The Thread on Substack

The Thread

A Textile Anthropology Publication by The Textile Anthropologist

The Thread is the heart of my public scholarship as a textile anthropologist: a weekly Substack publication that explores the cultural, ecological, and political lives of cloth. Each article unspools a story about the global textile traditions that shape who we are—from sacred dye rituals to Indigenous weaving practices to the environmental history of fiber plants.

Posts are written in a warm, accessible voice grounded in anthropological research, with recurring themes that include labor, land, gender, colonialism, ecology, memory, and craft. Topics range from the politics of cochineal dye to the revival of bighorn sheep wool traditions, offering readers a rich lens on the material culture of textiles across time and geography.

Articles are paired with an intentional social media content strategy, including educational Threads posts and Instagram content (carousels, Reels, and quote cards) designed to expand reach and engagement while honoring the depth of the material. This coordinated storytelling approach invites both casual readers and scholars into the conversation.

Running The Thread supports my broader mission to build public textile literacy—raising awareness of the human and environmental costs of fiber production, amplifying marginalized textile traditions, and encouraging deeper reflection on how we consume, make, and relate to clothing and cloth. The Substack acts as both a platform for teaching and a living archive of my research, allowing me to share knowledge widely while cultivating a community of curious, critical, and creative readers.

Follow the thread—your clothes have stories to tell.