Tis the Season V: Fashion History’s Gift Hits (and Misses), Part I

Summary

Dressed: The History of Fashion – Episode: “Tis the Season V: Fashion History’s Gift Hits (and Misses), Part I”

Release Date: December 11, 2024
Hosts: April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary
Podcast Description:
With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common: every day, we all get dressed. Join fashion historians April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary in celebrating the who, what, when, and why of what we wear throughout history and around the world.

---

1. Introduction to the Holiday Gift Exchange

The episode opens with April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary welcoming listeners to the fifth edition of their annual holiday gift party, signaling the final episode of Season Seven. They announce a brief hiatus during the holidays due to the demanding twice-weekly schedule, promising a return with a wealth of past episodes and new offerings, including their recently launched fashion history course focused on the 1950s Golden Age of Haute Couture.

Cassidy Zachary emphasizes the excitement of stepping into the holiday spirit, stating, “[...] this is now our last episode of season seven. Can you believe it, April?” (01:05).

2. Announcing the New Fashion History Course and Tours

April highlights the launch of their new two-part course diving deep into the 1950s Haute Couture era, inviting listeners to register and even gift the course to others. Additionally, they tease upcoming New York City day tours and a Paris trip, providing exclusive behind-the-scenes access to historic fashion sites and exhibitions.

April Callahan mentions, “Our class is actually going to be a two parter [...] a deep dive into the period of the 1950s, specifically in haute couture” (02:42).

3. Fantasy Outfits: Historical Elegance Meets Modern Imagination

The heart of the episode revolves around the hosts exchanging fantasy fashion gifts inspired by various historical periods.

• April’s Ensemble:

  • 1937 Meline Vionnet Coat: April describes her choice as a versatile coat worn as a dress, highlighting its sharp flared shoulders and an emerald green enameled button at the collarbone.

    “This coat is all about silhouette and construction.” (04:12)

  • 1900 Knitted Stockings: Pairing her coat with stockings adorned with green sequins and a silver snake motif, sourced from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

    “…all the drama is in the stocking.” (04:44)

  • Martin Margiela’s 2009 Glass Slippers: April adds a touch of modern fantasy with these art-object-inspired slippers, originally part of the Museum at FIT’s Shoe Obsession Show.

    “They are really fantasy because they are actually glass. They’re not meant to be worn.” (04:53)

  • Cartier Panther Collection Jewelry: A stunning watch and panther head earrings from Cartier, connecting to the legacy of Georges Barbier’s illustrations and the 1958 commission by Prince Surudin Aga Khan for Mina Dyer.

    “These spectacular creations, these little works of art.” (06:07)

• Cassidy’s Ensemble:

  • $33 Million Outfit: Cassidy reveals a jaw-dropping ensemble valued at approximately $33 million, featuring historical pieces like a diamond necklace linked to the infamous Diamond Necklace Scandal of Queen Marie Antoinette, which she humorously claims to have anonymously purchased.

    “I purchased them this past weekend from Heritage Auctions. They were just $28 million, buyer’s premium...” (08:58)

  • Charles James’s Green Silk Satin Strapless Ball Gown: Borrowed from the Met Museum, this gown is celebrated as an engineering and sculptural masterpiece with its undulating skirt and vibrant green hue, perfectly complemented by a pair of ruby red Dorothy slippers from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

    “This is a very dramatic gown [...] It's perfect for the holiday spirit.” (10:37)

  • Historical Accessory Insights: Cassidy delves into the evolution of fashion pieces, such as the transition of Nessarose’s slippers in Wicked from silver in literature to red in the film for better visibility in Technicolor.

4. Creative and Quirky Gift Ideas Inspired by Fashion History

Transitioning from outfits, the hosts share unique, historically-inspired gift dishes they plan to bring to their fantasy party:

• April’s Goblin Sandwiches (16:21):
  A quirky recipe inspired by vintage 1970s cookbooks, involving Brazil nuts, deviled ham, avocado, and glazed donuts.

  “We’re now going to have to cut in half 18-quality tested donutes...” (16:21)

• Cassidy’s Modhouse Punch (17:09):
  A nostalgic punch recipe from a 1966 Sprite ad, featuring lime-flavored gelatin, lime juice, frozen limeade concentrate, and Sprite, with an optional addition of vodka for a spirited twist.

  “Mix up a merry old bowl with tart, tingling Sprite.” (16:31)

• April’s Savory Punch (18:31):
  A simple recipe combining chilled ginger ale, lemon juice, and condensed beef broth, served over ice as a savory alternative to Cassidy’s sweet punch.

  “This is more of a savory option as compared to your modhouse punch.” (18:31)

5. Intriguing Gift Exchange Stories and Historical Anecdotes

The hosts delve into fascinating historical stories related to their gift exchanges, emphasizing the intertwining of fashion, trade, and even familial pranks:

• Larry Kunkel and Roy Collette’s 25-Year Moleskin Pants Exchange:
  April recounts a bizarre tradition where two brothers-in-law engaged in an escalating series of creative and increasingly elaborate ways to gift each other a pair of moleskin pants over 25 years. Highlights include stuffing pants into pipes, mounting them in insulated windows filled with concrete, and even encasing them in a 600-pound safe decorated with red and green stripes.

  “This has to be one of the craziest stories I've heard, especially pertaining to fashion.” (20:07)

  Cassidy adds, “If you think that our fantasy fashion history gift exchange is ridiculous, this actually happened.” (27:19)

6. Sponsorships and Advertisements (Skipped)

As per the podcast summary guidelines, advertisements, sponsorship messages, and non-content sections have been omitted to maintain focus on the core content.

7. Teasers for Upcoming Content and Conclusion

April and Cassidy wrap up the episode by teasing upcoming parts of their gift exchange, future episodes, and additional offerings:

• Miniature Corsets and Future Episodes:

  • Cassidy introduces miniature fashion items, including a corset from the Underpinnings Museum’s online collection, highlighting its craftsmanship and historical significance.

