Silhouettes: A Fashion History Podcast

In this exciting collaboration episode of Silhouettes, we're stepping into the immersive world of Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style, the captivating new exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands. This episode will offer you, my listeners, a unique glimpse into this remarkable celebration of the Jewish Londoners who played a pivotal role in building London's reputation as a fashion capital.

From Dot Cotton's iconic coat to a Mr. Fish smoking dress, this exhibition illuminates the significant contributions of Jewish designers to London's fashion narrative. Join us as we uncover the tales of these visionary creators, who not only influenced London's fashion landscape, but left an indelible mark on the global stage.

We're joined by Bethan Bide, a design historian at the University of Leeds, and the academic advisor to "Fashion City," and Lucie Whitmore, fashion historian and curator of “Fashion City”. Not only will Lucie and Bethan share their insights behind the curation of "Fashion City," exploring how they navigated the intersections of culture, creativity, and identity, shedding light on their research processes, as well as how they decided to showcase these narratives through the pieces selected for display, they will also guide us through the exhibition, leading you from the doors of a traditional tailor's workshop in the East End to the glittering ambiance of a Carnaby Street boutique amidst the heart of a cultural revolution.

"Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style" has been extended for visitors until July 7th, 2024, offering an extended opportunity to immerse yourself in this captivating journey through fashion history.

About Museum of London Docklands

The Museum of London Docklands is located at West India Quay in east London. Opened in 2003, it occupies one of the few remaining original grade one listed warehouses, built in 1802 to store produce from the West Indies.

A shared place in the heart of the East End, where stories cross and collide, it confidently shows how international trade, migration, enslavement and the river Thames were integral to shaping London and the world we live in today.

The museum is open 7 days a week, from 10am-5pm and is FREE to all. You can explore the Museum of London with collections online - home to 90,000 objects with more being added regularly.

Praise for “Fashion City”:

"Brilliant!" - Patrick Grant

"It's the best fashion exhibition I've seen in years" - Alexandra Shulman (Mail on Sunday)

"A thorough and nuanced depiction of the makers of London fashion" - Evening Standard

"Immersive and brilliantly assembled at every turn" -Apollo Magazine

"Expertly crafted" - Glass Magazine

"A must-see for anyone interested in either fashion history or London history" - Amber Butchart

In this episode of Silhouettes, I am joined by Elisabeth Gernerd, 18th century dress historian and author of The Modern Venus: Dress, underwear, and accessories in the late 18th century.

This episode continues our Valentines special season all about the history of undergarments, lingerie and underwear.

‘The Modern Venus’ highlights the significance of this element of a woman’s wardrobe in the 1770s and 1780s, detailing how undergarments played their part in transforming fashionable dress at a time when clothes were expanding to both new heights and new volumes, exploring the socio-political power underwear held.

Listen now to find out how, through the use of a range of contemporary sources, ‘The Modern Venus’ unpacks the importance underwear has had as an overlooked garment, defining not just a woman’s silhouette, but it’s social and cultural influence.

Disclaimer: This episode focuses on naughtier topics like sex, sexuality, and perceptions towards the female body! ❤️

When used to colour women's lingerie, red's poignant symbolism engages with societal perceptions of feminine sexuality and empowerment, and on this weeks episode I celebrating am Valentine’s Day and talking with fashion historian Summer Anne Lee all about the symbolism, fashionability and societal meaning of red lingerie and underwear in history, focusing on her work for the Underpinnings museum digital exhibition ‘A History of Red Lingerie’ ❤️💋

Incendiary: A History of Red Lingerie tells this story through thirty objects, dating from circa the 1860s to 2017’ So listen now to find out more about just what it means, and what exactly you’re communicating, when wearing wear red underneath your clothes.

