What If the Zipper Had Never Been Invented?
The zip fastener is so embedded in everyday clothing that imagining its absence requires real effort. A small counterfactual about speed, function, and the aesthetics of fastening.
Archive View
Month: January 2026
A look back through the seasonal timeline of the blog.
The Hat and Its Long Life as a Social Signal
For most of recorded history, what you wore on your head told everyone around you exactly who you were. Then, in about forty years, the hat almost disappeared. What happened?