    “This is going to be a fascinating mystery.” (40:29)

• Upcoming Season Eight and Tours:

  • Details about their new two-part course, New York City day tours, and a Paris trip are shared, promising in-depth exploration of fashion history and exclusive access to fashion institutions like the Met and FIT.

    “We’re really excited, we're co-teaching it because it's fun.” (45:09)

• Final Thoughts:

  • They encourage listeners to ponder their own fashion history fantasies and invite engagement through their website and future episodes.

    “May you ponder what is your fashion history fantasy next time you get dressed.” (49:46)

---

Notable Quotes:

1. April Callahan:

   • “This coat is all about silhouette and construction.” (04:12)
   • “These spectacular creations, these little works of art.” (06:07)

2. Cassidy Zachary:

   • “I purchased them this past weekend from Heritage Auctions. They were just $28 million...” (08:58)
   • “Mix up a merry old bowl with tart, tingling Sprite.” (16:31)

3. April Callahan on Moleskin Pants Story:

   • “This has to be one of the craziest stories I've heard, especially pertaining to fashion.” (20:07)

4. Cassidy Zachary on Historic Gifts:

   • “If you think that our fantasy fashion history gift exchange is ridiculous, this actually happened.” (27:19)

---

Insights and Conclusions:

• Interconnection of Fashion and History:
  The episode beautifully illustrates how fashion is not just about aesthetics but is deeply intertwined with historical events, trade, politics, and personal relationships. The hosts use their fantasy gift exchange as a lens to explore these connections, bringing to life the stories behind each fashion piece.

• Creativity in Storytelling:
  By blending historical facts with imaginative scenarios, April and Cassidy engage listeners in a captivating narrative that underscores the enduring impact of fashion through the ages.

• Educational and Entertaining Approach:
  The hosts maintain an educational tone while keeping the content light and entertaining, making complex historical information accessible and enjoyable for a diverse audience.

• Community Engagement and Future Plans:
  The announcement of new courses and tours highlights the hosts' commitment to fostering a community of fashion history enthusiasts, offering interactive and immersive experiences beyond the podcast.

---

Join April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary in exploring the rich tapestry of fashion history, where every garment tells a story and every accessory holds a legacy. Whether you're a seasoned fashion aficionado or a curious newcomer, this episode promises a delightful blend of education, entertainment, and imaginative exploration.

Transcript

[April Callahan]

What is Dax, are you tracking all.

[Kristen]

Our cars on Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices? Yes, Kristen, yes, I am.

[April Callahan]

Well, I've been looking for my phone.

[Kristen]

For in Dax's domain we see all. So we always know what our cars are worth.

[Cassidy Zachary]

All of them?

[Kristen]

All of them. Value surge trucks up 3.9%.

[April Callahan]

That's a great offer.

[Kristen]

I know. Sell.

[April Callahan]

Sell.

[Kristen]

Track your car's value with Carvana value Tracker. Today.

[April Callahan]

The history of fashion is a production of dress media. With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day, we all get dressed.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Welcome to Dressed the history of fashion, a podcast that explores the who, what, when of why we wear. We are fashion historians and your hosts.

[April Callahan]

Cassidy Zachary and April Callahan. Dress listeners, welcome.

[Cassidy Zachary]

It is our now annual holiday gift G party. Tis the season fifth edition.

[April Callahan]

Yes. And this is where Cassidy and I exchange fantasy gifts from throughout fashion history. And as we've been doing this the last few years, it's grown into its like own entity where now we also pick out our fantasy outfits. And this year we're actually bringing you a new aspect. We are bringing our fantasy foods, which we will be referring to the quote unquote party.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes. And we always have so much fun with this episode. And actually this year, this is now our last episode of season seven. Can you believe it, April?

[April Callahan]

We're not going anywhere, guys. We're just going to be on hiatus for. For a few weeks, taking a break around the holidays. Because I said this last week, the show's twice a week. This is a ton of work. So we just. We need a little break.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes. And in the meantime, we will of course be re airing some of our favorite past episodes from over 500 past episodes of the show. And then we'll be taking a little break on this hiatus, but we are working on bringing you our now newly launched open for registration fashion history course. The 1950s Golden Age of haute couture is now open for registration. Yeah.

[April Callahan]

And you can register for that as many of you already have. A few dozen of you already [e-mail] and also too, we just want to mention that if you would like to gift this class to someone else for the holidays, we can make that happen too. Shoot us an email about that or go ahead and register for the class and then shoot us an email at hello at Dressed History and just say, hey, I purchased this, but I would like this to go to X, Y and Z and we'll take care of everything from there.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, and we'll even Send you a little nice PDF gift card if you want to share that as well.

[April Callahan]

Yep.

[Cassidy Zachary]

All right. April, I am so excited to step into the annual Dressed Holiday party, and I am dying to know what you are wearing.

[April Callahan]

Oh, this year I'm actually going to be wearing, at the time was a coat, but I'm going to be wearing it as a dress this year. And it is from 1937. It is a coat by Meline Vionnet. It is in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the ngv. And it is all black. It's made from black cotton and wool. And it has these as you can. This is the 1930s, right? Has these really sharply flared shoulders, and it has a kind of high velvet asymmetrical neckline. And that velvet asymmetrical panel continues down the center front of the coat. And then it also has these wide turned back cuffs of velvet. And the only embellishment on this entire black coat is this kind of square metal button right at the collarbone, like closing the collar. And it is enameled in the most amazing emerald green. And that really, this coat is all about silhouette and construction. And I'm wearing this as a dress because the length of it is very important because of what I'm pairing with my ensemble. Okay, Are you ready for this?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes.

[April Callahan]

So you need to be able to see my legs in this ensemble because I'm pairing it with a pair of stockings circa 1900, which are in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. And the museum describes them as thus, quote, a pair of black knitted stockings embroidered with green sequins and green and gold beads, decorated with a winding silver snake that curls twice around the lower leg and whose head rests on the fore part of the foot.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So we gotta keep.

[April Callahan]

We gotta keep the dress simple because all the drama is in the stocking. Okay. Do you want me to go on or.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, keep going.