‘During some parts of the nineteenth century, fashionable shades of red in women's dress included scarlet, crimson, cardinal, garnet, ruby, poppy, and even a "dull deep hue" called "antique red" (Harper's Bazaar, 1868). Yet opinions of brightly-coloured undergarments were vexed, variously considered abhorrent and improper, or stylish and inflammatory. New associations were formed by the middle of the twentieth century. Lingerie was marketed to women in countless shades of red, including flame, bright rose, spice, cherry, firecracker, and siren. These were considered fun and bold hues to enliven one's wardrobe and were often combined with black for a "dramatic look" (Women's Wear Daily, 1952). Since the sexual liberation movement of the 1960s, red lingerie has developed more romantic and seductive associations, gaining a reputation for being "sexy," "red-hot," "smoldering," and "incendiary."

Listen now to find out more! ❣️

Personal styling has a rather unique and often complicated history, spanning all the way from the French Revolution to the Advent of the AI assisted styling that we see emerging today.

In this episode, written in collaboration with Sydney Yeager of dressedcodes, we learn just how influential stylists have been in the annals of fashion history, how they have come to define fashion concepts such as ‘dressing for success’ & ‘you are what you wear’ and how they changed the landscape when it came to curating and defining personal style across the world.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall... On this episode of Silhouettes, we reflect on the fascinating and often fragile history of mirrors. Starting with polished glass, to scientific developments in treated glass, mirrors hold up a reflection to our societies; dictating when, why and how vanity, self-styling and personal care have become important throughout time. Examples include use in Greek mythology, their importance in Roman culture, cultural impact across high society and the important role of empowerment mirrors played during the slave trade.

In this episode I am joined by prominent historian Elizabeth L. Block to discuss all things 19th century fashion!

Her book, Dressing Up chronicles how wealthy American women-as consumers and as influencers-helped shape French couture of the late nineteenth and examines the couturiers' influential clientele--wealthy American women who bolstered the French fashion industry with a steady stream of orders from the United States. 

Countering the usual narrative of the designer as solo creative genius, Block tell us just how these women-as high-volume customers and as pre-Internet influencers-were active participants in the era's transnational fashion system. Block describes the arrival of nouveau riche Americans on the French fashion scene, joining European royalty, French socialites, and famous actresses on the client rosters of the best fashion houses-Charles Frederick Worth, Doucet, and Felix, among others.

Block reveals the power of American women in French couture.

Listen now to find out just influential late 19th century France was to American fashion, and how The Gilded Age on HBO has interpreted this in their new hit show.

In this Halloween special episode, I’m joined by Katie Godman, author of Gothic Fashion: The History to talk all about her wonderfully Gothic book, as we trace Gothic fashion history from barbarians to haute couture and delve into the long, fascinating and sometimes unexpected evolution of all things Gothic.

We discuss just how Gothic fashion has evolved from its ancient roots to the Victorian Gothic, all the way to the Goth subculture movements of more recent history.

Katie’s book Gothic Fashion: A History is published by Unicorn Publishing and available to buy through their website. Katie can also be found on Instagram from @kittiecostume as well as via Blandford Fashion Museum socials.

The imagery of a wicked witch is one we all know well: flowing black robes, pointed black hat, pointed boots and a wooden broom- but have you ever wondered why these specific accessories have become synonymous with the image of a witch?

In this episode I will delve into how, why and when this distinctive attire evolved, tracing the ancient origins of witchcraft to depictions of the green faced wicked witch of the west. Join me on a spooky, magical journey as we learn about the intricate, fascinating and multifaceted history of witchcraft around the world, witchy dress history, and how the iconic imagery of the witch came to be.

From Buffy, to Bram Stroker, to Twilight - Vampires have had a fascinating journey in the public eye. In this episode of Silhouettes, we discuss the iconic vampire image that has inspired Halloween costumes across the globe, tracing the routes of the vampire's origins, to Dracula and his famous incarnations in cinema, from Universal Studios and Hammer Horror, and vampiric influence on Goth culture the world over. Happy Spooky Season!

