On the Dressed Bookshelf - Dressed: The History of Fashion

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[00:02]
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[00:48]
Cassidy Zachary
You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that. You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that.
[00:53]
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[01:00]
Cassidy Zachary
Dress the History of Fashion is a production of dressed media. With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day, we all get dressed.
[01:15]
April Callahan
Welcome to Dressed the History of Fashion, a podcast that explores the who, what, when of why we wear. We are friends, fashion historians, and your hosts, April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary.
[01:28]
Cassidy Zachary
Hello, dress listeners, and welcome to our long overdue, long promised dressed bookshelf number three. My bookshelf, April, is overflowing. I don't even know the last time we did this, but I.
[01:43]
April Callahan
It was a while ago.
[01:44]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. And so, dress listeners, if you have never listened to a dress bookshelf episode, this is where we literally bring you. Right. Recommendations from our bookshelf.
[01:55]
April Callahan
Yeah. And we do this because this is actually one of you all's most common requests to us, Right. In form of an email or a dm. What books do you recommend? Will you send us book recommendations? Do you have a list? Well, we have Episodes, plural, so there's that.
[02:14]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes. And as many of you know, April and I are both quite obsessed with books. I consider myself actually a book collector. And in my recent interview with Tim Gunn, him and I talk about our shared affinity for books and how they feel like they're almost a part of our soul. And so, so excited to share a part of my soul with you today. Yeah.
[02:35]
April Callahan
Yeah. And, Cass, I think this is the first time that we have recorded the podcast where you can see me in my living room in my Paris apartment, where this is actually not my apartment. This is a. A rented apartment. But when I showed up here, there's this massive bookshelf, and you can see it behind me. When I showed up here, I saw all these books, and the very first thing I thought was, I'm going to rearrange all of them by color.
[03:00]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes. It's a rainbow of books behind April. And it's actually kind of funny because we differ in how we organize our books, because you do it by color, which is absolutely aesthetically beautiful. And you actually. I know this because I've known you for a long time. You actually can recognize where books are. You remember them based on the color of the book, and you can locate them. Yeah, I.
[03:20]
April Callahan
That's how I know where they are.
[03:21]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. And that actually makes it a little more simple. If you have a photographic memory. I organize mine by theme. So I do my best to organize them around theme, but as you know, with books have multiple themes, so it's sometimes a little confusing. But, yes, the lesson of the story is that April and I love books, and we are here to share that with you today. And, April, you are actually going to kick us off with a book that both of us have had on our bookshelf for a little bit now.
[03:47]
April Callahan
Yes, because it's freshly hot off the press by the time this episode airs or maybe a little after. But we bring you a title which is sure to become a staple on many a fashion historian's bookshelf, or even fashion enthusiast bookshelf. It's a new examination of the life and work of the one and only Claire McCardell, who is one of the most influential American fashion designers of all time, and also one of the women largely responsible for this global rise of comfortable, practical, and extremely chic sportswear. And sometimes people don't understand that this term sportswear, it really, truly is the majority of the category of dress that we all wear today. It's used in a very broad sense. We're talking sportswear, but. But that really encompasses anything that's not formal wear. So we're talking about T shirts, jeans, jackets, blazers, khakis, semi casual dresses. All of that, technically speaking, from a fashion insider, fashion production standpoint, falls under the umbrella of sportswear. Claire was one of the main instigators of all of this and how America has reigned supreme as the creator of sportswear. So congratulations to our friend Elizabeth Ivitz D. Dickinson, who has been working on this book for several years now, she has been combing through archives all across the United States. So for any of you who have listened to our two part episode on Mercardle already and or already consider yourself a Mercardle aficionado or fan, buckle up because you are about to get to know Claire a whole lot better. This book does this supremely beautiful job of fleshing out the. The details of McArdle's personal life and also contextualizing these details within this bigger stage of mid century fashion and McCardell's specific and uniquely American influence and role in it. So you know, Cass, Betty Frieden, iconic feminist, wrote of Claire, she's changed the world's meaning of fashion.
[05:57]
Cassidy Zachary
I mean, she's an incredibly important designer. And as you talked about in our McArdle episode, and our listeners well may remember, McArdle did write a biography. Right. But it's not necessarily considered to be. She wrote an autobiography, but it's not necessarily considered to be the end all. Be all of McCardell's life.
[06:14]
April Callahan
It was massively ghost written.
[06:15]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes.
[06:15]
April Callahan
And that's why.
[06:16]
Cassidy Zachary
Thank you. That's what I was looking. I was looking for a nice way of saying that. But I think this sort of scholarship being brought to McCardell today is really important and again, just contextualizing how incredibly significant she was.
[06:30]
April Callahan
And the book is actually written as narrative, nonfiction, biography, so it kind of reads as a novel, but it's all true. Elizabeth has culled through Claire's personal letters, papers, she's sleuthed out interviews with her and basically left no McCardell stone unturned. And it's a delight to read. She's a beautiful writer, Elizabeth, and she's written for the New Yorker, the New York Times, Harper's, McSweeney's, the list goes on. So in combination with her new research and her fresh new take on McArdle, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and I'm gonna say this is my top pick of 2025 so far this year, but we're only in June, so.
[07:07]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, wow. Yeah. So that is quite the endorsement, I would say.
[07:14]
April Callahan
Read it.
[07:15]
Cassidy Zachary
And while we're on the topic of American fashion, this is actually a perfect opportunity to segue into the first book I want to talk about and a book that I recently read. And that is the fantastic edited volume recently released by Bloomsbury called Fashion in American Life. And it's a bit more of an academic text, although I wouldn't say that this should prevent you in any way from reading it, it's incredibly interesting. It was edited by two well respected scholars in our field, Hazel Clark and past dressed guest Lauren Downing Peters, who I just had the pleasure of meeting at Chicago in my upcoming live podcast interview. So that was such a treat. And Lauren is Assistant professor of Fashion Studies and Director of the Fashion Study Collection at Columbia College Chicago. And Hazel is a Professor of Design Studies and Fashion Studies at Parsons in New York City where she is currently Director of the MA Fashion Studies Program. So this book that they edited and worked on together is really important in that it works to expand the narratives of American fashion history beyond those more well, familiar industry centered narratives that focus on famous designers and of course New York City as a world fashion capital. So Instead, the book's 12 contributing authors bring us essays that highlight the fashioned lives of everyday people that are so often left out, overlooked, straight up ignored in more popular and traditional fashion histories. So this book is truly, as the introduction tells us, quote, an exploration of the everyday. So everyday fashions worn by everyday people, which quote, allows us to see American fashion as a form of agency, self identification, creative engagement and politics. And I have to say all of the essays are fantastic. And what I really love about edited volumes is you can look through the table, table of contents and pick an essay that speaks to you. Right? And so I just wanted to highlight a few for you here. So we have Andy Riley's essay which is entitled Howlies and Hawaiian Shirts, which explores how ethnicity and feelings of belonging in Hawaii are played out in the Hawaiian shirt, which means different things when worn by different people, including different ethnic groups of the islands. And that includes Hawaiians. So those who claim indigenous sovereignty local and this is Andy's definition, local descendants of early immigrants and howley that is white. And then you have Laura McLaw helms, who you've heard me talk about a lot on the show. Laura has a fantastic substack that I subscribe to. She's a fashion historian, focuses on 60s and 70s, but her sighs and Whispers substack is fantastic. She wrote a fascinating essay on the short lived counterculture fashion magazine Rags. And then you've also heard us sing the praises of past dress guest Victoria Pass, who contributed to the book with her essay Primitivizing Accessories, Slave Jewelry and the Construction of white femininity in 1920s America. So this is just to give you an idea of the range of fascinating topics within this book and I highly, highly recommend you get your hands on it. It was well worth the read.
[10:24]
April Callahan
Oh fun. I don't have this book on my bookshelf, so maybe that should happen soon. One I do have on my bookshelf, however, is perfection. 400 years of women's Quest for Beauty.
[10:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, yeah, that's been staring me in the face. You can see it right behind me for quite some time.
[10:44]
April Callahan
Okay, so for any of you who have been fans of our past episodes where we have done etiquette episodes of bygone eras, you will love this book. You'll find it especially interesting. Many of the etiquette books detailed in those past episodes are repositories of beauty advice as well, and have also been consulted by the author of this book, Margaret Lincoln. And as the author herself writes in the introduction, quote, this book shows that for centuries, women's experiences have been framed by beauty culture, by bodily practices, and by the cultural practices inherent in such rituals. Yet these practices have also helped them to create and recreate individual identities. Rapid self invention can also be a source of pleasure. And I just think that is so poignant and so beautiful and something we all need to remember. And she goes on to say, quote, beauty culture remains deeply controversial. This book shows that obsession for perfection can dominate women's lives. It illustrates the. The making of modern women, not just in the external aspects of how they presented themselves and were perceived, but also how they felt, preparing themselves to be looked at, and the pressures of such scrutiny placed on them.
