Textile History

Twenty thousand years ago, women were making and wearing the first clothing created from spun fibers. In fact, right up to the Industrial Revolution the fiber arts were an enormous economic force, belonging primarily to women. Despite the great toil required in making cloth and clothing, most books on ancient history and economics have no information on them. Much of this gap results from the extreme perishability of what women produced, but it seems clear that until now descriptions of prehistoric and early historic cultures have omitted virtually half the picture. 

A thought-provoking microhistory of the humble pocket that uncovers what pockets reveal about us—and why it matters. It’s a subject that stirs up plenty of passion: Why do men’s clothes have so many pockets and women’s so few? In her captivating book, Hannah Carlson, a lecturer in dress...

“A journey as epic, and varying, as the Silk Road itself...[The Fabric of Civilization is] like a swatch of a Florentine Renaissance brocade: carefully woven, the technique precise, the colors a mix of shade and shine and an accurate representation of the whole cloth” (The New York Times)...

Victoria Finlay spins us round the globe, weaving stories of our relationship with cloth and completing the trilogy of books which began with her first bestseller Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox. How is a handmade fabric helping save an ancient forest? Why is a famous fabric pattern from...

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface in July of 1969, they wore spacesuits made by Playtex: 21 layers of fabric, each with a distinct yet interrelated function, custom-sewn for them by seamstresses whose usual work was fashioning bras and girdles. This book is the story of that spacesuit. It is a story of the triumph over the military-industrial complex by the International Latex Corporation, best known by its consumer brand of "Playtex" - a victory of elegant softness over engineered hardness, of adaptation over cybernetics.

Uncover the epic world history of a fragile fiber that sparked global trade, royal espionage, and ancient smuggling. Perfect for your daily commute, this fascinating historical journey sweeps you from ancient Chinese mulberry groves to Renaissance royal courts. Experience how a fiercely guarded...

Uncover the hidden history of humanity’s second skin and how a humble animal fiber built ancient world economies. Perfect for your daily commute or a relaxing weekend listen, this immersive journey transports you directly to the Bronze Age Mediterranean. Experience the fascinating rise of...

This captivating microhistory of fashion reveals how a tiny, everyday fastener engineered global trade and social change. Perfect for an enriching morning commute or unwinding with a curious look at human ingenuity, this listen transforms the mundane into the extraordinary. Long before modern...

Embark on a fascinating narrative history of how a tiny biological marvel built empires and forged global trade routes. Perfect for armchair travelers and curious minds on a daily commute, this atmospheric journey transforms a fragile cocoon into an epic saga of state secrets and human ambition...

Discover how a humble plant fueled global trade, built modern empires, and sparked devastating human exploitation. Perfect for your daily commute, this fascinating economic microhistory transforms an everyday commodity into a sweeping saga of wealth and conquest. You will never look at the...

Discover how fragile ancient cloth, rather than stone, secretly forged global trade routes and built powerful empires. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive historical journey redefines everything you know about early human civilization. Step into vivid reconstructions of bustling...

Discover how a humble animal fiber forged global trade routes, financed brutal empires, and drove economic history. Perfect for an illuminating morning commute, this epic historical journey transforms a simple textile into a captivating story of raw human ambition. From ancient pastoral...