They say that beauty is only skin-deep, which is true. But stylethe way we own, inhabit, and express our natural endowmentsgoes all the way down to the core. And it’s not just the core of ourselves, but that of our entire collective history and society. In the INDY‘s second-annual Style Issue, we’re pushing beyond what looks good and where to buy itthough of course, that’s included, too, in our roundup of local brands and retailers and our street-fashion photo spreadto find the seams where fashion runs into art, history, civil rights, technology, nostalgia, innovation, freedom, oppression, and every other facet of culture. You’ll read about how two Raleigh museums are finding the political in pleats and petticoats, how theater costumers and band stylists make fashion work on demand, how one Durham designer is looking to new tech to make better-fitting clothes for women, and more. We also hope you’ll get a kick out of our Aughties Fashion Nostalgia coloring book, where we do some advance reconnaissance on the next frontier of comeback trends. Dust off those shutter shades and skinny jeans, fellow oldies; it’s going to be a long decade.
How the Ebony Fashion Fair Broke Down Barriers Between African Americans and Runway Fashion
From Underwear Up, The Shape of Fashion Takes the Measure of Women’s Shifting Silhouettes
Instead of Styling Musicians in Costumes, Dear Hearts Helps Them Be Themselves
Durham’s Reid Miller Wants to Use New Tech to Push Past Standard Sizes in Professional Womenswear
How Theatrical Costume Designers and Dressers Beat the Odds to Bring Style to the Stage