[12:02]
Cassidy Zachary
Wow.
[12:05]
April Callahan
Cass, as you know, because you have it on your bookshelf too, this is a fairly hefty book clocking in at 350 pages of text alone. And it's actually kind of light on images. So it's like 400 years of history addressed in eight chapters. In certain themes, there's body sculpture, diet, exercise, skin, makeup, hygiene, hair, teeth, spa towns, and even sea bathing. As chapters and listeners. There is so much fascinating information in here, ranging from a history of hair dyes, how spa towns also served as marriage markets, and how teeth were listed frequently as a cause of death for infants on death certificates during the 18th and 19th centuries. So if you want to learn more about the how and the why, you can do so if you pick up Margaret Lincoln's book, 400 Years of Women's Quest for Beauty.
[13:03]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, and like I said, that has been on the top of my list, literally on the top of my bookshelf for quite some time. So I can't wait to pick it up and read it because it sounds absolutely fascinating. And speaking of quest for beauty, April, I am so excited to bring you a different sort of quest for beauty or a very specific sort of quest for beauty. And that is in the version of this next book that has actually really been years in the making. It's truly a labor of love speaking to the art, heart and history of fashion that I so, so much love. That dress really embodies as well. And I am speaking about the recently published book, the Red Conversations in Stitch. And if the red dress sounds familiar to you dress listeners, it is because this is the book documenting and celebrating the Red dress project, a 14 year award winning, awe inspiring global embroidery project conceived by British artist Kirsty MacLeod, who joined us in 2021 to share the story of this ongoing project. Rich involves one red silk satin gown onto which women from all over the world have quite literally embroidered their stories. And when Kirsty joined US on dressed four years ago, 202 embroiderers from 28 countries had contributed to the dress. We'll get this April. Fast forward to today, four years later, and that number now stands at 380 embroiderers from 51 countries.
[14:35]
April Callahan
That's amazing.
[14:36]
Cassidy Zachary
And many of these embroiderers are experiencing displacement, war, poverty, but they're really empowered by this project to share their stories through the universal language of stitch. And this is such an incredibly moving project. It's such an inspiring testament to our shared humanity that knows no borders, no bounds. And this potent reminder that love can be cultivated when we focus on the threads that connect us. So this book is such a beautiful testament to this project. It captures the dress and detailed image while sharing various voices from the project. And it even includes practical instructions for specific embroidery styles featured on the dress. And I just wanted to read you some of the statistics of this dress that the book presents us with in the intro because it's just so incredibly fascinating and inspiring. As I said, 380 embroiderers and that's 367 women and girls, 11 men or boys and two non binary individuals have contributed to this dress across 14 years. So 2009 to 2023, 221,000 miles is the distance that parts of or the whole dress have traveled during its creation.
[15:49]
April Callahan
Wow.
[15:51]
Cassidy Zachary
141 embroiderers were commissioned and paid for their work and the other were volunteers or, you know, just part of community projects. Because this dress has traveled so much, three times it's been examined by airport security. Six is the number of times the dress has had its own seat on a plane. Let's see, 239 embroideries at exhibitions and events, 37 official red dress exhibitions. If you've been lucky enough to see this dress in person, it has been exhibited around the world. It's been worn 23 times by individuals connected with the project. Again, 51 different countries are represented here. And then this to me is the most amazing fact. It is the estimated number of stitches on it. Do you want to take a guess?
[16:37]
April Callahan
Oh wow. Has to be in the millions.
[16:40]
Cassidy Zachary
1 to 1.5 billion stitches. Wow, that doesn't give you chills. Dress listeners, I don't know what will. I highly recommend getting this book and we will of course be linking to all of these books in our show notes so you can get your hands on them.
[16:59]
April Callahan
Now.
[17:02]
Cassidy Zachary
Foreign.
[17:06]
April Callahan
Listeners, I'd venture to say that most of us are aware that hormones are critical factors in women's health. But how many of us know exactly what they do and how to maintain optimal hormone levels when you hit menopause or perimenopause?
[17:20]
Cassidy Zachary
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[17:40]
April Callahan
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[17:59]
Cassidy Zachary
For a limited time you can get 15% off on your entire first order@happymammoth.com just use the code dressed at checkout. That's 15% off your entire first order with the code dressed@happy mammoth.com dressed listeners.
[18:13]
April Callahan
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[18:23]
Cassidy Zachary
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[18:39]
April Callahan
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[18:57]
Cassidy Zachary
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[19:11]
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[19:43]
April Callahan
I do want to recommend a book that might sound a bit niche at first, but it's so fun and whimsical that I think just about anyone who is interested in fashion history will really enjoy it. And it's called the Modern Venus Dress, Underwear and Accessories in the late 18th century Atlantic world, and it's written by Elizabeth Gurnard. This time period, late 18th century, think Marie Antoinette, think the Duchess of Devonshire. It's that highly artificial period of the late 18th century when we have these wide panniered skirts, we have all the towering pouf hairstyles that reign supreme. And Elizabeth's book is chock full of amazing primary source imagery and it includes a ton of satirical prints cast. You already know that I love satirical prints. I'm just like waiting for someday when somebody writes the overall arching tome of fashion satire. But the late 18th century really, truly was one of fashion satire's great heydays. So the book covers some really wild and whimsical millinery of this time period, including some of Elizabeth's own personal fascinating research on calashes, which listeners, if you don't know this term calashes, they were essentially these collapsible bonnets which were meant to cover your poof hairstyle and that could be a couple feet in height. So if your hair was already this high, imagine how you're going to cover that. So the calash is meant to cover the poof. So just imagine how large these might be as well, including volume around your hair.
[21:23]
Cassidy Zachary
They're so fun. I love collages so much. They're so fantastic, it's amazing.
[21:29]
April Callahan
So they were so ridiculous that it's no wonder that they were the frequent subject of a lot of these satirical prints. They were also the subject of poems and other written works that spoofed them. So I really enjoyed learning more about Calasius and Elizabeth's book. There's also entire chapters on the various types of rumps, rolls, pads, panniers that gave that exaggerated shape to women's skirts of the late 18th century. And also very niche accessories like the muff. So, Cass, did you know that in Britain in the 16th and maybe 17th centuries, that muffs, which were essentially this kind of like padded tubes to protect and warm your hands, did you know that muffs were subject to sumptuary laws?
[22:13]
Cassidy Zachary
I did not.
[22:14]
April Callahan
Yeah, I didn't either. Interesting. And oftentimes they would stuff their little dogs in their muffs, too. And of course, if It's a late 18th century book on any subject of underwear, it would be incomplete. Without discussing the corset, there's an entire chapter devoted to the practice and material culture of tight lacing in particular. So this is a very, very fun book. And it does this amazing job of balancing serious scholarship with being playful and even sensational.
[22:44]
Cassidy Zachary
It's been on my bookshelf, too, for quite some time, and it just sounds like such a fascinating book.
[22:50]
April Callahan
And the thing is, like, how they present the information is very approachable.
[22:54]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. Yes. Which we love. And I think what you said is perfect and that it balances serious scholarship with really fun, intriguing facts and information and storytelling. So looking forward to reading that in April. Actually, the next book I want to talk about is something that I know you also have on your bookshelf at home, and it is this beautiful exhibition catalog for the 2023, 2024 Palais Galliera exhibition of the same name. And that is Azzedine A Couturier's collection, which. Have you had a chance to open this book and crack it and look at it?
[23:28]
April Callahan
I haven't.
[23:29]
Cassidy Zachary
Well, do when you're back from parv, because it is absolutely incredible. And of course, dressed listeners, you've heard us sing the praises of Alaia many times on the show, and we're absolutely remiss not to have done an episode on him yet. But we will, don't you worry. But as a reminder, he really is one of the most significant fashion designers of the late 20th and 21st centuries. He passed away in 2017. Been designing, I think he opened his own house in the late 70s, but got his start working at Christian Dior, then Yves Saint Laurent in the 50s and 60s. And he just is a maestro of cut and form. He's very famous for his bodycon dresses. But perhaps lesser known or lesser emphasized when people discuss his legacy is the fact that he had a passion for fashion history and a passion that led him to amass an exceptional collection of historical garments and textiles. And it is this collection and his love of historic fashion which was the inspiration for this exhibition and this stunning book that accompanies it. And I have to say, I learned so much from this book, including the fact that Alaia was not the only fashion designer to amass a private historical fashion collection. Did you know that Worth also had a collection of historic garments?
[24:45]
April Callahan
I did. And you know why? Sometimes he would copy them directly line.
[24:54]
Cassidy Zachary
For line in his fancy dress designs.
[24:57]
April Callahan
Oh, no, not necessarily, no. Sometimes he would have a 17th century cape and he would just copy it.
