WRITER

RESEARCHER

STORYTELLER

Mar• len (mar-il-yn) noun: A writer living in Chicago who specializes in uncovering the hidden history of things.

I’m a former Bustle staff writer and editor, with freelance work appearing in Vox, CNN Style, Time, Smithsonian Magazine, The Week, InStyle, Racked, and Apartment Therapy, among others. I have also appeared on NPR, Trailblazers with Walter Isaacson, and Eclipsed.

I specialize in fashion history and explore how trends mirror the political and social changes in the era in which they arise. Ask me how the midi skirt was seen as fascist in the 1970s and how lipstick tubes were weapons during the Cold War. (Fun stuff!)

When I’m not researching the sociology behind fashion, I also write lifestyle pieces. I focus on home design, architecture, and the history behind everyday items. Need someone to craft an interesting story for your publication? Let’s talk.