Fashion Terms with a Musical Twist

I think fashion and music go hand in hand,and they always shouldLady Gaga BANDE/BAND: The old French word, “bande,” referred to a ribbon or strip of cloth that encircled or joined something together. Bande became anglized to “band” but kept its meaning of joining things or people together. It was a rather functional job so […]

Too Hot to Handle: The History of the Coolest Styles

If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?Steven Wright Tube Top When Elie Tahari (founder of Tahari clothing brand), stumbled upon tubes of unsalable fabric, the result of a manufacturing error, he saw an opportunity. With no straps, buttons or zippers, the top was inexpensive to make and was perfect for the free-wheeling […]

Shear Wit: The Origins of Wooly Words Unraveled

“A smile is the curve that sets everything straight” Phyllis Diller “MOB”: Today the word “mob” has us thinking of the Godfather movies and real life “mobsters” like Al Capone, but in the 1860’s New Zealanders referred to large groups of sheep as “mobs.” Lucky for sheep, we now refer to their groups as “flocks,” […]

Fun with Fashion Foundations

“A dyslexic man walks into a bra” Tommy Cooper It seems women’s breasts have always been a focal point of fascination. With the exception of the 1920’s flapper style and the 1970’s Twiggy uber thin aesthetic, the preference has been for abundance. So, what to do when one’s cup overflows? Ironically, the first modern bra […]