[25:03]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, I was gonna say it makes perfect sense within the context of his work because you can see so much historical inspiration in his fashions. And then of course, as I just mentioned, the house is really known for doing massive business in fancy dress costumes. Apparently he was actually looking at this collection that he had and his sons when they took over, also used for inspiration. So I thought that was really cool. But I was also so excited to learn that Alaia's own fashion history collection began with Balenciaga garments taken directly from the Balenciaga couture house after Balenciaga rather abruptly closed its doors in the late 1960s. So Alaia was actually invited by Balenciaga's close collaborator and studio director, Mademoiselle Renee. She invited him at that time, he was a 33 year old fledgling designer and she just basically told him to please take whatever you want as inspiration for your own designs.
[26:02]
April Callahan
Can you even imagine?
[26:04]
Cassidy Zachary
So this sparked what would become a lifetime love of collecting fashion. And Alaia eventually amassed what the catalog tells us is one of the largest fashion collections in the world. So really rivaling the great museum fashion collections of the world. And actually Olivier Sillard, who is the curator of this exhibition, writes an essay in here and he said it is the largest fashion collection in the world. Not private, not museum, just largest, largest. So we know, for instance, the FIT the Chicago History Museum have 50,000 pieces in those collections. I couldn't find exactly how many pieces are in here, but. But let's say it's tens of thousands of pieces. And this collection is remarkable. It includes everything from more humble everyday items to exquisite examples of haute couture. Every name you can imagine. Worth, Fortuny, Pare, Schiaparelli, Dior, and then an unexpected American name. That you will all recognize, which is the costume turned fashion designer Gilbert Atrion, who Alaia deeply revered.
[27:11]
April Callahan
Yeah. I think there was an Adrienne Alaia exhibition a few years ago at Fondanche and Alaia.
[27:18]
Cassidy Zachary
It might have been there. It was also at Scad Atlanta. So they. Who always does fantastic fashion exhibitions, and they did it. Comparing Alaia to Adrian, because Alaia revered Adrian. He had over 100 pieces in the collection. He had also other American designers. Rudy Gruenreich, McCardell, Charles James. I mean, any name you can think of. Abril. I want to show you this dress because I had never, ever seen this Mercardle dress. And I wonder if you have, because it doesn't exactly scream McCardell, but it's amazing. Let me see if I can find it. Oh, here it is. Have you seen this dress?
[27:53]
April Callahan
Oh, yes, I think that's. That McCardell dress, I think is one from one of the Modern Masters prints.
[28:00]
Cassidy Zachary
It's called Parade Sauvage by Fernand Leger.
[28:03]
April Callahan
Yeah. I wrote an entire paper in grad school on the Modern Masters prints, and we've already done an episode on it. So Cassie just tried to trick me, and I didn't know, and I was like, no, no, no, no. I know that McCardell dress. That's one of the modern masters McCardell dresses.
[28:20]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. Well, it was quite unexpected for me, because this is not that you don't associate McCardell with vibrant, kind of crazy patterns, but this is such a stunning dress. And then I wanted to show you one other dress will trick you too. You can try to guess the designer.
[28:36]
April Callahan
This is fun for me.
[28:38]
Cassidy Zachary
I know you very well, and you're gonna know who the designer is immediately. But I had never seen. I had never seen this work. Who designed this?
[28:46]
April Callahan
That's Schiaparelli.
[28:48]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes.
[28:48]
April Callahan
Because it's a Christian Berard illustration. That's the print motif of the dress.
[28:53]
Cassidy Zachary
I had never seen this before. It's a 1939 dress. And.
[28:57]
April Callahan
But am I wrong that it's Christian Berard? Is it Bebe?
[28:59]
Cassidy Zachary
It does not say, but it would make sense. But it has these alternating ladies colors of blue, pink, and yellow with this vibrant, beautiful print that we do expect from Schiaparelli. And just again, I'd never seen it before. He has items from the personal wardrobe of Poiret's wife, Model, Amuse, Denise. He has just this most supreme examples of fashion. And you really can understand and get an insight into his mind and how he. And why he collected these pieces because they're so visually interesting in so many ways, and so I was just so inspired. I wish I could have seen this exhibition in person, but this catalog is truly the next best thing and I highly, highly recommend getting your hands on it.
[29:41]
April Callahan
Damn. I thought I was gonna do another book cast, but I feel like I can't follow anything up with that after that. So I think that maybe we should just end it with that.
[29:53]
Cassidy Zachary
How do you feel? Yeah, I mean, I have some honorable mentions I briefly wanted to mention because we don't unfortunately have time. We could be here all day. We could do multiple of these episod.
[30:05]
April Callahan
Both prepared to talk about a lot of other books. Then maybe we should save that for on the Dress bookshelf for in the future.
[30:13]
Cassidy Zachary
But my honorable mentions that I just wanted to mention briefly are that past dress guest Tanisha Ford recently guest edited the quarterly photography magazine Aperture, and this guest editorship explores, quote, style and fashion as a language of black resistance, refusal and joy. And it's called Liberated Threads. And that is also the title of her groundbreaking book, Liberated Threads, Black Women's Style and the Global Politics of Seoul, which she joined us to discuss in 2020. So I was really excited to see this magazine appear in my post office box recently. And then just a couple quick other honorable mentions and actually hopefully future dress podcast episodes is the dress history of Korea. We've been long, long wanting to do an episode on the Hanbow, the South Korean Hanbow. And this edited volume really is incredible in that it brings together a wealth of primary sources with contributions from leading experts that, quote, presents the most recent approaches to the interpretation of dress and fashion of Korea. And it is edited by Seung Gi Pyun and Minji Kim. And Minji is a scholar and historian of South Korean fashion that I've long had on my list. So really, really hoping to get her on the podcast in the future. Those are my two honorable mentions.
[31:32]
April Callahan
Okay, well, I. Can I throw in an honorable mention into the ring, too?
[31:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, of course.
[31:37]
April Callahan
Okay, that would be Fashion and Motherhood, Image Material and Identity, also edited by past dress guest Lauren Downing Peters. Lauren, what are you doing? What are you doing out there in the world that you're just like, doing all the things? Also, past dress guest Darnell, Jamal Lisbee and our friend Laura Snellgrove. And I just want to say that this particular recommendation ties into our episode from earlier in this week about children's wear, which is a fascinating examination of children's wear and how gender identity gets formed, sometimes even before birth. Tune back into that if you are interested in that topic.
[32:21]
Cassidy Zachary
And I will say I have fashion and motherhood on my shelf as well and it's really fascinating and not only because it travels the globe from Hong Kong to Hollywood, India to the US and is really, really interesting in terms of examining that relationship between fashion and motherhood. Very exciting. Dress listeners, we hope that you will dive into some of these suggested titles. We will be posting about them in our show notes and we hope that gives you plenty of summer reading for your summer travels and adventures.
[32:53]
April Callahan
And maybe not only even summer reading, maybe even books to put on your holiday wish list or gift giving wish list. Because if you have a fashion history lover in your life, these are our top picks so far for the first half of 2025.
[33:08]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, and also just a reminder and you'll hear about it in the outro too. But we love books and we have an entire bookshelf that you can head to@bookshop.org shop dressed and you can find over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles. We of course link to that in our show notes. Many of these books we mentioned today will be there as well, and it's a great way to support not the big bookshop stores, but local and independent booksellers. So we love bookshop.org also.
[33:39]
April Callahan
If you guys are not necessarily in the position or mood or disposition to buy books, don't forget that your local library can almost always do interlibrary loans for you. And that's when you submit a book that you would like to receive at your library. If your library doesn't have it, and then within a few weeks they can usually have it delivered to you. You get it for a limited amount of time and then you return it to your library. They return it to the original library of source and it's almost always free.
[34:09]
Cassidy Zachary
And if it's not, it's usually a couple dollars for postage. So highly, highly recommend doing that.
[34:13]
April Callahan
Cass and I used to use this in grad school all the time.
[34:17]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh yeah, I still use it at my local Corrales library, so head there too. Trust listeners, head to your local library and utilize those resources because they need us now more than ever. Okay dress listeners, that does it for us this week. If you want to find the social media content connected to today's episode, you can head to the hashtag dressed556 until next time, May you consider the impact that reading fashion has on your life. Next time you get dressed, please head.
[34:45]
April Callahan
To Rest podcast on Instagram or Rest podcast without on Facebook to check out the visual content associated with each week's episodes.
[34:56]
Cassidy Zachary
And remember, we always love hearing from you, so if you'd like to write to us, you can do so@hellorusthistory.com DressedHistory.com is also our website where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter, our in person tours and online fashion history courses and you can check out whatever else we have up our finely tailored sleeves.
[35:14]
April Callahan
We get so many questions from you all about our recommendations for fashion history books, so if you are interested you can always find a link in our show Notes to our Bookshop Bookshelf. So that address is bookshop.org shop dressed and there you can find over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles and.
[35:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Do you love Dressed but want to skip the ads? You can now sign up for Ad free listening with any tier on our Dressed History Patreon where you can also chat with your fellow fashion history lovers and attend one of our live Q&As and so much more.
[35:49]
April Callahan
We are also excited to now be part of the Airwave Network and their premium Ad free history subscription Airwave History plus available on Apple Podcasts. The subscription brings dress and also 27 other popular history podcasts ad free for just $5.99 per month. More information on Page Patreon and Airwave is available at the link in our bio.
[36:13]
Cassidy Zachary
Thank you as always for tuning in and more dressed coming your way very soon. The History of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media.

Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary: Dressed: The History of Fashion - Episode: On the Dressed Bookshelf

Release Date: July 4, 2025
Host: Avril Callahan and Cassidy Zachary
Producer: Dressed Media

Introduction to the Dressed Bookshelf

In this enlightening episode, Avril Callahan and Cassidy Zachary dive into their personal book collections, responding to listeners' requests for fashion history book recommendations. Both hosts express their profound love for books, emphasizing how these literary works complement their exploration of fashion's social and cultural narratives.

1. The Life and Work of Claire McCardell by Elizabeth Ivitz D. Dickinson

Overview:
This newly released biography offers an in-depth examination of Claire McCardell, a pivotal American fashion designer renowned for pioneering comfortable and chic sportswear.

Key Highlights:

McCardell's Influence: Avril highlights McCardell's role in shaping modern American fashion, particularly in the realm of sportswear, which encompasses everyday attire such as T-shirts, jeans, and blazers. "Claire was one of the main instigators of all of this and how America has reigned supreme as the creator of sportswear" (04:30).
Research Depth: The author, Elizabeth Ivitz D. Dickinson, meticulously researches McCardell's personal letters, interviews, and archives to present a comprehensive narrative. "The book is actually written as narrative nonfiction, biography, so it kind of reads as a novel, but it's all true" (06:00).
Critical Acclaim: Avril enthusiastically endorses the book, stating, "this is my top pick of 2025 so far this year" (07:07).

2. Fashion in American Life edited by Hazel Clark and Lauren Downing Peters

Overview:
An academic yet accessible volume that expands American fashion history beyond industry giants, focusing on the everyday fashion experiences of ordinary people.

Key Highlights:

Diverse Contributions: The book features 12 essays from various authors, each exploring different facets of American fashion. For instance, Andy Riley's essay delves into the cultural significance of Hawaiian shirts among different ethnic groups in Hawaii (09:00).
Everyday Fashion as Agency: Cassidy emphasizes the book's exploration of fashion as a means of self-identification and political expression. "It allows us to see American fashion as a form of agency, self-identification, creative engagement and politics" (09:45).
Accessible Structure: The edited volume format enables readers to pick and choose essays that resonate with them, making it a versatile addition to any fashion history enthusiast's library (10:15).

3. 400 Years of Women's Quest for Beauty by Margaret Lincoln

Overview:
This comprehensive work examines the evolution of beauty culture and its profound impact on women's identities and societal roles over four centuries.

Key Highlights:

Historical Scope: Covering eight chapters, the book addresses themes such as body sculpture, diet, makeup, hygiene, and more. Avril mentions intriguing topics like the history of hair dyes and the role of spa towns in marriage markets (11:30).
Cultural Impact: The author illustrates how beauty obsession has shaped modern femininity, both externally and internally. "Beauty culture remains deeply controversial. This book shows that obsession for perfection can dominate women's lives" (12:15).
Engaging Narration: Despite its hefty 350-page count, the book is praised for being approachable and rich in fascinating details (12:45).

4. The Red Conversations in Stitch by Kirsty MacLeod

Overview:
A tribute to the Red Dress Project, this book documents a 14-year global embroidery initiative where women from around the world stitch their personal stories onto a red silk satin gown.

Key Highlights:

Global Participation: By 2023, 380 embroiderers from 51 countries contributed to the dress, symbolizing shared humanity and resilience. "221,000 miles is the distance that parts of or the whole dress have traveled during its creation" (15:10).
Empowerment Through Art: The project empowers individuals facing displacement, war, and poverty to express themselves through embroidery. Cassidy reflects, "It's such an inspiring testament to our shared humanity" (15:30).
Comprehensive Documentation: The book not only showcases the dress but also includes voices from the embroiderers and practical embroidery instructions, making it both visually and intellectually engaging (16:00).

