Fashion History Mysteries: Mary Janes and Chatelaines (Dressed Classics)

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Fashion History Mysteries: Mary Janes and Chatelaines"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Dressed: The History of Fashion
• Host/Author: Dressed Media
• Description: With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common: every day, we all get dressed. Join fashion historians April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary in celebrating the who, what, when of why we wear throughout history and around the world.
• Episode: Fashion History Mysteries: Mary Janes and Chatelaines (Dressed Classics)
• Release Date: January 3, 2025

---

Introduction

In this episode of Dressed: The History of Fashion, hosts April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary delve into two intriguing fashion history topics: the origins and evolution of Mary Jane shoes and the lesser-known accessory, the chatelaine. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, they unravel the mysteries behind these enduring fashion elements.

Part 1: The History of Mary Jane Shoes

Origins and Medieval Roots

April and Cassidy kick off the discussion by exploring the unexpected medieval origins of Mary Jane-style shoes. Contrary to modern perceptions, the closed-toed design with a single strap was originally worn by men, particularly monks, during the Middle Ages. April notes, "These were actually commonly worn by men in the Middle Ages and especially monks, which I thought was really fascinating" (02:15).

Buster Brown and the Naming of Mary Janes

The conversation transitions to the early 20th century when the Mary Jane shoe gets its name from the popular Buster Brown comic strip. Cassidy explains, "Mary Jane goes all the way back to 1902, when the New York Herald started printing their very popular Buster Brown comic strip" (04:25). The character Mary Jane, named after the illustrator’s daughter, became synonymous with the shoe through widespread marketing efforts.

Transition to Female Footwear

Initially marketed as unisex, Mary Janes gradually became associated primarily with female footwear. April highlights a pivotal 1916 advertisement where the single strap shoe is depicted on a girl rather than Buster Brown, effectively "assigning the single strap shoe to the feminine realm" (07:14). This shift solidified Mary Janes as a staple in girls' fashion.

Pop Culture Impact and Revivals

The hosts discuss various periods when Mary Janes surged in popularity, notably the 1940s and 1960s. Cassidy reminisces about their appearance in classic media, such as Sex and the City, where Carrie Bickford exclaims over Mary Janes: "Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes. I thought these were an urban shoemake" (09:21). These cultural references have cemented Mary Janes as a timeless fashion choice.

Current Trends and Future Outlook

In contemporary fashion, Mary Janes remain a versatile and beloved style. Cassidy observes, "If you type in Mary Jane into the shoe website Zappos, you're going to get 1500 hits" (09:54). The hosts speculate that as gender norms continue to evolve, Mary Janes might reclaim their original androgynous appeal, becoming popular again among all genders.

Part 2: Unveiling the Chatelaine

Definition and Historical Context

The episode shifts focus to chatelaines, a once-common yet now obscure fashion accessory. Defined as a set of short chains attached to a woman's belt for carrying keys and other items, chatelaines originated as practical tools for households. April refers to the 1911 Britannica Encyclopedia, which describes the chatelaine as "a keeper of a castle, the mistress of a castle" (16:08).

Functionality and Design

Chatelaines were not only practical but also decorative, often adorned with various small personal items. Cassidy elaborates on their functionality, stating, "They were meant to be both decorative and practical. Extant chatelaines speak to really speak to the individual who wore them" (17:21). Items carried included keys, pens, scissors, and even cosmetic tools like perfume and tweezers.

Cultural Significance and Comparisons

April draws a parallel between chatelaines and the Japanese inro, small cases worn by men to carry essentials, highlighting the universal need for practical yet stylish accessories (18:50). This comparison underscores the global nature of personal adornment accessories.

Modern Resurgence and Designer Influence

Despite falling out of favor in the early 20th century, chatelaines saw a revival in the 1930s and continued to influence contemporary design. April notes, "Numerous designers such as Adele Simpson and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel have provided their own spin on the century-old waist-hung appendage" (24:25). Modern designers are reimagining chatelaines, blending historical aesthetics with current fashion trends.

