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Times Square, New York City

Times Square’s Iconic Billboards May Be Illegal

Bright lights, big city, breaking the law

Ornamental weathervanes once adorned the cupolas of the stand-alone Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants, hinting at a bygone folk era and forecasting the multi-directional dominance of its corporate future.

How Colonel Sanders Made Kentucky Fried Chicken an American Success Story

A weathervane from the Smithsonian collections is emblematic of Harland Sanders’s decades-long pursuit to make his chicken finger-lickin' good

Still from Coca-Cola advertisement

American History Museum Scholar on the History of the "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" Advertisement

The commercial that closed out the series finale of "Mad Men," explained

Actor Jon Hamm sporting the iconic fedora and gray suit of his alter ego, Don Draper, from the popular television show "Mad Men." Draper's suit and fedora, along with Betty Francis' yellow housedress and other props were donated to the Smithsonian.

Don Draper's Gray Suit and Fedora Are Among "Mad Men Props" Donated to the Smithsonian

Members of the television show's stellar cast, along with director Matthew Weiner, dropped off some significant "Mad Men" swag

Cocoa roasters at the Hershey Chocolate Company in Pennsylvania

The Short Rise and Fall of the Crazy-for-Cocoa-Trade Cards Craze

In the late 19th-century, when you bought chocolate, the grocer dropped a delightful prize into your bag, a trade card to save and share

How Halitosis Became a Medical Condition With a "Cure"

Bad breath wasn’t perceived as a medical condition until one company realized that it could help them sell mouthwash

The World of Personal Computers in the 1980s Was A Wacky, Wonderful Place

You can experience early video games and operating systems yourself through retrocomputing and ads

The Park Avenue facade of the Pepsi-Cola Corporation World Headquarters, designed by SOM

The Architectural History of Pepsi-Cola, Part 1: The ‘Mad Men’ Years

In the 1960s, Pepsi rebranded with a new slogan, a new look, and a cutting edge modernist building

Singer in pillbox hat, 1958

‘I Remember’: An Artist’s Chronicle of What We Wore

In the 1970s, Joe Brainard wrote a book-length poem that paid heed to fashion

“Where there’s smoke there’s fire” by Russell Patterson, 1920s

The History of the Flapper, Part 5: Who Was Behind the Fashions?

Sears styles sprung from the ideas of European artists and couturiers

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Why Hypercolor T-Shirts Were Just a One-Hit Wonder

Heat-sensitive color made this sportswear a hot item—but it didn't last

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The Legend of the Christmas Stocking

What's behind the holiday tradition of hanging hosiery on the fireplace?

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Your Guide to Selecting the Best (or Is It Worst?) Ugly Christmas Sweater

Holiday cheer with a touch of nostalgia celebrates garish knitwear from the 1940s to '80s

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The Best in Fashion History: Penny Loafers, Forgotten Suitcases and Hermès Scarves

Three good reads to accessorize your daily routine

Dining aboard the RMS Caronia, from a 1950s World Cruise brochure.

Dress Codes and Etiquette, Part 3: The Death of the Dinner Jacket on Open Water

Are the days of wearing just a tuxedo t-shirt just over the horizon?

1980s aerobics clothes

Giving Thanks to Clothes That Stretch

Seeking comfort, holiday diners will don elastic to indulge their expanding waistlines. They should thank Thomas Hancock and his "masticator"

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Incredible Political Fashion Statements From Past Elections

Forget buttons and T-shirts. Check out these mini dresses, bell bottoms and digital watches from old campaign trails

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The Witches of Halloween Past

Sexy or scary, the outfit has cast a spell on costume wearers going back many years

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Stocking Series, Part 4: The Rebellious Roll Garters

Wearing rolled stocking back then must have been akin to the liberating, punk rock feeling of wearing ripped fishnets today

Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors original label featured a topless cowgirl (left) who got a fringed bolero in 1963.

As a Matter of Fact: Jockeys, Tartans and Cowboy Glam

The real stories behind some fashion fads and classics hold some surprising twists

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