History
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May 23, 2016
There’s A Lee Chore Coat In There Somewhere
Sometimes the internet can seem like an echo chamber of “inspiration”–the same images and stories posted and reposted until you’ve…
April 28, 2016
This Is A Jam Session
In 1944, LIFE photographer Gjon Mili decided to apply still photography framing and techniques to a short film documenting some…
April 11, 2016
Harry Truman: Haberdasher And US President
The New York Times has an interesting article about Harry Truman’s first career running a menswear store, as well as…
March 14, 2016
Is This The Last Zoot Suit?
We’ve written before about the Zoot Suit Riots, which weren’t exactly riots, but a widespread wildcat campaign by white servicemen…
February 1, 2016
Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances: Mods In The 1980s
Paul Hallam was a young DJ and photographer during the 1980s mod revival (mod originated in the 60s). Mods were…
January 14, 2016
When You Arrange, You Fail: Style And The Art Of Fairfield Porter
If that seems like the start of an interminable essay, don’t worry; I mostly want to post some of Mr….
January 13, 2016
David Bowie’s First Stage Costume
How did you dress when you were 15? At that age David Bowie joined the Kon-rads as a saxophonist and…
December 3, 2015
Reminder: Gordon Parks Was Cooler Than You
You’re probably familiar with the work of Gordon Parks, whether it’s his photography (over a decade documenting America and Americans,…
November 24, 2015
Recalling The Old Abercrombie & Fitch—Well, Not THAT Old
As A+F embarks on rebranding itself in a post-Mike-Jeffries, post-cargo-short environment, writer Alex G. Frank examines his complicated affection for…
October 19, 2015
Delight In Disorder
by Robert Herrick (1591–1674) A sweet disorder in the dress Kindles in clothes a wantonness. A lawn about the shoulders thrown…
September 20, 2015
The Cultural History Of The Hoodie
Besides maybe the suit, is any single item of men’s clothing more freighted with potential meaning than the hoodie? Sportswear…
September 5, 2015
Backstory On The Birth Of Vintage
I really enjoy the public radio show Backstory, about American history. It’s hosted by three genial college professors from Virginia,…
September 4, 2015
On 1960s Surfer Style
“We saw surfers around town. They had sun-bleached hair, drove old station wagons, wore plaid Pendleton shirts, white jeans, huaraches—Mexican…
August 24, 2015
More Adidas Sneakers Than A Plumber’s Got Pliers: The History Of Shelltoes
Gary Warnett goes historical on one of the first (post-Chuck Taylor) basketball sneakers to transition to streetwear/subcultural status symbol: the…
August 12, 2015
The NYT’s Panel On Ivy, 1958
From a September 28, 1958 edition of the New York Times, a panel discusses what they think of the then-trending…