'Tis the Season I: Fashion History Gift Hits (and Misses) (Dressed Classic)

Summary

Podcast Summary

Dressed: The History of Fashion

Episode: 'Tis the Season I: Fashion History Gift Hits (and Misses) (Dressed Classic)

Date: December 24, 2025
Hosts: April Callahan & Cassidy (Cass) Zachary

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Episode Overview

This festive episode from the “Dressed: The History of Fashion” podcast dives into the social, cultural, and historical traditions behind holiday gifting, with a specific focus on “gift hits and misses” from the 19th and 20th centuries. April and Cass exchange imaginary historical gifts sourced from period gift guides in Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, offering a spirited and often humorous commentary on ever-changing gifting norms, while addressing what makes a hit or a regrettable miss in holiday gift-giving through history.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Holiday Traditions and Decorating (01:30–03:29)

• Pet Owners’ Holiday Woes: The hosts open with personal anecdotes about their struggles decorating for the holidays due to mischievous pets, setting a relatable and jovial tone.
  • Cass shares about her seven-foot vintage 1950s aluminum Christmas tree she can’t put up because her dog Clementine would eat the metal leaves.
  • April recounts her sister’s cat pulling down their Christmas tree.
  • Quotes:
    • “She always wants to steal my bath towels and my kitchen towels and like, anything you drop on the floor.” (Cass, 02:35)
    • “So yes, we are decorated this year, just not as much.” (April, 02:01)

The History of Gift Guides (03:55–05:35)

• Gift Guides Past and Present: The practice of publishing holiday gift guides isn’t new—media outlets have done this since at least the 19th century, notably the Victorians who laid the groundwork for modern Christmas traditions.
• Research Methods: Cass limited her survey to Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, selecting gifts from 1860s to the 1970s.

Historical Gift Exchange Showcase

1. The Chatelaine (1868) – [05:46–08:53]

• What is it? A fashionable, utilitarian accessory for women (like a belt hanger with tools).
• Special Feature: Some included “vinaigrettes”—mini aromatic boxes carrying perfumed sponges to mask unpleasant odors.
• Historical Insight: The vinaigrette has a 700-year lineage, echoing Medieval pomanders and earlier scented boxes for health and fragrance.
• Cost: $100–$200 in today’s money.
• Quote:
  • “A vinaigrette may be completely obscure today, but these little objects were popular for much longer than they have not been popular.” (Cass, 08:17)

2. Cycling Equipment (1896) – [09:24–10:55]

• For Bicycles (the “wheel”): Silver cyclometer case, bell, and tool bag with nameplate.
• Cultural Moment: Reflects the 1890s craze for bicycles and the attendant etiquette.
• Gendered Fashion: “Only the trouser guards are limited to sex.” (April, 09:36)
• Value: Around $300 today.

3. Trouser Stretchers (1903) – [10:55–12:53]

• Function: Devices to keep trousers wrinkle-free during travel.
• Design: Buckram/canvas with springs and clamps—rolled into a barrel.
• Relatable Commentary: Hosts compare to their modern travel steamers.
• Quote: “I always have a hard problem packing clothing.” (April, 12:22)

4. Golden Garters (1924) – [15:43–16:06]

• Luxury Hosiery Accessories: Gold-mounted, designed to keep stockings snug—pricey at almost $400 in today’s dollars.
• Fashion Context: Iconic 1920s flapper item; triggers callback to their “Dissecting the Flapper” episode.

5. Jeweled Service Pin (1942) – [16:06–17:44]

• Sentimental Jewelry: Ruby, sapphire, and diamond pin marketed for wives and mothers of WWII servicemen.
• Cultural Note: Reflects the era’s patriotism and emotional gift value.
• Cost: Approx. $675 in today’s dollars.

6. Ocarina for Servicemen (1942) – [17:44–18:38]

• Musical Gift: Ancient wind instrument, recommended for troops stationed abroad.
• Fun Fact: Recognized today by fans of the “Legend of Zelda” video game series.

7. Boozy 1950s Holiday Drinks – [18:38–22:09]

• Tom and Jerry & Syllabub: Traditional holiday recipes, heavy on the eggs, sugar, cream, and alcohol.
• Historical Context: Syllabub dates back to the 16th century; making it “from the cow” involves milking directly into sweetened cider.

