Pile is the kind of band that inspires people to do crazy things, like start a record label or write a concept record about it. At least those are two of the more outlandish examples we have so far.

“Won’t shrink, pull out of shape or pill; lightweight, quick-drying, very warm, ideal for layering.” This description appeared alongside Patagonia’s Synchilla fleece in the late ’80s. Today, fleece is ...

Driven vertically into the ground, interlocking metal plates known as sheet piles can keep soil from eroding after rainfall, they can serve as retaining walls on slopes, or perform other functions.