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By minimizing the weight of a fabric, manufacturers are also cutting down what the industry calls “covering power,” essentially referring to how opaque or transparent fabric is.

Picture 100 straws versus 50 straws in one square foot; “it’s not going to have as much covering power,” explains Karen Leonas, a professor of textile sciences at North Carolina State University.

Nicholas Confessore is New York-based political and investigative reporter for The Times and a staff writer at the Times Magazine, covering power and influence in Washington, tech, media and beyond.

I've spent years in Washington now covering power and politics, and out in the rest of the country, and seeing how those policies impact people in their homes.

Belloni’s column on Hollywood is a cornerstone of Puck News, a new digital media company covering power and money centers in Washington, D.C.,