Fated Mates – S08.23: The Chemise Protects You From Boning: Romance Wardrobe

Date: February 25, 2026
Hosts: Sarah MacLean (author) & Jennifer Prokop (critic/editor)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into "romance wardrobe," exploring the iconic, practical, and often fantastical clothing tropes found in romance novels—particularly historicals, but also contemporary settings. Prompted by Sarah’s viewing of Emerald Fennell’s “Scare Quotes Wuthering Heights,” Sarah and Jen unspool the ways apparel—corsets, chemises, boots, gloves, kilts, tuxedos, and more—carry distinct narrative, sensual, and cultural codes. The conversation celebrates romance novel fashion as worldbuilding, character development, and subtextual seduction, spiced with signature wit and nerdy detail.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Romance [Noun]" Tradition

[00:43] – [01:50]

• Fated Mates is known for playful episode formats: “Romance Law,” “Romance Therapy,” “Romance Horse,” etc.
• “Romance Wardrobe” follows this tradition, spotlighting the recurring, often hyper-romanticized elements of clothing in the genre.

2. The Wuthering Heights Movie & Costuming

[01:50] – [13:09]

• The catalyst: Sarah’s experience watching Scare Quotes Wuthering Heights.
  • “Even in the previews… a photograph of Margot Robbie on the moors…a massive fucking cloud of a white wedding dress…I was like, this movie is gonna be bonkers.” – Sarah [02:11]
• Discussion of historical inaccuracy (white dresses not Brontë-appropriate) and campy aesthetics.
• The Brontës vs. Austen:
  • “Austen is really interested in…being witty…and men with a lot of money…The Brontës are really interested in, like, how terrible can things get for these people who are hot for each other?” – Sarah [05:10]
• Humor and the darker side of the Brontës, Heathcliff’s monstrousness, and over-the-top sensual undertones made visible (i.e., subtextual cunnilingus).
• Clothing becomes integral: “The dresses were amazing.” – Sarah [22:22]

3. Why Dress Matters in Romance

[15:28] – [19:49]

• Huge appeal of historical romance: “the idea of a big poofy dress”
• Covers as fantasy gateways—modern minimalism is mourned: “You’ve taken away the thing that was the most magical…every one of these books is a Cinderella book…” – Sarah [15:28]
• The lushness of romance worldbuilding depends on physicality, including clothing.
• Character development via wardrobe, e.g., contemporary “glow up” scenes in Heated Rivalry.

4. Historical Wardrobe Tropes & Realities

A) Necklines & Exposure
[19:57] – [22:21]

• The low neckline or bared skin as public/private tension: “The sexiest things are when you’re in public, but you’re revealing something private.” – Jen [20:47]

B) Gloves & Touch
[22:21] – [23:34]

• The power of removing gloves and the “12 Steps to Intimacy.”
• “When Dane undoes Jessica’s glove, he might as well be stripping her naked.” – Sarah [22:40]

C) Corsets, Chemises, and "Boning"
[24:05] – [30:39]

• The chemise keeps the boning from harming the skin; corsets are restrictive, literally rearranging internal organs.
• Wuthering Heights scene: “She keeps saying, ‘Tighter’; you can see the skin folding in…” – Sarah [25:40]
• Bodice ripping is mythologized: “There’s just no way a bodice could ever be ripped because that’s fucking whalebone.” – Sarah [29:58]
• In romance, impossible feats of lust and strength are standard.

D) Accessories and Other Garments
Reticule: The classic wrist purse, also a setup for pickpocket rescue scenes. [32:36]
Bonnets & Lace Caps: Comedic gender/age markers (“Only spinsters wear lace caps.” – Sarah [33:41]); symbols of invisibility. Stockings: Romanticized undressing, colored ribbons, and sin (“the second he touches that silk stocking on her leg...he’s gonna roll that down” – Sarah [35:51])
Historical Men’s Clothing:

• Smalls, falls, breeches, the drama of removing layers [43:01–47:31].
• “Placket”/fall: single flap with buttons, undressing as anticipation.
• The greatcoat as hero’s must: “What you wear when you need to get shit done in the East End” – Sarah [54:14].
• Kilt/plaid: the Scottish version of an alluring neckline, clan identity, and national subversions. [56:23–59:40]

E) Medieval Garments

• Bliaut & kirtle: sewn-on sleeves, impossible undressing, fantasy nostalgia (“I just want to wear one of those.” – Sarah [39:58])
• Buttons, zippers, and elastic praised as feminist advances: “The zipper had to have made the same kind of strides toward fighting the patriarchy as, like, suffrage.” – Sarah [42:07]

F) Shoe Struggles

• Hessian boots and the improbable ease with which heroes (magically) remove them. [62:45–63:47]
• Real-life contrast: “We are a no-shoes household… I wish I could make these people take off their shoes.” – Sarah [63:08]