[April Callahan]

Fully paint the picture of the ensemble. Okay, Full ensemble. And the next bit is purely because this is an exercise in fantasy dressing, obviously we'll never really wear these things. So I'm going to be showcasing these amazing pieces of fashion history from 1900 by pairing them with Martin Margiela's 2009 glass slippers. And one of these glass slippers was part of the Museum at FIT's Shoe Obsession Show a few years ago. And these are really fantasy because they are actually glass. They're not meant to be worn. They're more of an art object. But you could actually buy them at the time when they were available, they were like $1,300 per shoe. So I think they're kind of more meant to sit on your shelf or be bookends or something like that. But in my mind, hey, we're going to go there. All right. But the jewelry, this is where some extravagance comes in. It still has to be simple. So I'm only going to be wearing a watch and some earrings. They are, however, by Cartier. And my watch selection cast, believe it or not, has something to do as I started looking into the history of this watch, has something to do directly linking it to the work of Georges Barbier.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah.

[April Callahan]

Do you want to tell people, our listeners, who Georges Barbier was, in case they do not know?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Georges Barbier is one of the most important fashion illustrators in history. He is one of the fathers, so called fathers of modern fashion illustration at the dawn of the 20th century. So really moving fashion illustration beyond kind of line for line renderings that were meant to sell an exact rendering of a dress. And he brought really the art into fashion illustration, the storytelling, and he happened to work for Cartier, as I'm sure you're about to share with our listeners.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, yes, yes, of course. Also, we have researched Barbier extensively because we covered him in our book Fashion and the Art of Pochoir. And you'll see many Barbier illustrations in that. But both my watch and the earrings that I'm going to wear are from Cartier's ongoing Panther or Panther collection, which according to Cartier's own history, this now legendary Panthere collection originated in 1914 when Louis Cartier commissioned Georges Barbier to create this illustration of a very fashionable lady all decked out in jewels and she was posing with a panther. And this was supposed to be used as an invitation for a jewelry exhibition, which was likely where Cartier's first panther creation debuted in the form of this watch. And it is an extravagant, I would call it like early art deco specimen. It's rendered in onyx and diamonds that are creating like the, like these speckled Y spots. This watch is amazing. We'll obviously post images of it. It's swoon worthy. So I'm going to be wearing this on my wrist and then we're going to Fast forward about 44 years and I'm going to be pairing this watch, this original Panthere watch, with a pair of panther head earrings that are made from diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. So these spectacular creations, these little works of art. These earrings were actually commissioned by Prince Surudin Aga Khan in 1958, most likely for his new bride, his first wife, the fashion model and socialite Mina Dyer, who he would go on to shower with Cartier creations for the rest of their relatively short five year long marriage. But we know that he commissioned many Cartier pieces. We know he commissioned these earrings. It was a few months after their wedding, so I'm definitely saying it's probably for her. So that's it. That's my look.

[Cassidy Zachary]

That's it, yeah. And dress listeners, I, I think April and I have to make reels of these fashion fantasy outfits, so expect those later this week. And speaking of extravagant jewelry and fantasy fashion, I'm just going to say that my outfit is valued at about $33 million, give or take.

[April Callahan]

You really went all out this year, Cass. Please tell us all about it. We were all waiting with Beta Breath.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So you will remember, dress listeners, from our very recent fashion history, now that a diamond necklace associated with the affair of the diamond necklace scandal that irreparably stained Queen Marie Antoinette's reputation and the latter half of the 18th century. This a necklace that is believed to have been comprised of the diamonds that were a part of that necklace just sold at Sotheby's for a whopping $4.5 million. And in that episode, we talked about how it was purchased anonymously. But I do think it's time to share with you all dressed listeners that the identity of that anonymous buyer was me.

[April Callahan]

Fantastic. Can't wait to see it and borrow it next time we see each other.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So that is what jewelry I will be wearing. And that jewelry, as you might remember, it's a choker style necklace. It has two pronounced diamond tassels and it's comprised of 300 carats of 500 diamonds. So just a little something for the holidays. So in celebration of our recently announced course on the golden age of haute couture, I thought it only fitting that I wear one of the creations from this 1950s Golden Age of design by one of the supreme fashion artists of that period, who, while not technically an haute couturier, very much worked within the haute couture tradition with the made to order model, the same level of skill and detail. An American designer, Norman Norell, based in Chicago.

[April Callahan]

Oh, obviously it's Charles James, I guess.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Based in New York from Chicago, worked in both places.

[April Callahan]

A little bit of both, yes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I will be wearing Charles James's green silk satin strapless ball gown from 1954. It's currently in the collection of the Met Museum. They've let Me borrow it for this party, wearing it now as we record and as the object information tells us, quote, James designed this dramatic gown a year after his Four Leaf Clover ball gown, which is the huge ball gown. And as the Met caption describes it, this was an engineering and sculptural masterpiece that featured an undulating four lobed skirt flounce there. They described it much better than I just attempted to. And in this dress, he has spiraled an equally sculptural flounce around the body from upper hip to hip to him, not unlike the spiraling skirt of the brown taffeta cocktail dress. So he achieved a structure whose form changes from every vantage point. Again, we will post pictures because it's such a stunning, beautifully stunning dress, but also just this feat of craftsmanship and construction. It's this vibrant green. It's perfect for the holiday spirit. And because it is for the holiday and for Christmas, it was also only fitting that I pair it with red shoes, which is where we get.

[April Callahan]

You are going to say that.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Which is where we get the $33 million outfit. Do you know where I'm going with this, Avery?

[April Callahan]

I do. Because of Wicked. You're going to borrow the Dorothy shoes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I actually purchased them this past weekend from Heritage Auctions. They were just $28 million, buyer's premium, I think brought it up to $32 million. But yes, another pair of Dorothy's ruby red slippers that were actually worn by actress Judy Garland, of course, in the 1939 film wizard of Oz. And a number of these have come up for auction over the years. Some of them weren't necessarily worn or they were worn by her or they were worn for promotional purposes. But the. I read an article at the BBC and they said, quote, the auctioneers called the slippers the holy grail of Hollywood memorabilia and said their selling price made them the most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold at auction. And.

