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Dressed: The History of Fashion
'Tis the Season III: Holiday Gift Hits (and Misses) (Dressed Classic)
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- [00:01]
Cassidy Zachary
If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted.
- [00:05]
April Callahan
Partner makes all the difference.
- [00:07]
Cassidy Zachary
That's why, hands down, you count on.
- [00:09]
April Callahan
Grainger for auto reordering.
- [00:11]
Cassidy Zachary
With on time restocks, your team will.
- [00:13]
April Callahan
Have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift and.
- [00:17]
Cassidy Zachary
You can end your day knowing they've.
- [00:19]
April Callahan
Got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickgrainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. The French Revolution set Europe ablaze. It was an age of enlightenment and progress, but also of tyranny and oppression. It was an age of glory and an age of tragedy. One man stood above it all. This was the age of Napoleon. I'm Everett Rummage, host of the Age of Napoleon podcast. Join me as I examine the life and times of one of the most fascinating and enigmatic characters in modern history. Look for the age of Napoleon. Wherever you find your podcasts, please enjoy.
- [01:01]
Cassidy Zachary
One of our favorite episodes from the Dressed archive of over 500 plus shows. The history of Fashion. As a production of dressed media, Over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day, we all get dressed.
- [01:33]
April Callahan
Welcome to Dressed the History of Fashion, a podcast where we explore the who, what, when of why we where we are fashion historians. And your hosts, April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary.
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Cassidy Zachary
Well dressed listeners, it's that time of year. Welcome to our third annual holiday gift giving party.
- [01:54]
April Callahan
Yay. I I just have to say I think that this is I look forward to this episode every single time. We do it all year long. And as I find gifts for you along the way as the year passes cast, they just kind of get tucked away. So I'm very excited about gift giving today. Yeah.
- [02:13]
Cassidy Zachary
And for our listeners who are new to this episode, we have done two of these already. But basically it's the holiday season. April and I are fashion historians and so we love looking through fashion history. Right. And finding gifts that we could think fantasy gift each other. Although not all of them, especially some of mine today, aren't necessarily from fashion history, but they're related to fashion history and it's just a really fun. Fantasy fashion history gift giving episode. And because this is our fantasy fashion world, we have April, you and I have both come attired in our dream ensembles from from fashion history. So I have to ask, who are you wearing today?
- [02:56]
April Callahan
And I just want to stress we are not actually wearing these right now. This is our imaginary wardrobe for the purposes of this episode because I would dare never put this dress on My person, because it is probably my favorite dress of fashion history from all time. I think I've mentioned it on the show. So this is a rewear and we do believe in rewearing our special pieces. So today I am wearing Lucille lady Duff Gordon's 1917 dress that appears in Les Mode. We also have the original sketch for this dress at fit. And it is a very, very, very heavy black satin. It's caught on the bias. It has a very deep asymmetrical V neckline. And that V neckline has a wrap front. It has a fitted sleeve on one side and the other arm has a cape sleeve. And then there's this incre train that descends from the back of the sleeve that has the cape and it just fans out all around the dress. And then the dress is finished. It has a diamante chain draped across the collarbones and it kind of skims across the shoulders which holds it up. And for our purposes today, it's not diamante. Mine are actually diamonds for our purposes today, of course. And then also, I just want to speak very briefly about my jewelry that I have on as well, because this is a little bit of fashion history in and of itself. I have actually selected several pieces from Bulgari's Serpenti viper line. And on my wrist that has the cape sleeve, I'm wearing Serpenti's bracelet watch, which actually sold at auction a few weeks ago at Sotheby's. And essentially it is. Let's see, I can, I can read a description of it here. It is a bracelet watch in golden platinum. The body formed a graduated tubular linkings decorated with diamond set trefoil motifs. The pave set diamond head of a snake and faceted ruby eyes are embellished with pear and marquise shaped diamonds forming a long crest. And the diamond set tail is similarly decorated, signed Bulgari, late 1960s. So essentially what this is, it's a snake watch. It coils around my wrist, it's gold. And then the head opens up to reveal the watch inside.
- [05:22]
Cassidy Zachary
Fabulous.
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April Callahan
Has an elaborate diamond crested tail as well. So it's really, really great. And also on my fingers, I am wearing a selection of all the various types of Serpenti rings that have been being made by Bulgaria since the 1940s. And I did not realize that this line had been made for that long. And Bulgaria itself was actually founded in 1884 in Rome by the Greek silversm Sotirio Bulgari. So, yeah, basically I'm wearing various incarnations from the Serpenti Bulgari line. From the last eight decades. What about you?