5. The Modiste as Superhero

[61:50] – [62:11]

• Dressmakers/dress shops have transformative powers: “Every modiste is basically a superhero. That’s correct.” – Jen [62:01]

6. Contemporary Wardrobe Tropes

[66:00] onward

A) The “Panty-Ripping” Myth

• Talia Hibbert’s viral experiment: elastic can’t be ripped like whale bone [66:00].
• “Modern day elastic is like the old timey whale bone.” [66:27]

B) Billionaire Magic Sizing

• “He can just look at her and he knows what size she is…In romance clothes, women’s sizing is standard.” – Sarah [68:01]
• Realism vs. narrative shorthand—clothes and luxury brands as class markers.

C) Underwear, Tuxedos & Laundry

• Romance reality: “panties and bras always match and it’s always silk; nobody ever wears Hanes.” – Jen [70:09]
• Formalwear always fits, tuxedos always available–even if the hero didn’t own one yesterday [71:23].
• “We don’t see a lot of laundry.” – Sarah [78:25]
• “Gray sweatpants always fit” trope: comfort and sex appeal no matter the size difference [77:11].

D) Brand-Name Shortcuts & Stealth Wealth

• Armani/Chanel/Louboutin as narrative code for wealth, even when real billionaires wear less recognizable “stealth wealth” brands (e.g. Succession) [72:17–75:41].

E) The Masquerade/Mask

• Everyone is fooled by a half-face mask: “You’re gonna put on that mask…it’s gonna cover a sliver of your face and absolutely no one is ever going to be able to identify you.” – Sarah [76:37]

F) Classic Shirt Details

• The Vanishing Henley: The sexiest shirt in previous eras, now less prominent [79:31].
• The enduring power of rolled-up sleeves: “That pulls through from…deep in the annals of historicals.” – Sarah [80:02]

7. Play and Power in Romance Attire

• Dressing and undressing as a series of escalating acts of trust, intimacy, and delight.
• Clothing as plot device, erotic trigger, status symbol, and personal armor.
• The collective joy of recognizing and celebrating “romance wardrobe” tropes, and the shared language among readers and writers.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When Dane undoes Jessica’s glove, he might as well be stripping her naked.” – Sarah [22:40]
• “Every modiste is basically a superhero.” – Jen [62:01]
• “You’ve taken away the thing that was the most magical… every one of these books is a Cinderella book.” – Sarah [15:28]
• “The zipper had to have made the same kind of strides toward fighting the patriarchy as, like, suffrage.” – Sarah [42:07]
• “A lace cap is an invisibility cloak.” – Sarah [33:41]
• “Smalls, what wears mediums and large?” – Jen [43:46]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:50] - Wuthering Heights movie, costumes, and Brontë vs. Austen
• [15:28] - Why poofy dresses and covers matter to romance readers
• [19:57] - The erotics of the low neckline in historicals
• [22:21] - The glove as a site of sensuality and the 12 Steps to Intimacy
• [24:05] - Corset, chemise, boning, and historical reality vs. genre myth
• [32:36] - The reticule and bonnets; accessories as plot devices
• [35:33] - Stockings, colored ribbons, and the ritual of undressing
• [39:58] - Medieval garments, the bliaut, impossible undressing fantasies
• [43:46] - The “Smalls” comedy and myth
• [54:14] - The heroic greatcoat
• [56:23] - The myth and meaning of kilts and clan plaids
• [61:50] - Modiste as romance fantasy figure
• [66:00] - The elastic panty-ripping myth (contemporary)
• [68:01] - Magic hero sizing (“He can just look at her and he knows what size she is.”)
• [71:23] - Tuxedos that always fit
• [76:37] - Masquerade masks and the impossibility of real-world subterfuge
• [79:31] - Henleys, rolled-up sleeves, and what’s sexy in modern romance

Episode Tone & Style

Lively, irreverent, deeply nerdy, affectionate toward romance’s quirks and community, with a persistent through-line of feminist critique and celebration of joy. Sarah and Jen blend historical research, reader nostalgia, craft advice, and comic riffing without shame or apology.

Summary Takeaways

Clothes in romance novels are never "just" clothes—they are signaling devices, sites of yearning, and keys to intimacy. With tongue firmly in cheek and occasional moments of revelation, Sarah and Jen unpick the practical, fantastical, and deeply meaningful elements of romance wardrobe, uniting listeners in a shared love for the genre’s lush, layered, and delightfully impractical world-building.

Don’t forget:

• Full show notes and reference links available at fatedmates.net
• Join their Patreon for further discussions and exclusive chats
• Check out sponsor links for books and products discussed