[April Callahan]

And we had talked about these slippers before on the podcast in detail, like a little bit of a history of them.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, I was gonna say we've now at this point done multiple episodes on wizard of Oz. We did just of course, recently interviewed Paul Tazewell, the costume designer for Wicked. But we also did an episode on the Wiz Broadway show 1974. And then we talked about Dorothy's legendary red ruby slippers on our two part episode on the movie's costume designer, Adrienne, costume designer turned fashion designer. And as many of you probably have noticed in Wicked, and there's been a lot of comment about this Because Nessarose's slippers are silver in the film. The slippers originally were silver in the Frank baum books from 1900, but turned red in the 1939 film so as to show up better in Technicolor on the big screen. So now they will be on my feet underneath this beautiful green dress topped with my. Marie Antoinette.

[April Callahan]

Antoinette's necklace. Yeah. Sounds spectacular. What will you be doing with your hair, just out of curiosity?

[Cassidy Zachary]

My hair will just be swept up in a low bun, I think, so as to best show off the jewels.

[April Callahan]

Yes, the jewels.

[Cassidy Zachary]

What about you?

[April Callahan]

Yeah, I think I would probably have mine up high on my head in like, a messy fashion just because of that high collar of the coat. It really needs. You need to show your jawline and you need to show the neckline and the silhouette. No hair on the shoulders because the shoulders of that silhouette are so spectacular.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah.

[April Callahan]

Yes. Okay. Firstly, we both got the green note. So I'm. I have the emerald button and all the green on my tights and all over in my jewelry. This actually pulls through, and I did not mean it to. Into one of the dishes. One of the two dishes that I will be bringing to the party. Like to hear about it?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes. And actually it also pulls through to mine, so you go first.

[April Callahan]

Okay, fantastic. Have you ever heard of Goblin sandwiches?

[Cassidy Zachary]

I have not.

[April Callahan]

Okay. I am a big fan of following vintage cookbooks and all of those Instagram accounts that have all the vintage recipes in them, especially the ones from the 1970s that are completely crazy. And Goblin sandwiches. As a gift to you, our listeners, I'm going to share with you exactly how you prepare Goblin sandwiches. First, you're going to begin by removing the shells from about 1 cup of Brazil nuts. You're going to toast them in a quote unquote moderate oven, whatever that means, for about 15 minutes. You're going to let them cool. You're going to crush them with a rolling pin. And then with these crushed Brazil nuts, you're going to mix one can of deviled ham and the pulp of an avocado pear, as the recipe calls for. I wasn't exactly sure what an avocado pear was. Is it an avocado? Is it a pear? Is it some sort of, like, Franken fruit that I was not aware of? Yeah, no, it's just an avocado. I think it's like a term that they used to use in the past. So we have Brazil nuts, can of deviled ham, avocado. Next, we're gonna season this deviled ham and avocado nut mixture heavily, as the recipe says, with Worcestershire sauce. But wait, it gets better. This is not a dip, actually. This is a filling. Because we are now going to have to cut in half 18 quote tested quality donuts and spread half of the filling onto half of the donut and cover with the second half of the donut.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh, wow.

[April Callahan]

I'm assuming that these are glazed donuts too. In the back of my mind they are. I don't know what's going on here, but I'm bringing it to the party and we're gonna find out.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I am just bringing one dish and actually, technically it's not a dish. It is a punch. It's called the Modhouse Punch. And it comes to us thanks to the December 16, 1966 issue of Life magazine. And it's actually from an ad for Sprite. So mix up a merry old bowl with tart, tingling Sprite. Add just the right note to the festivities. Sprite, exuberant, switched on, noisy. Nothing you've heard before. Look for five easy to mix holiday punch recipes, free in cartons of Sprite. So tart and tingling, we just couldn't keep it quiet.

[April Callahan]

Wow. What are the other ingredients in this punch?

[Cassidy Zachary]

So it says, here's a punch that comes in loud and clear. And the ingredients are 16 ounce package lime flavored gelatin, 2 cups hot water, 1/2 to 1 cup bottled lime juice, 212 ounce cans of frozen concentrate for limeade, 910 ounce bottles of Sprite, 1 teaspoon almond extract. Then you dissolve the gelatin in the hot water. You stir in frozen concentrate for limeade, add lime juice and then you pour it into a bowl of a cracked ice and add your Sprite. And if you like a little more spirit.

[April Callahan]

I'm not that bad.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I didn't notice this before. If you like a little more spirit, add a fifth of vodka. There are so many alcohol ads and Life magazine. By the way, I actually intentionally didn't do an alcoholic beverage. So that's really funny that's in there. But I thought it was really interesting that they're promoting Sprite in this way because we're so familiar with Sprite today and. But it was a really recent product to the US in 1966. It was actually created in West Germany in 1959 and introduced to the US market in 1961. So just five years previous. And it was intended as a competitor to 7up. So there's your little Sprite fashion history lesson with my Modhouse Punch dish.

[April Callahan]

Modhouse Punch dish Punch I also am bringing a punch, if I may. Okay. It's very simple. Anyone can do this. I would say this is more of a savory option as compared to your modhouse punch. First of all, 1 cup chilled ginger ale. You're gonna mix that with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and then you're going to add two cans of condensed beef broth and serve it over ice. You guys just see, get a look on Cassidy's face right now.

[Cassidy Zachary]

You can't see.

[April Callahan]

I don't think I've ever seen you look like that.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Please forgive. Yeah, we're both. Yeah, there's gelatin in mine and beef broth in yours. Who knew that meat punches was such a thing? No, thank you.

[April Callahan]

And now everyone has officially exited our party. No one wants to stay.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Please do dress listeners, because it's just getting started. Oh yes. We are about to enter our gift giving part of the party, which is our favorite, where April and I try to one up each other. I guess I would say we do. We try to find the most outrageous or fun gifts in the history of fashion. Sometimes I at least repeat gifts that I've already given you. I tried really hard not to do that this year. But before we get. Yes, but before we get into our gift giving section of the podcast, you have a story, April, you want to share with us about a particularly fun gift giving decade long history tradition from one particular family.

