How Consumerism Created Bigfoot
People have long told stories about wildmen, creatures who straddled the line between human and animal. But Bigfoot himself first appeared in the 1950s.
The Birth of Planned Obsolescence
Before WWII, American businesses began embracing “creative waste”—the idea that throwing things away and buying new ones could fuel a strong economy.
How Magazines Created a New Culture of Manhood
Middle-class American manhood changed in the mid-twentieth century. And the new ideal of masculine consumption was captured by men’s magazines.
A Brief History of the Credit Card
For now-ubiquitous consumer credit cards, bad early results had a hidden benefit.
The Businesswomen of Early Twentieth Century America
Women's roles in the business world partly depended on their status as consumers in the early twentieth century.
2015 Was A Record Year for Vehicle Recalls
Some surprising lessons on how car companies' responses to product recalls affect consumer and investor perceptions.
Whole Foods and the Problem With Enlightened Consumption
Whole Foods may promise ethical products, but its offerings often contradict expectations.
The Ocean’s Hot Dog: The Strange History of Fish Sticks
Fish sticks fulfilled the need to repackage an abundance of frozen fillets. But did they become a consumer staple?
![Weldon's Ladies' Journal April 1895
Public Domain via <a href="http://elusivemu.se/resources-for-artists-public-domain-fashion-images/#prettyPhoto[gallery-1]/1" target="_blank">elusivemu.se</a>](https://daily.jstor.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/FashionMagazine_1050x700-600x400.jpg)
The Birth of Fashion Magazines
Fashion magazines, which first emerged in the 19th century, bridged notions of femininity with an increasingly consumerist society.