Dressed: The History of Fashion

Dressed Media

With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day we all get dressed. Join Dressed as we explore the social and cultural histories behind the who, what, when of why we wear.

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671 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes671

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Aug 13, 2025 · 48 min
Power of Pattern: Central Asian Ikats, an interview with Clarissa Esguerra (Dressed Classic)
We return to a 2019 interview with Clarissa Esguerra, Curator of Textiles and Costume at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), who taught us all about the sophisticated resist-dying ikat technique responsible for the resplendent textiles and garments on display in the LACMA exhibition Power of Pattern: Central Asian Ikats. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 8, 2025 · 32 min
Claire McCardell: The Girl Who Defied Dior, Part II
In part-two of our 2022 exploration of the career of American fashion designer Claire McCardell, we discuss her work during WWII which yielded some of her most iconic designs. For additional reading, check out Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson's recently released biography Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free (2025). Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 6, 2025 · 39 min
Claire McCardell: The Girl Who Defied Dior, Part I
Called the "designer's designer," Claire McCardell turned the American fashion industry on its head starting in the 1930s with her fresh modern take on sportswear. This week we examine her career and legacy in a two-part episode from 2022. For additional reading, check out Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson's recently released biography Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free (2025) Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 1, 2025 · 50 min
Navajo Weaving: Art, History, Practice with Lynda Teller Pete, Barbara Teller Ornelas and Hadley Jensen, Part II (Dressed Classic)
Fifth generation Diné (Navajo) weavers Lynda Teller Pete and Barbara Teller Ornelas have been instrumental in rewriting the history and narrative surrounding Navajo weaving, a realm that for too long has been dominated by non-Navajo voices. This is exemplified by their two groundbreaking books Spider Woman’s Children: Navajo Weavers Today and How to Weave a Navajo Rug and Other Lessons from Spider Woman, as well as their integral role in the creation of the exhibition Shaped by the Loom: Weaving Worlds in the American Southwest at the Bard Graduate Center, New York. Curator Hadley Jensen also joins us in this 2023 two-part episode from the Dressed archive. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 30, 2025 · 46 min
Navajo Weaving: Art, History, Practice with Lynda Teller Pete and Barbara Teller Ornelas, Part I (Dressed Classic)
This week we travel into the Dressed archive to revisit a two-part episode on the sacred cultural practice and art form of Diné (Navajo) weaving with internationally acclaimed authors, educators, and fifth generation weavers Lynda Teller Pete and Barbara Teller Ornelas. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 25, 2025 · 37 min
The Gilded Age "Dudes" of Fashion, Part II (Dressed Classic)
In part two of our 2022 two-part episode, we continue our deep dive into the inner fashion sanctoms of nineteenth century "dudedom," exploring everything from dude fashion trends to the epic, nationally publicized battle to be "King of the Dudes." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 23, 2025 · 38 min
The Gilded Age "Dudes" of Fashion, Part I (Dressed Classic)
In this two-part episode from 2022, we travel back in time to a bygone era when "dude" meant "dandy" and learn all about the now lost fashionable connotations of one of the most popular slang terms in modern parlance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 18, 2025 · 30 min
Fashioning the Gilded Age: Tariffs, Thieves, and TV with Dr. Elizabeth L. Block (Dressed Classic)
Nothing gets between a woman and her fashion! Dr. Elizabeth Block joins us for part two of our 2023 episode on Gilded Age fashion in a discussion on fashionable smuggling, thievery, and the costumes of Gilded Age Season 2! Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 16, 2025 · 48 min
Fashioning the Gilded Age: The Women Who Influenced French Fashion with Dr. Elizabeth Block (Dressed Classic)
French haute couturiers reigned supreme during the late 19th and 20th centuries--but they did not achieve this status on their own. This week we revisit our two-part interview with Dr. Elizabeth Block, who joined us in 2023 to discuss her book Dressing Up: The Women Who Influenced French Fashion which celebrates the lesser known figures behind the international success of the French haute couture, including their elite American clientele which were driving forces of Gilded Age fashion. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 11, 2025 · 45 min
An Interview with "Gernreich Girl" Barbara Flood (Dressed Classic)
In this 2021 episode, Barbara Flood joined us to discuss her passion for fashion that spans her 1960s and 70s modeling career as a "Gernreich Girl" into the present day. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 9, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
Dressed in History: 100 Years of Collecting Fashion with Jessica Pushor
Recorded live at the Chicago History Museum, “librarian of clothing” Jessica Pushor takes us behind the seams of her exhibition Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective. On view at the museum until July 27th, 2025, the exhibition celebrates the museum’s incredible 50,000+ fashion and textile collection, but also the many people who have shaped its existence for the past 100 years. Recommended Listening: Jessica's two-part 2021 Dressed interview about Chicago fashion history can be listened to here and here. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 4, 2025 · 35 min
On the Dressed Bookshelf
The Dressed Bookshelf has over 150 fashion history titles and counting! This week, we highlight some our favorite recent additions. Books discussed in the episode: Azzedine Alaia: A Couturier’s Collection Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickenson Dress History of Korea: Critical Perspectives on Primary Sources, ed. Kyunghee Pyun and Minjee Kim Fashion & Motherhood: Image, Material, Identity, ed. by Laura Snelgrove, Lauren Downing Peters and Darnell-Jamal Lisby Fashion in American Life, \ ed. Hazel Clark and Lauren Downing Peters Perfection: 400 Years of Women’s Quest for Beauty by Margarette Lincoln The Modern Venus: Dress, Underwear and Accessories in the late 18th Century Atlantic World by Elisabeth Gernerd The Red Dress: Conversations in Stitch by Kirstie Macleod and voices from the embroidery project Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 2, 2025 · 49 min
Pink and Blue: Telling the Boys From the Girls in America, an interview with Jo B. Paoletti
Is it pink for girls and blue for boys OR is it pink for boys and blue for girls?!! Professor Jo B. Paoletti, author of Pink and Blue: Telling the Boys From the Girls in America, joins us to discuss the history of childrenswear and the role clothing plays in children's developing concepts of gender. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠AirWave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠ network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 27, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
Mayor of Fashion Town, an interview with Fern Mallis
Fern Mallis joins us today to speak about her career which spans six decades of shaping, supporting and championing first American fashion, and later turning her expertise towards developing fashion weeks around the globe. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the ⁠⁠⁠AirWave Media⁠⁠⁠ network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 25, 2025 · 50 min
25 Years of "Make It Work" with Tim Gunn
Internationally beloved teacher, mentor, and fashion authority Tim Gunn returns to Dressed to discuss his sixteen seasons at Project Runway and the origins of his famous catchphrase "Make it work." Want More Tim Gunn: Tim's Instagram Tim's 2022 Dressed Interview Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 20, 2025 · 26 min
The Fortuny Delphos Gown: A Herstory
One of the most iconic dresses in fashion history, the finely pleated, Grecian-inspired "Delphos" gown is synonymous with Mariano Fortuny, but it should be credited to his partner in life and work Henriette Negrin. This is her story. Recommended resources: "More than a Muse" article Google Arts & Culture article on the Delphos "The Knossos Scarf" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 18, 2025 · 57 min
Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance with A'Lelia Bundles
A'Lelia Bundles joins us to discuss the remarkable life of her great-grandmother--and namesake--A'Lelia Walker, a defining figure of the Harlem Renaissance and the subject of her recently published book Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance. More from A’Lelia Bundles: “Madame C.J. Walker” Dressed episode On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker ⁠Instagram⁠ Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the AirWave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 13, 2025 · 45 min
The Legend of Beau Brummell, an interview with Dr. Chloe Chapin, Part II
In part two of our episode on the 19th century English dandy Beau Brummell, Dr. Chloe Chapin joins us again to question the many myths surrounding Brummell, and we take a closer look at what the historical record actually reveals. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the ⁠⁠⁠AirWave Media⁠⁠⁠ network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 11, 2025 · 53 min
The Legend of Beau Brummell, an interview with Dr. Chloe Chapin, Part I
This week we continue the life, legend and myth of arguably the most famous dandy of all time, Beau Brummell. In part one of this episode, Dr. Chloe Chapin joins us to establish his biography and regale us with the many anecdotes of Brummell's sartorial snobbery. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the ⁠⁠⁠AirWave Media⁠⁠⁠ network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 6, 2025 · 56 min
Superfine: Tailoring Black Style with Monica L. Miller, Part II
Monica L. Miller joins us all this week to discuss her groundbreaking exhibition ⁠Superfine: Tailoring Black Style⁠, which celebrates over 300 years of Black style through the lens of dandyism. On view now at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art until October 26th, 2025. Further learning: ⁠Monica's tour of the exhibit tour⁠ ⁠Superfine catalog⁠ ⁠Slaves to Fashion⁠ book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dressed: The History of Fashion

