'Tis the Season V: Fashion History Gift Hits (and Misses)

Summary

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Dressed: The History of Fashion

Episode: 'Tis the Season V: Fashion History Gift Hits (and Misses)

Hosts: April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary
Date: December 19, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this festive season finale of Dressed's eighth season, hosts April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary continue their beloved tradition of “Fashion History Gift Hits (and Misses).” This light-hearted, imaginative episode—the fifth in its series (“Tis the Season V”)—centers on the hosts exchanging fantasy gifts from across fashion history, describing whimsical period ensembles, and reflecting on the stories behind these treasures. The pair indulge in historical deep-dives, charming banter, and a few laughs as they play “Fashion History Fantasy Land.” This year’s episode is packed with surprising anecdotes, inventive gift ideas (hits and definite misses!), and insights into the social and cultural history of how we adorn ourselves.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

[03:05] Fantastical Fashion Ensembles: What the Hosts Are “Wearing”

April Callahan’s Look

• Theme: Drawing inspiration from her upcoming Schiaparelli class, April curates an ensemble echoing “hard chic” and classical Greek luxury.
• Dress: Deep chocolate brown Schiaparelli evening dress (wool crepe, Winter 1935–36, V&A Museum)
  • “An evening dress of brown woolen crepe, floor length, high necked, with a gathered bodice and circular trapunto quilting over each breast. Six rows of gold braid encircle the slim columnar full skirt at regular intervals from the waist down.” (April, 03:26)
• Jewelry:
  • Gold Grecian earrings (c. 200 BCE, Hellenic period — 3-inch gold dangles with garnet insets)
  • Matching gold serpentine armbands (c. 200 BCE, V&A): “These imposing serpentine armbands represent two tritons, male and female, each holding a small winged Eros.” (April, 06:03)
• Shoes: Gold leather André Perugia wedges (1940, FIT collection) — “Some of his signature shoes which do not have a last…a beautiful voided shape.” (April, 07:34; Cassidy, 07:34)

Cassidy Zachary’s Look

• Era: Circa 1830, themed around her upcoming class “What Women Wore to the Revolution.”
• Dress: Circa 1830 gigot (leg-of-mutton) sleeve evening gown, LACMA collection
  • Pale pink silk organza/satin with imitation pearls, glass beads, and a pink sash, noted for huge sleeves and wheat embroidery.
  • “Bulbous gigot sleeves...have this beautiful detailing. It's pleated at the shoulder seam...and it's also embroidered with the most beautiful, I guess, is that an ear of wheat?” (Cassidy, 09:36)
• Shoes: Contemporary artisan brand Pavilion Parade (made from antique textiles and trims, rose and gold slippers)
  • “Rose bouquet Versailles...created from a circa 1850 quote French silk jacquard narrow border panel with pink roses and dull gold garlands...” (Cassidy, 11:08)
• Jewelry:
  • Huge diamond bow brooch and pearl diadem once owned by Empress Eugénie (borrowed from the Louvre) — “The brooch contains 4,000 diamonds…The diadem was made in 1853...212 pearls and almost 2,000 diamonds.” (Cassidy, 13:00)

Notable Style Moment

• April: “I have been skulking around the recessed corners of every museum in the world pulling Schiaparelli images in preparation for you all.” (05:00)
• Cassidy on sleeves: “This decade…with the gigot sleeve is just such an absolutely wild silhouette, I think, especially to our contemporary eyes. Right.” (10:06)

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[16:44] The Gift Exchange: Fashion History’s (Hits & Misses)

April's Gifts to Cassidy

1. The Marie Antoinette Switch (19th Century Hairpiece) [17:15]

• Inspired by popular Gilded Age hair trends, this “switch” (hairpiece) from an 1877 Harper’s Bazaar ad promised to form “any kind of [style], front or back within a few minutes.”
• “Ladies buying one will be taught free of charge how to arrange the same from $6 upward…about $180 today and up.” (April, 17:44)
• Not a literal connection to Marie Antoinette, but used her name for 19th-century cachet. Cassidy guesses the function: “So it's some sort of hairpiece.” (Cassidy, 18:42)

2. Fabergé Pickle Scent Bottle (1890) [23:08]

• An opulent, whimsical perfume bottle shaped like a pickle, crafted from nephrite jade/gold/diamonds by Fabergé.
• “It is the most adorable thing that I've ever seen...sold in 2007 for £66,000…today about a quarter of a million dollars.” (April, 24:30)
• Mini history lesson: Fabergé founded 1842, nationalized 1917, revived as luxury brand in 2007.

3. Animal Bath & Curious 18th-Century Health Book [27:48]

• From a 1910 Ladies Home Journal column, April gifts Cassidy a fictional “animal bath” (milk/fats/oil/blood—no water).
• She supplements with a rare beauty manual: “Curiosities of Common Water” (1723), which advocates drinking water as a health cure and contains… peculiar recommendations.
  • “This entire book is basically trying to convince people to drink water...He also recommends eat no suppers. None who have refrained from suppers have ever been found to die in their sleep.” (April, 31:30)

4. Audrey Hepburn’s ‘Sabrina’ Earrings (1954) [37:45]

• Costume jewelry, worn in one of film’s most iconic eveningwear scenes, by renowned Hollywood designer Joseph of Hollywood.
• “Gold plate earrings composed of clear gemstones clustered in the shape of flowers with dangling teardropped faux pearls…” (April, 37:52)
• The story behind the Sabrina costume-design Oscar rivalry between Edith Head and Hubert de Givenchy.