In today’s episode of Silhouettes I’m chatting with Isabella Rosner, host of the Sew What? Podcast, curator of the Royal School of Needlework and research consultant for Whitney Antiques. She also runs the Instagram page Historic Embroidery, and is a wealth of knowledge on everything to do with historic embroidery and needlework; from the 16th century onward. On this episode we discuss how studying historic embroidery can teach us about lives of teenage girls, the transition of girlhood, how we can trace what was important to people and their lives through fashion and how needle work as a practice has weaved its way through peoples lives in one way or another throughout history.

Fashion History is often overlooked for it's importance in conversations about the past, but in this episode of Silhouettes we take the podcast on the road for the first time and look behind the curtain of one of the UK's only standalone Fashion Museums; Blandford Fashion Museum.

I was lucky enough to be invited out to the South-Coast of the UK to Blandford explore everything the museum has to offer with their wonderful body of staff and volunteers. In this episode I speak with Operations Manager Katie Godman about the history of the collection and it's origins, Funding Manager Kathrine about the importance of her role, you'll join me as we take an audio tour of the museum's exhibitions, through all the rich, wonderful historical fashions on show - from Regency bonnets to 1950s cocktail dresses - as well as the spaces you've always wanted to visit... behind the locked doors, secret rooms and attic archives!

History is not short on women who've been robbed of their reputations, be that in their lifetimes or the years that followed, and in this episode I'm joined by Grace of the Wicked Women Podcast to discuss exactly that. We delve into the fashion of some of history's most notorious women and how they weaponized the clothes they wore to either dismantle or enforce the reputations society had given them.

Hello, and welcome back to Silhouettes ✨

The knights in shining armour are some of the most iconic images when it comes to general knowledge, and depictions, of the medieval times. From Lancelot to Galahad, Knights feature in endless epic tales and legends, and it is undoubtably their armour that has allowed them to stand out from their medieval peers- but what did a knight in shining armour ACTUALLY wear, and were they as chivalrous, and as decorated, as media and legend has had us believe? ⚔️

Listen now to find out how long it took for a knight to be dressed, how their armour was designed, formed and smithed, and how heavy a suit of armour ACTUALLY was…🗡️

From hennins to accessorised weapons, in this third installment of our Medieval Fashion series, I delve into the the royal, and upper class, fashion of late medieval Europe. From Queens and Kings, to fascinating women of the religious orders like Christine de Pizan, listen now to find out what power dressing looked like throughout Europe from the 12th to the 14th centuries ✨

She’s been a teacher, an astronaut, the Prom Queen, a Cali Girl, a Gogo Dancer, and now the star of the latest Hollywood Blockbuster (!), but what makes Barbie the icon that she is, and how valuable is she as a figure in Fashion History?

Today on Silhouettes we discuss some of Barbie's most iconic fashions throughout the last 60 years - as well as some of her faux pas, her varying public perception throughout the eras, and her unforgettable hot-pink space suit...

This episode is a re-upload, originally posted August 31st 2020.

From weaving with gold thread to telling stories through fashion, the world of medieval embroidery is a wonderful one, and in this episode, I take you through the fascinating world of medieval mythology; mermaids to lionesses to griffins to... seamonks..? and how we can trace these histories, weird and wonderful, through fashion 🧜‍♀️🦁

The history of the early Middle Ages is long and complicated and spans Europe, England, Ireland, and Scotland, from Constantinople to Viking territory, with a great deal of cultural, artistic and scientific innovation defining these periods, and of course, the fashion the these earlier time periods was no stranger to these changes. This episode also discusses the controversy surrounding the term ‘The Dark Ages’ and how it has come to define our opinions towards the fashion and culture of these earlier centuries.

This is a detailed, long and information heavy episode- so grab a cup of tea, get comfortable and travel back in time with me to the early Middle Ages: from the year 400 to 1066 for a true deep-dive into the fascinating, fashionable history of the early Middle Ages 📚

From tunics to steeple caps, this episode is the first in the start of a new series all about Medieval Fashion, as requested by you! I focus on the story of the “dark ages”, the Middle Ages, ending with the the Italian renaissance, travelling throughout Europe and the UK to delve into the diverse, fascinating and detailed fashion of the medieval times, from the 5th century all the way to the 15th.

