The end of the draft leads to the yuppification of the field jacket.  Images links and more at articlesofinterest.substack.com

The outdoors is no longer for macho men. In fact, now it's for babies.  Images, links, and more information at articlesofinterest.substack.com

Gear gets defined by scientific testing and research.  And this process was pioneered with the development of the field jacket. 

Almost all clothes have something to do with the military. But one industry in particular has a lot to do with the military.  The first episode of the new season establishes how the American military came to be, and how they were dressed. To see images and learn more, go to articlesofinterest.substack.com

The next series from Articles of Interest

Zippers are the most common machine all around us. But it's a minor miracle how that came to be.  Pictures of early zippers and other links at articlesofinterest.substack.com

A fashion accessory turns into a medical necessity. Images and links at articlesofinterest.substack.com

How uniforms shaped the American school system. Images and a very special animation at articlesofinterest.substack.com

Nate Dimeo is a longtime radio hero of mine. And praises be, now he has a book out of his stories, called The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of The Past. Enjoy this sampler of his audiobook and a favorite episode of mine.  And consider supporting both Articles of Interest and The Memory Palace by donating to Radiotopia. 

What Catholic priests wear, and the insight it provides into what we laypeople wear.  For images of what vestments look like and more, go to articlesofinterest.substack.com

In honor of the Met Gala, a special feature. This is an episode I produced with one of my favorite podcasts, Decoder Ring. Together we asked the questions: what is a celebrity stylist? Where did this job come from? The answer was very fun. 

Why would God care what we wear? A tour through Islam, Mormonism, and Judaism, and all of their varying and overlapping commands.  For more images and information, go to articlesofinterest.substack.com

Sometimes it’s liberating to be naked. Sometimes it’s really really not. Notes, links, and images at articlesofinterest.substack.com

Color. Why we need it. Why we fear it. And where its future might lie. Images and links at articlesofinterest.substack.com Radiotopia’s fall fundraiser is here! Donate today to support Articles of Interest. Thank you! https://on.prx.org/3sbvvOR

On stage in Toronto, with the help of shoe designer Aurora James and shoe historian Elizabeth Semmelhack, we go over a few shoes- and what they say about ourselves and the world. Images of all the shoes discussed are at articlesofinterest.substack.com

You and I both know this. The supply chain is super messed up. The way humans make clothing is deeply messed up. So should we just make garments made of human hair? A very real question, with very real answers. For links, images and more information, go to articlesofinterest.substack.com

This is a special re visit of one of my favorite stories: Pockets. Followed up by a special live interview with Hannah Carlson, author of the book Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close, to see what’s changed since the original episode came out. To see images of all kinds of pockets and to stay in the loop on articles of interest, go to articlesofinterest.substack.com

Plus-sized fashion seems to live in a separate trend cycle. There are different patterns, different cuts. And most notably, women’s shirts often have holes in their shoulders. And this separate plus-sized fashion universe reveals a lot about the way clothes are made and measured… and the way clothes dictate who is allowed to participate in public life. This episode was made in collaboration with the show Weight For It. Links, images, and more at articlesofinterest.substack.com

A secret society. A secret tradition. And a cloth that somehow lends itself to ritual. articlesofinterest.substack.com (I can’t believe that, fatefully, this is the 11th episode of the year.)

Himanshu kept seeing paisley everywhere: from his home temple to his couch cushions to his mom’s pants. Some of these products were Indian but a lot weren’t. How did this pattern get embraced by the world? See articlesofinterest.substack.com for images, links and more.