5. Bonus: Striped Wool Nose Warmer (1965) [25:16]

• A “kooky but practical” striped wool nose cozy (from Hanover House Mail Order), once a college student fad.
• “It even has a tassel on the nose and it's for your nose to be worn over it and then it is tied around the back of the head.” (Cassidy as April describes, 25:30)
• “It was also known as a snoot boot...fits any size nose.” (Cassidy, 27:22)

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Cassidy's Gifts to April

1. Schiaparelli Smoking Gloves (1939) [21:21]

• Rust suede gloves designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, with slots for individual matches and a striker board on the cuff.
• “There is a column around the wrist...you can put your individual matches. And then there is a striking board on the wrist.” (Cassidy, 21:21)
• “Obviously I'm stealing this for my Schiaparelli class!” (April, 22:20)
• Quirky, historic multi-functionality; inspired by a tip from @visualsustenance on Instagram.

2. Medicinal/Beauty Gift Basket (19th/Early 20th Century) [32:09]

• In tongue-in-cheek fashion, Cassidy assembles a package of historical “beauty aids”:
  • Joy’s Cigarettes (asthma/cough remedy): “They may be safely smoked by ladies and children.” (Cassidy, 33:01)
  • Radior “Toilette Requisites” (c. 1919, beauty products with radioactive radium): “...first toilette preparations to embody actual radium, an astonishing new force for betterment.” (Cassidy, 34:37)
  • Dr. Campbell’s Arsenic Complexion Wafers (1890): “To maintain your clear, fresh complexion...I am gifting you Dr. Campbell's entirely safe arsenic complexion wafers.” (Cassidy, 37:07)
• Historic references to dubious/quack beauty cures and dangers of pre-regulation cosmetics.
  • “I think wearing radioactive cosmetics products would make you vanish.” (April, 35:30)

3. Ring Commemorating Clementine, April’s French Bulldog [43:32]

• Custom-commissioned 19th-century style reverse painted dog ring by artist William Essex.
  • “The reverse of a cabochon rock crystal is carefully hand carved...then it's painted, forming a fine three-dimensional image…Clem's image is backed with mother of pearl...in all her glory in a 15 carat yellow gold mount.” (Cassidy, 43:38)
• April links this to items often found at iconic Parisian auction house Drouot.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On playful historical dressing:
  “I have been skulking around the recessed corners of every museum in the world pulling Schiaparelli images in preparation for you all.” —April (05:00)
• On the extravagance of the fantasy:
  “No holds barred, no expense spared...dress listeners, this is the final episode of season eight!” —April (01:49)
• On historical oddities:
  “So if you have any of the above [diseases], drink some water. According to John Smith.” —April (32:01)
• On beauty standards and danger:
  “I am gifting you Dr. Campbell's entirely safe arsenic complexion wafers.” —Cassidy (37:07)
• On Hollywood jewelry:
  “So your earrings, Cass. Originally the auction estimate on these was 2 to $3,000. Do you want to venture a guess as to the actual hammer price?...$19,000.” —April (42:45)
• On enduring podcast friendship:
  “It is always such a gift for us, and the real gift is you.” —Cassidy (47:05)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:15] Episode Introduction & Purpose
• [03:05] Imaginary Holiday Ensembles Described
• [16:44] Opening the Fantasy Gift Exchange
• [21:21] Notable Gift: Schiaparelli Smoking Gloves
• [23:08] Notable Gift: Fabergé Pickle Scent Bottle
• [25:16] Notable Gift: 1960s Wool Nose Warmer
• [27:48] Notable Gift: Animal Bath & Curious Beauty Book
• [32:09] Cassidy’s Medicinal/Beauty Gift Basket
• [37:45] Notable Gift: Audrey Hepburn’s ‘Sabrina’ Earrings
• [43:32] Notable Gift: Clementine’s Portrait Ring
• [47:05] Season Wrap-Up & Heartfelt Thanks

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Tone & Style Highlights

• Warm, witty, and deeply knowledgeable: April and Cassidy are candid about fashion history’s triumphs and foibles, mixing scholarship with good-natured teasing.
• Deep Playfulness: The gift exchange is both an imaginative exercise and an excuse for obscure history dives (“I am gifting you a pickle. Not any pickle. A Fabergé pickle.” —April, 23:08).
• Affectionate Friendship: Their banter reflects true camaraderie—“It was not expected in the 1830s from you today. But maybe that’s better for the context of our party…” (April, 13:34).
• Sly, critical humor: Especially when discussing questionable historical beauty practices: “I think wearing radioactive cosmetics products would make you vanish.” (April, 35:30)

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For the Listener Who Missed the Episode

This holiday episode is the ultimate treat for both fashion history buffs and new listeners alike. April and Cassidy revel in their annual tradition of gifting each other rare and peculiar objects from across the centuries—most delightful (Audrey Hepburn’s earrings, a Fabergé pickle), others eyebrow-raising (arsenic wafers, radium cream, wooly nose warmers). Each gift opens a door into fashion’s social, cultural, or technological evolution and is accompanied by details, context, and plenty of laughter.

The episode is a testament to the ongoing fun, creativity, and deep curiosity that fuel Dressed. As the hosts sign off for the season, they invite listeners to cherish the joy (and sometimes absurdity) of getting dressed, and to follow along on social media (#dressed575) for visual companions to their fantasy gifts.

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Further Exploration

• For images of gifts/ensembles: Instagram @dressed_podcast | Facebook @dressedpodcast | #dressed575
• Book recommendations: bookshop.org/shop/dressed
• Courses, tours, newsletter: dressedhistory.com

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End of Episode Summary

Transcript

[April Callahan]

Close your eyes. Exhale.

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[April Callahan]

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[Cassidy Zachary]

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.