- [06:01]
Cassidy Zachary
Fabulous. So I. Because this is our fantasy, right, I actually headed back in time to 1928, or should I say 1927, to have a fitting with one of my favorite haute couturiers, Jeanne Lanvin. So I headed to her atelier. We had a fitting, and I chose a dress for from her, I suppose it would be spring, summer, 1928 line la traviata. It is one of her in one of her signature silhouettes of the robe de stile. Right. So that full skirted alternative to the shapeless shift dresses of the 1920s that she really, really was known for. And the Met actually has an example of it, and they described it really well, so I'm going to quote them here, when they say the dress is made of petals of taffeta that are applied to a base of silk tulle, giving the skirt a light, ethereal appearance. Regular fluttering hemline and the finely applied rhinestone embroidery, which takes the form of a simple bow knot at the back, exemplify her. And they're talking about Lanvin's distinctive design sensibility. So it's just a really, really incredibly beautiful dress. And then for my jewelry, I am wearing these art deco style onyx and diamond earrings that are currently for sale at first dibs for, you know, just a small $18,000. They're from the 1920s. Absolutely exquisite. And, you know, a combined weight of 3.4 carats. So wowzers. And then for my shoes, I have them paired with some red Andre Parugia shoes, and he created these for Jack Fath from 1955. And they're really fabulous. They actually resemble flames. So they have like a pointed vampire that kind of points up and then the heel points up too. So if you've seen the flame, the Prada flame heels from the 90s, I think they're from the 90s. These are 40 years prior. So just a little pop of color. For my party outfit and dress listeners, we will absolutely post pictures of our ensembles of our holiday party dresses for you to see exactly what we're talking about.
- [08:13]
April Callahan
Oh, yes, for sure, for sure. And I didn't even think about picking shoes for some reason because you can't see my feet. So maybe I will. Maybe I will Fancy to see those into the Instagram post. Oh, and by the way, I didn't mention what that the Serpenti watch went for at auction a few weeks ago. It was something like $350,000.
- [08:32]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, wow.
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April Callahan
It was quite the special piece.
- [08:37]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes.
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April Callahan
Okay, if Cass, if you don't mind. I would like to give my gift first because I'm guessing that mine might be older than yours. I could be wrong. We'll find out. Because listeners, Cass and I do not talk about this ahead of time, I would love to give to you from The Home Journal, December 7, 1850, a French folding fender.
- [09:01]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, thank you.
- [09:05]
April Callahan
You're welcome. As she looks at me like I have no idea what that is. Well, you are not alone in that, because when I found this, I didn't know what it was either, and that's what caught my eye. So this has dual purposes. It is a gift for both you, and it is also a gift for baby Leo. So according to the Home Journal, a French fender is made of gauze wire with bronze or fancy colored frames. They protect the dress from the heat of the fire and prevent children from approaching it. These are quite an ornament to the parlor. And the more expensive kinds being beautifully paired with flowers and landscapes. These cost 4 to $12 each, so it's very expensive. And they are, I guess, a French kind of shorter version of Firespace.
- [09:56]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, okay.
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April Callahan
So there you have it. Your first gift. It's for the fireplace.
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Cassidy Zachary
Well, thank you very much.
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April Callahan
You're very welcome.
- [10:04]
Cassidy Zachary
Your first gift from me is because I know that you love makeup, and so I am gifting you what is actually the holy grail of makeup for compact collectors. Oh. So it is 1951, the bird in Hand compact by the Illinois Watch Case Company of Elgin. So it is the most beautiful and delicate gold bird shaped compact. And the body of the bird is hinged so much like your snake watch, it opens to reveal a beautiful little heart shaped mirror, and then it opens again for the powder compartment. And the most charming element is that the headpiece of the bird slides lights out to reveal a lipstick holder.
- [10:51]
April Callahan
Ah, I love it already. And it's too early to say this is my favorite gift.
- [10:59]
Cassidy Zachary
And it's worth thousands of dollars. And the question is, why? Why is this so valuable and coveted? And that is because the base of the neck is stamped with a very recognizable name. Dal E. Whoa.
- [11:13]
April Callahan
This is a line by Solomon that makes perfect sense now. Yeah.