Collector's Appeal and Market Presence

The episode touches on the collectible nature of chatelaines, with examples of antique pieces fetching high prices. Cassidy mentions, "For a mere $5,059, you too can get your very own ancient Roman first-century chatelaine from a seller on Rubylane.com" (21:47). This highlights the enduring appeal and investment potential of these intricate accessories.

Listener Engagement and Memories

In addition to the main topics, the hosts share listener memories and comments, adding a personal touch to the episode. Cindy McMillan reminisces about charm school in the 1960s, while April shares a correction from her mother regarding her grandmother's education and marriage timeline. These anecdotes enrich the discussion by connecting historical fashion elements to personal experiences.

Conclusion

April and Cassidy wrap up the episode by expressing enthusiasm for the enduring legacy of Mary Janes and chatelaines. They encourage listeners to explore these fashion histories further and consider how these elements might continue to evolve in modern fashion. The episode serves as a testament to the intricate interplay between functionality, culture, and style in the world of fashion.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Cassidy Zachary (07:14): "Changing styles in children's footwear had assigned the single strap shoe to the feminine realm. That is to Mary Jane's universe, not Buster's."
• April Callahan (16:43): "They were meant to be both decorative and practical. Extant chatelaines speak to really speak to the individual who wore them."
• Cassidy Zachary (18:20): "Chatelaines came in many shapes, forms, and types. They could be hung by the waist by means of a hook, but there were also hookless versions that could be looped over one's belt."

---

Additional Information:

• Upcoming Content: Hosts tease the upcoming Season 8, including a new live online course, "The 1950s Golden Age of Haute Couture."
• Listener Interaction: Encouraged listeners to engage via hellodressedhistory.com for tours, classes, and more.

---

This detailed summary encapsulates the key points, discussions, and insights shared by April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary in the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't tuned in.

Transcript

[Kristen]

Wow.

[April Callahan]

What's up?

[Cassidy Zachary]

I just bought and financed a car.

[April Callahan]

Through Carvana in minutes. You, the person who agonized four weeks over whether to paint your wall's eggshell or off white, bought and financed a car in minutes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

They made it easy, transparent terms, customizable, down and monthly. Didn't even have to do any paperwork.

[April Callahan]

Wow.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Mm. Hey, have you checked out that spreadsheet.

[April Callahan]

I sent you for our dinner?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Options Finance your car with Carvana and experience total control financing subject to credit approval.

[April Callahan]

Today we bring you two fashion history mystery minisodes from the Dressed archive of over 500 past episodes. Dressed will be back with season 8 and all new Dressed content in February 2025. That will include our brand new live online course, the 1950s golden age of Haute Couture, where April and I will take you behind the scenes of one of the most iconic eras in fashion history. Registration is now [e-mail] More from Dressed Soon Over 7 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 where we explore the who, what, when of why we wear. We are fashion historians and your hosts.

[April Callahan]

April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary. So today April and I are answering a listener question from Dani Labadier who wanted to know all about history of Mary Jane shoes, which I thought was an incredibly fascinating topic. I love doing origin story research and kind of discovering when names specifically were first used in reference to garments and how that evolved. So she wanted to know why Mary Janes were called that, how they've been in and out of style for more than a century, and how they were brought back to pop culture. April, this question took us back a bit further than I think we both anticipated.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes.

[April Callahan]

Also for the sake of not doing the entire history of the evolution of the shoe, we are going to start in the 15th century where a little girl named Mary Jane lived.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Just kidding. She's kidding.

[April Callahan]

Although that would be really interesting.

[Cassidy Zachary]

But we will say, I think even Cass and I were really surprised to learn that the Mary Jane style of shoes, and by that we mean this closed toed shoe with either a single buttoned or buckled strap or bar across the top of the foot or where the ankle meets the leg. These were actually commonly worn by men in the middle ages and especially monks, which I thought was really fascinating.