5. Modern Venus: Dress, Underwear, and Accessories in the Late 18th Century Atlantic World by Elizabeth Gurnard

Overview:
Elizabeth Gurnard's whimsical exploration of late 18th-century fashion delves into the extravagant dresses, hairstyles, and accessories of the era, enriched with primary source imagery and satirical prints.

Key Highlights:

Exaggerated Fashion: The book examines the opulent panniered skirts and towering pouf hairstyles, providing insights into their cultural significance and the satire they inspired. "The calash is meant to cover the poof... just imagine how large these might be" (21:00).
Playful Scholarship: Gurnard balances serious research with engaging storytelling, making complex fashion history accessible and entertaining. "It does this amazing job of balancing serious scholarship with being playful and even sensational" (22:00).
Unique Accessories: Topics such as muffs protected by sumptuary laws and the intricate practice of tight lacing are explored in detail, offering a comprehensive view of the period's fashion nuances (22:15).

6. Azzedine Alaïa: The Complete Collection - Palais Galliera Exhibition Catalog

Overview:
This stunning exhibition catalog accompanies the 2023-2024 Palais Galliera exhibition, showcasing Azzedine Alaïa's extensive fashion collection, which rivals some of the world's greatest museum collections.

Key Highlights:

Extensive Collection: Alaïa amassed one of the largest private fashion collections, featuring pieces from iconic designers like Worth, Fortuny, and Schiaparelli. "It is the largest fashion collection in the world" (26:00).
Historical Inspirations: The catalog reveals how Alaïa's passion for fashion history influenced his designs, with pieces inspired by Balenciaga and other historical garments. "Kirsty was actually invited by Balenciaga's close collaborator... to take whatever you want as inspiration for your own designs" (26:30).
Exhibition Insights: Olivier Sillard, curator of the exhibition, provides essays that delve into Alaïa's design philosophy and his reverence for historical fashion, making the catalog a valuable resource for understanding his legacy (27:00).

Honorable Mentions

Avril and Cassidy briefly discuss additional noteworthy works:

"Liberated Threads" edited by Tanisha Ford: An exploration of black women's style and its role in global politics, coinciding with the guest-edited Aperture magazine issue on the same theme.
"The Dress History of Korea" edited by Seung Gi Pyun and Minji Kim: This volume presents recent approaches to interpreting Korean dress and fashion, incorporating primary sources and expert contributions.
"Fashion and Motherhood, Image, Material, and Identity" edited by Lauren Downing Peters: Examining the intersection of fashion and motherhood across different cultures, this book ties into their recent episode on children's wear and gender identity formation.

Additional Recommendations and Resources

Bookshop Support: The hosts encourage listeners to support local and independent bookstores through their curated bookshelf available at bookshop.org/shop/dressed, featuring over 150 recommended fashion history titles.
Library Utilization: For those unable to purchase, Avril and Cassidy remind listeners of the valuable resources available through local libraries, including interlibrary loans for accessing these recommended works.

Conclusion

This episode of Dressed: The History of Fashion serves as a treasure trove for fashion enthusiasts seeking to deepen their understanding through carefully selected literature. From pioneering designers like Claire McCardell to global embroidery projects and historical fashion analyses, Avril and Cassidy provide insightful recommendations that celebrate the rich tapestry of fashion history.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

Avril Callahan (04:30): “Claire was one of the main instigators of all of this and how America has reigned supreme as the creator of sportswear.”
Cassidy Zachary (09:45): “It allows us to see American fashion as a form of agency, self-identification, creative engagement and politics.”
Avril Callahan (12:15): “Beauty culture remains deeply controversial. This book shows that obsession for perfection can dominate women's lives.”
Cassidy Zachary (15:10): “221,000 miles is the distance that parts of or the whole dress have traveled during its creation.”
Avril Callahan (21:00): “The calash is meant to cover the poof... just imagine how large these might be.”
Cassidy Zachary (26:00): “It is the largest fashion collection in the world.”

For more insights and discussions on fashion history, tune in to future episodes of Dressed: The History of Fashion.

