The Polyester Book of (Bad) Taste

By: Ione Gamble - editor

A deep dive into the joy and power of personal pleasures, quirks, obsessions and bad taste, from zine royalty, Ione Gamble.

Most of us consider taste to be a primal instinct. We like the things we like and everything we choose to consume, covet or loathe in our day-to-day lives is dictated by this unknowable force … But at some point, we learn to not fully trust our own taste. We accept that there are people who have better taste than us, so we stop following the flutter of our hearts and attempt to finetune our brain to fall in line with what others consider to be 'good'.

The Polyester Book of (Bad) Taste is an antidote to this ever-creeping homogeneity and bland tastefulness. Edited and introduced by Polyester editor-in-chief, Ione Gamble, this book gathers ten influential writers from the pages of Polyester to take on the monumental task of defining taste for a generation battling algorithmic content suggestions and ever shortening trend cycles. It is a bible on how to navigate our own likes, dislikes, apathies and adorations. Contributors include Tavi Gevinson, Cat Cohen and Yomi Adegoke.

In a world constantly vying for our attention, having faith in your own (bad) taste is more than a small subversion – it's a rallying cry to live our lives unapologetically.

©2026 Polyester Gamble LTD

Critic reviews

Praise for Ione Gamble:

‘A style icon and writer who seamlessly blends the esoteric and the obscure with popular culture’ Emma Dabiri

‘Sizzling. Ione writes with warmth, honesty and nuance’ Liv Little

‘Smart, addictive, wry and insightful. At a time when online discourse feels so muddled, Ione manages to pick through the weeds with characteristic humour and nuance’ Daisy Jones

‘One of the sharpest, wittiest and most incisive thinkers of her generation. I always want to hear Ione's perspective on feminism, culture and art – or just about anything’ Sirin Kale