Pacific Standard May-June 2013 Cover

How Evolution Explains High-Heeled Shoes

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK)

Fashions in dress come and go, but a peculiar one has stayed in style for many generations, and shows no sign of fading away. It’s the high-heeled shoe, which first became a fashion statement in 16th-century France, and has been a part of the modern woman’s wardrobe since the mid-19th century. Ask a woman why she endures the awkwardness and discomfort, and she’ll probably respond, “They make me look, and feel, more attractive.” Newly published research suggests this perception is accurate, but perhaps not for the reason you’d expect. It’s not the artificially increased ... Read More

Today in Mysterious Athletic Tape: Now It’s for Horses Too

Debate continues to rage over the effectiveness of Kinesio Tape, the colorful substance so many London Olympians, Tour de France cyclists, and other super-people are swearing by to reduce pain from sports injuries. Like soccer's mystery spray, the rash-like stuff seems to pop up everywhere, and has received significant press attention and a lot of skepticism. The athletes, who just want to win, don't seem to care about the polemic, and plenty seem to think the tape helps. It's started to show up on horses. What's less understood is how it became so omnipresent. "Kiniseo Taping" is a ... Read More

Why Must Men Wear Pants?

If you're a male who has ever lounged in a bathrobe, relaxed in a kimono or, for whatever reason, slipped on a skirt, you know the truth: pants are stupid. Why are we consigned to spend our days in these anatomically inhibiting, temperature boosting vestments? Blame horses, says Peter Turchin, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Connecticut. "If we go back to the ‘Cradle of the Western Civilization,’ the Mediterranean region 2,000 years ago, we will find that none of the civilized people there (notably the Greeks and the Romans, but also Phoenicians and Egyptians) wore ... Read More

Researchers Tackle the ‘Hipster’ Phenomenon

At long last, science has tackled the phenomenon of the hipster, the contradictory symbol of coolness that strives for nothing other than complete "hipsterness" while firmly rejecting any association whatsoever with the term "hipster." As Zeynep Arsel of Concordia University and J. Craig Thompson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison write in the Journal of Consumer Research: "This iconic category has evolved from its countercultural roots, originally aligned with beat sensibilities, to a trend-seeking über-consumer of the 2000s." Think of all the innocent berets that have been worn ... Read More

The Veil Becomes a Fashion Statement

A few weeks ago, Iraqi journalist Dalya Hassan created a stir with an essay in The Washington Post explaining why she had decided to don a veil. Before her marriage, Hassan went about her home country uncovered. She describes her prenuptial wardrobe as "short skirts and shirts with short sleeves," perfect for the sweltering heat of Baghdad summers. But when her new husband told her she needed to wear a hijab, she reluctantly agreed. Though hot and uncomfortable, Hassan admits that, "after 2003, wearing the hijab became a means of protection." And, she points out, "male relatives forc[ing] ... Read More

Memorable Stories of 2008

It was about the third or fourth time I heard the compliment that I noticed the barb. "I was on your Web site this morning and was I surprised. The stories were really good. I mean that — really good." In the proud afterglow that accompanies new parenthood, I only heard the last part at first. Ahhh, "really good." Ain't that sweet? But after a few iterations, the surprise part gained attention. People were surprised that our stories were good —suggesting they expected them to be not good. Which isn't necessarily the same as bad, but in line with a technical description sometimes ... Read More

How Climate Change Will Affect What We Wear

It's hard to imagine a shiny Mary Jane slipper or a faded cotton hoodie having grave impact on the planet. But experts insist that what we wear — from the way it’s made to the way it's cleaned — can be a factor in global warming. "People think of fashion as the stuff you buy and wear," said Jo Paoletti, a University of Maryland professor who studies clothing trends. "But it's an entire process from the raw material to the making of fibers into yarns and then into fabrics, to manufacturing them into clothing and transporting it to where it's sold. There are energy costs all along the ... Read More