This episode is just a short introduction to the fashion, politics, and the complicated religious and social history of what is now known as the Medieval Times, to give you the ‘how, what and why’ of the history of fashion throughout Europe, from the Norman's to the Anglo Saxons, explaining the political backdrop of fashion changes, the social expectations on all classes throughout the centuries, and most importantly, I explain why it is virtually impossible to do a detailed episode of medieval, history, all hundreds of years of it, in one short episode ✨

This week I am joined by guest, Sarah Somerville, Visitor Services Officer at at the historic Shaw House in West Berkshire, England, to delve deep into the how, what, why and who of the fashion-focused exhibition ‘Dressed for Shaw’ currently held at Shaw House.

Dressed for Shaw, an exhibition exploring the key moments in Shaw House's history through clothes, delves into the more personal stories and secrets of those who energized the House over the last 400 years. Through period dress, from the Farthingale's of the 1580's, to the breeches of the 1640's, frills of the 1730's, and the weathered wool of the 19th century - this exhibition works to better understand how these items shaped the history of Shaw House.

Shaw House is one of the best-preserved Elizabethan mansions in England, and over the centuries has welcomed royalty, seen action during the Civil War, housed soldiers during World War Il and schooled generations of local children and has a rich and fascinating history: and it’s fashions are no stranger.

Fiction can be a historian's greatest source of contemporary information if used correctly, and the study of fashion history is no different... Bridal fashion in particular! In this episode of Silhouettes I explore:

• How and why we can use fiction, books, short stories, poems and more to get first-hand accounts of what people were wearing in history.

• The ways we can use these same skills to explore the wedding fashion of eras from the 18th century all the way to the mid century, from fictional weddings to fictional brides.

• The wedding fashion some of fictions most iconic brides; from Miss Havisham to the Bride of Frankenstien, in both their true novelized icarnrtions to their modern media re-imaginings.

“Our mad dream is only half realized. Alone, you have created the man. Now, together, we will create his mate.” Bride of Frankenstien, 1935

How fashionable was the real Queen Charlotte, and did she love the gossip of the town as much as the woman we see in screen? With the new Bridgerton series ‘Queen Charlotte’ looming, it was time to dedicate an episode to the real life of the fascinating woman the series' star is based on. So let's explore the story of the REAL Queen Charlotte - botanist, scientist, composer - and compare her story to that of the glittering Queen depicted in Bridgerton.

This is a preview of a Silhouettes: Behind The Seams episode - listen to the whole thing and much more bonus content by supporting the show at the links below ✨

Weddings and traditions go hand in hand, and in today's episode I take you around the world to explore exactly that!

Including:

• The first documented mention of a wedding dress

• The formal costume of weddings across the globe

• Wedding fashion and customs in the ancient world, from ancient Babylon to Athens

• Some of the origins of our most famous wedding sayings- why DO we wear 'something blue' 💙 and does the phrase ‘tying the knot’ have anything to do with clothes?

• and much, much more!

Thanks for listening, and stay fab everyone! ✨👰‍♀️💋

Have you ever sat down and pictured your wedding, the table plan, the flowers, the dress…. If you’re anything like me and my childhood friends, you’ve even designed your own wedding dress more times than you’d like to admit. And, the chances are, that you imagined yourself in a white dress.  But, why? On this episode of Silhouettes, we discuss how and why we have got to the point in western society of defining a bride by the colour of her dress, uncovering the misunderstood origins of the white wedding gown and it’s perceived originator 💍👰‍♀️

"If we were all wearing the same thing or if we're all wearing nothing at all you might say it doesn't matter, but we don't and it does."

In this episode, I am again joined by dress historian Kate Strasdin, this time turning our attention to the wider world of Fashion History.  It's importance, the misconceptions and stereotypes of the subject and ways people interested in the field can get their foot in the door, hiw and why Fashion History should never be considered 'just for women' and how Kate got her start in working in the world of fashion history.

