Somewhere along the line clothing met fashion, and neither has been the same since. In this program, historian Valerie Steele, of the Fashion Institute of Technology, and other experts interpret the history of humankind—from the ancients to the moderns—through the intriguing context of costume. Topics include the origins of clothing; symbolism associated with clothing, such as gender and status; sexist aspects of fashion, from corsets to miniskirts; the impact of wartime rationing on clothing styles; icons of haute couture, including Coco Chanel; and even body piercing and tattoos as a form of contemporary personal expression. (53 minutes)