Power of Pattern: Central Asian Ikats, an interview with Clarissa Esguerra (Dressed Classic)

Claire McCardell: The Girl Who Defied Dior, Part II

Claire McCardell: The Girl Who Defied Dior, Part I

Navajo Weaving: Art, History, Practice with Lynda Teller Pete, Barbara Teller Ornelas and Hadley Jensen, Part II (Dressed Classic)

Navajo Weaving: Art, History, Practice with Lynda Teller Pete and Barbara Teller Ornelas, Part I (Dressed Classic)

The Gilded Age "Dudes" of Fashion, Part II (Dressed Classic)

The Gilded Age "Dudes" of Fashion, Part I (Dressed Classic)

Fashioning the Gilded Age: Tariffs, Thieves, and TV with Dr. Elizabeth L. Block (Dressed Classic)

Fashioning the Gilded Age: The Women Who Influenced French Fashion with Dr. Elizabeth Block (Dressed Classic)

An Interview with "Gernreich Girl" Barbara Flood (Dressed Classic)

Dressed in History: 100 Years of Collecting Fashion with Jessica Pushor

On the Dressed Bookshelf

Pink and Blue: Telling the Boys From the Girls in America, an interview with Jo B. Paoletti

Mayor of Fashion Town, an interview with Fern Mallis

25 Years of "Make It Work" with Tim Gunn

The Fortuny Delphos Gown: A Herstory

Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance with A'Lelia Bundles

The Legend of Beau Brummell, an interview with Dr. Chloe Chapin, Part II

The Legend of Beau Brummell, an interview with Dr. Chloe Chapin, Part I

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style with Monica L. Miller, Part II