[April Callahan]

Hosts, Cassidy Zachary and April Callahan. Ho ho, Cassidy, Zachary.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Happy holidays, dress listeners, and welcome to arguably our favorite podcast recording of this season. That's always a little bittersweet though, because it is our last episode of the season, but it's also one of our favorites because today is our April. Do you want to introduce it?

[April Callahan]

Sure. It is tis the season number five Fashion History's gift. Hits and misses. And this is of course our fifth edition where Cassidy and I play Fashion History Fantasy Land. Of course, yes, where we gift each other things from fashion history, no holds barred, no expense spared. And also typically the last few years, actually, we've added a fun new little segment where we also describe our fantasy fashion history outfits that we are wearing to said celebration. And so dressed listeners, this is the final episode of season eight of Dressed. And after this we will be going on hiatus for a few weeks. But no worries, we will be back in 2026 and in the meantime, we will be re airing some episodes of Dressed from the Past, which we entitle Dressed Classics.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes, so you can expect those for the rest of December into January. We will be back with season eight early next year and in the meantime, you can check out our past episodes and also join us online for our upcoming Fashion History classes, which we will be talking about, I'm sure, throughout today's episode as we gift some things from the past.

[April Callahan]

That's actually a perfect segue to my outfit that I'm going to be wearing to today's party.

[Cassidy Zachary]

All right, April, what are you wearing?

[April Callahan]

Well, in the spirit that on Sunday, January 4th and January 11th, I will be teaching a two part online course on the history of Schiaparelli entitled Hard Chic, the House of Schiaparelli. Of course, I'm wearing Schiaparelli and I'm going to drop an image of this dress in the chat cast so you can see it. And dress listeners, obviously I'm going to describe it to you, but this is actually a deep chocolate brown evening dress by Schiaparelli of wool crepe, and it is from winter 1935 to 1936. It is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. And I'm just going to read a couple sentences here from their actual description which says it is an evening dress of brown woolen crepe, floor length, high necked, with a gathered bodice and circular trapunto quilting over each breast. Six rows of gold braid encircle the slim columnar full skirt at regular intervals from the waist down. The bodice is open to the back of the waist and fastens from the waist to the hip with a matching celluloid zipper. No sleeves, but the shoulder is covered by a small gathered cape attached to the neckband. What do you think of my dress?

[Cassidy Zachary]

I love it. I've actually never seen this dress and I feel like it happens a lot with Schiaparelli because there's quite a few of her pieces out there, but I've never seen this.

[April Callahan]

It's quite lovely.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I especially love the bodice. There's a lot going on there.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, yeah. The traprento quilting over the breast really emphasizes that area.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah.

[April Callahan]

In her signature surreal sort of way. So.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And playful, obviously.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. I have been skulking around the recessed corners of every museum in the world pulling Schiaparelli images in preparation for you all. And of course, my ensemble is not done. Would you like to hear about my jewelry that I am wearing today?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Of course.

[April Callahan]

Okay. So keeping this sort of theme, of this columnar theme, this dress kind of has a bit of a Grecian feel to it, perhaps. I am wearing some earrings from 200 BCE from ancient Greece. They're from the Hellenic period and they are about 3 inches long. They're dangles. And their description Says pair of gold earrings. These elaborate earrings consist of a central amphora shaped pendant above and below which discs are attached. I am going to drop those here in the chat for you as well. And the upper disc is the most elaborate. And each of these areas has a garnet set into the amphora and the double circles. And there is a long gold chain draping from the back. But I'm not done yet with my ensemble because no ensemble is complete without bracelets.

[Cassidy Zachary]

No.

[April Callahan]

So from the same time period, I am wearing a pair of bracelets also from Victoria Albert Museum, exact Same time period, 200 BCE. They each weigh about 7 ounces of pure gold. Just saying. And their description reads, these imposing serpentine armbands represent two tritons, male and female, each holding a small winged Eros. And here we are. This is what they look like. Look at those. They are about 10 inches long. Cass.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh my gosh, those are amazing.

[April Callahan]

Dresslessers. Of course we are going to do a social media post so you can see all of these things. And just to be sustainable, as we like to be here on the podcast, I'm also going to be pairing these with a pair of shoes that I have actually fantasy wise worn on the podcast before to a previous holiday party. And these are of course, this beautiful pair of gold leather Andre perugia shoes from 1940. These are from the collection of the museum at FIT. And these are some of his signature shoes which do not have a last. So you have a heel and the ball of the sandal, but it does not have a last. And they are gold. They're like a wedge shape. And that area where the last typically would be is covered in dark pave rhinestones. They're spectacular. And I have worn them before, of course.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So basically, if you don't know what elast is, it's mincing the central part of the shoe, which would have gone under the center part of your foot and it's this beautiful like voided shape.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. Cut out. So I think this is my favorite tis the season outfit yet. But what are your thoughts?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, I think it's spectacular. I especially love those bracelets. I've never seen anything like it. So bravo, April.

