In your wardrobe I’m sure you have a few items that are timeless classics. In my case it’s an Earl Jean denim jacket from the turn of the century. I bought it when we were living in San Francisco, just as the dotcom boom was ending and our first child was saying her first words. Putting it on today reminds me of how much has changed, but also how much has stayed the same. It’s a classic piece, immune to the changing whims of fashion. It can no longer go out of date. I also have an Agnes B coat I bought around the same time. I’ve had it repaired a few times; it too is an old friend. As much as I enjoy following fashion, it’s also good to step out of the stream occasionally, and to appreciate some fixed points amid constant change elsewhere.

The other day I realised that the same applies to cameras, and that this helps explain one of the reasons why I like film cameras so much. My film cameras (a Contax 645, a Leica M6 and a Contax T3) date back to the 1990s. They are already out of date, in theory. But they are also classics. Digital cameras are like fast fashion: here today, gone tomorrow. In two or five or ten years I’m sure I will be using completely different digital cameras, but I bet I’ll still be shooting film with the same timeless classics. As with my Earl Jean jacket, they’ll remind me what has changed, and what hasn’t. Just as I sometimes like to wear classic items of clothing, I like the feeling of wearing a classic piece around my neck, too.

What are your favourite timeless classics, in your wardrobe or camera bag? Tell us in the comments!

kirstin