[April Callahan]

It is really fascinating.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. And they're called monk strap shoes for obvious reasons, but these were a closed toe alternative to the other styles that monks are wearing at the time, which were Usually a type of buckled sandals. And these have a lot of similarities to what we would call a Mary Jane shoe today, as well as a 16th century shoe, which is known as an escafignon. And some of you may have seen these before in paintings from the 16th century. Like paintings of Henry VIII.

[April Callahan]

Absolutely. And then we're gonna fast forward a couple hundred years to the 19th century when I first started seeing paintings of boys and girls wearing black strap shoes, something similar to what we would call the Mary Jane today. And this was around the 1840s. And there's a company by the name of S. Waterbury and Son who. Who did this huge promotion for their Mary janes in the 1940s. And they claimed that they had been making the style for over 80 years. So needless to say, this style of shoe goes back centuries. But, April, where do Mary Janes get their name?

[Cassidy Zachary]

So that's a really great question. And I think you and I got really excited when we found out this little tidbit of the story, and that is that this name, Mary Jane goes all the way back to 1902, when the new York Herald, which is a newspaper here in New York, started printing their very popular Buster Brown comic strip, which was illustrated by Richard F. Outcault. And the comic began following the misadventures of this troublemaker, whose name was Buster, and his talking American pit bull, whose name was Tig, and his sweetheart, who was named Mary Jane. And Mary Jane was named after Richard's own daughter. And she is the only character from the series said to be drawn from real life.

[April Callahan]

Right. And I actually had a lot of fun looking at these comics, and they usually involve this precocious Buster Brown. He's always getting in a lot of trouble. And let's be honest, these comics are very much of their time. So they have many of the era's biases, including racism, sexism, and, of course, the anxieties surrounding the traversing of gender roles. But I also find them particularly fascinating because of how much fashion plays a role. Buster's mom is a frequent character in the comic strip. She's fashionably dressed, she's a La Gibson girl, and she appears quite frequently in that dramatic, exaggerated S curve silhouette. We see her petticoats quite a lot as he gets in and out of trouble.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh, my.

[April Callahan]

But one of these comics really stuck out in particular, and it was one in which Buster and his new friend Florence think it'll be fun to exchange clothing. So Florence cuts her hair and she swaps her dress for Buster's tunic. Needless to say, the mothers do not find it amusing at all.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, and that comic is particularly notable because of how similar both Florence and Buster's outfits are. They're both wearing white socks with these little black bar shoes, which is a really popular style for both boys and girls, as we've already established, dating all the way back to the 19th century. And despite seeing Mary Jane wear the style with some frequency throughout the lifespan of the comic strip, it's really the character of Buster with whom the style of shoes becomes synonymous. The shoes really become part of Buster's signature look that also included his blonde Paige boy haircut underneath, a flat, wide rim hat and a belted collar. Tunic over shorts or bloomers sometimes.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. And Buster Brown the comic and the characters became so popular that it wasn't long before Buster Brown boy suits were being marketed across the country. And this was thanks in many ways to the marketing genius of Buster's creator, Richard, who in 1904 traveled to the World Fair in St. Louis, and he sold licenses to Buster Brown to something like over 200 companies.

[Cassidy Zachary]

All right, I'm sure Buster Brown products were everywhere.

[April Callahan]

Everywhere.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And a pattern Advertisement In Kansas's St. Mary's Journal in 1904 said, quote, Buster Brown has become far too familiar a figure to need an introduction. His admirers are many, and it is safe to assume that interest is as general as amusement over his doings. The model shown will be recognized at a glance. And what they're showing in the advertisement are pictures of a Buster Brown suit. And it's made for anywhere from boys age 2 to 6. And of course, he would be wearing that recognizable single strap shoe. So, Cass, that begs the question, why aren't these called Buster Browns today instead of Mary Jane?

[April Callahan]

And that is a great question. And the answer appears to lie in a 1916 half page ad that appeared in the St. Louis Post for a huge Buster Brown gala day event at a store called Lindl. And there's an ad, and it reads, the Lindl store from now on is going to be St. Louis's headquarters for Buster Brown shoes for boys and girls. But Buster April is depicted wearing a style of boot.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Ah.

