What happened when fashion moved online

What happened when fashion moved online

July 1, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the transformation of the fashion industry with the rise of online shopping.

There was a time when shopping for clothes meant walking into a department store and hoping the limited sizes and styles available at that exact moment might fit. Then, the internet changed everything. Online shopping didn’t just make fashion more convenient; it expanded what retailers could offer, what customers could demand and who got to dictate trends. Host Megan McArdle is joined by Shawn Grain Carter, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology and former Bloomingdale’s buyer who helped launch the Macy’s website. They discuss the shift from department store floors to the infinite shelves of the internet. Subscribe to The Washington Post here .

People in this episode

Host: Megan McArdle

Guest: Shawn Grain Carter

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fashion Institute of Technology, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, The Washington Post

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