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Transcript97 lines

[00:02]
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[00:48]
Cassidy Zachary
You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that. You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that.
[00:53]
Venmo Advertiser
The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license, my MasterCard International Incorporated card may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply.
[01:00]
Cassidy Zachary
Dress the History of Fashion is a production of dressed media. With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day, we all get dressed.
[01:15]
April Callahan
Welcome to Dressed the History of Fashion, a podcast that explores the who, what, when of why we wear. We are friends, fashion historians, and your hosts, April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary.
[01:28]
Cassidy Zachary
Hello, dress listeners, and welcome to our long overdue, long promised dressed bookshelf number three. My bookshelf, April, is overflowing. I don't even know the last time we did this, but I.
[01:43]
April Callahan
It was a while ago.
[01:44]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. And so, dress listeners, if you have never listened to a dress bookshelf episode, this is where we literally bring you. Right. Recommendations from our bookshelf.
[01:55]
April Callahan
Yeah. And we do this because this is actually one of you all's most common requests to us, Right. In form of an email or a dm. What books do you recommend? Will you send us book recommendations? Do you have a list? Well, we have Episodes, plural, so there's that.
[02:14]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes. And as many of you know, April and I are both quite obsessed with books. I consider myself actually a book collector. And in my recent interview with Tim Gunn, him and I talk about our shared affinity for books and how they feel like they're almost a part of our soul. And so, so excited to share a part of my soul with you today. Yeah.
[02:35]
April Callahan
Yeah. And, Cass, I think this is the first time that we have recorded the podcast where you can see me in my living room in my Paris apartment, where this is actually not my apartment. This is a. A rented apartment. But when I showed up here, there's this massive bookshelf, and you can see it behind me. When I showed up here, I saw all these books, and the very first thing I thought was, I'm going to rearrange all of them by color.
[03:00]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes. It's a rainbow of books behind April. And it's actually kind of funny because we differ in how we organize our books, because you do it by color, which is absolutely aesthetically beautiful. And you actually. I know this because I've known you for a long time. You actually can recognize where books are. You remember them based on the color of the book, and you can locate them. Yeah, I.
[03:20]
April Callahan
That's how I know where they are.
[03:21]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. And that actually makes it a little more simple. If you have a photographic memory. I organize mine by theme. So I do my best to organize them around theme, but as you know, with books have multiple themes, so it's sometimes a little confusing. But, yes, the lesson of the story is that April and I love books, and we are here to share that with you today. And, April, you are actually going to kick us off with a book that both of us have had on our bookshelf for a little bit now.
[03:47]
April Callahan
Yes, because it's freshly hot off the press by the time this episode airs or maybe a little after. But we bring you a title which is sure to become a staple on many a fashion historian's bookshelf, or even fashion enthusiast bookshelf. It's a new examination of the life and work of the one and only Claire McCardell, who is one of the most influential American fashion designers of all time, and also one of the women largely responsible for this global rise of comfortable, practical, and extremely chic sportswear. And sometimes people don't understand that this term sportswear, it really, truly is the majority of the category of dress that we all wear today. It's used in a very broad sense. We're talking sportswear, but. But that really encompasses anything that's not formal wear. So we're talking about T shirts, jeans, jackets, blazers, khakis, semi casual dresses. All of that, technically speaking, from a fashion insider, fashion production standpoint, falls under the umbrella of sportswear. Claire was one of the main instigators of all of this and how America has reigned supreme as the creator of sportswear. So congratulations to our friend Elizabeth Ivitz D. Dickinson, who has been working on this book for several years now, she has been combing through archives all across the United States. So for any of you who have listened to our two part episode on Mercardle already and or already consider yourself a Mercardle aficionado or fan, buckle up because you are about to get to know Claire a whole lot better. This book does this supremely beautiful job of fleshing out the. The details of McArdle's personal life and also contextualizing these details within this bigger stage of mid century fashion and McCardell's specific and uniquely American influence and role in it. So you know, Cass, Betty Frieden, iconic feminist, wrote of Claire, she's changed the world's meaning of fashion.
[05:57]
Cassidy Zachary
I mean, she's an incredibly important designer. And as you talked about in our McArdle episode, and our listeners well may remember, McArdle did write a biography. Right. But it's not necessarily considered to be. She wrote an autobiography, but it's not necessarily considered to be the end all. Be all of McCardell's life.
[06:14]
April Callahan
It was massively ghost written.
[06:15]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes.
[06:15]
April Callahan
And that's why.
[06:16]
Cassidy Zachary
Thank you. That's what I was looking. I was looking for a nice way of saying that. But I think this sort of scholarship being brought to McCardell today is really important and again, just contextualizing how incredibly significant she was.
[06:30]
April Callahan
And the book is actually written as narrative, nonfiction, biography, so it kind of reads as a novel, but it's all true. Elizabeth has culled through Claire's personal letters, papers, she's sleuthed out interviews with her and basically left no McCardell stone unturned. And it's a delight to read. She's a beautiful writer, Elizabeth, and she's written for the New Yorker, the New York Times, Harper's, McSweeney's, the list goes on. So in combination with her new research and her fresh new take on McArdle, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and I'm gonna say this is my top pick of 2025 so far this year, but we're only in June, so.
[07:07]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, wow. Yeah. So that is quite the endorsement, I would say.
[07:14]
April Callahan
Read it.
[07:15]
Cassidy Zachary
And while we're on the topic of American fashion, this is actually a perfect opportunity to segue into the first book I want to talk about and a book that I recently read. And that is the fantastic edited volume recently released by Bloomsbury called Fashion in American Life. And it's a bit more of an academic text, although I wouldn't say that this should prevent you in any way from reading it, it's incredibly interesting. It was edited by two well respected scholars in our field, Hazel Clark and past dressed guest Lauren Downing Peters, who I just had the pleasure of meeting at Chicago in my upcoming live podcast interview. So that was such a treat. And Lauren is Assistant professor of Fashion Studies and Director of the Fashion Study Collection at Columbia College Chicago. And Hazel is a Professor of Design Studies and Fashion Studies at Parsons in New York City where she is currently Director of the MA Fashion Studies Program. So this book that they edited and worked on together is really important in that it works to expand the narratives of American fashion history beyond those more well, familiar industry centered narratives that focus on famous designers and of course New York City as a world fashion capital. So Instead, the book's 12 contributing authors bring us essays that highlight the fashioned lives of everyday people that are so often left out, overlooked, straight up ignored in more popular and traditional fashion histories. So this book is truly, as the introduction tells us, quote, an exploration of the everyday. So everyday fashions worn by everyday people, which quote, allows us to see American fashion as a form of agency, self identification, creative engagement and politics. And I have to say all of the essays are fantastic. And what I really love about edited volumes is you can look through the table, table of contents and pick an essay that speaks to you. Right? And so I just wanted to highlight a few for you here. So we have Andy Riley's essay which is entitled Howlies and Hawaiian Shirts, which explores how ethnicity and feelings of belonging in Hawaii are played out in the Hawaiian shirt, which means different things when worn by different people, including different ethnic groups of the islands. And that includes Hawaiians. So those who claim indigenous sovereignty local and this is Andy's definition, local descendants of early immigrants and howley that is white. And then you have Laura McLaw helms, who you've heard me talk about a lot on the show. Laura has a fantastic substack that I subscribe to. She's a fashion historian, focuses on 60s and 70s, but her sighs and Whispers substack is fantastic. She wrote a fascinating essay on the short lived counterculture fashion magazine Rags. And then you've also heard us sing the praises of past dress guest Victoria Pass, who contributed to the book with her essay Primitivizing Accessories, Slave Jewelry and the Construction of white femininity in 1920s America. So this is just to give you an idea of the range of fascinating topics within this book and I highly, highly recommend you get your hands on it. It was well worth the read.
[10:24]
April Callahan
Oh fun. I don't have this book on my bookshelf, so maybe that should happen soon. One I do have on my bookshelf, however, is perfection. 400 years of women's Quest for Beauty.
[10:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, yeah, that's been staring me in the face. You can see it right behind me for quite some time.
[10:44]
April Callahan
Okay, so for any of you who have been fans of our past episodes where we have done etiquette episodes of bygone eras, you will love this book. You'll find it especially interesting. Many of the etiquette books detailed in those past episodes are repositories of beauty advice as well, and have also been consulted by the author of this book, Margaret Lincoln. And as the author herself writes in the introduction, quote, this book shows that for centuries, women's experiences have been framed by beauty culture, by bodily practices, and by the cultural practices inherent in such rituals. Yet these practices have also helped them to create and recreate individual identities. Rapid self invention can also be a source of pleasure. And I just think that is so poignant and so beautiful and something we all need to remember. And she goes on to say, quote, beauty culture remains deeply controversial. This book shows that obsession for perfection can dominate women's lives. It illustrates the. The making of modern women, not just in the external aspects of how they presented themselves and were perceived, but also how they felt, preparing themselves to be looked at, and the pressures of such scrutiny placed on them.
