A few loops ago I wrote about the history of belt loops: here is a refresher.

Before the 1920s, belts served mostly a decorative purpose, and were associated with the military. Moreover, prior to that trousers did not even have belt loops. As sportswear, trousers with belt loops were already present in the 19th century. Today it is common for men to wear belts with their trousers

But, if we look further into the history of belts we see that this seemingly simple accessory has had a very meaningful history. In virtually every religious tradition there are traces of belts (often cords) used during sacred ceremonies and integrated in the priest’s vestment. The term girdle still refers to the liturgical attire that normally closes the Catholic priest’s cassock. Besides, over the millennia, several cultures have associated a kind of therapeutic power to belts.

I was surprised at how many cultures incorporated meaning into this, now practical accessory. I encourage you guys to look into the surprising lineage of our product.

I know I’m not the only one pumped about this rain. (S/O Rick)

Here are some personal reasons why rain rules:

1. It smells amazing when it rains
2. I can now shamelessly listen to Christmas music (it’s just not the same when it’s hot out).
3. HOODIES AND FLANNELS EVERY DAY
4. Puddles to drive through

Aside from my biased opinion, here are some other weird/awesome facts about rain:

1. It may be covered with ice, but Antarctica gets only 6.5 inches of rain or snow per year, making it the continent with the lowest annual rainfall by far. On the other end of the spectrum, Lloro, Colombia, absorbs 534 inches of rainfall per year. North America is relatively dry by comparison, collecting 256 inches of rain annually.

2. In dry, hot places, rain sometimes evaporates before it hits the ground. Also known as “phantom rain,” it looks like curtains of rain looming above a dry ground.

3. On Venus, and other moons and planets, rain is made of sulfuric acid or methane. Even stranger: on a planet 5,000 light years away, scientists found raindrops made of iron rather than water.

4. The maximum speed of a falling raindrop can differ from 18 to 22 miles per hour. Water, for the most part, tumbles to earth at a low speed; this is on account of raindrops having special shapes that build the impact of atmospheric friction. If this atmospheric friction doesn’t act against the downpour, each drop would come down at incredible speeds and can cause a lot of harm.

Happy puddle jumping!