[April Callahan]

And it is the be ribboned little girl in the advertisement who wears the single strap patent leather shoe. Or as the advertisement lets us know, she is wearing the Mary Jane pumps in patent, which come in patent gunmetal and white nubuck.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes. So it would appear that changing styles in children's footwear had assigned the single strap shoe to the feminine realm. That is to Mary Jane's universe, not Buster's. And of course, Cass. This reminds both of us, I think, of the pink episode.

[April Callahan]

Absolutely, yeah.

[Cassidy Zachary]

When we talked about how department stores tried to gender pink or blue clothing as being boys or girls or vice versa in order to sell more children's clothes. Because before that, all children or babies were wearing usually white.

[April Callahan]

Exactly. And it is a distinction that really carried across the 20th century. In the 1940s, the shoes surged in popularity and again in the 1960s. But in the case of the latter, it was adult women who adopted the style with great fanfare. Think Twiggy. She's probably the most famous for pairing Mary Janes with brightly colored tights and baby doll mini dresses. But she, of course, was not alone.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, Mary Janes have been around forever. Sometimes they're slightly more popular than other Times. But in 1990, the Independent wrote, quote, button your shoe, girls. The most directional style for autumn winter 1998, 1999, is the Mary Jane. This time in a flat, pointy toed incarnation. So you can see designers all the way from Marc Jacobs to Comme des Garcon at this time putting this Mary Jane style out down the Runway.

[April Callahan]

And April, who can forget Sex and the City's A Vogue Idea episode from season four with Carrie's new job as a writer for Vogue and her trip to the Manola Blahnik cause, where she comes face to face with the Mary Janes of her dreams. And she exclaims, oh my God, do you know what these are? Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes. I thought these were an urban shoemake.

[Cassidy Zachary]

It's so funny going back and watching the old episodes of Sex and the City because there's. I never noticed it at the time, but it is so full of cliches.

[April Callahan]

Oh, yeah.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Sometimes it's like, sometimes they're like cringe worthy. But I still like the show. I was so in love with it back in the day. But as we all know, today the Mary Jane is a really common staple in women's footwear. If you type in Mary Jane into the shoe website Zappos, you're going to get 1500 hits.

[April Callahan]

Oh, yeah.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Which is really crazy. And you can't really help but wonder, with more and more men transgressing or transcending gender norms and their adoption of skirts and high heels, perhaps Mary Janes will once again become the androgynous style that it originally was.

[April Callahan]

Absolutely. And I have to say, on my recent trip to nyc, I was so happy to see so many men rocking skirts and high heels. It's fantastic. It's fabulous. Yep, yep.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And at fit it's like more and more and it just puts a smile on my face. I love it. I like my gentlemen in skirts. Today's episode is sponsored by Acorns dress listeners. The new year is upon us and with the annual refresh of our calendars, so too comes our personal list of New Year's resolutions. And if you're anything like me, every year that includes contributing more to my investment and savings accounts. But as the months go by and expenses arise and opportunities appear, I don't always meet my savings goals.

[April Callahan]

Which is why we want to remind you about Acorns. You've heard us mention acorns before because they make it easy to start automatically saving and investing so your money has a chance to grow for you, your kids and your retirement.

[Cassidy Zachary]

You don't need to be an expert. Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that fits you and your money goals. You also don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you invest with the spare money you've got now. You can start with $5 or even just your spare change.

[April Callahan]

Financial wellness is not impossible. Acorns gives you small, simple steps to get you and your money a chance to grow and keep you on track with your savings and investment goals. Head to acorns.com dressed or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today.

[Cassidy Zachary]

A non client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns Tier 1 compensation provided investing in Bottles Risk Acorns Advisors LLC is an SEC registered investment advisor. View important [e-mail] Dressed Menopause Perimenopause these can be some of the most uncomfortable phases of a woman's life. If you find yourself in either of these, well, Hormone Harmony is here for you. Hormone Harmony capsules contain science backed herbal extracts called Adaptogens. Now here's the beauty about Adaptogens. They help the body adapt to any stressors like chaotic hormonal changes that happen naturally throughout a woman's life.

