Style and Fashion

Rose Madeline Mula writes: As if my wrinkles aren't enough of a giveaway, all kinds of other factors are blabbing my age to the world at large. My choice of music is another dead giveaway. The lyrics of my favorite songs tell sweet, romantic stories. No political statements, no anti-establishment rants, and not a single obscenity. Furthermore, the singers can actually sing — no screeching., whispering, or special-effect enhancements, I can understand the lyrics, and the melodies are melodic. more »

Stereoscopic vision is the brain's ability to decode the flat 2D optical information received by both eyes to give us the depth of perception needed to thread a needle, catch a ball, park a car and generally navigate a 3D world. Using computerized perceptual tasks, researchers from UC Berkeley and the University of Geneva, Switzerland, tested the stereoscopic vision of dressmakers and other professionals and found dressmakers to be the most eagle-eyed. more »

The exhibition is the first to examine the height of the millinery trade in Paris, from around 1875 to 1914, as reflected in the art of the Impressionists and French milliners. From the start of the Third Republic until the outbreak of World War I, there were around 1,000 milliners working in what was then considered the fashion capital of the world. Degas and the Impressionists' representations of millinery became a central theme within the broader avant-garde ambition to showcase the diversity of Parisian modern life. more »

Founded in 1799 by sea captains and merchant traders, PEM has been actively collecting art and design related to ocean liners since at least 1870, building holdings of paintings, prints, posters and models that today number in the thousands. The V&A, one of the world’s leading institutions of art and design, began collecting ship models and technology patents to improve Britain’s commercial and manufacturing advantage in the 19th century, when it was known as the South Kensington Museum. In the 20th century, the V&A acquired ocean liner posters and ephemera, ceramics, textiles, metalwork and furniture, all with the aim of representing good design. more »