8. 1960s Butcher’s Rack as Decor (1962) – [22:09–23:42]

• Unexpected Gift Suggestion: Vogue recommends a repurposed butcher’s rack as an entryway organizer.
• Reactions: The hosts find this macabre and a design miss—especially with its implied function of hanging suits of armor!
• Quote: “Who has suits of armor, let alone spare suits of armor?” (Cassie, 23:06)

Gifts To Avoid (23:44–24:57)

• Repeated Recommendations: For decades, gift guides advised against giving robes, socks, and slippers—considered unoriginal and overdone.
• Modern Relatability: Cass admits she just bought socks for her stepdad, but personalizes them with his name—making the case for thoughtful exceptions.
• Fun Memory: Cass recalls gifting April “Clueless” socks as a playful nod to the 90s.

Gifts Now Considered Illegal or Impractical (25:00–26:59)

• Materials Now Banned: Many 19th-century gift sets featured now-illegal ivory and tortoiseshell.
• The Extravagant 1970s Tennis Court: Vogue’s guide once suggested gifting a heated, lit platform tennis court—price tag up to ~$160,000 today.
• Quote: “I don’t think that I’m going to be gifting you a tennis court this particular year or maybe ever.” (Cassie, 26:59)

Responding to Unwanted Gifts (26:59–27:40)

• Passive-Aggressive Thank You’s: The hosts delight in witty, polite ways to express dismay at unwanted gifts, as found in a 1972 Vogue article.
  • Example: “So few people have your taste.”
  • Example: “My friends were absolutely flabbergasted.”
  • “I've always fancied myself articulate, but words fail me.”
  • “Of course, I never would have bought this for myself.”
• Quotes:
  • “Passive aggressive ways to say you don't like something.” (April, 27:40)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On historical obscurities:
  • “A vinaigrette may be completely obscure today, but these little objects were popular for much longer than they have not been popular.” (Cassie, 08:17)
• On questionable gift suggestions:
  • “Why would they be recommending gifting a butcher's rack to anyone? ... who has suits of armor, let alone spare suits of armor?” (Cassie, 23:06)
• On the longevity of “bad” gifts:
  • “Slippers are a sad mistake,” proclaims Harper’s Bazaar in 1894. (Cassie, 24:18)
• On the absurdity of luxury gifts:
  • “Want to be a sport for Christmas? One of the ways to increase winter recreational possibilities is to install a platform tennis court on one’s own acreage ... for around $23,000.” (Cassie, 25:38)
• Witty responses to unwanted gifts:
  • “My dear, so few people have your taste.” (Vogue via April, 27:28)
  • “I've always fancied myself articulate, but worlds fail me.” (Vogue via Cassie, 27:35)

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Segment Timestamps (Key Segments Only)

• 01:30–03:29: Pet holiday woes and decorating traditions
• 05:46–08:53: The 1868 chatelaine and the history of carrying scents
• 09:24–10:55: 1896: Cycling accessories as luxury gifts
• 10:55–12:53: 1903: Trouser stretchers for travelers
• 15:43–16:06: 1924: Golden garters and 1920s flapper fashion
• 16:06–17:44: 1942: WWII jeweled service pin
• 17:44–18:38: 1940s: The ocarina gift for servicemen
• 18:38–22:09: 1950s: Holiday drinks “Tom and Jerry” and syllabub
• 22:09–23:42: 1962: Butcher's rack as a questionable decorative gift
• 23:44–24:57: Gifts to avoid (socks, slippers, robes) and why
• 25:00–26:59: Gifts made from illegal materials, 1970s luxury tennis court
• 26:59–27:40: How to thank someone for a gift you hate

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Conclusion and Tone

The episode is lively, humorous, and steeped in fascinating fashion history, with the hosts playing off each other’s wit and using archival sources to both amuse and inform. Their back-and-forth banter keeps things light as they travel through more than a century of gifting trends and faux pas. They also anchor the episode in contemporary relevance—reminding listeners that some gifting “misses” (like socks and slippers) remain persistent themes, and that even seemingly absurd or opulent gifts often say a lot about the values and quirks of their eras.

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Takeaway

This episode offers an entertaining lens on the evolution of holiday gifting and a reminder to consider both the spirit and context of the gifts we give—and the gracious ways we might respond when confronted with a miss from well-meaning friends or family.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[April Callahan]

Close your eyes.

