Stop Policing Fashion!How Vidya Balan’s Celebrity Has Defied the Idea of the ‘Fashion Police’ Balan's resistance to the dictatorial standards laid down by the fashion police earned her the respect and admiration of millions of Indians. By Devrupa Rakshit
Starving For NostalgiaRomanticizing Y2K Led to the Resurgence of Heroin Chic How ironic cultural nostalgia for the campy 2000s led to a cycle of problematic fashion trends recycled in new language. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Go Yeezy On HimThe Buzz Cut: Visionary Multimillionaire Converts Poverty Into Business Opportunity This week in The Buzz Cut: a man confuses trash for cash, a comedian's kindness is fatal, and a woman is informed she isn't allowed to party. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
National Multi-hyphenateThe Buzz Cut: Self‑Appointed National Hero Requests Next Film Be Compulsory School Viewing This week in The Buzz Cut: poverty is high fashion, diapers capture mass attention, and a patriotic man asks the government for a favor. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Bespoke WokeWhy Retailers Rebranding as ‘Woke’ Is Disingenuous Netflix’s ‘White Hot’ traces the story of Abercrombie & Fitch, but inadvertently prompts questions of whether retailers rebranding through inclusivity is enough. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Doing It For The GramHow Instagram Aesthetics Fuel a Destructive Fast Fashion Empire Shein, recently valued at $100 billion, is not only unsustainable, but also profits off body insecurities by reinventing style. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Unrealistic Much?Can We Move On: From the Trope of the Woman Who Has a Makeover to Match a Big Life Change Are you really in love if you haven't replaced your entire wardrobe with red, flowy dresses? By Devrupa Rakshit
A Fashionable SpeciesA History of the Handbag From a Practical Necessity to Creative Canvas The handbag has always straddled the line between function and beauty. Its history shows how the two came together, making it a symbol of its wearer. By Saumya Kalia
Beauty is Bone DeepHumans Made Clothes as Early as 120,000 Years Ago Using Bone Tools: Research Prehistoric clothes were both symbolic and functional. The findings provide hints to how human beings evolved socially and culturally. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Catwalk For A CauseWomen Stage ‘Ramp Walk’ on Bhopal Potholes to Protest Road Conditions "Since our official complaints have gone unheard, we organised this catwalk on potholed and water-filled roads to draw attention." By Devrupa Rakshit
Indian Heritage x ConsumerismThe Buzz Cut: A ‘Postman Uniform’‑Like Piece Among the ‘Accessible’ Designs Sabyasachi and H&M Sold Out This week in The Buzz Cut, we look at Chris Pratt's masculinity, and neurodivergent cartoon characters. By Saumya Kalia
Good Bad And UglyLifestyle Brands Are Showcasing Their Humanitarianism, Blending Activism and Retail This moment in advertising that combines politics, sentiment, charity, and retail is new. By Meher Varma
Inclusion Versus AcceptanceSupermodel Halima Aden Explains Why She Quit: Her Hijab Rule Clashed With Industry Expectations In an exclusive with BBC, Aden says things started going downhill when on-set teams started styling her hijabs, even using wrapped jeans to cover her head. By Rajvi Desai
Gloss Is Not EnoughThe Kamala Harris Vogue Cover Shows Fashion Magazines Are Struggling for Relevance Readers want authenticity, but they also want powerful women to be treated with reverence. By Aditi Murti
Weaving A FarceTell Me More: Talking Inequality in Sustainable Fashion Aesthetics With Meher Varma "Do people even know what ‘sustainability’ translates to in Hindi, or any other regional language?" By Aditi Murti
Change The MeasureDecoding the ‘Fat Tax’: Why the Indian Fashion Industry Charges More for Bigger Clothes A strict adherance to an international size ideal is not serving Indian customers who don't fit that ideal. By The Swaddle Team
Dressing UpExperiment: Economic Disadvantage Influences How Women Choose to Dress, Portray Themselves Financial inequality can lead women to maximize the limited tools at their disposal, including their looks, the researcher says. By Liesl Goecker
Illusions Of RestLoungewear as ‘Aesthetic’ Is a Symptom of Constant Self‑Optimization Needing women to be constantly presentable, even when in private and at rest is symptomatic of societal failure. By Aditi Murti