[April Callahan]

Yes. So while I was just like poking about on the Internet and thinking about like the history of strange gifts that had been given between friends and family, et cetera, I ran across this story and there's little bits of it that appear for decades. There's articles in the Chicago Tribune, there's some things in the Associated Press, there's things in the New York Times, but ultimately I found this article from the Florida Times Union from 2014 and it's entitled Fact Check. Back and forth went the moleskin pants for 25 years. So, you guys, this has to be one of the craziest stories I've heard, especially pertaining to fashion, but I had to distill this down for you. So essentially there in 1964, this gentleman named Larry Kunkel, his mom gave him a pair of moleskin pants for Christmas and he wore them a couple times, but he didn't like them because he, he lived in a really cold climate and they would get very stiff. So the next year, as a joke, he wrapped them up and sent them to his brother in law, whose name is Roy Collette. And cut forward these two brother in laws for the next 25 years centered this pair of pants at their like ongoing practical jokes on each other every single Christmas, re gifting them to each other back and forth. And it became ridiculous. So it wasn't just that they were sending them back and forth. They were like, they started this contest where they would disguise or package these pants in a certain way and the other one had to get it out in order to re gift them the following year. And as the years go on, it gets more and more bizarre. So Cass, do you maybe want to read a couple of these scenarios of what they were doing to each other?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. So the article says that this kind of back and forth went routinely for a, for a couple years, until one year Colette decided to twist the pants tightly and stuff them into a three foot long, one inch wide pipe. And then this is when the game began. And as April said, they, they continuously devised these more and more outrageous ways to wrap and gift these pants. Colette told the United Press International 1985 that their wrapping efforts had to be morally, legally and spiritually correct. Plus they agreed not to spend any money. Packaging expenses had to be low and after a while the wrapping was usually donated. In addition, the men decided if opening the packaging damaged the pants, the contest would end. So you can pick up from there, April? Yeah.

[April Callahan]

So this just gets, it goes off the rails completely. Like a few years in, Kunko had the pants mounted inside an insulated window that had a 20 year guarantee and then shipped them back to Colette. Colette then apparently broke the glass of the window, got the pants out, stuffed them into a 5 inch coffee can. He soldered that shut and then put that soldered shut can in a five gallon container filled with concrete and reinforcing rods and then spin it back.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And then a 225 pound homemade steel ashtray made from 8 inch casings and etched with Colette's name was Kunkle's next extravaganza. And Colette had trouble retrieving the pants, but he was able to find them without burning them with a cutting torch.

[April Callahan]

Okay, now this has been going on so long they're starting to get family members and even each other's co workers involved in this whole shenanigans. The article goes on to say Colette was not to be outdone. He found a 600 pound safe and hauled it to Veracon Inc. In Owatonna, Minnesota where the shipping department redecorated it with red and green stripes, put the pants inside, they welded the safe shut and Then the safe was shipped to Kunkel, who was the plant manager for Viracon's office in Illinois. So basically Colette got the Minnesota office of his brother in law's company in on this whole thing.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh my gosh. And then other efforts to wrap the pants. According to snopes.com was a green three foot cube that was once a 1974 Gremlin. What's a Gremlin?

[April Callahan]

It's a car that does not exist anymore.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Note attached to the 2,000pound scrunch car advised Colette that the pants were inside glove compartment. How did they get that to him?

[April Callahan]

Exactly. I have a feeling that both of these gentlemen worked in industries. Yeah, industrial industries, manufacturing it seems. Yeah. Fast forward to 1982. Kunkel had to retrieve the pants from a tire 8ft high and 2ft wide filled with 6,000 pounds of concrete. And on the outside Colette had written, have a good year. As in the tire firms.

[Cassidy Zachary]

In 1983, the pans came back to Collette in a 17 and a half foot red rocket ship filled with concrete weighing six tons. And inside the rocket were 15 concrete filled canisters, one of which contained the pants.

[April Callahan]

Colette's answer back then for the rocket ship was a four ton Rubik's cube. Obviously the height of the Rubik's Cube. What that I guess trend in 1985. And the cube was made of concrete and covered with lumber.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Kunkel then filled a station wagon with 170 steel generators all welded together. Because the pants had to be retrieved undamaged, Colette had to carefully take apart each component.

[April Callahan]

However, by 1989, remember, one of the caveats is this. The the pants have to be unharmed. Right? 1989, this all came to a screeching halt because Colette wanted to put the pants in 10,000 pounds of broken glass that was going to be deposited on Kunkel's front yard. The pants were shipped to a friend in Tennessee who managed a glass manufacturing company. And while the molten glass was being poured over an insulated container that held the pants, a chunk of that container fractured and transformed the pants apparently into a pile of ashes. According to snopes.com and what happened next, Cass?

[Cassidy Zachary]

The ashes were put into a brass urn and delivered to Kunkel with the epitaph, sorry old man, here lies the pants. An attempt to cast the pants in glass brought about the demise of the pants at last.

[April Callahan]

And the article goes on to say, and it wraps up saying Kunkle now keeps the urn with the ashes of the pants on his fireplace mantel. So if you guys think that our fantasy fashion history gift exchange is ridiculous, this actually happened. And Cass, we should also probably say that you didn't actually buy the Marie Antoinette necklace just in case somebody thought that you were being serious about this. We did not purchase any of these things. This is just our little game.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh my gosh, that's hilarious. Yeah, I think I hopefully we've made that very clear. But in my world, I did purchase that, so let's just leave it at that. Okay, dress listeners, we are going to get to our promised gift exchange when we return from a brief sponsor break.

[April Callahan]

Today's episode is sponsored by Acorns Dress listeners, the new year is upon us and with the annual refresh of our calendars, so too comes our personal list of New Year's resolutions. And if you're anything like me, every year that includes contributing more to my investment and savings accounts. But as the months go by and expenses arise and opportunities appear, I don't always meet my savings goals.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Which is why we want to remind you about Acorns. You've heard us mention Acorns before because they make it easy to start automatically saving and investing so your money has a chance to grow for you, your kids and your retirement.