[Cassie]

Exhale.

[April Callahan]

Feel your body relax and let go.

[Cassie]

Of whatever you're carrying today.

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[Cassie]

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[Advertiser 3]

Please enjoy one of our favorite episodes.

[April Callahan]

From the Dressed archive of over 500 plus shows.

[Narrator/Producer]

The history of Fashion is a production of dress media.

[Cassie]

With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common.

[Narrator/Producer]

Every day, we all get dressed.

[April Callahan]

Welcome to Dressed the history of fashion, a podcast that explores the who, what, when of why we wear.

[Advertiser 3]

We are friends, fashion historians and your.

[Narrator/Producer]

Hosts, kids Cassie Zachary and April Callahan.

[Cassie]

Ho, ho, ho. Did you hear that, Cass?

[April Callahan]

I did.

[Cassie]

And I think that you know what that means. And listeners, please let me share with you a little something about my dear beloved co host because she absolutely loves the holidays. So, Cass, I've been doing dying to know, have you completely decked out your house for the holidays? And also, are the dogs leaving all of the holiday decorations alone?

[April Callahan]

I have to say we cut it back a little bit this year. Last year we did two full days of like gift giving during COVID We like, went around to our friends houses and like, did singing and caroling and secret Santas. And this year we were like, okay, um, we're gonna cut it back a little bit, but the Santa Clauses are out all over our house, which means Muffin is completely fixated on all of these toys that she can't access but hopes to someday. So yes, we are decorated this year, just not as much.

[Cassie]

Yeah, yeah, I'm barely decorated this year actually, because of dog issues. Yeah, usually I'm super excited. I have a seven foot tall vintage aluminum Christmas tree from the 1950s, which is amazing. But this year I'm not going to be able to put it up. And I don't know if in the next few coming years if I'm going to be able to put it up because Clementine is just over a year old now and she hasn't stopped wanting to, like, steal things. She always wants to steal my bath towels and my kitchen towels and like, anything you drop on the floor. She thinks it's, like, fun and she's going to, like, run around the apartment with it. So the problem therein lies is that the 1950s Christmas tree does tend to shed some of its little aluminum pieces and leaves. It just. It just happens. And so she would definitely eat them and. And also probably try to pull the branches out so we don't need any future trips to the vet.

[April Callahan]

So I think that's a lot of. Yeah, a lot of issues for pet owners.

[Cassie]

Actually.

[April Callahan]

My sister has two cats and, like, their kitten literally got on top of their tree and pulled their entire Christmas tree down last year. So I'm sure you feel less stressless first.

[Cassie]

Yes, yes, yes. But in the spirit of the holidays, I. I do, I have to say, I do have some mirror disco ball ornaments up. So that's very me also.

[April Callahan]

Yes. And of course, aside from festive decorations, one of the great long standing holiday traditions is the exchange of gifts between friends, families, and colleagues, which got us thinking. Dress listeners, what exactly were the hot gifts of yesteryear? These days, media outlets bombard us with gift guides aimed directly at holiday shoppers. You know, how do you find the perfect gift for those on your list? But did you know that this is in no way a contemporary phenomenon? We see gift guides appearing in printed publications all throughout the 19th century.

[Cassie]

Yes. And they're very fun. And I just want to state for the record that it was the Victorians who kind of started a lot of the Christmas traditions that some of us observe today. And to that end, for our purposes today, I've limited our discussion to more or less a discrete period of a hundred years or so, starting in the 1860s. And I also just want to note that I did limit my sources because there are so many sources out there that have gift guides. I did. I had to limit my search to just two magazines, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, just for the sheer volume of information out there. So we're not necessarily going to cite the publication for each gift recommendation, but I just wanted to know everybody to know where I pulled these sources from. Okay, Cass, are you ready? Because this first gift is for you. Yay. I already know that you're Going to love it because I already know that you are a huge fan. Would you like to venture a guess as to what your first gift might be?

[April Callahan]

Well, with the entire hundred years of fashion history to choose from, I have absolutely no idea. I might have guessed a pocket, but not within this time frame.

[Cassie]

Right, okay, so we're gonna start in 1868. May I please, gift to you? Dun, dun, dun. A chatelaine.

[April Callahan]

Yes, you can.

