A curated run of posts from the Moss & Ember archive.
The button is among the most quietly revolutionary objects in the history of dress. It made fitted clothing possible, transformed the economics of tailoring, and produced some of the most luxurious small objects ever made.
From medieval belt pouches to the logo-stamped status symbols of the 21st century, the handbag has always been about more than carrying things. It is one of the most legible objects in the grammar of dress.
The pocket is so ordinary that we barely notice it — until it isn’t there. But clothing has not always come with built-in storage, and the story of how we got here is more politically charged than you might expect.
A long piece of fabric worn around the neck. The scarf is so simple it barely seems to need a history. It has one anyway, and it turns out to be more interesting than expected.
The wristwatch began as a frivolity, was made serious by war, and is now simultaneously obsolete and more desirable than ever. Its history is a useful window on how objects acquire meaning.
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?
Gloves have covered the hands of pharaohs, falconers, surgeons, racing drivers, and fashion editors. The story of this single accessory passes through almost every corner of history.
The umbrella existed in China for over a thousand years before it reached Europe. A small counterfactual about rain, status, and the very different world we might have inherited.
From the pouches of ancient hunters to the status symbols of the twentieth century, the bag you carry has always said something about who you are.