[April Callahan]

Happy Mammoth, the company that created Hormone Harmony, is dedicated to making women's lives easier. And that means using only science backed ingredients that have been proven to work for women. They make no compromise when it comes to quality and it really shows.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And get this Hormone Harmony isn't just for menopause. Any woman with symptoms of hormonal imbalances can take it, but it is perfect for those horrible menopause symptoms that put a woman's life on hold and for.

[April Callahan]

A limited time you can get 15% off your entire first [e-mail] just use the code dressed at checkout. That's happymammoth.com and use the code dressed for 15% off today.

[Cassidy Zachary]

What is Dax, are you tracking all.

[Kristen]

Our cars on Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices? Yes, Kristen, yes I am.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Well, I've been looking for my phone.

[Kristen]

For In Dax's domain we see all so we always know what our cars are worth.

[April Callahan]

All of them.

[Kristen]

All of them. Value surge trucks up 3.9%.

[Cassidy Zachary]

That's a great offer.

[Kristen]

I know. Sell sell. Track your car's value with Carvana Value Tracker today.

[April Callahan]

Dress Listeners, welcome to another edition of Fashion History Mystery. And we are actually fresh off the heels of our April Goes to Beauty School episode from last week. And we received so many comments and so much feedback about this episode and we actually wanted to share some listener memories with you today.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, we got a message from Cindy McMillan who commented, quote loves the podcast. My mother sent me to charm school in the early 1960s with little success. This made me laugh. I remember them telling me always to wear V necklines and to make my thighs swish together when I walked.

[April Callahan]

It's an interesting thing to picture, I guess. Ruth Dempsey wrote, quote I remember in kindergarten marching around the room with a basket on my head, singing Standing straight, Walking tall. I won't let my basket fall. Walking straight and tall helps to make a healthy me.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I have to say. We did it in elementary school. We had a contest where we walked around the perimeter of our elementary school with books on our head and whoever could make the most laps around won a prize. I can't remember what the prize was, but I think I was in the final three.

[April Callahan]

This surprises me. 0 April Cowan Also, I feel like I should mention that after last week's episode I received a call from my mother who called to correct me and say that my mother did not get married at 16. So sorry mom. My grandma was not 16 when she got married and I definitely need to get this right because my grandmother went to college at 16 and that's a huge difference. So she didn't get married until she was 21.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Ah, that's cute. She must have been quite the smarty pants if she went to college when she was 16.

[April Callahan]

She really was important distinction to make, I think.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. Today's Fashion History Mystery comes to us from listener Violet, who wrote to us to request an episode on the Chatelaine.

[April Callahan]

To which I responded, shadow what? Just kidding. But the Chatelaine is a bit obscure today, so it's not your average everyday accessory, is it, April?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Nope. And interestingly, the first definition that comes up when you Google the term chatelaine is not for an accessory at all, but a, quote, woman in charge of a large house. But the second definition that comes up is actually what we're going to talk about today, and that is a set of short chains attached to a woman's belt used for carrying keys or other types of items.

[April Callahan]

And to find out just how a woman became an accessory, or vice versa, we looked no further than the 1911 edition of the Britannica Encyclopedia, which states chatelaine, French chatelaine, the feminine form of chatelaine, a keeper of a castle, the mistress of a castle. And it goes on to say, from the custom of a chatelaine to carry the keys of the house suspended from her girdle. The word is now applied to the collection of short chains often worn by ladies, to which are attached various small articles of domestic and toilet use, such as keys, pen, knives, needle cases, scissors, etc.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And if any of you are fans of Downton Abbey, you might be familiar with the chatelaine as it was worn by Doughton's house keeper, Mrs. Hughes. She was never seen without her keys. And we even mentioned the chatelaine on a recent episode when Cass interviewed curator Leslie Klingner, who discussed the chatelaine that was worn by the head housekeeper for George and Edith Vanderbilt's Biltmore estate. And it makes perfect sense, as a keeper of a large manor, or, as you said, Cass, the mistress of a castle, that this sort of attachment would be really necessary, because, of course, there would be, like, certain doors that were always kept locked and dresses at this time didn't always have pockets.

