wear the vet braces and skin tight jeans. Right, right, yeah. You kind of find your element within these different things that influence you, I think. Yeah, that's it. And, you know, it's combining them like the rockability country angle of things like that definitely has, especially if you're into
00:40:14
Speaker
Americana clothing and things like that. It's got its particular vibe. It can look very costumey on certain people, but you incorporate elements of that into what you like to dress like. And when you look in the mirror, you're stoked about it. Yeah. You definitely don't want to try too hard, do you? And if people are trying too hard, it's usually evident. Oh, absolutely.
00:40:44
Speaker
If you're not 18 years old, you're going to pick up on someone trying too hard. If you're 18, you're probably that person trying too hard. We all went through that. We did. Yes, we did.
00:41:01
Speaker
So I guess as we wrap up, we have some questions which are less, which are less expansive. So I was going to ask what your best or your favorite find was. Or recently, you know, it doesn't have to be all time.
00:41:26
Speaker
Yeah, so relatively recently I did, and this goes back to the whole charity shop thing as well. Right, the last piece of treasure. The last piece of treasure you uncovered. But I found a piece of treasure and it was a, I didn't know, I just, you know, when you sense something is really good and you just, you know, you pull it off the rail and go, this is good. You know, it was three pounds and I thought, and it was a, it's actually a Royal Canadian Air Force jacket from the seventies with a big black fur collar.
00:41:56
Speaker
yeah i'm wearing it on that motorbike picture actually yeah that was yeah that was a good find i really i was really happy with that one so i i've never sold it i kept it yeah too good not to keep
00:42:13
Speaker
Um, what else have I, have you heard of, um, clown camo or salamander camouflage? Yeah. Yeah. I actually, I actually have an eBay search for it, uh, because you introduced me to it. So I'm like still looking for it. Yeah. I still have that, that coat jacket Parker thing because I just can't, I can't bear to sell it.
00:42:43
Speaker
Fuck. That thing is so, so good. It is good, isn't it? Yeah. So, but I'm not bold enough to wear it. That's the funny thing. I've put it on- Hey, guess, you know who is? I know. You know who is bold enough to wear it? Connor is saying, when and if you ever want to get rid of it, he gets first turned out. Yes. My arms are, my arms are open.
00:43:13
Speaker
Okay, maybe I'll bring it with me when I visit Baltimore. Hell yeah. Man, I'm so jealous of people that I know in various places of Europe because you guys find so much cool non-American camo and clothing. You know, that's like when I was a kid growing up in the 90s, I went to surplus stores and like
00:43:42
Speaker
check or Swiss or whatever stuff was like a dime a dozen. It was everywhere. And now like, I so rarely see cool like European camouflage or European military stuff. I don't remember across anything. Really? Yeah, it's, you know, it's kind of a bummer. But I
00:44:07
Speaker
I don't know. I'll scroll through like Instagram stories of my friends in Europe and just get very envious. But equally, we're always searching for those fantastic bits of Americana that you get. Right. Right. It's a blessing and a curse no matter where you live, I think. Yeah. Yeah.
Moleskin, Wax Jackets, and UK Fashion Trends
00:44:26
Speaker
Yeah. There's, I'm still finding, you know, World War II stuff pretty regularly that was American and you guys are finding like
00:44:34
Speaker
crazy camouflage from the 60s and 70s or a Royal Canadian parka. So do you have a favorite item in your collection?
00:44:50
Speaker
that's to that again that I found that really difficult as well I don't have a fate I have a couple of like that jacket I just mentioned right you know I certainly have things I just seem to always wear so I'm a favorite
00:45:09
Speaker
oh yeah no other no i've got so many i couldn't even pin it down to one really there's lots of things that i can't bear to get rid of so i suppose that's that makes them my favorites um i've got a kind of a mini archive of things that i i don't want to sell yet that sounds interesting yeah just and actually some of those are world war two things
00:45:34
Speaker
like raf stuff or american no i'm american um okay i've got an arctic parker thing and one of these uh reversible um snow parkers from well yeah the pullover or the full zip
00:45:52
Speaker
the, it's a button, button up for length, really heavy duty cotton and it's double, you know, thickness. Yeah, it's wide on one side, all of your out on the other, right? Yeah. Yeah. Those are some of my favorite designs just because they're so interesting. Yeah, it's really good. I have worn that actually. That's because that's, you know, it's bland enough for me to wear. Not too colorful. Yeah.
00:46:18
Speaker
I'm right there with you. Most of my stuff is either earth tone or blue. And that's about as far as I go. That's it. I'm always seen in denim normally as well. Yeah, totally. Totally. Can't go wrong with navy blue. Absolutely not. So to wrap, then we were going to ask what your earliest clothing memory is.
00:46:47
Speaker
Yes, earliest clothing memory. I had several of these. Actually one was I pulled out a picture the other day for some friends and it was my first day of school and I've got three older sisters and they were all in uniform and then there's just me sat with them and I've got a green polonnet jumper on and a red kilt and I
00:47:10
Speaker
Wow. I do remember that ensemble, if you want to call it that, yeah, from that first day of school. I mean, I don't think I've been seen in a... I don't think I've been seen in a kilt since then anyway. That's such a good answer to this question. There you go. I can send you a photograph of it if you want. Oh yeah, please do. We'll put it up on the show. I want the salamander camo coat.