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Cassidy Zachary
So there's an ad if you kind of start digging into this from 1951 for this compact. So there are several that survive. And the ad is very. It's not a Dali painting, but it's a very recognizable Dali style. So his surrealist painting style, the compact is flying in the sky over a woman in pointe shoes, and she's standing in, like, this Vast landscape and the different elements of the compact are shown around her to display its multifaceted design. And you actually get a glimpse of Dolly's face. And framed at left, and the ad reads, the Dolly, bird in hand. Compact, exultant expression of an artist's dream. Lofty spirit of fashion released from all earthbound tradition, available to the favored few, designed for the hands of those who love loveliness, those who are ever first to forsake the commonplace from such threads of imagination, brought into immortal being expressly for those whom fashion follows. And so, of course, we know that Dali worked with Elsa Schiaparelli to design makeup, compacts, etc, but I had never seen anything like this. So it's really wonderful. And now it. And whimsical. And now it is all yours.
- [12:29]
April Callahan
Oh, well, thank you very much. I will be putting it right on my dressing table, of course.
- [12:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Okay.
- [12:36]
April Callahan
This is already so fun. As our regular listeners will know, we have a pretty big platform encouraging sustainability and ethical fashion on the show. And I would like to speak a little bit about sustainability in the nineteen teens. And your second gift, CAS is actually sustainable. So in December 1918 and that issue of Harper's Bazaar at the very beginning, the editors posted this fascinating little article that says, have you ever seen those fascinating little knitting bags made out of wrapping paper, string, and Harper's Bazaar covers? Many women are making them in quantities and selling them for the benefit of the red cross. At 50 cents and a dollar apiece, these bags, you will see them swinging from the smartest women's arms all along Fifth Avenue, are very easy to make. You simply make an oblong bag with its stout brown paper, glue on the handles of string or ribbon, and stick a Harper's Bazaar cover on one side. We have an extra supply of covers printed, and while they last, we'll be glad to send you some. We cannot promise to let you have any definite number of them, but write to us, tell us how many you would like to have, and we will do the very best we can. Address the editor.
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Cassidy Zachary
That sounds so cool.
- [13:57]
April Callahan
I know. I'm like, can we make these now, 100 years later? And also, too, they go on a little bit further with this. And we don't have to get into all the details about this, but they go on to talk a little bit about some sustainability paper and how a lot of the ingredients that are used in the process of making paper are needed in the war effort or were needed in the war effort, which America in 1918 is still kind of recovering from. They detail that the war and also sustainability, make, do and mend, all in the context of this one gift. So it is yours now and you can choose which cover, which fantasy cover that you would like to have, of course.
- [14:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, well, thank you very much. I will look into it immediately. So while we're talking about sustainable fashion and environmentally friendly fashion, I am going to gift you the pressed flower natural dye kit from Dogwood Dyer. And this is contemporary. This is just such, such a cool kit. It's called eco printing with pressed Flowers natural dye kit. It's, it's a, an incredible little kit. It comes with a cotton bandana and then 16 real pressed flowers organically grown in Liz Spencer, who is the Dogwood Dyer's garden. And with 16 flowers, you can make double the prints because each flower will print on both the back and front side. And she says it includes multicolored cosmos, purple pin cushions, dyer's chamomile, and the sweetest little starfire marigolds. And I'm curious, have you seen anyone doing pressed flower dyeing? April, it's so beautiful.
- [15:35]
April Callahan
I have done it myself, actually. I think it was around this time last year or so. Sometime past dress guest Mimi Prober did a little one on one workshop with another past dressed guest, Bliss Lau and I. The three of us are friends at Bliss's Jewelry Studio. And we like cleared out everything and we sat down on the floor and we got a whole bunch of flowers and we did a flower dyeing one day on cotton candy, pillowcases and things that we already had at home. So it was super, super fun. Yeah, it's great.
- [16:08]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. And it's so beautiful. And it's exactly what it sounds like. Dress listeners, you get the flowers and they've been flattened and you press them into the fabric and the fabric, the cotton fabric takes the, the color of the flower. It's so, so beautiful. She produces the most vibrant colors and I've been following her work for a while now. I guess she's a teacher at Parsons and Fit April in New York, so definitely will put. So, dress listeners, you can check this out for yourself because I just thought it was the most beautiful, beautiful little kit and what a fun thing to do with your friends or your kids. Just so, so cool. So enjoy.