[April Callahan]

Thanks. And what about you?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, so I also neck deep in my upcoming fashion history course, what Women Wore to the Revolution, which you've heard us mention many times at this point. But I'm covering the period 1770s to 1840s and this is such an interesting span of time because we start with that severe artificiality of the 18th century. With the corset and the panty supported silhouettes. And then we fast forward into the early 19th century and you have this dramatic and radical transformation. Women really emerge from the revolution wearing these neoclassical high waisted gowns promoting naturalness and freedom. Just so elegant and beautiful. And then the second and third part of my class is spent in the 1820s, 30s and 40s when women's fashion is back to that artificiality. And now my praise of the early 19th century might be hinting at me wearing one of those neoclassical dresses, but I have actually opted for an era that I have admittedly only recently found an appreciation for. April, I've shared the dress with you. I am Wearing a circa 1830 giga gigo sleeve evening gown in the collection of LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It is made of a beautiful silk organza and silk satin with imitation pearl glass beads, and it has this beautiful pale pink sash attached to it. Its most distinctive feature is, of course, those bulbous gigot sleeves, which historically can be supported by anything from whalebone baleen and down filling. I've also seen under pads associated with these evening gowns. So it has a low neckline and these beautiful sleeves. And I particularly love these sleeves because they have this beautiful detailing. It's pleated at the shoulder seam so that you can get that really wide full sleeve. And then it's also embroidered with the most beautiful, I guess, is that ear of wheat at the bottom.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, it looks like a wheat motif.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. And this period, this decade, so the 1820s and 30s, when you have this gigot sleeve, is just such an absolutely wild silhouette, I think, especially to our contemporary eyes. Right. One of the reasons that it is so wild to us today is because a lot of these garments are paired with these equally wild hairstyles. So I will be wearing a hairstyle or I am wearing a hairstyle similar to this lady here. I have a very almost like, what would you say, April? This is a 10 inch high curly bun on top of my head. And then I have these coiled curls at either side of my forehead. So here I am dressed in this beautiful pink gown and I have paired it with the most delicious shoes I have ever seen from a company, a contemporary company. Again, that is new to me.

[April Callahan]

Oh, those are lovely.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, they are beautiful. So again, this is from a company new to me, a contemporary company you can purchase from today. The name is Pavilion Parade. These are billed as Wearable Arts. And the company represents, quote, a unique collaboration between English designer Joanne of Pavilion Parade and South African shoe designer Corinne of Coast and Koi. And they have this selection of one off robes, dresses, shoes and objects. And again, within our sustainability theme and historical fashion theme, they are all made from antique textiles and trims. So it was very hard for me to pick a pair of shoes. I will send you the. Here, let me share the link with you, April, so you can see these delicate masterpieces that you can choose from. They're so lovely. So I settled for this ensemble on the rose bouquet Versailles promondires, which are created From a circa 1850 quote French silk jacquard narrow border panel with pink roses and dull gold garlands on a slightly faded sky blue background. And they're embellished with 19th century embroidered silk appliques and passamentary pom pom tassels and corded braid. They're lovely. And again, such an amazing company. So I'm very proud to be wearing these on my slippered feet.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. And they're kind of like flats that are turquoise and teal. But then the textile itself has pink roses that match your dress. And there's quite a bit of gold metallic on these as well. They're like little slippers that are. Would be appropriate to the time period of your dress.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes. And of course, no outfit is complete without jewelry. And I will be wearing something that might sound familiar to some of you, which is a huge diamond bow brooch and pearl diadem that belonged to Empress Eugenie, and I borrowed it from the Louvre. Let's just say that it's been borrowed from the Louvre and it will be returned.

[April Callahan]

And this is not the one that has gone missing.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Is might have gone missing. I'm not entirely sure. So this brooch contains 4,000 diamonds. I'm just securing it to the front of my bodice. Just a small addition to my ensemble. And then the diadem was made in 1853. It contains 212 pearls and almost 2,000 diamonds. So I came to bling and mix all these different periods as we do. What do you think of my ensemble, April?

[April Callahan]

I think it's beautiful and rather unexpected, I must say. It was not expected in the 1830s from you today. But maybe that's better for the context of our party, because at first I thought you were gonna say you're going 18th century, and I was gonna wonder if there was gonna be room enough for all of us in the room with your robe a la francaise.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I am taking up a little bit of space still, but, yeah, not as much.

[April Callahan]

It's mainly your sleeves. Dress listeners stumped for a gift idea for a certain loved one because you feel like you've exhausted your typical gift list. How about this year you give them the most precious gift of all? Memories of your times together. This is where Skylight Frame comes in.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Skylight Frame is a digital picture frame you can send photos to and they appear in seconds. You can preload a Skylight frame with tons of your favorite pics so when the recipient opens it, the frame is already full of special moments. And I have to say, my family is obsessed with our Skylight Frame. We watch it every day like TV because it's so fun to revisit these precious memories together. And the Skylight Frame is personal, it's meaningful and it's so easy to use that even the least tech savvy person, your family will love it.

[April Callahan]

And Cas, you know I'm not tech savvy, so I really appreciated how Skylight Frames quick one minute setup was super easy for me. You don't need an app or a subscription and if you aren't happy with your frame, you can return it within four months for a full refund, no questions asked.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $20 off their 10 inch frames by going to myskylight.com dressed go to myskylight.com dressed for $20 off your 10 inch framework. That's my S K-Y-L-I G H T.com dressed.

[April Callahan]

Dressed listeners, as you know, we have a pretty big platform about sustainability on the show, so this holiday season we encourage you to seek out ethically produced clothing that your loved ones will cherish wearing for years to come. And that's one of the reasons we love Quint's.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes, 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 stitch, stitching, the fit, the drape. It's elevated, it's timeless, and it's made to wear on repeat.

[April Callahan]

Did we mention Quince does home goods too? I personally love my Quince Turkish cotton bath towels, as you know Cass. So whether you're looking for something for your closet or home, you can feel good about the fact that Quince works directly with ethical top tier factories, so they skip the middlemen and offer prices 50% less than similar brands. So join us. This holiday season you'll find gifts so good you'll want to keep them.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So with Quint, go to quint.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.

