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
Misty L. Heggeness, "Swiftynomics: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy" (U California Press, 2026)
A feminist romp through pop culture that illuminates how women influence and shape the economy. Taylor Swift isn't just a pop megastar. She is a working woman whose astounding accomplishments defy patriarchal norms. And while not all women can be Beyoncé or Dolly Parton or Reese ... Show More
45m 4s
Yesterday
Kay Dickinson, "Fernando: A Song by ABBA" (Duke UP, 2025)
Since its release in 1976, ABBA's song "Fernando" has been loved by fans around the globe both for its sing-along chorus and its revolutionary spirit. In Fernando: A Song by ABBA (Duke UP, 2025), Kay Dickinson takes readers from Sweden and Chile to Australia and Poland, tracing t ... Show More
56m 59s
Yesterday
M. Hinds and J. Silverman, "Johnny Cash International: How and Why Fans Love the Man in Black" (U Iowa Press, 2020)
In Johnny Cash International: How and Why Fans Love the Man in Black (University of Iowa Press, 2020), Michael Hinds and Jonathan Silverman examine transnational and translocal fandoms and the legacy of Johnny Cash beyond the United States. Hinds and Silverman explore Cash fandom ... Show More
1h 10m
May 2023
Courtcore: from medieval crossdressing to Goop!
<div>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 ch ... 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, cu ... 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