- [16:46]
April Callahan
Well, thank you very much.
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Cassidy Zachary
Now that you've already done.
- [16:48]
April Callahan
No, I'm always game again. And one of the interesting things that we did it with Mimi is she, she showed us how sometimes the, the color that the plant or the flower gives off to the textile is actually not the Color of the item itself. Sometimes it's a little bit of a reverse chemistry situation happening there. So. Okay, well, speaking of chemistry, your next gift is detailed in the December 18, 1921 issue of the New York Times. And I'm going to give you some airplane dope.
- [17:23]
Cassidy Zachary
Well, thank you. What is airplane dope?
- [17:28]
April Callahan
Reading this little blurb. It starts fingernail fattests. Airplane dope for fingernails is the latest fad in England, this being a special liquid employed for waterproofing the brass work and wings of airplanes. Garage proprietors are constantly receiving messages asking for samples of this liquid. As society women have ascertained that imparts a super fine polish to the fingernails. They declare that it shines like the sun on marble and lasts for weeks. It, however, has the disadvantage of emitting an odor, some like that given off by damp rubber, and therefore the user must soak her fingers in perfume. So I'm just saying, maybe this would be the perfect accompaniment to last year's gift of the dry cleaning fluid or dry cleaning product that you had to mix with gas to clean your gloves. So if your gloves already smell like gas and your fingers already smell like damp rubber, you know, just soak it in perfume, it's fine. Everything's gonna be fine.
- [18:32]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes. For those of our listeners who do not remember last year's episode. Hey, I do have a few gag gifts today if we want to get into those.
- [18:43]
April Callahan
Oh, we can do it. Let's do it.
- [18:48]
Cassidy Zachary
So my first gag gift is brought to us from Life magazine, 1948. I think it was December 1948. And it's so fascinating to look through old magazines because Santa Claus selling everything from cigarettes. There are so many cigarette Santa ads to Campbell Soup, to the one gift that I am going to give you today. And I had to stop at this ad. It's kind of presented as a comic, and it starts with Santa Claus as a lady. So I was like, ooh, what is this? April? It is the holiday season. We're going to be eating a lot. And I am offering you the gift of smooth digestion.
- [19:25]
April Callahan
Oh, fantastic. How am I going to achieve this feat?
- [19:31]
Cassidy Zachary
So let me read this ad and perhaps we will post it as well. So there is. It starts, Santa Claus is a lady. It's presented as a comic. So a woman's decorating her tree and her husband's up front. Very sad. She said, it's Sue. She says, it happened Christmas Eve. L. He's. My husband was getting mean as a wounded tiger. He hardly spoke. And when he did, he practically bit My head off. Things look dismal for Christmas. Then the tower telephone rang. She's on the phone. I don't know what to do about him. And it's another woman on the other line. Well, I think I do. It was Al's mother. She said it sounded to her like Al needed a laxative and sleep.
- [20:11]
April Callahan
Amazing. I love it. Keep going.
- [20:15]
Cassidy Zachary
She explained that constipation is often accompanied by sleep robbing acid indigestion and recommended he take Phillips milk of magnesia. And then she said Elle took Phillips before he went to bed. He slept wonderfully, awakened that morning to gentle constipation relief. And we've had the grandest, merriest Christmas of our lives. Yes, Santa Claus is a lady. My mother in law. And then it goes on to say, so gentle for children, so thorough for grownups.
- [20:47]
April Callahan
Oh my God. I mean, there's a lot to say about this ad. The fact that like some guy's being kind of an a hole to his wife and apparently it's and his problem to fix. Right? His mother's problem to fix. And it's just because he needs a nap.
- [21:03]
Cassidy Zachary
Nap. And some of this Phillips milk of magnesia. So, hey, there you go. And now you two have it April for your bedside stand should you need it this holiday season.
- [21:13]
April Callahan
Great. Well, thank you so much. I might get cranky and I'm tired. Now I know what to do.
- [21:22]
Cassidy Zachary
Dress listeners. As many of you know, having a three year old running about poses its challenges when it comes time for making dinner. That's why this year I'm very thankful for Marley Spoon, which offers Martha Stewart recipes as both meal prep kits and also prepared meals.