[April Callahan]

Okay, dress listeners, we again will post beautiful images of our fantasy ensembles today. But perhaps we should get to the main exercise of our episode today, which is gifting each other gifts. And actually, believe it or not, speaking of the period of Marie Antoinette, the 18th century, my very first gift to you, Cass, ties directly into that, and it was not at all planned. So may I go first?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes, you may.

[April Callahan]

Okay, great. So my very first gift to you is a Marie Antoinette switch. Do you know what this is? And let's just say let's contextualize it. You might not know that term switch, but I have gifted you something similar on these episodes before. It has now become a little bit of a tradition.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I thought a switch was like a horse riding whip, but maybe I'm wrong.

[April Callahan]

That is one term for it. Let me give you a little hint here, because the ad for this says the Marie Antoinette switch, the most beautiful invention for forming any kind of. I'm going to leave this word out front or back within a few minutes with the greatest of ease. Nothing like it, unsurpassed for comfort and durability. Ladies buying one will be taught free of charge how to arrange the same from $6 upward, which at this time, because this is from Harper's Bazaar in December 1, 1877, would have been about from $180 today up. Any further clues? Any guesses?

[Cassidy Zachary]

No. Can you give me another hint?

[April Callahan]

Okay. Another description. Same company, which is Elle Shaw, describes it as no false wig like appearance fastened on the head without a single hairpin.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh, so it's some sort of hairpiece.

[April Callahan]

It's a hairpiece. Because I think I have gifted you fake bangs before from around this same time period. Yeah. And this comes to us again from 1877 from this company here in New York City called L. Shaw, which was located right off Union Square on 14th Street. And apparently at this time, they were one of the biggest hair emporiums in all of New York City. And we have, of course, spoken about this on the podcast before. How many of these elaborate hairstyles of the Gilded Age were not simply just women's own hair, but lots and lots of false hair pieces and additional pieces added? And I just want to say that if you're worried about wearing someone else's hair, some of their other ads let us know that hair can be taken in exchange. So it also seems like they will take your hair and make your hairpiece out of your own hair as well. So false hair hairpieces, extensions were big business in the 19th century. Just saying.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, for sure. And are they just capitalizing on Marie Antoinette's name for the cachet or is there some actual stylistic reference to Marie Antoinette in the switch?

[April Callahan]

Not really at all. Because I'm going to plonk it into the chat so you can see. Not really so much. So, listeners, it's some slightly curly bangs and then like, I don't know, like a three quarter wig that goes down the back that has some waves to it. And ostensibly you would style this up. I'm guessing this is giving you extra volume to do other things with.

[Cassidy Zachary]

It does say the Marie Antoinette wave and she did have curly, wavy hair. So that I suppose is where they are. They are making the comparison. Comparison, yeah.

[April Callahan]

Some ads call it a switch and some call it the wave. So that is your first gift.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Thank you. And that segues fairly nicely into my first gift for you, which is another accessory. And we've established on the show that you do not smoke cigarettes, but that you might do. And we talked about this, I think, a couple episodes ago, do a smoking and fashion episode in the future because the intersections are very fascinating. And so this gift is actually designated for smokers, but it's a multifunctional and something I think you will appreciate not because you smoke, but because of your love for candles.

[April Callahan]

Oh, okay, I'm all ears.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Any guesses as to what that would be?

[April Callahan]

A lighter of some sort?

[Cassidy Zachary]

That is actually a very good guess, but it's not a lighter matchbox. That is an excellent guess. So I am gifting you because I know how much you love Elsa Schiaparelli. These Schiaparelli smoking gloves of rust suede. These are featured in the June 15, 1939 issue of Vogue magazine. And why are these smoking gloves, you may ask, dress listeners? That is because there is a column around the wrist of the glove with all of these little places that you can put your individual matches. And then there is a striking board on the wrist.

[April Callahan]

Oh, my gosh. So like the gloves, let's say you had on knit gloves and the part around the cuff might be ribbed if they were knit. And that's what it looks like here, except they're individual pockets in the sewn in the suede. So you put each match all the way around. These are amazing. And obviously I'm stealing this for my scap Class.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. And I do have to give a shout out to Vicky. Pass. Pass. Dress guest. One of my favorite Instagrams, Visual Sustenance. Because she actually posted these years ago. I saved these years ago to gift to you. And I only just found them again. But she posted these and there was actually, I believe, another Schiaparelli glove as well that had a built in mirror and powder puff on it. So you know Schiaparelli, always thinking of women on the go. So I knew you would appreciate this too.

[April Callahan]

Yes, yes, yes. Speaking of things that are a bit on the surreal tip, your next gift cast comes from 1890, although you might not initially think that this was from 1890. And I am gifting you a pickle.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh my gosh. I almost gave this to you.

[April Callahan]