[April Callahan]

And this is another reason why chatelaines often held more than just keys. They were meant to be both decorative and practical. And historically, chatelaines have carried any number of women's personal items, from perfume to notebooks, to watches, to fans, to tweezers, to muffs. Yes, in the 17th century, apparently, women conveniently carried their hand warmers on their belts. So basically, April, attached to a belt or sash at the waist, was suspended, the equivalent to what you and I would put into a purse today.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, and I think these things are really genius. But, Cass, there were also even chatelaine purses, which are basically a small purse that could also be suspended from the waist belt and serve the same purpose as a little clutch would for us today. And it may seem a little strange to wear your purse suspended from your belt today, but you have to remember that at this time, oftentimes women's waists were the focus of support for the garment, and so therefore, they were very sturdy, thanks to the underlying corset below.

[April Callahan]

Absolutely. And I have to say that while researching this episode, I could not help but make the connection between chatelaine's and the Japanese inro. And an inrow essentially serves the same purpose, but for Japanese men, it's this small, often exquisitely beautiful case. So you'll have to Google these. It's inro. And these are. They're exceptionally beautiful and well crafted, and they consist essentially of a stack of nested boxes that are kept together by a drawstring. And similarly, these Japanese in row are worn suspended from the waist or from.

[Cassidy Zachary]

The obi while never being a box per se, if the chatelaine purse is any indication. Chatelaines came in many shapes, forms, and types. They could be hung by the waist by means of a hook, but there were also hookless versions that could be looped over one's belt.

[April Callahan]

And while the term chatelaine is what we most associate with this sort of chained practical apparatus, it is a term that only came into use in the 19th century, and this is centuries after the accessory itself had been in use. So, in her book, American Artifacts of Personal Adornment, 1680-1820, author Carolyn White refers to these earlier incarnations as, quote, waist, hung, appendages, unquote.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Why does that sound a little dirty?

[April Callahan]

I know I could see how they might have decided to use the term chatelaine eventually, but although I should probably cite Caroline's source for her entire article on Chatelaine's, which is Genevieve Cummins and Narella Taunton's 1985 book Utility to Glorious Extravagance, because that was really where she got all of her information from.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, and again, we do get lots of questions from you guys about research tips. So, Cass, maybe we should just mention WorldCat in passing. It's something that I use practically on a daily basis, and it's essentially one online service that connects you to over 10,000 libraries worldwide. And you can search for any book, and it will tell you the closest library to you vis a vis your zip code that has it. And so if it's not available close to you, you can usually also go to your local library and request what's called an interlibrary loan, and it gets to you within a week or two. So if you wanted to learn something more about chatelaines and check out this particular book that Cass just mentioned. That's how I would go about finding the closest copy to me.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, because otherwise they sell for, I think, hundreds of dollars at this point. So definitely use your interlibrary loan. I actually use it quite often myself, so it's a fantastic source. And while I was not able to get my hands on a copy of this book in time for this episode, White's article proved an excellent resource in itself. And she reveals that chatelaines or waist hung appendages, were being used all the way back in ancient Rome. There's this really cool 2nd century bronze enamel chatelaine brooch that came up for auction a few years back and it came complete with the original personal cosmetic items, which included scissors, brush and a nail cleaner. Those Romans knew a thing or two about personal hygiene, I must say.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And the crazy thing about Chatelaine's is just how many are actually available for sale out there on the market at a price, of course, because they are a prized collectible item, I guess you would say. And we found on the Internet that for a mere $5,059, you too can get your very own ancient Roman first century chatelaine from a seller on Rubylane.com, which is of course an antiques website.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, it's really cool. Check it out. But April, why stop there? Because for a mere $47,433.13. I have no idea how they came up with that number, by the way, but you can purchase your very own 18th century 18 karat gold chatelaine from firstdibs.com complete with not one, but two golden thimbles and an ETUI.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Ah.