- [21:38]
April Callahan
Yeah, Cass, I think you know that I enjoy cooking more than you. And I could not agree more. Sometimes the thing that actually prevents me from making a recipe isn't an ingredient that I'm missing. I just don't want to go to the store to get it. But with Marley Spoon, everything I need arrives to my door. And also you get to choose from more than 100 recipes each week.
- [22:00]
Cassidy Zachary
Not to mention they have some great 20 minute options too. And my personal favorite hack is the tray. Baked dinners literally throw everything on one tray and boom, you're done. They even include the tray.
- [22:12]
April Callahan
So this new year, fast track your way to eating well with Marley spoon. Head to marleyspoon.com offer dressed for 45% off your first order and free delivery. That's right. 45% off your first order and Free delivery. That's marleyspoon.com offer dressed Marley meals reimagined.
- [22:34]
Cassidy Zachary
For real life.
- [22:38]
April Callahan
Obsessed with your favorite luxury brands but on a very real, real budget? Well join Cass and I over at the RealReal, where we have been customers for years.
- [22:48]
Cassidy Zachary
Dress listeners. You can both shop and sell at the RealReal, which is great because you can use your earnings for something special and new to you. The RealReal is all about giving clothing and accessories second chances, which is great for the planet and your wardrobe. The RealReal has found new homes for over 37 million authenticated luxury items so they know firsthand the impact impact resell has on the planet.
- [23:11]
April Callahan
The RealReal is the easiest and fastest way to sell. With over 40 million members ready to shop your closet. They use real time data to determine the highest possible price for every item and handle all the work for you from photography and copywriting to shipping and customer service. Because your to do list is already.
- [23:31]
Cassidy Zachary
Long enough, the RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resell, with thousands of new arrivals daily. No one does resell like the RealReal and now get $25 off of your first purchase when you go to therealreal.com dressed. That's therealreal.com dressed to get your $25 off. Start shopping now at therealreal.com dressed dress listeners. We've all been there right when you're trying to schedule a doctor's visit only to find that the next available appointment isn't until months away. Sometimes that wait is simply a far too long, especially when it comes to mental health. Which is why Talk Iatry was built for you.
- [24:13]
April Callahan
Talk I Tree is a 100% online psychiatry practice that provides comprehensive evaluations, diagnosis and ongoing medication management for conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, insomnia, and so much more. All of their 600 plus clinicians are in network with major insurers, so you can use your existing insurance instead of paying monthly subscriptions or out of network fees.
- [24:44]
Cassidy Zachary
Getting started with tachyotry takes just a few minutes. Complete a short online assessment, get matched with clinicians who fit your needs and schedule your first visit in days, not months.
- [24:54]
April Callahan
Head to toky.com dressed and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in a few minutes. That's tokyotry.com dressed to get matched in minutes. Dress listeners. As you know, we have a pretty big platform about sustainability on the show. So as we start a new year in 2026 and we all endeavor to do things just a little bit better, we encourage you to Seek out ethically produced clothing.
- [25:26]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, and that's one of the reasons we love Quint. At Quint, every piece is made with premium materials from ethical, trusted factories and priced far below what other luxury brands charge. The craftsmanship shows in every detail. The stitching, the f, the drape. It's elevated, timeless, and made to wear on repeat.
- [25:44]
April Callahan
Did we mention that Quint does home goods too? I love my Quince Turkish cotton bath towels, as you know, Cass. So whether you're looking for something for your closet or for your home, you can feel good about the fact that Quint works directly with ethical top tier factories so they can skip the middleman and offer prices 50% less than similar brands.
- [26:07]
Cassidy Zachary
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Don't wait. Go to quince.com dress for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com dress to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com dressed.
- [26:28]
April Callahan
Okay, let's see here. Well, Cass, your next gift comes from France. And it was again detailed in the New York Times. New York Times. Kind of hitting it out of the park here lately. On November 30, 1930, the New York Times suggests lipstick handkerchiefs saying smart women in Paris are carrying large red chiffon handkerchiefs expertly matched. Their lipstick, which may thus be used to repair makeup ravages without showing. They are extremely pretty, too, with brown, black, gray and beige or white ensembles. And they offer an unusual Christmas suggestion for a small present. Your friend's favorite French lipstick with a monogrammed chiffon handkerchief to match perfume may also acceptably be added, provided that you are familiar with your friend's taste in that direction. So please submit your favorite French lipstick and your favorite French French perfume so I can package them in a lovely little gift box for you with your lipstick handkerchief.