Kate Strasdin is a dress historian who has been fascinated by old clothes since she was a child.  She is a lecturer in Cultural Studies at Falmouth University and is a freelance consultant for dress and textile exhibitions. She has appeared as an expert on The Great British Sewing Bee.  In 2016 she was given an anonymous album full of annotated dress swatches that had been kept in a trunk for over fifty years, its original keeper unknown... She spent the next six years unlocking its secrets.

In this very exciting episode, myself and dress historian Kate Strasdin explore the secrets of a Victorian woman's wardrobe, through the autobiographical pieces of fabric she left behind in a mysterious scrap book over 200 years ago... We delve into the power fabric has to tell us about people of the past, class, geography, the misconceptions surrounding Victorian fashion and thE unexpected history of fast fashion.

Kate Strasdin is a dress historian who has been fascinated by old clothes since she was a child.  She is a lecturer in Cultural Studies at Falmouth University, and is a freelance consultant for dress and textile exhibitions. She has appeared as an expert on The Great British Sewing Bee.  In 2016 she was given an anonymous album full of annotated dress swatches that had been kept in a trunk for over fifty years, its original keeper unknown... She spent the next six years unlocking its secrets.  

"The hidden fabric of a Victorian woman's life - from family and friends to industry and Empire - told through her unique textile scrapbook.

In 1838, a young woman was given a diary on her wedding day. Collecting snippets of fabric from a range of garments she carefully annotated each one, creating a unique record of her life and times. Her name was Mrs Anne Sykes. Nearly two hundred years later, the diary fell into the hands of Kate Strasdin, a fashion historian and museum curator. Strasdin spent the next six years unravelling the secrets contained within the album's pages. Piece by piece, she charts Anne's journey from the mills of Lancashire to the port of Singapore before tracing her return to England in later years. Fragments of cloth become windows into Victorian life: pirates in Borneo, the complicated etiquette of mourning, poisonous dyes, the British Empire in full swing, rioting over working conditions and the terrible human cost of Britain's cotton industry. This is life writing that celebrates ordinary people: the hidden figures, the participants in everyday life. Through the evidence of waistcoats, ball gowns and mourning outfits, Strasdin lays bare the whole of human experience in the most intimate of mediums: the clothes we choose to wear."

With a history spanning from as early 3150 BC, running all the way until mid-600 AD, the colossal reign of The Ancient Egyptians is an era in little need of introduction.  Their instantly recognizable look is one known the world over- for good reason, Despite the truly ancient nature of this culture, we as historians are fortunate with the immaculate condition so many artifacts of this era have been preserved in, offering us a uniquely in-depth insight into a civilization founded over 5000 years ago.  

In this episode of Silhouettes, we explore this fascinating culture, learn more about some of the misconceptions of the era, consider the impact that the icons of the time period such as Queen Cleopatra and Tutankhamun had on the world and what the way they dressed themselves tells us about society 5000 years ago. We also investigate the intriguing way make-up was viewed in this part of history and it's unexpected health benefits.  There's a lot of ground to cover in this episode (almost 3500 years of it!) so let's get stuck in to The Fashion of Ancient Egypt. 

Without a doubt, one of the most recognizable eras of fashion is the Romans.  The unmistakable toga and laurel crown combination represent an era that spanned over 1000 years of human history... but have we got it all wrong?   What if the stark white togas we all know, and associate with this time in history, weren't common place at all?

In this episode we travel back to as early at 476CE to explore Ancient Rome, their early influences, the simplicity of their iconic look, society's disdain for flashiness and how the world has remembered them through mosaic all these years later.  We also touch on many of the forward-thinking beauty routines many of the women of Roman society upheld, the colour purple's significance and the unexpected way people of the time regarded trousers.  There was so much history created in the millennium the Romans ruled and there's a lot to explore in this episode - so let's get into it!