[April Callahan]

What is an etui, you may ask? It's a small ornamental receptacle. And this particular one holds scissors, a needle, a saw, spoon, knife, and what appears to be a pen and nail file. It's insane.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. If the holdings of the Victoria and Albert Museum are any indication, these types of etuilles were an omnipresent accessory throughout the 18th century within affluent society. And casts they are in and of themselves. These little works of art, they're so delicate, often painstakingly decorated. Yeah, very feminine sometimes. And chateau line usage carried through into the 19th century when they became even more popular, thanks in part to the Industrial Revolution, which democratized a lot of these types of things that were once considered to be luxury goods. And Even by the 1890s, the department store or mail order catalog. At this point, Montgomery Ward had a nice selection of chatelaine purses starting at the time for just 25 cents.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. And while chatelains are remarkable for their beauty, they are also especially fascinating because of their inherent functionality. So extant chatelaines speak to really speak to the individual who wore them. Firstdibs.com that we mentioned also has this charming sterling silver chatelaine from the 1870s, complete with all its original accessories and that included this beautiful notepad, a stamp holder, a retractable pencil, a rose decorated mirror and an engraved whistle. So I don't know why the whistle? I don't know.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I think that's an interesting addition.

[April Callahan]

And I don't know if you know this about me, April, if I've ever told you, but I am obsessed with little things. Like obsessed with tiny little things, especially tiny little things that are functional. They make me very happy. So I could look at these chatelaines pretty much all day, every day.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. And chatelaines fell out of favor sometime around the early 20th century, no doubt in tandem with the modernization of fashion. Although they apparently made a comeback in the 1930s.ca In 1938, Vogue informed its readers, quote, the old time fascinator, half gadget, half jewel, has started a furor and the time has come for you to ransack your attic or family trinket box to find one.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. And in the decades hence, numerous designers such as Adele Simpson and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel have provided their own spin on the century old waist hung appendage. And I have to say, I'm just.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Gonna laugh every time you say that.

[April Callahan]

I have to say that I am all for these making a comeback. And I have to know, April, if opportunity, what would you wear suspended to your chatelaine?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh, that's easy. Lipstick for sure. I'm never without at least four to five lipsticks on my person.

[April Callahan]

So you can have your lipstick chatelaine and I will have my chatelaine with my chapstick and sunglasses and maybe a notepad and pen and maybe actually your cell phone. Yeah, my cell phone could be suspended to my waist. Although I would also be down with carrying a scented perfume or two. And actually if you go on Etsy, there are modern day makers who are making chatelaine. So please, I am all for this making a comeback that does it for us this week.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So please be sure to tune in Tuesday for our full length episode. We will talk to you soon.

[April Callahan]

Bye. Dressed will be back with season eight and all brand new episodes in February of next year.

[Cassidy Zachary]

But until then, remember, we love hearing from you. So if you would like to write to us us. You can do so at hellodressedhistory.com dressedhistory.com is also where of course you can register for our tours, our trips, our new class, anything else that we have up our finely tailored sleeves.

[April Callahan]

That includes April's twice weekly in person fashion history tours of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as our brand new dress to School of Fashion live online course the 1950s Golden Age Haute Couture which is now now open for registration. And we do have gift cards available for both April's tours and the class. So just send us an [e-mail] and also send us an email if you want to get on the first to know list for our New York City Day tours coming your way in April 2025 and our Paris fashion history tours coming your way in June. Registration for both of these tours will open in January and we do expect them to sell out. So send send us an email to get on those lists.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Thank you as always for your continued support. Dressed will be coming back your way for Season 8 in early February. The history of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media. What is Dax Are you tracking all.

[Kristen]

Our cars on Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices? Yes, Kristen, yes I am.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Well, I've been looking for my phone.

[Kristen]

For In Dax's domain we see all so we always know what our cars are worth.

[April Callahan]

All of them?

[Kristen]

All of them. Value surge trucks up 3.9%.

[Cassidy Zachary]

That's a great offer.

[Kristen]

I know. Sell Sell. Track your car's value with Carvana Value Tracker today.