Dressed: The History of Fashion

Dressed: The History of Fashion

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.

Episodes

January 2, 2026 50 mins
Oh the perils of being a Medieval, tassel loving peasant in the 21st century! In this episode from 2023, we meet Tyler Gunther, the peasant behind Greedy Peasant, the queer, Medieval-era fashion influencer, pageant planner, and unlikely social media star who has taken the world by storm.  Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠ with over 15...
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From 1520 to 1560, the style-conscious accountant Matthäus Schwarz and his son Veit Konrad immortalized their adventures in dressing in a series of stunning, hand-painted portraits that provide a window into the period within which they lived. In this 2023 episode, historians Ulinka Rublack and Maria Hayward join us to discuss this extraordinary primary source which was published in full color in the The First Book of Fashion: The ...
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Today we revisit our second annual 'gift giving' episode from 2022 where we continue to explore and exchange holiday 'It' gifts of yesteryear. 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. V...
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Today we revisit our very first 'gift giving' episode from 2021 where we explore and exchange holiday 'It' gifts of yesteryear. 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.f...
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It's time for our favorite episode of the year! Now five years in the making, we make dreams come true by gifting (and wearing) fantasy items from fashion's past. 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...
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December 17, 2025 57 mins
From Freudian fashion to sumptuous saris, courtly courtesans to iconic opera costumes, we take you "behind the seams" of our recent fashion history-packed day tours of New York City spent at the Fashion Institute of Technology, The New York Historical Society, The Metropolitan Opera and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Further learning: Valerie Steele’s Dress, Dreams, and Desire at the Museum at FIT The New York Sari and The G...
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Historian Amanda Wunder joins us in a two-part episode that illuminates the remarkable life and work of Mateo Aguado, royal court tailor to the Queens of Spain from 1630 to 1672. Aguado is the subject at the heart of Wunder's award-winning book Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez: A Tailor at the Court of Philip IV.   Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ...
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Historian Amanda Wunder joins us in a two-part episode that illuminates the remarkable life and work of Mateo Aguado, royal court tailor to the Queens of Spain from 1630 to 1672. Aguado is the subject at the heart of Wunder's award-winning book Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez: A Tailor at the Court of Philip IV.   Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ...
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Historian Amanda Wunder joins us to discuss her new exhibition Spanish Style: Fashion Illuminated, 1550-1770, on view at The Hispanic Society Museum & Library until March 22nd, 2026. In addition to royal portraits, life-size sculptures, and sumptuous textiles and jewelry, the exhibition centers around sixteen rarely seen illuminated manuscripts known as cartas ejecutorias or “letters of nobility. Collectively, these objects reveal ...
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Our Dressed Classic episode this week revisits our 2020 deep dive into etiquette manuals, we explore the complex codes of introductions and calling during the 19th century. 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...
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In our third installment of our on-going series on historic etiquette practices, we acerbically attempt to solve the 'male loneliness epidemic' with tips for 'gentlemen' on how to interact with ladies on the street, in conversation and when dining. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion h...
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In this week's Dressed Classic episode, we revisit our 2019 conversation with Timothy Long as he takes us inside the multi-tiered genius of Charles James, the self-taught fashion designer behind some of the most innovative and breathtakingly beautiful designs of the 20th century. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠⁠ with over...
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A query from a listener about a recent vintage purchase has us on the trail of the British/American couturier Charles James in our latest--and most bizarre--episode exploring What's in Your Closet. 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 ⁠⁠...
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In honor of the 30th anniversary of the iconic fashion flick Clueless, we bring you our 2020 interview with the film's costume designer Mona May.  Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code dressed at checkout. Download ...
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Oscar-Award winning costume designer Paul Tazewell is back to take us behind the seams and into the magical and textural world of the new film Wicked for Good. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code dressed at chec...
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The work of Oscar and Tony award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell spans four decades and is a masterclass in the art of visual storytelling. In this episode from 2024, he takes us behind the seams and into the magical world of the blockbuster sensation Wicked.  Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fas...
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Ancient textiles scholar-practitioner Nicole DeRushie joins us to discuss her recently released book Bog Fashion: Recreating Bronze and Iron Age Clothes. And as the book’s title suggests, Nicole does more than just study four thousand year old fashion, she recreates it using ancient techniques and materials.  Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠book...
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This week our Dressed Classic episode revisits a 2022 episode where we go down the rabbit hole of quirky and little-known fashion terms. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code dressed at checkout. Down...
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Groundbreaking visionary Carry Somers joins us this week to speak about her three decades of fashion activism establishing the world's first Fair Trade Certified fashion brand and her ten years as the co-founder of Fashion Revolution. We also speak about her new book The Nature of Fashion: A Botanical Story of Our Material Lives which is one of our favorite reads of 2025. Recommended reading: Somers, Carry. The Nature of Fashi...
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This week's Dressed Classic episode revisits our 2020 conversation with Dr. Jonathan Michael Square joins us to discuss some of his object based research into Brooks Brother's coats worn by enslaved servants during the 19th century. Some of the research we discuss in this episode is included in his contributions to the 2025 Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and its associated exhibition...
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