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April Callahan
When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn more at WhatsApp.com Teen adjective used to describe an individual whose spirit is unyielding, unconstrained, one who navigates life on their own terms, effortlessly. They do not always show up on time, but when they arrive, you notice an individual confident in their contradictions. They know the rules, but behave as if they do not exist. The new fragrance by Miu Miu defined by you Dress the History of Fashion is a production of dress media. With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day, we all get dressed.
Cassidy Zachary
Welcome to Dressed the History of Fashion, a podcast that explores the who, what, when of why we wear. We are friends and fashion historians and.
April Callahan
Your hosts, Cassidy Zachary and April Callahan. Hello Cassidy.
Cassidy Zachary
Hello April. Hello dressed listeners. Now, I know you're probably thinking, wait, I thought you guys said you were not bringing us new episodes on Fridays. And we are just making a little bit of an exception because we are super excited to announce a new dressed offering coming your way in December.
April Callahan
We are popping ever so briefly into your feed to invite all of you to get dressed with us this holiday season in New York City. And that is because this December 3rd through 5th, we are bringing back our ever popular New York City Day tours. And this just might be our most exciting itinerary yet. And we're going to tell you all about it.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes. So today is a little minisode. Even if you can't join us in December, we're telling you all of the exciting things that are happening in New York City as well. Some of them you can see, some of them are very exclusive to us and this tour. And as, as we've always done in the past, our New York City day tours are formatted as we like to say, mix and match separates. You can join us for one day, two days, all three days. So you can do like day one and day three or day two and day three, one and two, whatever strikes your fancy. Because each day is a truly unique itinerary. It's created exclusively for our dress travelers and it's jam packed with behind the scenes experiences which are not available to the general public.
April Callahan
Yes. And we're going to enjoy curator led tours of fashion exhibitions. We're going to venture into museum collections for private object viewings. And as a brand new addition to our tour, we're going to spend an entire afternoon at one of New York City's most prestigious cultural institutions, the Metropolitan Opera.
Cassidy Zachary
I'm so excited.
April Callahan
This is like a really big deal because they're basically throwing their doors wide open just for us with unparalleled access. Probably because they might listen to the show in the costume shops. Just saying. We're going to talk more about what we're going to do at the opera as we break down the itinerary day by day. Cass, would you like to start us off? What are we doing on day one of our New York City day tour?
Cassidy Zachary
Day one is always a favorite of these tours, and that's because it's spent entirely in the hallowed halls of April and I's alma mater, the Foam Fashion Institute of Technology, one of the world's top fashion institutions. It's where April and I met. It's very special to us. And not only is FIT one of the global leaders in fashion education, it's also home to the museum at FIT, which since 1969 has, quote, been one of only a handful of museums in the world devoted to the art of fashion. So we are going to get this incredible opportunity to crack open the museum's closet with a private visit to the museum's study collection, where I'm going to lead you on a 100 year journey through the evolution and revolution of women's fashions. And this is extra special because this is a hands on experience. You get to touch these garments and accessories which date back to the 19th century. So have you ever wondered what the inside of a Victorian era corset looks like and feels like? Or have you ever wondered how bustles work? So, from the fashions of the Gilded Age to couture by the likes of Dior, American Sportswear icon Claire McArdle, this is your chance to get up close and personal with the work of some of fashion trees. Great. So I'm super excited.
April Callahan
Yeah, yeah. And so, like, whenever you go to a museum exhibition and you're like, oh, I really want to touch that, but you can't.
Cassidy Zachary
Exactly.
April Callahan
No, you can't. You can't. And next up, we're going to visit my old stomping grounds, fit special collections, where I was a curator for nearly 12 years. And also the place where Cassidy and I first met. And FIT Special Collections is home to paper based fashion and design ephemera. So we're actually going to be able to view and handle some incredibly rare fashion images, including fashion plates dating back to the 18th century, aka the Court of Marie Antoinette. We get to look at original designer sketches, fashion photographs, fashion magazines and so much more. Authors, costume designers, museum curators, and a lot of top contemporary fashion designers actually use FIT Special Collections as this really specific reading resource. They come in to do research on the history of fashion to inspire their own work. And you can come and visit too. Yeah.
Cassidy Zachary
And I love your stories from working there because you'll be like, oh, so and so this designer came in and looked at the work of Thierry Mugler and lo and behold, this Thierry Mugler inspired silhouette is on their Runway this season.
April Callahan
Yes, yes.