[Cassie]

So, dress listeners, we have already done an episode on Shadowlands, so you can go back and listen to that. But this particular chatelaine that I would like to give you, Cass, comes with scissors, a needle, and a thimble case. And if you like, there is this additional option to add on a vinaigrette. So would you or would you not like me to add on a vinaigrette?

[April Callahan]

I mean, if it has anything to do with salad dressing, I might pass, because salad dressing is oily. It might get on my fancy skirt, my crinoline, if I'm in the 1860s. So, no, I don't want a vinaigrette.

[Cassie]

I think probably only our listeners who are super, super obsessed with the 19th century might be familiar with this term outside of its use for salad dressing. I, for one, even as a fashion historian, had to go and look it up. And apparently a vinaigrette was a teeny, tiny little box. It was often embossed or otherwise kind of like decorated or embellished. And then when you lifted the outer lid, there was a perforated substrate just beneath the lid. And in the space of the box below the perforated layer, there was space to contain aromatic materials. So things that smelled nice. And basically this was often accomplished by soaking a bit of sponge in a bit of vinegar which had been infused with the aromatics, and that's why it's called a vinaigrette. So who knew?

[April Callahan]

Who knew? I did not know. Now I know. So, yes, maybe you can add a vinaigrette to my shadow line. And this practice of women carrying small scented boxes on their person, you know, to conceal or mask unfriendly odors, wasn't exclusive to the Victorians, of course. It dates back at least to the Middle Ages, when upper class women carried pomanders, often spherical in shape, sometimes shaped like fruits, which contained aromatic substances.

[Cassie]

And.

[April Callahan]

And not only did they help mask noxious odors, but at the same time, certain aromatics were also considered to guard against disease. So during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, men and women in Europe carried scented boxes which were called poinsettes. And they were called that because of this perforated layer which was punched or pounced to create the holes in the surface of the metal.

[Cassie]

Yeah. So it seems that this 19th century vinaigrette on your shadowland cas has a lineage of around 700 years. You know, a vinaigrette may be completely obscure today, but these little objects were popular for much longer than they have not been popular. And just in the course of this episode, when prices were given for things, I would like to relay them just to kind of contextualize things. The price tag for your chatelaine with a vinaigrette in today's dollars would have been $200 and $100 without the vinaigrette.

[April Callahan]

Interesting. And this also makes me think of our body odor episode, because obviously, didn't we do an episode on deodorant? It's been a while. Yeah. So 1860s and prior, of course, are pre modern bathing standards. So they needed. Victorians needed to carry, you know, they all needed to carry a little extra something. Something. Okay, it's my turn. I would like to gift you, April, some quote unquote, equipment of the wheel from 1896.

[Cassie]

Okay, well, I'm. I'm sure I will love this, but I'm a New Yorker. I don't have a car, so I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to implement said equipment of the wheel.

[April Callahan]

Well, au contraire, my friend, because these items are for your bike. I gift to you a quote, silver cyclometer case costing $4, a bell costing $4.50, and a tool bag with nameplate of silver costing only $1. All things desired of cyclers, be they men or boys, women or girls, only the trouser guards are limited to sex.

[Cassie]

Well, thank you, Cass. What a lovely gift. And at this time, this would have been rather expensive, I suppose converting this in a historical price inflation calculator, that would have been somewhere around $300. And I guess this makes sense because in the 1890s, cycling was the newest, hottest fad. So of course, everyone who was ultra fashionable would want nothing but the most luxurious of silver bike accessories and listeners. We have also already done an episode on bicycling etiquette, because, yes, there were actually customs and protocols that cyclists were expected to follow during the 1890s. And this is because the Victorians loved their etiquette rituals.

[April Callahan]

They did.

[Cassie]

And of course, Cass, they just had to bring up the gendering of clothing at the time, didn't they?

[April Callahan]

Yes. No pants for ladies.

[Cassie]

No pants for ladies. Pants are only for gents. Well, that's not the case anymore. Which actually leads me to your next gift from the year 1903 I would like to gift to to you. Stretchers. Hmm.

[April Callahan]

Well, given that you just said this has something to do with gendered clothing, I'm assuming you do not mean stretchers, as in the wood over which canvas is stretched for paintings.