[April Callahan]

You don't need to be an expert. Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that fits you and your money goals. You also don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you invest with the spare money you've got now. You can start with $5 or even just your spare change.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Financial wellness is not impossible. Acorns gives you small, simple steps to get you and your money a chance to grow and keep you on track with your savings and investment goals. Head to acorns.com dressed or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today.

[April Callahan]

Hate non Client Endorsement Compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns Tier 1 compensation provided investing involves risk. Acorns Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered investment advisor. View important [e-mail] dressed menopause perimenopause these can be some of the most uncomfortable phases of a woman's life. If you find yourself in either of these, well, Hormone Harmony is here for you. Hormone Harmony capsules contain science backed herbal extracts called Adaptogens. Now here's the beauty about Adaptogens. They help the body adapt to any stressors like chaotic hormonal changes that happen naturally throughout a woman's life.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Happy Mammoth, the company that created Hormone Harmony, is dedicated to making women's lives easier. And that means using only science backed ingredients that have been proven to work for women. They make no compromise when it comes to quality and it really shows.

[April Callahan]

And get this hormone harmony isn't just for menopause. Any woman with symptoms of hormonal imbalances can take it. But it is perfect for those horrible menopause symptoms that put a woman's life on hold.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And for a limited time, you can get 15% off your entire first order@happy mammoth.com just use the code dressed at checkout. That's happymammoth.com and use the code dressed for 15% off today. Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet?

[April Callahan]

Yeah, sold it to Carvana.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh, I thought you were selling to.

[April Callahan]

That guy, the guy who wanted to pay me in foreign currency, no interest over 36 months. Yeah, no. Carvana gave me an offer in minutes, picked it up and paid me on the spot. It was so convenient.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Just like that.

[April Callahan]

Yep.

[Cassidy Zachary]

No hassle.

[April Callahan]

None.

[Cassidy Zachary]

That is super convenient. Convenient.

[April Callahan]

Sell your car to Carvana and swap hassle. For convenience. Pickup fees may apply. Welcome back dress listeners. We are now of course launching into our long awaited portion of our gift exchange. Cass, can I give you your gift first? Would you like to receive the first gift?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes. I'm so excited.

[April Callahan]

So I'm going this year in chronological order just because that seems to make sense. And this item, I actually bookmark things as I see them all year long gift exchange. Months ago I saved this post by the Instagram account at the fashionable exhibit. I don't even know who runs this account. It's a fabulous account, so please take it as a recommendation from us. And I even asked around in the New York fashion historian community. Hey guys, who runs this account? Because it seems like everybody, all of us, follow them. We don't know who you are, so if you're out there, please identify yourself so we can give you props for all of your amazing work. But back in February, this account hosted a work, or I should say works, which were on view at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. And these were actually on loan to this exhibition called Color Victorian Art, Fashion and Design. And some of our listeners will recall that we did an episode earlier this year in early 2024 called Fashion Bads from History. Live on or Leave it to the Past. And in this episode, one of the things that we spoke about was living jewelry and how in the late 19th and early 20th century there was this fad of wearing live chameleons and even Live beetles as brooches? No, Cass, I would never dare offer you a live animal as a gift for jewelry. But your first gift is a little bit tangential to this.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Okay.

[April Callahan]

It is a pago, which is the French word for set, and a necklace, earrings, and tiara, which are in the collection of the British Museum. And I just want to say, before I even delved into the history of this particular object, I had already picked it out as one of your gifts. So that this whole history, part of it came after the fact. But I'm going to describe it first. Okay. The set dates to 1884, and the catalog entry describes it as, quote, a parure of a tiara necklace and earrings formed of dried South American weevils with iridescent green wing cases mounted in gold with Egyptian taste, with lotus motifs on the necklace and earrings. The lotuses are interspersed with tiny gold rods ending in black enamel beads. So this is not iridescent beetle jewelry. It's iridescent weeble jewelry. And this is even more rare in the history of jewelry. And these weevils were native to Brazil, which was a former Portuguese colony. Okay. This is where the history bit comes in.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So we've all bugs, by the way.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, they look a lot like beetles or these. These. Again, we will post images of these, of these objects. So what I found out, once I figured out that it actually belonged to the British Museum and started poking around on that end, they had this incredible history of this set. So this set once belonged to Lady Granville, and her husband was the second Earl of Granville, and he was the British Foreign Secretary during, like the 1870s and the 1880s. So how this necklace came into being was a result of the Earl of Granville negotiating a trade treaty with the Ambassador of Portugal. And what this trade treaty had to do with was it had to do with the Congo river and the British rights to navigate and access the Congo river for reasons of trade. And once this whole deal was all complete, the Portuguese ambassador apparently was a tradition there. He wanted to give a gift of jewelry to Lady Granville, but the Earl of Granville thought that this might be seen as a bribe of sorts. So he said no to the jewelry, but he said yes to the weevils. So these very, very rare Brazilian weevils were sent to them in the UK and the Earl of Granville paid for them to be turned into this power, the jewelry set. And he selected these London based jewelers, Phillips Brothers and Sons in 1884. So what's really interesting is I could go on for another 15 minutes about this. But this jewelry, and we always talk about this on the show, how you cannot disconnect fashion from trade and politics. But this set of jewelry, really, at its epicenter is a story about colonization and trade. And also when this deal between Portugal and the British Empire happened, it also dictated who could and could not access these inner regions of Africa via the Congo River. And this set of jewelry is actually the manifestation and evidence of that deal.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Wow. That is super fascinating. And that is not at all.

[April Callahan]

And it's yours now.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Thank you. I suppose I can take off my $4.5 million diamond necklace and put this on because it does match my dress. Yeah, yeah.

[April Callahan]

You have two looks.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Two look. So this year, all of my gifts for you are actually going to be accompanied by a rhyme. Ooh. And that is thanks to an article in Ladies home journal from December 1920, which says that an appropriate bit of verse on a card that accompanies a Christmas gift will add a touch of originality that will make even the simplest present more valuable in the eye of the recipient. So you'll have to tell me if you think that's true.