Dress listeners. This is actually not any pickle. This is one of the most amazing objects to add, which is related to fashion that I have ever seen. This is actually a Faberge pickle, but it is a scent bottle. And we have to say, like in the late 19th century and into the art deco era, these little luxury perfume bottles were extremely popular. They wouldn't come with scent already in them. You would add your own signature scents. But this particular one is about two and a half inches long. It's not terribly long or about six centimeters, but it is made from carved nephrite jade. And then around the little top which opens to reveal the scent inside, there's a gold band with diamonds. And it is the most adorable thing that I've ever seen. This was sold at Christie's, I believe so, some years ago. And one of the last records that I found was that it was sold in 2007, which at that time it was sold for £66,000. And today, adjusted for inflation some 20 years later and into US dollars, that would be about a quarter of a million dollars.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Most expensive pickle in history.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, yeah. And of course, Faberge, the very famous creator of the Faberge eggs. Just smidge about the company's history here. The company was actually founded in 1842, but was later then nationalized in 1917amid the Russian revolution. And at that time it was closed. However, in 2007, the time when this pickle scent bottle was made, Faberge, I did not know this CAS actually was relaunched the brand and now they do jewelry and they have some lovely necklaces that are like miniature Faberge eggs. And of course they are exquisitely expensive. But I had fun pawing around on their website.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, this, I. This came across my feed the other day too. And I was like, oh, this is a great gift, but plenty of gifts for you, including my next gift, which is maybe arguably one of my best gifts ever, I have to say, because it's, as you would say, on the nose and particularly fitting. As I know it is very cold in New York City. April, it just snowed there. It's been snowing there. So to keep you warm this season, I am gifting you this striped wool nose warmer from 1965, first introduced by the Hanover House Mail Order Company in 1965. Keep that schnoozle warm. So it's built as a quote unquote kooky, but practical invention to eliminate the red nose problem in wintry weather. Great for outdoor sports, ice skating, skiing and such on those bitter days. So this is what it perhaps sounds like. It is a nose warmer. It actually looks a bit like a knit hat and a cylinder shape, a pointy one, cylinder shape. It even has a tassel on the nose and it's for your nose to be worn over it and then it is tied around the back of the head. I did a little bit more digging into this April, and this is actually not the only nosewarmer from this period. It was a very short lived fad, especially among college students worn to sporting events. It was also known as a snoot boot. And then another ad that I just quoted, keep that schnoozle warm. Our woolly warmer is a no saver on sleep slopes or in stands when cold winds blows. And the most humorous part of the ad is that it says, fits any size nose. So one size fits all.

[April Callahan]

That kind of makes sense that this might be worn to sports events because dress listeners, the actual knit, like woolly warmer or whatever it's called is striped concentrically. So it's like a rust stripe, a white stripe. A rust stripe, a white stripe. I can see how they would have maybe knitted these in school colors.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So it was a great deal, which was a dollar at the time. I'm not really sure what that would be for inflation. Maybe about $20 today. 15. But the Tassel on the end just kills me. And the best part, dress listeners, is people are still making these and selling them on Etsy. So head on over to Etsy for a frog nose warmer. For a mouse nose warmer and any color you can possibly imagine. Yeah. Yep.

[April Callahan]

Okay.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Okay.

[April Callahan]

Apparently we are now on an entire theme about staying warm. Cass from Ladies home journal in September 1910, I'm going to give you a two part gift. Okay? So your first gift is an animal bath, which they describe as this term applies to baths consisting of milk, bullion, fats, oils, or blood.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So, oh, man.

[April Callahan]

Please note, there is no water involved in said bath. Perhaps why the author of this column, which is a recurring column in Ladies home journal by Dr. Emma E. Walker, entitled Pretty Girl Questions. So she was a female physician at this time, and she wrote this ongoing column in Ladies Home Journal where she would answer beauty questions and different things and dress listeners. You know, I love the etiquette thing. I went down the rabbit hole with this whole column called Pretty Girl Questions. So expect an episode in season nine of some of the strange advice that appears in some of these columns, including a recommendation to read this book, Cass, which you are also being gifted. It is the oldest item that I'm gifting to you because it was published in 1723 by John Smith and it is called Curiosities of Common Water. All right. I found it on the Internet Archive. And for you, I read the 18th century book Curiosities of Common Water, which includes proclamations and statements such as, quote, for though water is counted contemptible drink, yet by beginning to make use of it at about 30 years of age, before which I was often out of order. So this entire book is basically trying to convince people to drink water because we have to remember at this time in the 18th century, especially early 18th century, some natural sources of water had been contaminated, could technically make you sick. And this book was completely wild. He tells this story about going to visit a sick friend. And it was like in July, his friend's wife had shuttered the house and his friend was like sweating to death. And so he opened the windows and he gave his friend some water. And just then the apothecary that she had called walked in and told him not to drink the water and that if he drank the water, he was going to be a, quote, dead man. But the sick friend drank the water. And this made the apothecary so upset that he left and wouldn't treat him right.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Wow.

[April Callahan]

And then immediately his friend got better. He felt better because he got air and water. But also to the strangest thing of this book, I suspect perhaps, and this might be a little bit of a trigger warning here, I suspect perhaps that this author might have had some disordered eating habits because about a quarter of this 88 page book is about making himself vomit over and over again. He says the chief use of water in perceiving health is by using it as a vomit, as before shown. And he goes into this over and over and over in all these scenarios about making himself throw up. So he also recommends eat no suppers. None who have refrained from suppers have ever been found to die in their sleep.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, I mean pre modern medicine era, right? One's understanding of the body and how it worked was very different back then.

[April Callahan]

It is recommended as a cure for many diseases. I will list them off here including smallpox, sciatica, itch, leprosy, pain in the shoulder, scurvy of the mouth, melancholy, dullness of sight, swoonings, and small cuts to the finger. So if you have any of the above, drink some water. According to John Smith.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Well, this actually segues quite nicely into my gift basket for you.

[April Callahan]

Why Am I afraid?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Which has three medicinal and beauty wonders from the 19th and early 20th centuries to keep you healthy and glowing in the new year.

[April Callahan]

Okay, I can't wait.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So I know you don't smoke cigarettes, but did you know if you have asthma, wheezing or cough this winter season? Do I have the answer for you. And that is Joy's cigarettes, which afford immediate relief to all of these symptoms. And according to this ad, and I don't want to put too much stock in this, but they do say that it is universally recommended by the most eminent physicians and medical authors, I'm sure. And they say it's agreeable to use certain in their effects and harmless in their actions. They may be safely smoked by ladies and children.

[April Callahan]

Oh children. Great.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So you are going to get to put your Schiaparelli smoking gloves to use.