[Cassie]

Yes, you would be correct, because these stretchers are for your pants. Quotes it is called the Traveler by its patenter, Mr. Lewis of London, and as the name implies, it is intended to stretch the trousers while in the trunk or portmanteau. The design consists of a piece of buckram or canvas edged with a flat spring wheel and held with a wooden clamp on top and bottom. On this, the trousers are clamped and then the thing is rolled up and fastened securely with a broad canvas strap. The spring wheel is continuously exerting strong pressure to uncurl. And this is supposed to keep the trousers in a continual state of stretching? Supposed, I say, because I have no personal knowledge of whether it actually does or not. End quot which I think is really funny that the journalist like put that little caveat in there. So basically what a stretcher is, is they were like clamping your trousers taut and then you rolled the whole situation into a barrel shape so it could go in your luggage.

[April Callahan]

Wow, that's interesting. I always have a hard problem packing clothing.

[Cassie]

You and I both have steamers that we carry around with us when we travel.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, yeah. And so I guess this is helping you to keep your pants pressed and wrinkle free, which is. That is always a problem. So thank you. That will certainly come in handy for my next trip.

[Narrator/Producer]

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[Cassie]

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[April Callahan]

Okay, April, are you ready to open your next present?

[Cassie]

Yes, please.

[April Callahan]

Always. Okay. So much like stretchers, your gift was prized in 1924 for keeping things snug and wrinkle free. And I present you with a pair of golden garters.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[April Callahan]

Priced at what would be almost $400 today, this pair of quote gold mounted garters may be restrung with fresh lengths of elastic without a single stitch.

[Cassie]

Oh, so this, this is a really lovely gift. I like this one a lot. So it basically I think what you're saying is it's the little bits of hardware through which elastic is strong, but they're in gold. And then they clipped to my stockings to keep them up. And you know, being from the 1920s, what 1920s flapper would not relish this gift? Although I guess we must mention that some flappers did prefer to roll their stockings down a bit. They could see them under their skirt. And if you want to know the answer why to that, you can head over to our other past episode, Dissecting the Flapper, which we aired in 2018, to learn more. Okay, next up under the tree from Mikas is something very indicative of its era, I have to say, the 1940s. Because in 1942, when the U.S. had, you know, just barely entered World War II, your husband Sean might have been drafted into the armed services. So if that was the case in 1942, I might have headed over to Bergdrif Goodman to buy you a quote, jeweled service pin made of rubies and sapphires with a platinum set center Diamond. It is 58 by 1/4 inch. It costs $42 plus tax and is the kind of exquisite small jewel that even the most reticent mother or wife of a serviceman will wear with pleasure. End quote. And this might just be our costliest gift yet, Cass. With $42 in 1942, that would be the equivalent of a approximately $675 today.

[April Callahan]

And where it proudly I would have. Well, April, apparently we were on the same page thinking about the 1940s in terms of the war I selected upon recommendation from Vogue of what to get servicemen stationed in, quote, the wind raked outposts of Panama, Hawaii and Bermuda for you in ocarina. Oh, okay.

[Cassie]

I'm sure I'm going to be delighted by your choice, but I don't have a clue as to what an ocarina might be. Is it, is it a tropical bird?

[April Callahan]

No, but you are not too far off base because it does sing. It is an ancient wind instrument vaguely similar to a flute. Traditionally made from clay or ceramic. It can and has been found in various cultures around the world, including Peru, England and Italy. Video game enthusiasts might recognize the ocarina from its appearance in the Legend of Zelda games, which I loved when I was.

[Cassie]

Well, that would also explain why I have no clue what an Aquarina is because I am not a video game player. But I do look forward to learning how to play my ocarina. So thank you. Okay, so as many of our listeners know, when gifts are exchanged between friends and work colleagues, of which you and I are both casts, oftentimes these gifts take the form of food and beverage. Therefore, from 1956, I would like to offer you a Hot Tom and Jerry and also a little bit of syllabub.

[April Callahan]

Interesting.

[Cassie]

Please let me indulge you with the recipes here. So for your hot tamageri, you're going to want to, quote, beat the yolks of 12 eggs with three quarters of a pound of sugar, which is a lot, until they are very stiff and thick. Add 1 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cinnamon, a pinch of powdered clove. Then gradually beat 4 ounces of Jamaica rum into the batter. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in gently. Chill the whole mixture thoroughly. To serve, mix a heaping tablespoon of the batter into a cup of hot milk or boiling water in a mug. Add a jigger of bourbon. Finally, float cognac on the surface and dust lightly with nutmeg. End quote. So I don't know, what is this? It's like boozy battery hot water with a lot of alcohol in it.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. I'm not sure about this.