- [27:31]
Cassidy Zachary
Well, thank you so much. I love it.
- [27:34]
April Callahan
That's fine. I know you don't wear lipstick terribly often, but. But when you have a special occasion, you're going to be all set.
- [27:40]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, yes. And I do try to wear it. It's just a matter of practicality these days.
- [27:47]
April Callahan
Toddler plus lipstick smears.
- [27:49]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, exactly. So your next gift is a gypsy's you do it shoe kit, which is a vintage shoemaking kit, which is so, so cool.
- [28:00]
April Callahan
And I gotta make my own shoes.
- [28:02]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, you're gonna make your own shoes. And it's from Tandy Leather, which is really cool because Tandy's is still very much around to this day. I still shop at Tandy's, or at least I did when I worked in the film industry. But yeah. So this is called a suburban gypsy shoe kit. And they send you some leather and it's pre punched and ready to sew. And they're really, really cool because this, these particular ones are kind of like leather slippers that are tooled leather. And so you just go in and it comes with the base and the supplies and original pattern and paperwork and you can sew your own, your own pair of shoes.
- [28:41]
April Callahan
Wow, that's pretty cool. How is it like a big needle? Is it just to use a sewing needle? Do they. That has to be like, very serious. I just, I've seen people tool leather before and it's very labor intensive.
- [28:53]
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. My guess is I don't know exactly what the material would be. My guess would be it would be horse hair. Like horse hair they use. It's like a really, really stronger, much stronger fiber to sew would be my guess. And then just like a thicker needle and. But it's the, honestly, the hardest part with working with leather is punching it. So if it's already pre punched, then it's basically like you're just sewing. And so I couldn't find out exactly. I kept looking for an advertisement. I couldn't find out exactly when these are from, but I'm going to guess either the 70s or 80s. Yeah, I just thought this was such a fun, cool gift. And you can actually still buy them. There's plenty of them out there on ebay, etc, if you want to make your own shoes.
- [29:34]
April Callahan
D yos love it.
- [29:36]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, exactly.
- [29:38]
April Callahan
Okay, well, my last gift that I have for you and I do have some gift Mrs. And an honorable mention to mention here at the end. So I'm not quite done yet. But my next gift to you is because when we were in Paris this past summer, we of course went to the fabulous hair and body hair exhibition at the Musee des Art Decoratives. And one of your very favorite objects in the exhibition was a merkin stand. So for any of our listeners who might. And I'm not gifting you a merkin, don't worry. If anyone's brain was going there, we're not doing that. But if anyone doesn't know what a merkin is, merkins were pubic hair wigs that were worn in the past. Sometimes people removed their pubic hair in the past for reasons of lice or other insect infestation. Also STIs or STDs and instead you would wear a fake pubic hair wig. So when we were at the hair and body hair exhibition, one of Cass's favorite objects was this little stand that was owned by some royal personage. I can't even remember who it was now, but it had an accompanying chat label that came with it that explained that this royal personage kept his mistresses pubic hair wig.
- [30:54]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, it's one of the kings. It's like French. One of the French kings.
- [30:58]
April Callahan
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this, this merkin was made of his mistress's pubic hair. Yes, itself. So the mercant itself was not in the exhibition, but the, but the merken stand was. So in spirit of said merken stand, I would like to give you a wig rest. But this is no ordinary wig rest or wig stand. It comes from house beautiful again, October 10, 1960. And it says traveling light is the best way if you're a high flying career girl. A jet set fashion plate. This inflatable wig holder solves the problem of properly caring for your quote unquote portable personality without taking a bulky wig box with you. Let the air out its purse, size 12 inches by 8 inches, inflated. $3.98 plus 20 cents post. You can write off to Ron Lassen and Plymouth Meeting Pennsylv. Wow. So you have an inflatable wig stand and it is, it's kind of shaped like a light bulb. It's white and it has like this little face like painted or printed printed onto it. And she has quite a lot of rouge on, I must say. So travel on the go, no matter, no matter where in the world we're going to end up on our fashion history trip. Cass, your wig stand needs are now met.
- [32:25]
Cassidy Zachary
Well, thank you very much, April. And that kind of transitions into my two part last gift for you, which has to do, I suppose, with hair, part of its hair and makeup and beauty. So as our listeners will remember, you partied like it was 1779 at Versailles this past summer. So I thought I would get you some special accoutrements, starting with an eight.
- [32:48]
April Callahan
Oh, is this for my poop?
