Wedding Dresses: Articles of Interest #12

A wedding was once seen as a start of young adulthood. Now, a wedding has come to represent a crowning achievement — a symbol that your whole life is together and you have accrued the time and space and resources to afford your ascent to another level of fulfillment. And there’s no greater symbol for this day, and all the pressure it brings, than a white dress.

Articles of Interest is a limited-run podcast series about fashion, housed inside the design and architecture podcast 99% Invisible. Launched in 2018, the show encourages people to rethink the way we look at what we wear and what it says about us.

This second season of Articles of Interest features six interlocking episodes examining luxury and our collectively held ideas of glamour across the United States, from Chicago to Canal Street. Think of it like a podcast concept album, with recurring themes and threads that examine the ways we signal success and authenticity in America.

Articles of Interest was written and performed by Avery Trufelman, who spoke with her mother as well as Vivian Le, Elizabeth Dye, Heidi Rabben of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, UCLA Professor Benjamin Karney and journalist Rebecca Mead for this episode. This season was edited by Chris Berube, scored by Rhae Royal and Sean Real with additional music by Jason Jia; fact-checked by Tom Colligan with additional checking by Graham Hacia; mix and tech production by Sharif Youssef with additional mixing by Katherine Rae Mondo; opening and closing songs by Sasami; photography by Austin Hobart and graphic design by Helen Tseng.

Special thanks to the whole 99pi team for support, insights, and edits, including Joe Rosenberg, Emmett FitzGerald, Lasha Madan, Kurt Kohlstedt, Delaney Hall, and Katie Mingle. And Roman Mars is the Best Man of this whole series.