Dressed: The History of Fashion

Episode Title: Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez with Amanda Wunder, Part II (Dressed Classic)
Host: Dressed Media (April Callahan & Cassidy Zachary)
Guest: Dr. Amanda Wunder
Date: December 15, 2025

Overview

This episode continues Dressed’s deep dive into the rich, complex world of 17th-century Spanish court fashion, guided by cultural historian Dr. Amanda Wunder, author of Spanish Fashion and the Age of Velázquez: A Tailor at the Court of Philip IV. Focusing on tailor Matteo Aguado, the hosts and guest examine how his work reflects dramatic shifts in fashion, politics, and culture, especially during the tenure of Queen Mariana of Austria. The episode spans the transformation of royal fashion, the meaning behind iconic paintings like Las Meninas, and the personal and professional life of a once-famous but largely forgotten court tailor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political Marriages and the Role of Fashion (03:28–06:45)

• Context: After the death of Philip IV’s first wife, Isabel of Bourbon, the king married his young niece, Mariana of Austria, to secure an heir and reinforce diplomatic ties within the Habsburg dynasty.
• Historical Background: Early and inter-family royal marriages were diplomatic strategies mirrored not only among royals but also ambitious courtiers like Aguado, who arranged advantageous matches for his own children.

“There was concern at the Spanish court that she [Mariana] wouldn't be able to... fulfill that number one function of a queen, which was to produce the royal children.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (04:00)

2. The Queen’s Arrival & Fashion as Cultural Transition (06:45–10:37)

• Matteo Aguado’s Revival: Aguado’s fortunes revive with Mariana’s arrival; he outfits her for public appearances during her ceremonial journey from Denia to Madrid—crafting dresses even on the road.
• Cultural Symbolism: Adapting to Spanish dress was a crucial part of the Queen’s introduction to her new homeland, though unlike Marie Antoinette, Mariana’s transition was less dramatized.

“Aguado was there to meet her...And she had, interestingly, snapped up some really fabulous fabrics while she was traveling through northern Italy.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (08:06)

3. Shifting Styles: From Isabel to Mariana (10:37–13:55)

• Fashion Evolution: The transition from Isabel’s austere, dark wardrobe to Mariana’s colorful, silver-adorned, and more feminine styles speaks both to individual taste and evolving fashion.
• Matteo’s Creativity: Aguado responds to Mariana’s tastes—using more vibrant fabrics, feminine ribbons, and bows—marking the most inventive period of his career.

“Her dresses were made from this incredible range of silks of all different colors. The names...are beautiful—the color of sand, grass, the sky...and the decorations were silver, not gold...very feminine kind of frilly decorations.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (11:37)

• Notable Quote:
  “These fabrics included shot silks...Like ‘columbino,’ which was pink and white like a radish flower, and ‘aire,’ a pale apricot color...”
  — April Callahan (13:16)

4. The Undergarments: Construction and Myth (17:50–23:11)

• Hidden Architecture: Using merchant records, Dr. Wunder explains how stiff linings, whalebone, and layers of unglamorous fabrics (buckram, gummed canvas) constructed the iconic wide silhouettes.
• Functional Variety: Queens wore different kinds of farthingales for different occasions—Mariana herself avoided them when possible and never wore them while pregnant, debunking myths linking farthingales to concealed pregnancies.

“Queens were not just made from velvet and damask. They were also constructed out of wire and whalebone and pasteboard and gummed canvas.”
— April Callahan (17:37)

“The queens did not wear farthingales when they were pregnant...it finally proves without doubt...that farthingales were designed to hide illicit pregnancies—which anatomically makes no sense.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (22:15)

5. Dressing the Infantas and Diplomacy by Dress (24:01–31:41)

• Las Meninas (1656): Aguado’s tailoring marks the Infanta Margarita’s transition from childhood to adulthood—Velázquez’s painting visually commemorates her first adult-style dress.
• Fashion as Political Messaging: Aguado crafted diplomatic sartorial codes, like using red and white silks for Maria Teresa’s betrothal to the French king, signaling alliances.

“It was precisely in the months leading up to the painting of Las Meninas that Aguado began to dress the Infanta Margarita in adult women’s clothing...So absolutely, Las Meninas commemorates this moment of transition.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (24:46)

6. The Legendary Trousseau & Cross-Cultural Fashion Clash (32:41–36:53)

• Maria Theresa’s Trousseau: For Maria Theresa’s journey to wed Louis XIV, Aguado produced 22 opulent dresses and myriad accessories—her “wardrobe” documented in minute detail by embroiderer Juan García de la Fuente.
• Cultural Clash: French courtiers derided Spanish styles as outdated and bizarre, yet Spanish sources celebrated their innovation and craftsmanship.