[12:02]
Cassidy Zachary
Wow.
[12:05]
April Callahan
Cass, as you know, because you have it on your bookshelf too, this is a fairly hefty book clocking in at 350 pages of text alone. And it's actually kind of light on images. So it's like 400 years of history addressed in eight chapters. In certain themes, there's body sculpture, diet, exercise, skin, makeup, hygiene, hair, teeth, spa towns, and even sea bathing. As chapters and listeners. There is so much fascinating information in here, ranging from a history of hair dyes, how spa towns also served as marriage markets, and how teeth were listed frequently as a cause of death for infants on death certificates during the 18th and 19th centuries. So if you want to learn more about the how and the why, you can do so if you pick up Margaret Lincoln's book, 400 Years of Women's Quest for Beauty.
[13:03]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, and like I said, that has been on the top of my list, literally on the top of my bookshelf for quite some time. So I can't wait to pick it up and read it because it sounds absolutely fascinating. And speaking of quest for beauty, April, I am so excited to bring you a different sort of quest for beauty or a very specific sort of quest for beauty. And that is in the version of this next book that has actually really been years in the making. It's truly a labor of love speaking to the art, heart and history of fashion that I so, so much love. That dress really embodies as well. And I am speaking about the recently published book, the Red Conversations in Stitch. And if the red dress sounds familiar to you dress listeners, it is because this is the book documenting and celebrating the Red dress project, a 14 year award winning, awe inspiring global embroidery project conceived by British artist Kirsty MacLeod, who joined us in 2021 to share the story of this ongoing project. Rich involves one red silk satin gown onto which women from all over the world have quite literally embroidered their stories. And when Kirsty joined US on dressed four years ago, 202 embroiderers from 28 countries had contributed to the dress. We'll get this April. Fast forward to today, four years later, and that number now stands at 380 embroiderers from 51 countries.
[14:35]
April Callahan
That's amazing.
[14:36]
Cassidy Zachary
And many of these embroiderers are experiencing displacement, war, poverty, but they're really empowered by this project to share their stories through the universal language of stitch. And this is such an incredibly moving project. It's such an inspiring testament to our shared humanity that knows no borders, no bounds. And this potent reminder that love can be cultivated when we focus on the threads that connect us. So this book is such a beautiful testament to this project. It captures the dress and detailed image while sharing various voices from the project. And it even includes practical instructions for specific embroidery styles featured on the dress. And I just wanted to read you some of the statistics of this dress that the book presents us with in the intro because it's just so incredibly fascinating and inspiring. As I said, 380 embroiderers and that's 367 women and girls, 11 men or boys and two non binary individuals have contributed to this dress across 14 years. So 2009 to 2023, 221,000 miles is the distance that parts of or the whole dress have traveled during its creation.
[15:49]
April Callahan
Wow.
[15:51]
Cassidy Zachary
141 embroiderers were commissioned and paid for their work and the other were volunteers or, you know, just part of community projects. Because this dress has traveled so much, three times it's been examined by airport security. Six is the number of times the dress has had its own seat on a plane. Let's see, 239 embroideries at exhibitions and events, 37 official red dress exhibitions. If you've been lucky enough to see this dress in person, it has been exhibited around the world. It's been worn 23 times by individuals connected with the project. Again, 51 different countries are represented here. And then this to me is the most amazing fact. It is the estimated number of stitches on it. Do you want to take a guess?
[16:37]
April Callahan
Oh wow. Has to be in the millions.
[16:40]
Cassidy Zachary
1 to 1.5 billion stitches. Wow, that doesn't give you chills. Dress listeners, I don't know what will. I highly recommend getting this book and we will of course be linking to all of these books in our show notes so you can get your hands on them.
[16:59]
April Callahan
Now.
[17:02]
Cassidy Zachary
Foreign.
[17:06]
April Callahan
Listeners, I'd venture to say that most of us are aware that hormones are critical factors in women's health. But how many of us know exactly what they do and how to maintain optimal hormone levels when you hit menopause or perimenopause?
[17:20]
Cassidy Zachary
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[17:40]
April Callahan
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[17:59]
Cassidy Zachary
For a limited time you can get 15% off on your entire first order@happymammoth.com just use the code dressed at checkout. That's 15% off your entire first order with the code dressed@happy mammoth.com dressed listeners.
[18:13]
April Callahan
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[18:23]
Cassidy Zachary
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[18:39]
April Callahan
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[18:57]
Cassidy Zachary
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[19:11]
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[19:43]
April Callahan
I do want to recommend a book that might sound a bit niche at first, but it's so fun and whimsical that I think just about anyone who is interested in fashion history will really enjoy it. And it's called the Modern Venus Dress, Underwear and Accessories in the late 18th century Atlantic world, and it's written by Elizabeth Gurnard. This time period, late 18th century, think Marie Antoinette, think the Duchess of Devonshire. It's that highly artificial period of the late 18th century when we have these wide panniered skirts, we have all the towering pouf hairstyles that reign supreme. And Elizabeth's book is chock full of amazing primary source imagery and it includes a ton of satirical prints cast. You already know that I love satirical prints. I'm just like waiting for someday when somebody writes the overall arching tome of fashion satire. But the late 18th century really, truly was one of fashion satire's great heydays. So the book covers some really wild and whimsical millinery of this time period, including some of Elizabeth's own personal fascinating research on calashes, which listeners, if you don't know this term calashes, they were essentially these collapsible bonnets which were meant to cover your poof hairstyle and that could be a couple feet in height. So if your hair was already this high, imagine how you're going to cover that. So the calash is meant to cover the poof. So just imagine how large these might be as well, including volume around your hair.
[21:23]
Cassidy Zachary
They're so fun. I love collages so much. They're so fantastic, it's amazing.
[21:29]
April Callahan
So they were so ridiculous that it's no wonder that they were the frequent subject of a lot of these satirical prints. They were also the subject of poems and other written works that spoofed them. So I really enjoyed learning more about Calasius and Elizabeth's book. There's also entire chapters on the various types of rumps, rolls, pads, panniers that gave that exaggerated shape to women's skirts of the late 18th century. And also very niche accessories like the muff. So, Cass, did you know that in Britain in the 16th and maybe 17th centuries, that muffs, which were essentially this kind of like padded tubes to protect and warm your hands, did you know that muffs were subject to sumptuary laws?
[22:13]
Cassidy Zachary
I did not.
[22:14]
April Callahan
Yeah, I didn't either. Interesting. And oftentimes they would stuff their little dogs in their muffs, too. And of course, if It's a late 18th century book on any subject of underwear, it would be incomplete. Without discussing the corset, there's an entire chapter devoted to the practice and material culture of tight lacing in particular. So this is a very, very fun book. And it does this amazing job of balancing serious scholarship with being playful and even sensational.
[22:44]
Cassidy Zachary
It's been on my bookshelf, too, for quite some time, and it just sounds like such a fascinating book.
[22:50]
April Callahan
And the thing is, like, how they present the information is very approachable.
[22:54]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. Yes. Which we love. And I think what you said is perfect and that it balances serious scholarship with really fun, intriguing facts and information and storytelling. So looking forward to reading that in April. Actually, the next book I want to talk about is something that I know you also have on your bookshelf at home, and it is this beautiful exhibition catalog for the 2023, 2024 Palais Galliera exhibition of the same name. And that is Azzedine A Couturier's collection, which. Have you had a chance to open this book and crack it and look at it?
[23:28]
April Callahan
I haven't.
[23:29]
Cassidy Zachary
Well, do when you're back from parv, because it is absolutely incredible. And of course, dressed listeners, you've heard us sing the praises of Alaia many times on the show, and we're absolutely remiss not to have done an episode on him yet. But we will, don't you worry. But as a reminder, he really is one of the most significant fashion designers of the late 20th and 21st centuries. He passed away in 2017. Been designing, I think he opened his own house in the late 70s, but got his start working at Christian Dior, then Yves Saint Laurent in the 50s and 60s. And he just is a maestro of cut and form. He's very famous for his bodycon dresses. But perhaps lesser known or lesser emphasized when people discuss his legacy is the fact that he had a passion for fashion history and a passion that led him to amass an exceptional collection of historical garments and textiles. And it is this collection and his love of historic fashion which was the inspiration for this exhibition and this stunning book that accompanies it. And I have to say, I learned so much from this book, including the fact that Alaia was not the only fashion designer to amass a private historical fashion collection. Did you know that Worth also had a collection of historic garments?
[24:45]
April Callahan
I did. And you know why? Sometimes he would copy them directly line.
[24:54]
Cassidy Zachary
For line in his fancy dress designs.
[24:57]
April Callahan
Oh, no, not necessarily, no. Sometimes he would have a 17th century cape and he would just copy it.