[April Callahan]

Okay.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So my first rhyme is. X is for Xmas, Christmas, best day of the year. M is for merriment, ringing so clear. A is for all that is jolly and pleasant. S is for Santa who brings you this present.

[April Callahan]

Did you write these rhymes?

[Cassidy Zachary]

No. No. These are all from. These are all from 1920s Ladies Home Journal. Yeah. Well, so last year, as you, I'm sure you remember, I gifted you 18th century beauty spots. And this year, for your face. And this year, I am gifting you a beaded patch box to put them in.

[April Callahan]

Oh, fantastic. I'm thrilled.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And this is a gift also coming to us thanks to a recent social media post on Instagram by Cora Ginsburg, which, as you know, April is a purveyor of fine and rare fashion and textiles. They've actually been around since 1949 in grad school. I'm sure you went there too, in grad school. That was one of my most memorable visits. We spent the afternoon at their New York office in their collection, and they just have the most exceptional museum quality pieces that are just so special, you really can't get them anywhere else. So.

[April Callahan]

And they do such a great job of researching them. Yes. Because many, many, many a graduate student fashion historian has interned at Corey Ginsb.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes. So follow them immediately. Just for great fashion and textile and dress history content. But they are currently doing a 12 Days of Christmas Advent calendar on their Instagram and this Patch box that I'm gifting you was on day one. It is a rare beadwork patch box from the 1770s and 80s, and it's adorned with this charming beaded portrait of a fashionable young woman. She has these blonde curls and then this black hat adorned with flowers. And as the Instagram post reads, for day one of the 12 days, we present a rare beadwork patch box from the 1770s or 80s. What's a patch box? This was a tiny container that held faux beauty marks or patches worn on the face. Patches were sometimes used to cover blemishes or skin problems, but they were also worn to convey romantic messages or even political leanings all across Europe and Latin America. Maybe we should do an episode on that. They could be out of cut paper or gummed silk, which I find so charming. And it continues. The boxes that held patches were made using a variety of materials, including metal, porcelain, and ivory. Beadwork versions like this one were especially popular in France. And this is the part I love most about this April. So they describe the box. It's the top of the box features a lady, possibly in the costume of a shepherdess, and the sides feature an amorous inscription, which I just think is so sweet, which suggests it could have been a gift to a beloved. Description may read as follows. And excuse my French, I will translate it. Je c'est tout est je ne dit rien Et le tempresse, je d'et le bien. I know all and I say nothing and the tenderness I speak of it.

[April Callahan]

Well, that's so sweet. I love it. Can't wait to put all my patches in it. Also, too.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Fun fact.

[April Callahan]

Sometimes I made patches out of, like, leather. And particularly as I just referenced these moleskin pants, they made them out of moleskin, too, which is why those are called moles that we have on our face.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Ooh, fun fact. Yeah, maybe. Maybe put that on the list for season eight. I think that could be a really fascinating mystery.

[April Callahan]

Mystery type thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Apparently, we're keeping annual traditions going this year because your next gift has now also become an annual tradition. Dress listeners, if you listen to the show regularly, you know that Cassidy loves miniature things. So much so that she actually just sent me a text message, I don't know, like, two, three days ago. Oh, no, it was an Instagram post. And it was just someone's post about these tiny little miniature books. And she was like, I think I might have to start collecting miniature books.

[Cassidy Zachary]

No, I am. Like, I was on the Internet Researching.

[April Callahan]

And we're not.

[Cassidy Zachary]

It's not even just a miniature book. These were like micro miniature books, guys. Less than a quarter of an inch in width and then maybe an inch long. Okay, I digress.

[April Callahan]

But they actually have pages. Yes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And they're illustrated.

[April Callahan]

It's actually a book.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. Okay. So now annually, one of your gifts has to be a miniature something. Last year, they were miniature sewing kits and little linen trousseaus that were created for dollhouses. Depending on what year said dollhouses were from, perhaps they might have needed also one of this year's gifts as well, which is a miniature corset.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh.

[April Callahan]

And I have just. I discovered this miniature corset in the Underpinning Museum's collection. It is an online museum which features historic undergarments. We have talked about the Underpinnings museum on the show before. It is a project of the lingerie designer Carolina Lakowska. And according to the catalog entry on the Underpinning Museum. And we just want to say this is an online museum. A lot of it is Carolina's own collection. But the museum only exists online. You can't go to it physically. But the catalog entry for this reads, the garment is crafted from sturdy cotton coutil and is decorated with a contrasting red silk frame. Fur embroidery anglaise machine, embroidered trims at the neckline and hip edges. And if for any of you who are wondering what is silk fur? It's actually silk. It's not fur, but it's. They. They've rubbed the edges and made it fuzzy, if that makes any sense. They've teased out some of the strings to make it fuzzy. The entry goes on. The metal busk fastening is stamped DB Likely an abbreviation of the original brand's name. The garment is structured with a mix of baleen, which is whale bone and flat steel bones. Metal eyelets at the center back are laced with a contrasting red cotton lacing. Hand stitched flossing embroidery is applied to a number of the bone channels, a decorative method of securing the bones in place and reducing the wear and tear. We don't know exactly the size on this because it's not given, but the most interesting part about this is that it is thought to have been a salesman's sample. And it definitely dates to, like, the 1880s because we know this because of the silhouette. So if this traveling salesman was traveling around trying to sell his wares in the 1880s, it might have been easier for him to carry miniature versions of his corsets than a whole collection of full size Corsets.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So, and I googled this immediately and I'm looking at it.

[April Callahan]

Miniature collection. Yes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And I'm looking it up because it's fantastic. And there is actually a tape measure next to it. It's 10 inches high.

[April Callahan]

Oh, 10 inches. Okay, great. Why did I not notice that?