[Cassie]

No. Somehow, though, I bet, like, Holly Fry might just take a turn at trying her hand at this. Yeah, she likes to experiment the strange recipe.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. And if you do try it, dress listeners, let us know.

[Cassie]

Yes, please send us photos.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, exactly. And what about my syllabub?

[Cassie]

Ah, syllabub. Okay, you might want to take a break after your hot Tom and Jerry cast because we have another boozy number here in the form of a syllabub, which is apparently a Cornish holiday tradition that dates really to, like, even between the 16th, all the way up into the 19th centuries. And a syllabub is sometimes described as a dessert and sometimes it's described as a drink. But in 1901, Harper's Bazaar described it as, quote, cream sweetened and flavored with sherry before it is whipped and piled over calf's foot jelly. And apparently this English tradition made its way all the way to the shores of New England during colonial times. In their book, A History of Connecticut Food, authors Eric Lehman and Amy Nawraki quotes someone from, you know, the colonial period named Amelia Simmons. And her instructions for making a syllabub are, get this. Please pay close attention. Dress listeners. Quote, to make a fine syllabub from the cow, sweeten a quart of cider with double refined sugar, grate nutmeg into it, then milk your cow into your liquor. And when you have thus added what quantity you think proper, pour half a pint or more of cream in proportion to the quantity of syllabub you want to make of the sweetest cream you can get. All over it. So apparently in this, this latter recipe, we are spared the calf's foot jelly, but in Amelia's recipe, we are not spared the cow, because who has ever heard of milking a cow straight into your cocktail?

[April Callahan]

Just to say, speaking of cows, April, my next gift to you, suggested by Vogue in 1962, might be a bit on the macabre side. So why, oh why might we inquire, would they be recommending gifting a butcher's rack to anyone? I don't. I know our listeners know that I do not eat meat, which is why this one was a tad horrifying for me. Vogue recommends gifting a butcher's rack, which has hooks for suspending animals, for the butchering process, as an entryway rack where one can hang anything from old umbrellas to spare suits of armor with 16 hooks, $25. And then they give you the address of where you can acquire this in nyc. So maybe it's not to actually hang meat, they're just suggesting to a repurposed butcher's rack.

[Cassie]

Yeah. And also, first of all, who has suits of armor, let alone spare suits of armor?

[April Callahan]

I don't know.

[Cassie]

And by my calculations, $25 in 1962 would be around $220 or so. But yeah, I'm with you, Cass. I'm going to pass on that one. It might be just a tad too morbid and gruesome for my taste in decor, but I have to say this does bring up a very good point because not all of the gift guys were for hits like, these are the best things to buy. Surprisingly, I found a lot of information on what not to gift as well. So would you like to know what history says not to gift?

[April Callahan]

I am very curious.

[Cassie]

Okay, so this was a tad shocking to me because over and over, for decades, starting in the 19th century, moving onwards, the gift guides recommend not gifting robes, socks and slippers. Quote, slippers are a sad mistake, proclaims Harper's Bazaar in 1894. And I guess apparently these gifts have been considered kind of commonplace, trite and much over gifted for decades. And you know, this year I have to say, I did get my stepdad some socks. And when I read that, I was.

[April Callahan]

Kind of like, oh no, yeah, things have not changed.

[Cassie]

But here, I mean, they are very cool socks. His name is actually woven into the socks themselves from this very cool company. They're not monogrammed, it's actually woven in. But I don't know. I have a tendency to disagree about the gifting of socks because I Like fun socks. I will always accept socks as a gift. And in fact, at cast, I think a few years ago, just completely randomly, for no particular reason, I gave you some Britney Spears socks.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, actually, I think you gave me clueless socks.

[Cassie]

What is clueless socks? Right, right, right. That's equally.

[April Callahan]

Right, yes. Equally loved by me and part of my 90s childhood.

[Cassie]

So that's what it was.

[April Callahan]

A few other items which show up frequently on gift guides, particularly during the 19th century, are crafted from materials that would actually be illegal today. So you have the gifting of personal grooming sets that was exceedingly popular during the 19th century, and those are items like hairbrushes, combs, manicure sets, scissors, razors, tweezers, mirrors, and even shoe buttoners were part of many men's dressing tables and were displayed in luxury materials like silver, but also ivory and tortoiseshell materials, which are incredibly problematic if not illegal for us today, but at this time were widely used, which is one of the reasons they are illegal today.