Cassidy Zachary
And also we should point out for any of our past dress travelers who may have been on this tour in the past, we are going to be pulling all new objects for these visits to the study collections and special collections. So this is going to be a truly unique experience for anyone attending, maybe for the first time, or if you want to come again, it's going to all be new. And if that is not enough to make your fashion loving heart sing. The afternoon of day one, we're still on day one brings us a private tour of the museum at FIT's current exhibition, Dress Dreams and Desire, Fashion and Psychoanalysis, which is the first exhibition of its kind to explore the cultural history of fashion and psychoanalysis. And it draws on key psychoanalytic concepts about the body, sexuality and the unconscious to interpret almost 100 items of dress. And this exhibition was the subject of a recent episode of Dress podcast, as I'm sure you will recall, where April spoke with curator and director of the museum at FIT's Dr. Valerie Steele. She joined us to speak about this exhibition and her five year journey working on its associated book. So April, a little birdie told us that Dr. Seale might be making an appearance for our guests this day as will fellow past dress guest Raisa Britannia. So this is your opportunity dress listers to meet them both. Super exciting.
April Callahan
Yes. So that is going to wrap day one of our tour, but we have so much more in store for you. We are going to launch ourselves headfirst into a jam packed day two, first off with a visit to the New York Historical where we will be given a curator led tour of their current exhibition, the New York Sari S A R I, which tells the story of the sari as an essential part of the cultural fabric of New York City, using it as a metaphor for the ways in which the individuals who wear and create saris have straddled tradition, culture and modernity in their work, art and lives. End quote. So while we are at New York Historical, which is amazing, I think a lot of people who even who live in New York City maybe haven't spent time there, but you definitely should, we're also going to give our travelers additional time to explore the myriad of other exhibitions at New York Historical, including the Gay Harlem Renaissance, featuring some individuals that we have spoken about on the dress podcast before. And this exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in the richness of black LGBTQ life in the 1920s and the 1930s. Very cool. Or. And. Or actually, you can also visit a favorite of our past dress travelers, the Tiffany Gallery, which is home to more than 100 lamps and other works by the legendary studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany. I had never been there until recently, Cass, and I was literally blown away.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah, it is such a highlight and it's so incredibly beautiful. It's like you're transported to a magical garden.
April Callahan
Not necessarily fashion centric, but fashion adjacent.
Cassidy Zachary
It's design.
April Callahan
Let's just say that.
Cassidy Zachary
And then we will go to lunch. And after lunch, we are so, so fortunate to be welcomed with open arms by the Metropolitan Opera for an entire afternoon of programming which they have designed specifically and exclus for us and our travelers. We're so excited. We cannot stress enough how special this is, as none of this is available to the general public. So we're going to be doing private tours of the Opera House itself. We're going to be doing a tour of their current exhibition, behind the Scenes Costuming the Met, which features examples of the Met's extraordinary costumes, as well as archival photographs, sketches of the costumes, and behind the scenes imagery. Then we get to visit the Mets costume shops, working costume shops. We're all going to have to be very quiet to view garments, wigs and props literally in production. And as a cherry on top of an already exclusive visit, the Met's current artist and resident, Clint Ramos will join us for a special talk about his work designing hundreds of theater, opera and dance productions around the globe. And on top of all of that, dress listeners, even if you cannot join us on this ultra exclusive tour, the Met is so generously offering you all a 20% discount to go see a production at the Opera, which currently includes La Boheme. So we get to do all of this and then go see la Boheme at 20% off. And if you want to check that out, you can head to the link that will be in our show notes and use the code Dress So thank you so much. Met Opera we're so excited.
April Callahan
It goes without saying that we are intensely grateful and honored that the Met, one of New York City's greatest cultural institutions, not to mention operas in the entire world, has so graciously welcomed dress literally behind the scenes. Literally. Because this is a new offering and so supremely special, we do fully expect this day to sell out quickly. Jump on this once in a lifetime experience also too if you guys are New York City listeners, share this with your friends in New York City because I know for a fact this is not available in New York. If you've lived here your entire life, this is still a once in a lifetime experience. So Cass, it's about to get chilly outside and that means it's just about time to start to get cozy. And with clothing layers from Quint, you can also do that sustainably.
Cassidy Zachary
That's right, dress listeners. Quint uses top tier ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen so they deliver luxury quality products at half the price of similar brands.
April Callahan
And it's not just clothing. Dress Listeners from bedding and home goods to ethically and sustainably produced fashion, Quint is a carefully curated source for consciously produced things we all need in our everyday lives. At the moment, I happen to be super into their waffle bath towels and Cass, I know that you are a big fan of their cand.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes and dress listeners, you too can find your fall staples at Quint's. Go to quince.com dress for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com dress to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com dressed.