Black beard, Captain Hook, Captain Jack Sparrow… The image of the decorated ‘Pirate’ has pervaded general media for years, made up of a select few recognizable characters, dressed in a select few recognizable garments and accessories, who have come to define our idea of the pirate.  But how true is his image really?  Was this what pirates, captains and seamen actually wear during their time at sea?  In this episode you can expect to hear all about the fashion pursuits of the swashbuckling men and women who sailed the seas in the 18th century ⚓️

Bombarded to any historian in the UK through their schooling, we take a trip to the 16th century to examine the pieces that work together to make up the instantly recognizable Tudor silhouette.  As well as this, we explore the mystery behind Anne Boleyn's true identity, asking if she was really the style-icon she is famed to be… and what she truly looked like.  

In this episode, myself and Izzy (from the What The Austen? Podcast) discuss the iconic, diverse fashion styles of the Regency Era, the way fashion is depicted in Jane Austen novels, and just how much fashion from this time period can define an individual, particularly in the regency famous stories of Jane Austen.  Tall, dark and handsome Mr Darcy, we’re looking at you!  

Our last Regency episode has been the most popular to date, with thousands of you tuning in (thank you!), so I couldn't leave you high and dry in a series about ‘iconic eras’ and NOT talk about some more empire waist lines and bonnets 💕

This episode features Susan Jonusas; author of “Hell’s Half Acre”, an incredible book focusing on the murderous, infamous Bender family of the American Frontier.  Susan is an expert on the history of the American Frontier, and during the extensive research of her 2022 book encountered a huge amount of fascinating information of the fashion, clothes and imagery of 18th Century America.  

We discuss how, why and where the ‘Cowboy’ style became so recognizable and deep-rooted in our idea of the Americana West.  This is one for fans of fashion, American history and grisly true crime… Yeehaw!  

Additionally, this collaboration episode marks the first in a new series: a deep dive into the fashion of some infamous periods in time, and their ICONIC styles.  From Cowboys, to Regency, to Pirates… this will be a fun ride!

“Hell's Half Acre” (Simon & Schuster UK, 2022) can be purchased from all major retailers 🤠 

From poison hats to deadly dresses, history is fraught with fashions and beauty fads that maim, poison, blind and even kill!  In this Silhouettes Halloween Special we explore all the gory, grisly details of deadly styles and their fashion victims.  It's to die for (literally!) 

Though commonly perceived as a very modern thing, the history of sportswear is vast and varied, with the yoga pants we know today having roots in the turn of the century.  Through the lens of Tennis, Golf, Football and more, this episode explores what sportswear represented politically and socially, how the idea of leisure time re-defined how we wore clothes and what this all meant for the emancipation of women.

I also dig into the fascinating history of household name brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma to explore the story of how one family's Nazi routes went on to shape active wear forever.  

Fast fashion is seen as a very modern ideal, with the introduction of the internet, social media and the current way of consuming, buying and wearing clothes… but is it?  In this episode we investigate how far back the history of fast, off the rack, ready to wear fashion actually goes and how we can try to combat the steadily growing moral and ethical issues, that are unfortunately pervasive when it comes to this way of consuming clothes, using the methods of the past.

Fashion for the larger woman is not just something we have today, but has a long, often tenuous, history.  People have always been curvy, fat, plump (or stout as the term used to be) and how these are not words to shy away from, then or now!  Plus-size fashion has always been along for the ride for generations of gorgeous, gorgeous girls, and in this episode we discuss it's origins, including the unexpected role Amelia Earhart has to play.

-Mild TW for this episode, as I do briefly go into the history of diet culture and ideas towards fatness-

This is one for all you Downton fans!  After the release of the new movie, I decided I HAD to give you all a deep dive into the glorious, sumptuous period costumes seen in Downton Abbey.  This episode will explore the accuracy of the costumes of this iconic series and how much research and effort actually goes into the detailed designs of the fashions worn by the Crawley family, as well as some discussion on the stand out looks from each season. 