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh, it's okay. It's absolutely lovely. And also reminds me of an episode I am working on at least one of probably multiple episodes for season eight, which is on corset myth busting, because I recently posted a reel on Instagram that's gotten a lot of attention and there is so much misinformation being spread in the comments. It's wild to me. I was not expecting it. And so this is perfectly on theme with where my mind's been lately, because I've just been researching all these things about what people think they know about corsets, including myself. So expect that coming your way in season eight, trust listeners. And actually, April, as you anticipated, we are at the end of part one of this episode because we each have four more gifts to give to each other. So this gift giving episode is the gift that keeps giving to you dress listers. So this will we're the part two, not be our last episode of season seven, but close. So coming your way Friday, we will bring you part two, which will be our conclusion of season seven of Dressed. But in the meantime, head on over to dresstissue.com and sign up for our new class. We're so excited. Do you want to talk a little bit more about it?

[April Callahan]

Yeah. So it's this class is actually going to be a two parter. Our other classes that we have offered have been a four parter. This is just going to be a two parter, which is going to be a deep dive into the period of the 1950s, specifically in haute couture. We're not going to be talking about ready to wear, per se. It may filter in here and there in the context of haute couture, but we're really going to get into what is haute couture. What does that even mean? What was the structure of a couture house? You're going to get to meet not only the designers, but a lot of these other influential people, like fashion editors, models, some of the style icons of the day. And those sessions will be about an hour and a half long. 60 minutes of that will be the lecture portion. And then we have allotted 30 minutes for questions and answers and just general socializing with whoever would like to join our class. Yeah.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And this is something April and I, a topic April and I have long researched. So we thought it'd be fun to bring to you. It's also just going to be an incredibly gorgeous class.

[April Callahan]

Gorgeous.

[Cassidy Zachary]

It's going to be so, so beautiful. So many images coming your way, so many stories from behind the scenes of this period. And probably. And we're hoping too that you're going to come away learning a lot about things that you maybe thought you knew but didn't. Right. I think one of the main myths busting things that will happen are not necessarily myth busting things, but the legend of Christian Dior. Right. There's all of these things we think we know of Dior and the new look, but we're going to turn that not necessarily on its head, but look at it from a 360 angle heading into even the 1930s, to look at the development of this silhouette into this golden age. So we're really excited, we're co teaching it because it's fun. And it's gonna be on February 2nd and February 9th of next year, which is also the week that we will be launching season eight. So much stress coming your way in the new year.

[April Callahan]

And if you want more dressed, this spring we're gonna be doing New York City day tours. And right now those are early April. And again, just like we did it last year when we did these day tours, it's gonna be a three day affair, but it's a mix and match affair. So you can come one day, you can come two days, you can come all three days, you could come day one and day three, you can do whatever you want. Friends. These are being packaged and sold by the day. And as we are just now cementing the final details with all of the visits that we're going to be going to, we haven't quite put that up for registration yet, but that will probably happen in the next week, I would say. Yes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, for sure. You can expect information coming your way very shortly. And just to give you an idea of what we're doing, we'll be in the garment district, heading to some of the garment district's oldest staples.

[April Callahan]

And the ateliers are actually letting us in to the factories to see what.

[Cassidy Zachary]

They'Re doing and you'll meet those owners and it's such a great day. And then heading up to see the Real Clothes, Real Lives exhibition at the New York Historical Society. So we're very much looking forward to that. We did a whole episode with the curators and one of those curators is going to be joining us for an in person tour. We're going to spend an entire day at the Met doing fashion themed tours throughout that collection with also some special guests that we're not announcing yet, but very excited for that day.

[April Callahan]

Let's just say this special guest might have been on the podcast. Yes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And specializing in ancient fashion of a specific order. And then we'll spend an entire day at fit. That was one of our fun. I mean all of these days were fun last year, but spending a day at FIT, looking at their new exhibition and then going behind the scenes to special collections visits and actually getting to handle some of their study collection in person. So yes, such a special time. We're super excited to see you in New York and also April and Paris.

[April Callahan]

Paris, yeah. And now it's going to be late June.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes, we've moved on from May. Things were a little close, a little quick for us. We wanted to give everyone enough time to request off from work and to meet us in Paris. But we will be in Paris late June. You can definitely expect that trip to be announced in January of next year. So many of you are already on our wait list. If you want to join a wait list for New York or it's not a wait list, but a first to know list for New York day tours as well as for the Paris tours, send us an [e-mail] I've been adding.

[April Callahan]

You diligently away as you send us your requests.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And dresshistory.com is of course where you can find all of our latest information on our classes. You can find information about how to sign up for April's mail. Met tours.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, Met tours are alive and well. After I've come back from Paris, join me for a 90 minute tour of the Met's permanent collection where we look at about 10 of the Met's most fashionable masterpieces through the lens of fashion. So yeah, these are super fun. Head over to dress history.com to find availability on Tuesday mornings and Friday evenings.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And dress listeners, if you want holiday gift ideas, you can, as mentioned at the top, the upper. So dress listeners, if you're looking for holiday gift ideas for yourself or the fashion history lovers in your life, you can gift them registration for our course. You can gift them one of April's Met tours and you can also head to our [e-mail] to check out over 150 of our favorite fashion and fashion history titles. And there is a link to all of this that we've talked about in our show. Notes, which is where you can also find a link to sign up to the ad page. Free version of the show for just $3 a month. I think we covered it all April.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, yeah, for sure. I think that does it for us. Today dressed listeners, may you ponder what is your fashion history fantasy next time you get dressed? Remember, we love hearing from you, so you can always write to [e-mail] more dressed and more gift exchanges coming your way on Friday. The history of fashion is a production of dress media. What is Dax, are you tracking all.

[Kristen]

Our cars on Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices? Yes, Kristen, yes, I am.

[April Callahan]

Well, I've been looking for my phone.

[Kristen]

For In Dax's domain we see all so we always know what our cars are worth.

[Cassidy Zachary]

All of them?

[Kristen]

All of them. Value surge truck's up 3.9%.

[April Callahan]

That's a great offer.

[Kristen]

I know. Selling sell Track your car's value with Carvana Value Tracker today.