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Jun 2025
41m 9s

Lesbian Fashion History with Eleanor Med...

Kate J. Armstrong, Carly A. Quinn
About this episode

Season 6, Episode 8. Happy Pride Month! Join me and Eleanor Medhurst to discuss her book 'Unsuitable: A History of Lesbian Fashion,' which explores the intersection of fashion, identity, and politics within lesbian communities throughout history. We'll talk about historical figures like the slightly messy Queen Christina of Denmark and the queer-coded songs of 1920s jazz singer Ma Rainey. We'll also dive into the impact of social class on lesbian fashion choices, and the role of fashion in the suffragette movement and the activism of groups like the Lavender Menace. I learned so much from Eleanor and hope you do too. Make sure to stick around until the end to hear Ma Rainey's 1928 song "Prove It On Me."

To learn more about Eleanor's work, visit her website Dressing Dykes

Ways to support The Exploress:

  • Become a patron and enjoy exclusive bonus episodes, including the full episodes with both our Viking experts and some extra tales from the Norse sagas.
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  • Check out Kate's novel, NIGHTBIRDS, and its sequel  FYREBIRDS
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