[25:03]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, I was gonna say it makes perfect sense within the context of his work because you can see so much historical inspiration in his fashions. And then of course, as I just mentioned, the house is really known for doing massive business in fancy dress costumes. Apparently he was actually looking at this collection that he had and his sons when they took over, also used for inspiration. So I thought that was really cool. But I was also so excited to learn that Alaia's own fashion history collection began with Balenciaga garments taken directly from the Balenciaga couture house after Balenciaga rather abruptly closed its doors in the late 1960s. So Alaia was actually invited by Balenciaga's close collaborator and studio director, Mademoiselle Renee. She invited him at that time, he was a 33 year old fledgling designer and she just basically told him to please take whatever you want as inspiration for your own designs.
[26:02]
April Callahan
Can you even imagine?
[26:04]
Cassidy Zachary
So this sparked what would become a lifetime love of collecting fashion. And Alaia eventually amassed what the catalog tells us is one of the largest fashion collections in the world. So really rivaling the great museum fashion collections of the world. And actually Olivier Sillard, who is the curator of this exhibition, writes an essay in here and he said it is the largest fashion collection in the world. Not private, not museum, just largest, largest. So we know, for instance, the FIT the Chicago History Museum have 50,000 pieces in those collections. I couldn't find exactly how many pieces are in here, but. But let's say it's tens of thousands of pieces. And this collection is remarkable. It includes everything from more humble everyday items to exquisite examples of haute couture. Every name you can imagine. Worth, Fortuny, Pare, Schiaparelli, Dior, and then an unexpected American name. That you will all recognize, which is the costume turned fashion designer Gilbert Atrion, who Alaia deeply revered.
[27:11]
April Callahan
Yeah. I think there was an Adrienne Alaia exhibition a few years ago at Fondanche and Alaia.
[27:18]
Cassidy Zachary
It might have been there. It was also at Scad Atlanta. So they. Who always does fantastic fashion exhibitions, and they did it. Comparing Alaia to Adrian, because Alaia revered Adrian. He had over 100 pieces in the collection. He had also other American designers. Rudy Gruenreich, McCardell, Charles James. I mean, any name you can think of. Abril. I want to show you this dress because I had never, ever seen this Mercardle dress. And I wonder if you have, because it doesn't exactly scream McCardell, but it's amazing. Let me see if I can find it. Oh, here it is. Have you seen this dress?
[27:53]
April Callahan
Oh, yes, I think that's. That McCardell dress, I think is one from one of the Modern Masters prints.
[28:00]
Cassidy Zachary
It's called Parade Sauvage by Fernand Leger.
[28:03]
April Callahan
Yeah. I wrote an entire paper in grad school on the Modern Masters prints, and we've already done an episode on it. So Cassie just tried to trick me, and I didn't know, and I was like, no, no, no, no. I know that McCardell dress. That's one of the modern masters McCardell dresses.
[28:20]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. Well, it was quite unexpected for me, because this is not that you don't associate McCardell with vibrant, kind of crazy patterns, but this is such a stunning dress. And then I wanted to show you one other dress will trick you too. You can try to guess the designer.
[28:36]
April Callahan
This is fun for me.
[28:38]
Cassidy Zachary
I know you very well, and you're gonna know who the designer is immediately. But I had never seen. I had never seen this work. Who designed this?
[28:46]
April Callahan
That's Schiaparelli.
[28:48]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes.
[28:48]
April Callahan
Because it's a Christian Berard illustration. That's the print motif of the dress.
[28:53]
Cassidy Zachary
I had never seen this before. It's a 1939 dress. And.
[28:57]
April Callahan
But am I wrong that it's Christian Berard? Is it Bebe?
[28:59]
Cassidy Zachary
It does not say, but it would make sense. But it has these alternating ladies colors of blue, pink, and yellow with this vibrant, beautiful print that we do expect from Schiaparelli. And just again, I'd never seen it before. He has items from the personal wardrobe of Poiret's wife, Model, Amuse, Denise. He has just this most supreme examples of fashion. And you really can understand and get an insight into his mind and how he. And why he collected these pieces because they're so visually interesting in so many ways, and so I was just so inspired. I wish I could have seen this exhibition in person, but this catalog is truly the next best thing and I highly, highly recommend getting your hands on it.
[29:41]
April Callahan
Damn. I thought I was gonna do another book cast, but I feel like I can't follow anything up with that after that. So I think that maybe we should just end it with that.
[29:53]
Cassidy Zachary
How do you feel? Yeah, I mean, I have some honorable mentions I briefly wanted to mention because we don't unfortunately have time. We could be here all day. We could do multiple of these episod.
[30:05]
April Callahan
Both prepared to talk about a lot of other books. Then maybe we should save that for on the Dress bookshelf for in the future.
[30:13]
Cassidy Zachary
But my honorable mentions that I just wanted to mention briefly are that past dress guest Tanisha Ford recently guest edited the quarterly photography magazine Aperture, and this guest editorship explores, quote, style and fashion as a language of black resistance, refusal and joy. And it's called Liberated Threads. And that is also the title of her groundbreaking book, Liberated Threads, Black Women's Style and the Global Politics of Seoul, which she joined us to discuss in 2020. So I was really excited to see this magazine appear in my post office box recently. And then just a couple quick other honorable mentions and actually hopefully future dress podcast episodes is the dress history of Korea. We've been long, long wanting to do an episode on the Hanbow, the South Korean Hanbow. And this edited volume really is incredible in that it brings together a wealth of primary sources with contributions from leading experts that, quote, presents the most recent approaches to the interpretation of dress and fashion of Korea. And it is edited by Seung Gi Pyun and Minji Kim. And Minji is a scholar and historian of South Korean fashion that I've long had on my list. So really, really hoping to get her on the podcast in the future. Those are my two honorable mentions.
[31:32]
April Callahan
Okay, well, I. Can I throw in an honorable mention into the ring, too?
[31:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, of course.
[31:37]
April Callahan
Okay, that would be Fashion and Motherhood, Image Material and Identity, also edited by past dress guest Lauren Downing Peters. Lauren, what are you doing? What are you doing out there in the world that you're just like, doing all the things? Also, past dress guest Darnell, Jamal Lisbee and our friend Laura Snellgrove. And I just want to say that this particular recommendation ties into our episode from earlier in this week about children's wear, which is a fascinating examination of children's wear and how gender identity gets formed, sometimes even before birth. Tune back into that if you are interested in that topic.
[32:21]
Cassidy Zachary
And I will say I have fashion and motherhood on my shelf as well and it's really fascinating and not only because it travels the globe from Hong Kong to Hollywood, India to the US and is really, really interesting in terms of examining that relationship between fashion and motherhood. Very exciting. Dress listeners, we hope that you will dive into some of these suggested titles. We will be posting about them in our show notes and we hope that gives you plenty of summer reading for your summer travels and adventures.
[32:53]
April Callahan
And maybe not only even summer reading, maybe even books to put on your holiday wish list or gift giving wish list. Because if you have a fashion history lover in your life, these are our top picks so far for the first half of 2025.
[33:08]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, and also just a reminder and you'll hear about it in the outro too. But we love books and we have an entire bookshelf that you can head to@bookshop.org shop dressed and you can find over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles. We of course link to that in our show notes. Many of these books we mentioned today will be there as well, and it's a great way to support not the big bookshop stores, but local and independent booksellers. So we love bookshop.org also.
[33:39]
April Callahan
If you guys are not necessarily in the position or mood or disposition to buy books, don't forget that your local library can almost always do interlibrary loans for you. And that's when you submit a book that you would like to receive at your library. If your library doesn't have it, and then within a few weeks they can usually have it delivered to you. You get it for a limited amount of time and then you return it to your library. They return it to the original library of source and it's almost always free.
[34:09]
Cassidy Zachary
And if it's not, it's usually a couple dollars for postage. So highly, highly recommend doing that.
[34:13]
April Callahan
Cass and I used to use this in grad school all the time.
[34:17]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh yeah, I still use it at my local Corrales library, so head there too. Trust listeners, head to your local library and utilize those resources because they need us now more than ever. Okay dress listeners, that does it for us this week. If you want to find the social media content connected to today's episode, you can head to the hashtag dressed556 until next time, May you consider the impact that reading fashion has on your life. Next time you get dressed, please head.
[34:45]
April Callahan
To Rest podcast on Instagram or Rest podcast without on Facebook to check out the visual content associated with each week's episodes.
[34:56]
Cassidy Zachary
And remember, we always love hearing from you, so if you'd like to write to us, you can do so@hellorusthistory.com DressedHistory.com is also our website where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter, our in person tours and online fashion history courses and you can check out whatever else we have up our finely tailored sleeves.
[35:14]
April Callahan
We get so many questions from you all about our recommendations for fashion history books, so if you are interested you can always find a link in our show Notes to our Bookshop Bookshelf. So that address is bookshop.org shop dressed and there you can find over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles and.
[35:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Do you love Dressed but want to skip the ads? You can now sign up for Ad free listening with any tier on our Dressed History Patreon where you can also chat with your fellow fashion history lovers and attend one of our live Q&As and so much more.
[35:49]
April Callahan
We are also excited to now be part of the Airwave Network and their premium Ad free history subscription Airwave History plus available on Apple Podcasts. The subscription brings dress and also 27 other popular history podcasts ad free for just $5.99 per month. More information on Page Patreon and Airwave is available at the link in our bio.
[36:13]
Cassidy Zachary
Thank you as always for tuning in and more dressed coming your way very soon. The History of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media.