[April Callahan]

After all, with my Joy cigarettes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes.

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[April Callahan]

Coca Cola for the big, for the.

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[April Callahan]

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[Cassidy Zachary]

And then I am gifting you Because I love you so much and your health means so much to me. I am gifting you a whole variety of beauty products from Radior Toilet requisites.

[April Callahan]

No do they have radium in them?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes, and they. This ad proudly proclaims that this is the first toilette preparations to embody actual radium, an astonishing new force for betterment. Learn how the amazing energy of radium has proved a boon to human skin. Quote, the tiniest particle of iridium throws off a continuous stream of energy rays, a force a million times more powerful than any other known. These radium rays are particularly valuable in effect upon the human skin, energizing and reviving any living matter with which they come in contact and each and every radier beauty aid. And I have gifted you several. I've gifted you face powder, skin soap, hair tonic, rouge and vanishing cream is all the formula of a famous Parisian specialty. So you can rest assured in that.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, I'm sure the vanishing cream definitely works because I think wearing radioactive cosmetics products would make you vanish.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah.

[April Callahan]

I also read in some various different sources they were using this irradium paint for art objects and decorative art objects. And a lot of the women, young women who would painting these objects by hand would use it as nail polish as well. So their nails would glow.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So this just a little backstory. So Radior. And this ad is from 1919, is one of only several brands that enthusiastically incorporated radioactive radium into their beauty products in the 1930s, 1920s, 30s and so on. But yes, so what you're speaking to is these poor young women became known as radium girls and they would work in these factories and they put like the, the tip of the paintbrush in their mouth to wet it. And so a lot of these girls got really sick and died. So not to make light of that in any way, but it is wild to look back on these historical beauty ads and see what they were offering and selling to women without any scientific evidence. You know, this is the pre testing era before you had to prove that your products were safe. And then, case in point is my final gift in the gift basket to you again, to help you maintain, to maintain your clear, fresh complexion and to keep it, quote, free from blotch, blemish, roughness, coarseness, redness, freckles or pimples. I am gifting you Dr. Campbell's entirely safe arsenic complexion wafers.

[April Callahan]

Nice. So, yeah, the wafers, you just have a little arsenic and it keeps you nice and pale. Ladies, when do these date from?

[Cassidy Zachary]

These date from 1890. And this is an ad which was in Harper's bazaar, sold by HB Fold, 2014 Sixth Avenue, New York City.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, and we see this referred to quite a lot in Some of those etiquette books for beauty practices that I've looked back at in the past. Okay, that's a little frightening. But fear not, dress listeners, because, Cass, my next gift is quite nice. Okay, this is a nice gift. It's not a miss. This is definitely a hit. Are you ready?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes.

[April Callahan]

Okay, I'm dropping it in so you can see. Okay, so remember some time ago I told you that there was this very fabulous jewelry auction that was happening at Julian's Auctions, which basically, Julian's Auctions specializes in Hollywood memorabilia or celebrity memorabilia. And so they were having this massive auction of Hollywood costume jewelry that had been worn by starlets on screen. And I am gifting to you Audrey Hepburn's earrings from Sabrina, which she Wore in the 1954 film, which was nominated for six Oscars. So let me describe them first before I tell you a little bit more why this is very significant. They're described as a pair of gold plate earrings composed of clear gemstones clustered in the shape of flowers with dangling teardropped faux pearls worn by the star Audrey Hepburn in the iconic romantic comedy Sabrina, co starring Humphrey Bogart. So these aren't terribly long. They're described as being an inch and a half. And dress, listeners, these are actually worn in that extremely famous scene in Sabrina where Audrey is wearing that white strapless evening gown, and then it has black lace embellishments all over it. The entire story of the costuming of this film has a little bit of scandal to it because of the six Oscar nominations, the only one that the film actually won was for Best Costume Design, and it went to Edith Head. That being said, we all know of Audrey's ongoing design relationship with Hubert de Givenchy. There was this big scandal over who actually designed the costumes for Sabrina. So it's that white gown, which we know that Givenchy sketched. We have his sketches of it. So it seems like the lay of the land now is that Givenchy conceptualized a lot of these gowns and a lot of the looks in Sabrina. But Edith Head and her studio and her team were the ones that realized his ideas. And so the award went to her and not Givenchy. Not to say that they didn't end up in a huge tiff about it.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, yeah. And I think as a costume designer, she designed not just for Sabrina, the title character, but for the entire film. So Givenchy might have contributed to Audrey Hepburn's look, which arguably is probably the reason she got the Oscar. But that's not the only reason. Right. And I think she Absolutely deserves it for being the costume designer. But the argument is, why did they get the Oscar? Was it for Givenchy's designs or for the whole look? But yeah, yeah.

[April Callahan]

Also, and speaking of designers, we should credit the designer of these earrings as well, because many of the pieces in this auction were by this company, Joseph, with two Fs. So J O S E F F of Hollywood. And I didn't know anything about the history of this company. And because hundreds of these listings were by this company, I looked into it. So the company was launched by Eugene Joseph, who moved to Hollywood in the 1930s. Then he became friends with the noted Hollywood designer Walter Plunkett, who really was renowned for doing historic period films. And then Eugene Joseph ends up becoming this premier designer for costume jewelry for Hollywood films. And one of the reasons why they loved his work so much is because he developed this very specific matte finish that would not reflect under the lights. And so the rhinestone bracelets that Marilyn Monroe wears and how to Wear a Millionaire, he designed those. His work was worn by Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Mae West, Ginger Rogers, Gypsy Rose Lee, Betty Grable, you name it, they were all wearing Joseph of Hollywood. And much of the tradition of Hollywood designers who end up going into fashion. At one point, he launched his retail line, capitalizing on his fame that came from the silver screen. The company during World War II, makes small parts for aeronautics factories. And Joseph very sadly died in a plane crash in 1948 unexpectedly. And his business was taken over by his wife, Joan Castle, who runs both the jewelry design aspect and also the aeronautics factory. And the Joseph of Hollywood line is still in operation today. You can go over to their website joseph with2fshollywood.com and see some of their current offerings and also reproductions of some of these past designs that were worn by Hollywood stars. So your earrings, Cass. Originally the auction estimate on these was 2 to $3,000. Do you want to venture a guess as to what the actual hammer price was? That is when the hammer goes down. What were they sold for?