“The embroiderer was incredibly proud of his work...some of the designs were exceptionally novel and new.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (35:24)

7. Beyond Dresses: Hairstyles and Accessories (37:26–39:52)

• Iconic Spanish Hair: The distinctive, wide, decorated hairstyles of the Spanish court—contrasting sharply with later, softer French fashions—were as symbolically weighted as the clothing itself.

“With Maria Teresa, with that sort of rainbow-shaped hairdo...that’s a wig or it’s false hair interwoven with her real hair. I wish I could tell you more about the wig makers...”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (37:49)

8. Personal Struggles and Legacy of a Forgotten Artisan (39:54–46:47)

• Matteo Aguado’s Final Years: Despite his influential career, Aguado experienced professional setbacks, family loss, and worries for his daughters’ futures in his final years.
• Material Culture: His will and inventory reveals both his respectable social standing and his personal life—his library, paintings, and home in Madrid.

“These end-of-life documents are so important for getting a sense of Aguado’s personal life, his family life...we get a better sense of Aguado as a person, as a human being, what his interests were and what his family life was like.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (44:06)

• Lasting Influence: Aguado’s creations became part of Spain’s enduring visual identity, even as his name faded from public memory.

“The image of those dresses has absolutely permeated the culture, and you see it everywhere when you go to Madrid today.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (44:41)

9. The Importance of Recovering Fashion Makers’ Stories (46:06–47:43)

• Historical Intervention: Dr. Wunder hopes her work inspires more scholarship on craftspersons behind influential clothing, broadening historical appreciation beyond the wearers.

“I hope that people will learn the name of Matteo Aguado...and more broadly, I hope people will think more about the people who made clothes, not just those who wore them.”
— Dr. Amanda Wunder (45:08)

10. What’s Next? (47:43–48:36)

• Upcoming Projects: Dr. Wunder is curating a Spanish fashion exhibition at the Hispanic Society of America and planning a book on the broader history of Spanish fashion, including its global reach.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• On Aguado’s revitalized career:
  “With this new marriage between Philip IV and Maria Anne of Austria, Aguado suddenly has a new queen to dress and everything changes for him.”
  — Dr. Amanda Wunder (06:45)

• On physical and visual transformation between two queens:
  “For Isabella Bourbon, he designed really militaristic decorations...For Marianne of Austria, he totally gets rid of those...instead, it’s bows and lots of ribbons, very feminine kind of frilly decorations.”
  — Dr. Amanda Wunder (12:15)

• On the myth of fashion hiding pregnancy:
  “The queens did not wear farthingales at all when they were pregnant...it finally proves without a doubt against this long standing rumor that farthingales were designed to hide illicit pregnancies.”
  — Dr. Amanda Wunder (22:13)

• On Las Meninas and the symbolism of dress:
  “Las Meninas commemorates this moment of transition in the Infanta’s life...she was then wearing the farthingale under her skirts.”
  — Dr. Amanda Wunder (24:46)

• On diplomacy by dress:
  “The dress was speaking in code...to signal this...she wore a dress that Aguado had made from an unusual fabric which was a red and white striped silk…this signified the union of the white fleur de lis of France and the Red Rose of Castile.”
  — Dr. Amanda Wunder (29:31)

• On cultural legacy:
  “The figure of the Menina from Velazquez’s famous painting is like the mascot of Madrid...the image of those dresses has absolutely permeated the culture.”
  — Dr. Amanda Wunder (44:41)

Suggested Listening Landmarks

• [03:28] – Royal marriage politics and court alliances
• [06:45] – Mariana’s arrival in Spain & Aguado’s creative renaissance
• [10:37] – Transformation in queens’ fashion and its courtly impact
• [17:50] – Undergarments and construction of silhouette (myth-busting)
• [24:46] – Las Meninas: Dress, coming of age, and art
• [28:35] – Clothing as diplomatic code and visibility of girlhood at court
• [33:04] – The infamous trousseau: garments, embroidery, and symbolism
• [37:49] – Spanish hairstyles: construction, symbolism, and contrast to France
• [39:54] – Aguado's later years, personal life, and social standing
• [44:29] – Legacy, cultural impact, and fashion’s visual memory
• [46:47] – Dr. Wunder’s upcoming exhibition and future research

Tone & Approach

This episode blends scholarly rigor with an engaging, accessible tone. The hosts are enthusiastic fashion historians, while Dr. Wunder offers precise, story-rich insights, illuminating the intersections of fashion, politics, and personal agency at the Spanish court. The discussion respects the humanity and artistry of historical figures, especially those (like Aguado) long overshadowed by the monarchs and artists they served.

Final Thoughts

By centering the narrative on Matteo Aguado and the often-invisible artisanship behind historic images, Dressed and Dr. Wunder powerfully reframe how we understand fashion history—not as a distant visual record, but as a living, collaborative art with far-reaching political and cultural implications. Whether you’re fascinated by royal intrigue, textile craft, or the people who worked “behind the seams,” this episode offers a vivid, meticulously detailed journey through Spanish fashion’s golden age.