[Cassie]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. So obviously that's a pass from us, as is also our next gift, which was recommended by Vogue in 1977. And I'm going to say this is a pass not necessarily because of issues of legality, but rather price quote. Want to be a sport for Christmas? They question one of the ways to increase winter recreational possibilities is to install a platform tennis court on one's own acreage. Platform tennis is the slashing riot of activity best played in crisp temperatures that has taken the east coast by storm and is rapidly rumbling westward. The deluxe aluminum prefabricated, heated to melt ice and snow, not to warm. The players model, equipped fully with a complement of lights for night play, can be installed by R.J. reilly, Jr. Co. Of Danbury, Connecticut, for around $23,000. For something a bit more modest, a wooden court, also with lice, is available for around $14,000. And yeah, that's a lot of money, but it becomes much more money when you adjust it for inflation. That would be anywhere between $160,000 today. So I'm so, so, so sorry, Cass, but I don't think that I'm going to be gifting you a tennis court this particular year or maybe ever.

[April Callahan]

I forgive you, dress listeners. That brings us through over 100 years of history. Recommended it. Gifts. April and I aren't exactly sure all of these gifts suit us, which probably explains why we are amused by this 1972 article in Vogue entitled 20 Ways to say thank you for a Christmas gift you hate. A couple of my Favorites include My dear, so few people have your taste. And my friends were absolutely flabbergasted.

[Cassie]

Yeah. And I'm gonna go with their recommendations of quote, I've always fancied myself articulate, but worlds fail me. And also, of course, I never would have bought this for myself.

[April Callahan]

So passive aggressive ways to say you don't like something.

[Cassie]

I just love the fact that somebody actually sat down and wrote that article.

[April Callahan]

It's amazing.

[Cassie]

Dress listeners, we hope that you have enjoyed a very quick romp through holiday gifting of the past. And may you consider what holiday hits and misses reside in your wardrobe next time you get dressed. Cass, as you already know, this episode concludes season four of Dressed. Can you believe it?

[April Callahan]

I know, I can't. It's like. It's just like it was yesterday where we were practicing all of our episodes before recording them. Those days are fine.

[Cassie]

Yeah, no, we just go straight into the recording.

[April Callahan]

We've come a long way, Dressed listers. It's been so fun.

[Cassie]

Yes. Four years and approximately 300 episodes produced at this point.

[April Callahan]

Hence why I can't remember if we did an episode on deodorant or not. Because there is quite a large repertoire of dressed episodes at this point. Yeah. So we're going to be taking a small break before we launch season five, Dress listeners. We're going to take some time off, like hopefully yourselves, to enjoy friends and family over the holidays. But don't worry, we will be back at the end of January 2022 with lots more fashion history content coming your way. In fact, we might just be working on a few Season 5 episodes already and we want to sincerely thank all of our listeners who've joined us along this journey. I wish you very happy holidays and a happy New Year for those of you who celebrate.

[Cassie]

Yes. And everyone, please enjoy the season that does it.

[April Callahan]

Dress listeners, we are signing off for 2021 and we will catch you in early 2022.

[Narrator/Producer]

Please head over to Dressed Underscore podcast on Instagram or on Facebook to check out the visual content associated with each week's episodes.

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[Narrator/Producer]

We get so many questions from you all about our recommendations for fashion history books. So if you're interested, you can always find a link in our show notes to our bookshop.org bookshelf so that address is bookshop.org shop dressed and there you will find over 150 of our favorite fashion history history titles.

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[Narrator/Producer]

Thank you as always for tuning in and more Dressed coming your way soon. The History of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media.

[Cassie]

Steve Kubine and Nan McNamara's podcast From Beneath the Hollywood Sign, Wife pulls out a box and gives McAllister a ring, saying, here's something to Remember me by Daryl Zanuck Hit the roof.

[Narrator/Producer]

Mary Astor has been keeping a diary. This torrid affair with George S. Kaufman is chronicled on a daily basis, talking.

[April Callahan]

About the actors and actresses who won.

[Cassie]

An Oscar on their very first film.

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[Cassie]

The podcast From Beneath the Hollywood Sign.