More Pockets
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This is a revisit of one of my favorite episodes of Articles Of Interest: Pockets.
This episode first came out in 2018, and it featured RISD professor Hannah Carlson. And now, finally, author Carlson’s book about Pockets has come out. So it’s time to see what has happened in the world of pocket development since Carlson and I last talked.
So there’s a part two, which is our followup interview, which was recorded live at the New York Public Library.
The following images are all from Hannah Carlson’s book, Pockets: An Intimate History Of How We Keep Things Close. It’s a fabulous read. Like, I have only barely scratched the surface with this pocket episode- Carlson goes so so deep into this.
Other Articles Of Interest
omg I am on Nymphet Alumni this week. This is one of my favorite fashion podcasts and I am honored to call myself an alumna nymphet.
I mention it in that Nymphet interview, but I’ll also put this here in writing. This is my big secret: Gem App. It’s a way to search the whole internet for vintage clothes. You can even bookmark your favorite designers, and then you get a little newsletter telling you what’s listed across ebay, etsy, and a thousand little online shops you’ve never heard of. You can find incredibly rare stuff that’s just fun to look at- like this wacko Bodymap shirt, or this Zandra Rhodes dress (the same that was worn by none other than Donna Summer) and a generally amazing assortment of senior cords
Look at this beautiful painting by Francis Criss.
I learned about Criss while taking a tour of the Renee and Chaim Gross foundation, which is a hidden gem nestled in downtown New York. I had never heard of Chaim Gross before, but it turns out his sculptures are all over the city. It was lovely to walk through his home and see how he lived and worked and decorated. He collected a lot of art by his friends and contemporaries, and Criss was one of many gems on the wall.
If you don’t live in New York and want to get inspired by artist’s homes- all around America- here’s a full directory of artist house museums.
Shana Tova to all who observed the high holidays! “Shana Tova” can translate to “happy new year.” But the word “shana” can also mean “change.” So another literal translation can be “change is good.”
Change is good.
Yours,
Avery
One thing that I was reminded of - as much as men get along with just their pockets, they often do so by relying on the women in their lives to carry things.
Women get grief for carrying too many things in their purses, but then somebody needs a bandage or a painkiller or a pen or a plastic bag or one of the other things a woman might have, and the purse saves the day.
And then the woman gets grief for carrying too many things again, even as that turned out to be necessary.
On the other side, my trans son is now thrilled that he doesn't need to prioritize his phone choice by what will fit into his pockets any more - any phone will fit now.
Avery, would you consider doing an episode on petite clothing / clothing for short folks? The plus sizes episode was fantastic, and made me think a parallel-but-of-course-different dive into the origins of petite clothing lines and all the fraught nonsense around sourcing and sizing clothes for shorter/smaller people also would be fascinating. Shopping for clothes while short/petite is such a maddening challenge - nothing fits well, everything has to be hemmed/adjusted ($$$) or returned, and it’s weird, because a not so small proportion of people seeking clothes is 5’4” and under. Why are models always over 5’7”? Where did that originate? Why are sleeves always so long? Why can’t shoulder proportions in jackets be made to fit petite people better? (A particular area of concern for professional short folks wearing suit jackets…) Inquiring short friends want to know. 😊 Thank you for considering it, and for your always thoughtful work. Cheers!