- [32:49]
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, absolutely. So starting with an 18th century Marie Antoinette beauty box. And this is a contemporary product, but it is based on historically accurate recipes using historically accurate methods and products. So in this box you have white powder which can be used for the hair or body. This lovely scented powder is made from an original 18th century recipe. And then there is a white pot of paint that is safe and beneficial for all skin types. It's called an excellent 18th century, an excellent paint for the face. And then you have burnt clothes to darken the eyebrows. And then you have a liquid rouge. You can use your finger or sponge to dab a little on your cheeks and or lips. Then there's an 18th century hard pomatum. I think I'm saying that correct. Pomatum. And the, the. Yeah. The description says, have you ever wondered how women were able to get their hair to do such amazing styles throughout history? Here is one of the best kept secrets. Pomaton. And the pomaton is scented with clove. If you would like to choose a different scent, you can. But yeah. And they say it's a very natural hair product that is used to give the hair nutrients. And this is just such a cool Etsy store. It's run by Alicia Schultz. It's called Little Bits. And it's not just. She has like 1920s beauty boxes, regency beauty boxes, they have online videos to help you achieve your look. And she writes that all of our recipes are extracted from forgotten text, old pharmaceutical ledgers, manuscripts and museum archives. We carry everything from historical hair care to ancient solves and vintage beauty products. Plus our ingredients are 100% top quality, natural and almost always organic. So this is just such a cool shop and such a cool box to get you started for your next 18th century Versailles adventures coming up in the future.
- [34:48]
April Callahan
Yes. No, for real. I seriously want this. I was like, can I actually buy this? You can actually buy this at the Etsy shop.
- [34:55]
Cassidy Zachary
It's called Littlebits Little Bits. And I'll. We'll put a link in our show notes for anybody else who's interested. And this is a two part gift because this sent me on a rabbit hole looking for these shops that are created by historical costumers. She, I believe is a historical costumer and reenactor or creator. And I also came across this incredible shop shop where I got you some 18th century beauty spots.
- [35:22]
April Callahan
Ooh. Mouch les mouches.
- [35:26]
Cassidy Zachary
And this is from the Etsy shop of Trish da Cunha, who is a fourth generation bespoke tailor. She writes that she's a descendant of Arthur George Trimble, a master tailor born in the late 19th century in England. And her shop carries on his quality, skill and attention to detail, offering both modern and historical positions. Bespoke clothing, millinery, book binding and historical items of all varieties and includes these 18th century beauty spots. So she talks about how, tells us a little bit about beauty spots. They're also known as pox marks and Beauty marks. End quote. Originally used by the wealthy and nobility as a means to conceal smallpox marks or scarring from syphilis. Over time, specifically as it pertains to the 17th and 18th centuries, these items became a prized beauty accessory and were put into use by both men and women as decorative items, regardless of whether a man or woman had blemishes that required concealment. So, obviously, April, you do not require concealment, but I thought this was a super fun accessory. And they're made of leather, which is interesting. And so there's. Comes in this in a sets of 10. There's five circles, three hearts and two stars.
- [36:38]
April Callahan
Yes. Yes. I'm so excited. I'm very excited. And you know how when we go to Paris and we talk about the language of the fans when we. When we do our Rue de la Paige tour, so much like the language of fans. How you held your fan, where you placed it, whether it was open and closed, your actions with it could convey messages. Apparently, where you were, your spots had hidden meanings as well. Or maybe not so hidden, but there was a. There was a method behind the madness in terms of where.
- [37:04]
Cassidy Zachary
Meeting.
- [37:06]
April Callahan
Yes. Meeting embedded. Yes, yes, yes.
- [37:09]
Cassidy Zachary
That concludes my gifts. There was certainly a lot of. Of other ones that I guess I could have included, but these are kind of my top picks. I think you're a little more inventive than me. Are you really good, I should say, at finding these, like, very fascinating products from fashion history that we don't necessarily have around anymore today?
- [37:30]
April Callahan
Let's just say I do go for a little bit of the absurd when I go online. And I actually learned, because I. I delved into some sources that were outside of fashion magazines this time. I learned so much actually doing this as well. I want to mention a couple honorable mentions and then one definite gift Miss. Of something that I will not be gifting you the honorable mention. It isn't necessarily for you, but I found several references in the 1890s about this practice of ladies gifting their house servants paper patterns. Patterns, which I thought was really, really fascinating. I think it was like the New York Times that was saying that this had become so common by 1899 that mercers or fabric purveyors were actually cutting lengths of cloth as like, special Christmas packages to accompany the paper patterns that were commonly given to servants so they can make their ensembles from their patterns. Very cool. I thought that was very charming.
