You could be forgiven for thinking the story behind elastics was boring. You’d still be wrong, though. The story of what’s holding up your underwear is a global drama, replete with war, industrial espionage, colonialism, destitute inventors – everything!
In this episode, Josh and Chuck explore the surprisingly recent history of elastic, the stretchy material that's woven into most of our clothing today. They trace elastic from ancient loincloths and medieval braies through union suits and modern spandex, then dive into the wild story of how rubber was discovered, vulcanized by Charles Goodyear, and eventually synthesized during World War II. Along the way, they pack in some great dinner party facts like how the ACE bandage got its name and why union suits were invented to replace restrictive corsets.
Movies Discussed
💬 Comments
Log in to leave a comment.