April Callahan
Cass, I think it's pretty safe to say that many of us at this moment are feeling stress due to not only our own personal lives, but also perhaps some global events. Personally, my sleep schedule has been all over the place.
Cassidy Zachary
Agreed. And as a mom to a three year old, I also know all about sleep deprivation and that's one of the many reasons I'm a huge fan of Calm. Calm is the number one app for sleep and meditation and it's here to help you feel better. Leo and I love to snuggle up and fall asleep to any one of the dozens upon dozens of sleep stories available on this app. And this is just one of its many features. From expert LED talks and guided meditation, sleep stories, music, and even grounding exercises, the Calm app puts the tools you need right in your pocket.
April Callahan
Well, it's no wonder then why. The Calm app has over 2 million 5 star reviews. So join Cass and I in navigating the everyday as the best version of yourself. Calm your mind, change your life. Calm has an exclusive offer just for the listeners of our show. You can now get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com forward/dressed. That's an amazing value.
Cassidy Zachary
Go to C-A-L-M.com dressed for 40% off. Unlimited access to Calm's entire library. Calm.comDressed and tell Calm you heard about them from us.
April Callahan
Obsessed with your favorite luxury brands, but on a real, real budget. Well, join Cass and I over at the RealReal where we have been customers for years.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, well over a decade at this point.
April Callahan
Me too.
Cassidy Zachary
And dress listeners, you can both shop and sell at the RealReal, which is great because you can use your earnings for something special and new to you. The RealReal is all about giving clothing and accessories second chances, which is great for the planet and your wardrobe. The Real Real has found new homes for over 37 million authenticated luxury items. So they know firsthand the impact resale has on the planet. For rather than producing more stuff, the RealReal is making what already exists new to you.
April Callahan
The RealReal is the easiest and fastest way to sell. With more than 40 million members ready to shop in your closet. They use real time data to determine the highest possible price for every item and they handle all the work for you from photography and copywriting to shipping and customer service. Because your to do list is already long enough.
Cassidy Zachary
The Real World is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resell. With thousands of new arrivals daily. No one does resell like the RealReal. And this month you can get an extra 100 site credit when you sell for the first time. Just head to therealreal.com dress to get your extra $100. Therealreal.com dressed that's therealreal.com dressed.
April Callahan
Day three is actually going to give our dress travelers the morning off. We have learned this lesson in our Paris tours that people like a little time off to do things on their own. So you're on day three. You're going to have the morning off to explore New York City. As you wish. We have actually conceived Day three as a half day afternoon tour and it's going to be dedicated to one of the most famous art and fashion institutions in the entire world. I am of course speaking about The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes. And just a note here. Obviously there is the Met Museum and then there's the Met Opera. So April is talking about the Metropolitan Museum of Art, not the Met Opera that we visited the day before two Mets tour.
April Callahan
And we're saying this because when we were planning the tour, Cass and I kept talking about the Met Day and we kept getting each other hella confused. So what I'm talking about now is at the Met Museum where you all will join me for a 120 minute tour exploring the museum's hidden recesses in pursuit of some of the most fashionable artworks in history. We will learn about beauty rituals of ancient Egypt, beauty rituals in 18th and 19th century. We are going to explore historic cosmetic practices. We're also going to travel back in time to discover the fashionistas of the Renaissance who get this cemented the color black as fashion's favorite color for centuries to come. And this is actually one of my favorite artworks to speak about because people's like mind get blown when we talk about this piece. We're also going to look at traditional sustainability practices inherent to Native American clothing and the impressionist painter Edvard Manet's taboo depiction of women in pants. These are but a few of the fascinating stories that we're going to unravel as we kind of unpack the stories behind the garments that we're looking at within the museum's permanent collection.
Cassidy Zachary
And then after that incredible tour, you are going to be treated to a special private object viewing session at the museum's Antonio Ratti Textile Center. Not hands on, but still an intimate experience where we get to get up close and personal with these pieces. We just can't touch them, but we get to look at them. And of course, textiles literally weave the story of civilizations. And the Antonio Ratti Textile center houses one of the world's largest textile collections with textiles dating back to 3000 BCE. And I'm going to be guiding us through a presentation of textile based objects from around the world. And I have to say I am currently working on doing this selection because this is not an easy task. There are over 36,000 pieces in the Roddy Sinners collection. And basically they house all dress and textiles of every department in the museum with the exception of the Costume Institute.
April Callahan
Yeah, so there are a few exceptions.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, but.