00:47:40
Speaker
picture and the kilt picture all right we'll have really banging uh instagram post excellent yes if you're okay with this we need your consent yeah absolutely fine yeah if you're down with it we are down with it yeah i'm sure i'm sure my sisters won't mind
00:48:03
Speaker
But I do remember wearing a lot of corduroy as a child. It was very much corduroy centric clothes in the 70s from CNA, which I don't know if you know CNA. It was a clothing, a Belgian clothing chain, but they now shut down in the UK, but everything came from CNA.
00:48:27
Speaker
Just out of curiosity, moleskin is one of my favorite fabrics of all time. If I could have a spring, summer group of clothing in Satine, like Vietnam pants were made from, and a fall, winter in moleskin, that would be all I ever wore. Was that a thing for you growing up in the 70s? No, I don't think I was even familiar with
00:48:56
Speaker
I don't, Moleskin, I'm trying to think. No. It's kind of like corduroy without the whales. Yeah, it is. I know exactly what it is, but I don't think I had any clothing that was made out of a fabric like that. I don't know why. I associate Moleskin and English clothing so much in my head just from coming from like a tailored background. Yeah, maybe it's more in tailoring than... Yeah, maybe you guys don't love it as much as I think you actually love it outside of tailored clothing.
00:49:25
Speaker
Maybe not. I like wax jackets though, as you know. Wax jackets, you know, like- Oh, totally, totally. Yeah, I feel like wax jackets are one of the most ubiquitous things in the world, like in general, but also in the UK, it's like, you can get one that's, you know, that's made by some company that no one's ever heard of, or you can go to Harper or Bell Staff or whatever. Yes, yeah. Just the mainstay of pretty much everyone's wardrobe.
00:49:55
Speaker
Country set wardrobe, yeah, if you're out in the country. Yeah, totally. I don't have one. We gotta change that.
00:50:05
Speaker
I would have figured you would have had like a really rare one.
Dreams of a Motorcycle Lifestyle and Conclusion
00:50:09
Speaker
Yeah, I was gonna say like you've got some crazy like 60s bell staff in your day. That's what I was figuring like a wax moto jacket or something. You know, I did have one and I sold it, but then I do have some bell staff trousers. Wax trousers, yeah. And I've kept those. I don't know why. Maybe I'm gonna go back to a motorbike at some point. Who knows?
00:50:32
Speaker
You know, it might happen. I might have another midlife, third midlife crisis and have a motorbike moment. You definitely should. Yeah. We'll have you on the show again about it. Yeah. Yeah. This is the part two of this interview is all about you embracing a motorcycle again. A motorcycle traveler lifestyle. Okay. It's a deal if I do it. Awesome. Awesome.
00:51:00
Speaker
Well, Maya, thank you for coming on. It's been a fun conversation, and you're our second transatlantic guest, right, Connor? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. So it was fun. Thank you. I'm so, so glad you asked me as well. Of course. Of course. It was our pleasure. But we always try to give the guest
00:51:26
Speaker
a little space to shout out whatever they want to shout out. So have at it. Oh, goodness. See, this is the bit I didn't prepare for.
00:51:36
Speaker
Oh, no. What about your shop? Yeah, your shop or whatever. To Margate, yeah. And to everybody in Margate who comes to Boondocks on the Harbour Arm, I'm not the most reliable of, what's the word, shopkeepers, because I only open, you know, sporadically.
00:51:58
Speaker
but I have some loyal people who come and I really appreciate them so yeah that's that's about it really and you know and what's your instagram for your shop it's boondocks underscore margate oh is it boondocks underscore vintage now I've forgotten that as well
00:52:18
Speaker
One or the other. Yeah, I don't know. Okay, just do a search and you guys will find. Yeah. Find the boondocks. I'm finding it. I'm finding it. It's boondocks underscore Margate. Thank you. Yes. Terrible unprepared guest. No, dude. Oh my God. You had- We are not the most serious podcast on the planet, so you're just as unprepared as we always are.
00:52:46
Speaker
All right, I feel fine. It's great talking to you. Yeah, thank you. Everyone, thank you for listening. I'm Matt Smith at Rebels Rogues on Instagram.
00:53:03
Speaker
And I'm Connor Fowler at Connor Fowler. And I'm pretty sure we've still not received an email, but if you feel so inclined. No emails, still no. No emails. I'm going to continue this. I'm going to continue it, but someone just send us an emergency. Apocalypse Nuts at gmail.com at Apocalypse Nuts on Instagram. And Maya, thank you again for your conversation.
00:53:32
Speaker
I'm going to send you an email right now. Yay! Then I can stop making this stupid fucking video. Email us the pictures. I will. Yeah, there you go. There you go. And next episode, I'm going to shout you out and be like, we finally got an email from our last guest. Excellent. Right, right. All right, take care. Take care.