Is all fashion cyclical?  The similarities between the fashions of the 1920s and 1960s are unbelievable apparent and seems like a topic no one's discussing.  Did you ever notice?  If not, then you certainly will after listening to this episode, in which myself and expert in the field Summer Lee compare and contrast the most iconic looks from both eras, analyzing their very distinct similarities.  We also discuss how music inspired the look in these eras, how youth culture shaped fashion in the post-war world and some of the standout figures of the eras.

Lois Barnett was awarded her PhD by SOAS in 2020, funded by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and the British Association for Japanese Studies.  Her thesis is entitled 'Consuming the "West": Audiences, Industries, Film and Fashion in Japan (1923-1939)'.  She holds a BA in Japanese Studies and an MA in Global Cinemas and the Transcultural, both from SOAS.  Her work examines the interaction between the consumer-as-audience-member and Japan's transnational film and fashion industries, taking an interdisciplinary approach which considers the role of dress and the cinema in articulating modernity.

Themes that appear in her work include the Modern Girl and Modern Boy, the effect of the onset of sound cinema on costume in the Japanese cinema and the role of body image in marketing sportswear onscreen in the 1930s.

From Palaeolithic times all the way to 1960s Australia, tattoos have been a huge part of human life (and fashion) longer than anyone really knows.  In this Short History episode we delve into the past of these culturally important and iconic body modifications and their significance the world over, and how they quietly crept their way from outsider art to contemporary fashion.

The cravat, the jabot, the kipper tie, the neckerchief; call it what you will - the humble tie started its life in the military hundreds of years ago, and has a long and fascinating story- from the fashion fad started by a boy prince, to the staple of men's fashion we know today.  In this episode we talk all about the social expectations surrounding traditional male fashion, the idea of ’sharp dressing’ and the connections the tie has with status and the perceived importance in gender identity.

Berets, top hats, deer stalkers... choose your fighter.  Hats, headwear and helmets are a staple part of so many areas of fashion in history, particularly in the west. But they have, and still do, come in a huge and fascinating array of forms.  In this episode I trace the origins of the hat, the variety of diffierent styles, the importance (both socially and politically) of certain types of headwear, as well the story and origin of some of history's most cultural iconic pieces.

Turns out Sherlock Holmes perhaps didn't have a penchant for the famous deerstalker... you'll have listen to find out.

The 2000s really were the Wild West of fashion.  From jeggings to popcorn shirts to Paul’s Boutique bags, everything was seemingly either diamante'd to oblivion, or somehow head-to-toe velour.  

In this episode of Silhouettes I am joined by UK-based influencer Hannah Dorman; TikToker, YouTuber and vat of knowledge on teen fashion today.  We discuss the highs and low of the era, our memories of the what we were ACTUALLY wearing in the 2000s (compared to the much more classy version that’s coming back into fashion today) and the Internet's impact on the clothes we wear.  We touch upon topics like gender expression pre-2011, gendered ideals in fashion towards masculinity/femininity of the late 2000s and the rigidity of choice for fashion in our teens years, circa 2005 to 2010.

This episode is for the nostalgic types looking for a hit of that Y2K magic.  Go book your slot on the phone, connect to the dial-up and get ready for some low-rise memories. 

Something wicked this way comes!  This week we take a dive into the early influences of Halloween (or All Hallows’ Eve), how costuming evolved, how they can be used as a snapshot of time and the history of trick or treating.  Friend of the podcast & historian Dr. Nick Ellsworth returns to shed some light about the institution of Halloween in the United States.

The world is obsessed with Jane Austen and her representation in media.  In today's episode we discuss the elaborate side of early 19th Century era fashion, everything right and wrong with Bridgerton and... empire-waist hoops skirts?! 

Warfare, sex appeal, height; what do you most associate with heels?  This trio of Micro-History episodes concludes with a deep dive into the past of the high-heeled shoe and it's complex, fascinating and somewhat surprising history.  From it's functional beginnings in the military, via it's impact in royal court, all the way through to it's runway debut.