History & culture

A patchwork and appliqué quilt made by women in Pakistan, northwest India, and Sindh from recycled cotton and silk fabric scraps, hand-stitched in geometric patterns across generations.

The 2013 collapse of a garment factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which killed over 1,100 workers and became a defining catalyst for global scrutiny of fast fashion's labor practices.

A semi-synthetic fiber made from regenerated cellulose, developed in the late 19th century and marketed from the 1920s as 'artificial silk' for its lustrous drape at lower cost than real silk.

Clothing manufactured in standard sizes for immediate purchase, as opposed to custom-made garments; it grew from 19th-century military uniform production and expanded rapidly with department stores in the 20th century.

A practice and online community centered on altering or reconstructing existing garments into new items, popularized by bloggers in the 2000s-2010s as a creative, low-waste alternative to buying new clothes.

The line along a jacket lapel where the fabric naturally folds back; tailors shape it through pad stitching and pressing so the lapel rolls softly rather than lying flat.