How to Change the World: The History & Future of Innovation [~52,000BC] The Eyed Needle: The History of Clothes, Fashion, Beauty and Status Games
Dec 3, 2025
Explore the fascinating journey of how humanity transitioned from nudity to clothing, altering our psychology and civilization. Discover the evolution of tools like the eyed needle that revolutionized garment making, leading to privacy and status games. Delve into the complexities of fashion as both a biological and social construct, revealing its impact on gender, beauty standards, and identity. Understand how modern trends amplify our comparisons through digital lenses, shaping human desires and societal structures.
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Clothes Rewired Human Psychology
- Clothing rewired human psychology by turning nakedness into shame and privacy.
- This single change created new social rules and emotional reactions unseen in other animals.
Clothing As Climate Engineering
- Clothing created a controllable microclimate that let humans live outside Africa.
- That engineering cheat replaced waiting for slow biological evolution to adapt to cold climates.
The Birth Of The Eyed Needle
- A bone tool (awl) and later an eyed needle transformed draped hides into tailored garments.
- That domestic scene in a cold shelter invented the labour-saving needle and unlocked fitted clothing.
