Articles of Interest is a show about what we wear. Produced and Hosted by Avery Trufelman
Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s philosophy challenges the Enlightenment belief that scientific and artistic progress inherently fosters a more virtuous society. By framing the "noble savage" as a state of natural goodness, Rousseau argues that the development of complex social structures, private property, and status-seeking b...
Handbags represent a complex intersection of human evolution, gendered social expectations, and corporate marketing. While early human survival relied on bags as essential receptacles for gathering resources, modern fashion has rebranded these tools as high-status "It Bags." This shift, accelerated by the 1990s corpora...
Secondhand clothing has undergone a radical transformation from a socially stigmatized, "dangerous" practice to a mainstream, high-value consumer market. Historically, buying used garments was associated with social deception, anti-Semitism, and disease, as illustrated by 19th-century cautionary tales like "The Blue Si...
Lord Chesterfield’s 18th-century letters to his son serve as a controversial manual for aristocratic social climbing and performative etiquette. These private correspondences prioritize charm and strategic behavior over genuine moral conviction, framing social interactions as tools for career advancement. The text expl...
Knitting and crochet represent a long-standing struggle between human labor and technological automation. Once vital survival skills, these crafts evolved into hobbies as industrial machinery rendered them commercially obsolete. The Luddite movement emerged not from a hatred of technology, but as a desperate resistance...
Bernard Mandeville’s The Fable of the Bees serves as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of human vanity, economic prosperity, and moral hypocrisy. Mandeville posits that a thriving society relies on the channeling of natural vices—such as greed and pride—rather than the pursuit of unattainable virtu...
Chinese fashion serves as a complex mirror for national identity, shifting from the enforced uniformity of the Mao suit era to the current resurgence of Hanfu. Young people increasingly adopt these elaborate, historically inspired garments to express cultural pride and find a sense of freedom outside of modern politica...
Clothing sizes are an unreliable metric because the fashion industry relies on a single, elusive "fit model" to define the proportions of an entire collection. These models, who must maintain precise, unchanging measurements, act as living mannequins, performing daily tasks to test garment comfort and functionality. De...
High heels function as complex symbols of gender, power, and professional performance rather than mere fashion accessories. Originally worn by Persian cavalrymen for stirrup stability, these shoes evolved into aristocratic markers before becoming deeply gendered symbols of femininity. While the 2014 era favored extreme...
Molly Rogers, a renowned costume designer known for her work on Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada, traces her career from the downtown New York underground scene to mainstream fashion. Her approach to style prioritizes street-level observation and personal intuition over industry trends or forecasting. By work...
Wealthy individuals have transitioned from the overt displays of the Gilded Age to a "stealth wealth" aesthetic as a protective measure against public scrutiny and taxation. Modern tax codes facilitate this shift by favoring capital gains and asset-based borrowing over traditional salaries, allowing billionaires to acc...
Archie Comics fundamentally shaped mid-century youth culture by defining the "teenager" as a distinct demographic before the term gained mainstream usage. Beyond their narrative role, these comics served as a vital, accidental repository of fashion, with artists like Dan DeCarlo meticulously incorporating contemporary ...
Claire McCardell revolutionized American fashion by prioritizing comfort, practicality, and autonomy for women during the mid-20th century. Breaking away from the restrictive, Paris-centric industry, she introduced functional innovations like the monastic dress, ballet flats, and the "popover"—a versatile wrap dress de...
The creation of the iconic wardrobe for the film Erin Brockovich serves as a lens for exploring identity, performance, and the evolution of personal style. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland details the technical challenges of engineering a push-up bra to define the character’s silhouette, emphasizing that the costume wa...
Presbyterian minister Zach Wilson, co-executive presbyter in the Twin Cities, utilizes his clerical collar as a tool of moral authority and protection amidst aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Minnesota. Although he traditionally avoids religious vestments to prevent being stereotyped, Wils...
The pursuit of ethical clothing reveals that "Made in the USA" labels do not guarantee fair labor practices or environmental sustainability. Domestic garment manufacturing often relies on small, hidden, and under-regulated workshops where workers, frequently paid by the piece rather than by the hour, face wage theft an...
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