April Callahan
Yes, but for the most part, no matter what department within the Met, because textiles require very specific conservation and collection management conditions, they basically all live at the Roddy center, which is really cool.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, it is. And which will allow a very cool visit and I am working on narrowing down extra special pieces that are going to tell a global history of the significance of textiles to all of our lives. And I'm super excited to bring this to you all. So also very cool. Something to note is that the museum staff is there during these visits and they provide this enhanced imaging technology that allows us to view the fibers and weave structures up close in this unique collection space visit. So just one of the myriad of reasons to join us for this day.
April Callahan
Yeah, you ever want to know what it's like to be a museum professional or a conservator, this is Little taste of that.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes.
April Callahan
Okay. Woo. Talk about a fashion and costume history packed extravaganza across three days. Dress listeners, if you would like to join one or all three of these days, if they have piqued your interest, you can head over to DressedHistory.com to learn more and sign up. And I will just say this, our FIT Day historically always sells out pretty quickly and usually there's a really long wait list. And as also the Opera Day is a brand new feature of our New York City Day tours and we also think that New York City residents are going to be super interested in this as well. We also expect this day to sell out as well. So again, head over to dressed history.com to secure your spots. And we have actually already sold some spots. We're just making this public via the podcast, but some of these slots have already been taken.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. So if you want to be part of that exclusive list, you just need to email us and let us know because we will put you on the first to know list for these tours. And also a reminder, it's holiday season friends, so while you are in New York City you can also enjoy the lights and special window displays. You can visit the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, you can ice skate in Central Park. Knock out some of your holiday shopping as well and we hope to see you there. We know this is a little last minute. Some of these things take a little bit longer to come together. But if you can, we hope we will see you in December, 3rd through 5th to get dressed with us in the Big Apple.
April Callahan
Please head over to Dressed Underscore podcast on Instagram or on Facebook to check out the visual content associated with each week's episodes.
Cassidy Zachary
Remember, we love hearing from you dressed listeners, so if you'd like to write to us, you can do so at. Hello dresshistory.com dresshistory.com is also our website where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter, our in person tours and online fashion history courses and there you can also check out whatever else we have up our finely tailored sleeves.
April Callahan
We get so many questions from you all about our recommendations for fashion history books, so if you're interested you can always find a link in our show notes to our bookshop.org bookshelf so that address is bookshop.org shop dressed and there you will find over 150 of our favorite fashion history history titles.
Cassidy Zachary
Do you love Dressed but want to skip the ads? We are so excited to now be a part of the Airwave Network and their premium ad free history subscription Airwave History plus and this is available on Apple Podcasts and the subscription brings you our podcast as well as 27 other popular history podcasts ad free for 5.99 per month. More information is available at the link in our bio.
April Callahan
Thank you as always for tuning in and more Dressed coming your way soon. The History of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media.
Cassidy Zachary
Limu Emu and Doug Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.
April Callahan
Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.
Cassidy Zachary
Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com Savings very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates excludes Massachusetts.
April Callahan
Parenting is hard. We're out here trying to childproof everything. Corners of tables, electrical sockets, pet water bowls. Our own emotional overwhelm. It's easy to get overwhelmed by tiny humans you're somehow responsible for not messing up.
Cassidy Zachary
It's nice to know you're not alone though.
April Callahan
We've been there. I'm Tori Phantom. And I'm Gwenna Lathland and we host Childproof. We cover the good, the great, the hard. The feels impossible on Childproof, an Airwave Media podcast available everywhere you find your favorite podcasts.
Date: October 17, 2025
Hosts: April Callahan, Cassidy Zachary
In this special “minisode,” April and Cassidy break from their usual schedule to announce the return of Dressed’s highly exclusive New York City fashion history day tours, taking place December 3–5, 2025. The episode offers listeners a detailed preview of the three-day, fashion-packed itinerary, brimming with behind-the-scenes experiences at iconic New York institutions. Even if you can’t attend, the hosts walk through the unique access, exhibitions, fashion history highlights, and notable guest experts awaiting participants.
[03:36–07:30]
FIT: The day is spent at FIT, alma mater to both hosts.
Exhibition Tour:
[07:30–10:57]
Morning at New York Historical Society:
Afternoon at The Met Opera:
[15:43–19:22]
Morning Off: Time to explore NYC independently.
Afternoon at the Met Museum:
[19:28–20:58]
Warm, enthusiastic, and friendly, the hosts’ excitement is contagious as they share insider experiences and their enduring passion for fashion history. The episode is an open invitation—part travelogue, part fashion history feast—celebrating New York City’s cultural riches and the joy of fashion’s past and present.