Dress codes are as old as clothing itself. For centuries, clothing has been a wearable status symbol; fashion, a weapon in struggles for social change; and dress codes, a way to maintain political control. Dress codes evolved along with the social and political ideals of the day, but they always reflected struggles for power and status. In the 1700s, South C ... Show More
Today
Lim Tse Wei, "Little Perfections: Eating in Singapore" (Kitchen Arts and Letters, 2026)
Despite the implications of its subtitle, this is not a travel guide to Singapore, although readers run the risk of becoming tempted to venture there. Author Lim Tse Wei begins this collection of essays with the candid admission, “I am a somewhat unusual cook. My main qualificati ... Show More
42m 27s
Today
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, "The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us" (Liveright Publishing, 2026)
MacArthur Fellow and National Humanities Medalist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex and The Mind-Body Problem, returns with a revelatory book about the primal drive that in our species alone has been transformed into one of our most persistent and uni ... Show More
43m 46s
May 7
Mary Lucia, " What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To" (U Minnesota Press, 2025)
In What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To (U Minnesota Press, 2025) an iconic rock DJ of the Twin Cities tells her harrowing story of being stalked while living her very public life What's it like to be in the public spotlight when it just might get you kil ... Show More
46m 38s
May 2023
Courtcore: from medieval crossdressing to Goop!
In this director's cut episode, Mina taps into celeb "courtcore" aka the way that celebrities dress when appearing in the judicial court. In this special episode, she also dives further into history, starting with Joan of Arc and ending with contemporary films and the way charact ... Show More
1h 9m
Sep 2025
Dressed Diaries: Harper’s Bazar’s “The Follies of Fashion,” August 30th, 1884
This week, we investigate the historical fashion trends written about in an 1884 Harper’s Bazar article entitled “The Follies of Fashion.” Covering everything from Ancient Roman curling irons to Cleopatra’s donkey milk baths to “barbarous” steel corsets, we decipher fashion fact ... Show More
50m 17s
Aug 2024
Willy Chavarria on Promoting Social Justice Through Fashion
<p>Willy Chavarria has become a force in American fashion, known for his Chicano-inspired take on menswear. Last year, Willy broke through, winning the CFDA award for Menswear Designer of the Year. For more than two decades before that, Willy worked behind-the scenes in major Ame ... Show More
33m 18s
Dec 2024
Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible - The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Close
In today’s episode, we dive into Tim Gunn's "Fashion Bible", a captivating exploration of Western fashion, particularly American style. Together, we trace the fascinating evolution of wardrobe staples like jeans, dresses, T-shirts, and underwear, uncovering their origins, cultura ... Show More
32m 56s
Mar 2025
CLASSIC: Fanny and Stella: The Cross-Dressing Scandal of Victorian England
In April of 1870, a shocking court case captivated Victorian England: Fanny and Stella, also known as Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, were arrested after attending a play at The Strand (in what was then considered inappropriate dress) and held on suspicion of violating the mor ... Show More
36m 13s