|
|
 |
| |
Prison chic: Tara Stout outside the jail on Wednesday |
Tara’s inside story of life behind bras
Ex-con and outlaw motifs on ‘prison chic’ underwear
COMEDIENNE, sports reporter, convicted stalker, jailbird, Tara Stout has undergone many transformations.
But now, Ms Stout, who was released from Holloway Prison just two weeks ago, has turned fashion designer with a new range of Prison Chic underwear.
Four years ago the former BBC and Sky sports reporter, 39, was convicted of stalking Crystal Palace boss Steve Jordan. She was banned from contacting him but she continued to breach her conditions and was sent to jail. She was given community service but abandoned it, deeming it too humiliating and degrading, and went on the run to Spain.
When she returned, she handed herself in, and was sent back to Holloway, only to be released on June 14.
While inside she decided to turn her hand to a more creative lifestyle, and began putting together underwear from scraps she found around the jail.
Her g-strings are adorned with prison-issue lighters, rosary beads taken from the Catholic chapel and emblazoned with self-mocking words and phrases, such as “ex-con” “offender” and “stalker”.
Her underwear became a vital currency, as inmates offered to trade tobacco, drugs (which she did not want) and biscuits for their very own pair of knickers.
She said: “The first time I went to Holloway I was singing spiritual freedom-fighter songs on the way, thinking this is all exciting. Then I saw the other girls and they looked like the hardest girls in the world. I had little red stilletto shoes and a fur coat on. The other girls had tracksuits and missing teeth. And I started thinking what have I done?”
But she threw herself into the midst of things and soon established a good rapport.
She said: “When you go in they give you a smoker’s pack or a sweet pack, with biscuits, chocolate bars, candies.
“It’s like going to a children’s birthday party. I was sitting there eating all this chocolate and one girl asked me for some. I said I was scared and she said you’ve just got to front it out. I looked around and realised a lot of the girls were just as nervous.”
“I’ve been back-packing in third world countries so the poverty of the wings didn’t shock me that much because it’s a lot cleaner than some of the hostels.
“There were games, Connect 4, Scrabble and a TV in every cell. I was playing Connect 4 one day with a friend and we both had the same thought – I can’t believe it’s prison.
“Even though the girls were scary and mad looking there was a TV in every cell, and a communal DVD player, video, hairdryer and straighteners.”
She said she did get into scraps but ended up close friends with the first girl she stood up to.
“It’s easier once you’ve got friends in there. We’d play Scrabble, there was a pool table.
“It’s not too different from being in a pub. There’s so many people in there for nonsense, breaching Asbos, arguing with their husbands, so they are not even looking for a fight.”
She decided to make underwear during craft classes, where inmates are paid 60p for attending each lesson. She said: “They gave me ribbons and sequins. Then all the girls wanted to make them. I’ve put a prison lighter on one. They know the lighters are novelty value and try to stop people taking them out but we all smuggle them out. There’s also church on Sundays. The Catholic one is more popular than the Protestant one because they give you rosary beads and biscuits.”
Not allowed scissors in her cell, she made do with using nail clippers.
“There’s always lots of trade and the girls were asking me to make knickers for them. Initially I was thinking of trying to sell them but these were hand-made in prison. It’s art. These are collectors’ pieces. I make fun of myself, I’ve got knickers with “stalker” written on them.” |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