[Cassidy Zachary]

$15,000.

[April Callahan]

19. $19,000.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah.

[April Callahan]

Thank you.

[Cassidy Zachary]

These actually match my ensemble that I'm wearing today perfectly. And I did not pick earrings. So thank you. Thank you.

[April Callahan]

You can wear them to the party now.

[Cassidy Zachary]

My final gift for you will also complete your outfit because I think it matches quite nicely if you like it. So let me send this to you. So before I do. No tis this season gift giving episode is complete without a gift for our honorary. I don't wanna call her a producer. But guest, she makes repeated appearances. If you listen really closely to our podcast episodes, you will hear Clementine snoring in the background. And so Clementine always gets a gift. If I can remember.

[April Callahan]

Clementine is my French bulldog, by the way.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes.

[April Callahan]

For those who do not know.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And so this gift is not necessarily for her, but it commemorates her. I traveled back in time and commissioned a crystal reverse painted dog ring from the renowned 19th century anomalist William Essex for you. And William actually perfected a technique known as reverse painted intaglio crystal, which is what your ring is made out of. And your ring depicts a portrait of our dear Clementine. And according to one of my new favorite jewelry accounts and businesses, Heart and Serpent, they have a very similar ring and they describe this process as, quote, the reverse of a cabochon rock crystal is carefully hand carved into an elaborate shape and then it's painted, forming a fine three dimensional image. And when you think of it, this is a ring. So this is incredibly small and it's a really realistic portrait of the dog. So what incredible skill. And also just finesse with your hand to be able to paint and miniature like that. And so like this ring that they have, Clem's image is backed with mother of pearl, which gives it a subtle light. So William was really a true artist. So incredibly detailed. Has lovingly depicted your Clem in all her glory in a 15 carat yellow gold mount.

[April Callahan]

Thank you. This is amazing. You know, this actually the first thing that came to mind when I saw this. I've seen some of these reverse cabochon things before, but the first thing that came to mind was this looks like something that you might find when we go to Drou in Paris.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, yeah.

[April Callahan]

And dress listeners, if any of you are not familiar with Drou. Drou is a very historic legendary auction house in Paris, which is now a conglomeration of several different auction houses. But if you were ever there, you can actually go into their facilities every single day. They have multiple auctions every single day. They have multiple sales rooms. But either earlier in the day before the auction starts, or the day before, they will put everything on view for you to go and look at. There's always a ton of jewelry, a ton of watches and things, and just like sublimely fantastic things that end up going for not crazy amounts of money. And you can also bid online, so you can go to D R U O U T and you can check out their offerings online too. But this is not outside the realm of something we would definitely see there.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. And the auction culture in Paris is a little different than say, it is, especially in the US it's very familiar there, like estate sales here. So people will take stuff there regularly to sell an auction and go there regularly to purchase things. So it's really cool.

[April Callahan]

It's stuffy. Yeah, it's not stuffy at all. They encourage anybody to just walk in off the street and check out everything, which they also actually do at Sotheby's and Christie's here in New York City too. But I find her out maybe a smidge more approachable, I would say.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes.

[April Callahan]

Yes, Cass, unless we have more gifts to exchange, I think that wraps up our tis the season. Episode number five fashion history's gifts and Mrs.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes, and as always, it was such a delight, April, going back through history and even pouring through the Internet today to find gifts for each other. It's always so much fun.

[April Callahan]

It's getting more and more challenging.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes, it is. And trust listeners, this is it. This is our final episode of season eight. Thank you all so much for joining us this season. It is always such a gift for us and the real gift is you. And you have been here with us all these years through over 500. This episode I think is 575.

[April Callahan]

575.

[Cassidy Zachary]

What a way to conclude this season. So thank you dress listeners and we hope you have a lovely holiday season and we'll see you next year.

[April Callahan]

That does it for us today. Dress listeners, may you consider how fashion is the gift that keeps on giving next time you get dressed. And again, of course, we're going to post images on our social media platforms this week of all of the things that we have just been speaking about. And if you would like to follow along, you can search the hashtag dressed575. That's dressed575. Please head over to restpodcast on Instagram or Rest podcast without the underscore on Facebook to check out the visual content associated with each week's episodes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Remember, we love hearing from you dress listeners, so if you'd like to write to us, you can do [e-mail] Dresshistory.com is also our website where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter, our in person tours and online fashion history courses. And there you can also check out whatever else we have up our finely tailored sleeves.

[April Callahan]

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 titles.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Limu Emu and Doug. Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[April Callahan]

Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Cut the camera, they see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. Affiliates excludes Massachusetts the.

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[Cassidy Zachary]

Love Dressed but want to skip the ads? We are so excited to now be a part of the Airwave Network and their premium ad free free history subscription Airwave History plus and this is available on Apple Podcasts and the subscription brings you our podcast as well as 27 other popular history podcasts. Ad free for $5.99 per month. More information is available at the link in our bio.

[April Callahan]

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