- [38:30]
Cassidy Zachary
Absolutely.
- [38:31]
April Callahan
Okay. And this gift miss. I have to say, one of the other things that I stumbled across because I. Looking up gift guides, I was looking up Christmas shopping, holiday shopping. You know, I was looking up all these different permutations of search terms. You would not believe how much crime and just general death and mayhem comes up in the context of Christmas.
- [38:56]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, I know so many people got.
- [38:59]
April Callahan
Like hit by carriages while Christmas shopping or trams or just all these very, very, very sad stories that happened in the occasion of Christmas shopping. Hoping but here's one gift that I will not be giving you that was covered in the New York Times 1920 Dec 28 Special to the New York Times, Aussing New York, Dec 27. Vincent Valiscotti, who was sent to Sing Sing a year ago from New York City to serve a 15 year sentence for manslaughter, received a human ear and a Christmas package left at the prison for him by a woman. Woman. Prison officials refused to say whether or not they had gotten track of the sender and whether they had learned of the motive which inspired the making of such a gift. One theory is that friends of Velti, I guess it's Valenati, not Valicanti, had murdered an enemy of his and sent the ear as a token of revenge accomplished. Another theory is that it was intended as some kind of a threat. It Vellinati had inquired anxiously for a Christmas box and was much concerned when it did not arrive on time, as if he had been expecting something important. The discovery was made when the package was opened by the prison censor.
- [40:18]
Cassidy Zachary
Oh no. Thank you for not sending me a human ear for Christmas.
- [40:23]
April Callahan
That was the weirdest of all the like Christmas gift crime that, that I stumbled across while researching this episode. That one was a little gnarly.
- [40:33]
Cassidy Zachary
That's interesting that you bring that up because I had a gift that I had saved for a really long time that I was like, how am I going to work this gift in? How would I give this to her? Like it just seems so obscure. But now it's like a perfect gift because I was going to give you some self defense gloves for ladies that are in a museum in London from 1850 and they're basically gloves and they're equipped with little knots knives at the end of each finger.
- [41:00]
April Callahan
Oh wow. Well that probably would have fended off the, the ear thief. So thank you very much. So we've, we've got diamonds, we've got human ears, we've got lipstick, we've got it all friends.
- [41:17]
Cassidy Zachary
So we don't want to end on that macabre of a note dress listeners, but we are going to end this episode with a little bit of, of news and that is that this is our last episode of season six. We are heading on into our annual Dressed hiatus.
- [41:35]
April Callahan
But do not despair because while we are on hiatus there will be plenty of dressed coming your way. We're going to be re airing some of our favorite episodes which we have called up from our extensive back catalog of more than 450 past shows shows. Wow. You know, I mean cast. From day one we have been time travelers undressed. So it's kind of special for us. As we approach our seventh season and our 500th episode will be coming up this spring. It's special for us that we can now do flashbacks to the past within the podcast's own history. Sharing some of those with you, yes.
- [42:11]
Cassidy Zachary
And just listeners, Even though we are heading into hiatus, we are still going to be working away on content for our next season and upcoming classes. And of course we always love hearing from you because we're still here. So reach out to us via email@hello dresshistory.com that is of course our website where you can sign up for our newsletter. And of course as April mentioned, our upcoming classes and tours. Please always you can DM us on Instagram at Dress Podcast which is where you will find visuals accompany each week's episodes and we will post some visuals to accompany this episode. So if you want like to look for it, check out the hashtag dressed and the numbers 339. That's dressed 339.
- [42:48]
April Callahan
Are those holiday gift cards burning a hole in your bucket? Well, you might consider heading over to the Dressed Bookshelf where we have more than 120of our favorite fashion history titles and also books featured on the show arranged there just for you. You can go to bookshop.org shop dressed and each of your purchases purchases from our Dress Bookshelf will go through an independent bookseller. You can also find a link to our Dress Bookshelf in our show Notes.
- [43:16]
Cassidy Zachary
Thank you as always for your continued support and may you consider what gifts from fashion history you want to give your loved ones next time you get dressed. The History of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media.