Fashion and the Showgirl, Part I (Dressed Classic)

Fashion and the Showgirl, Part I (Dressed Classic)

Author: Dressed Media October 8, 2025 Duration: 31:37
With her towering headwear and sparkling body suit, the showgirl is an instantly recognizable, cross cultural pop icon--and one that is front and center currently with the debut of Taylor Swift's latest album The Life of a Showgirl. In this two-part episode from 2020, we explore the showgirl's lesser known relationship to fashion, a love affair that extends back over one hundred years. Recommended reading: Andrea Stuart's Showgirls Linda Mizejewski, Ziegfeld Girl: Image and Icon in Culture and Cinema Jane Merrill’s The Showgirl Costume: An Illustrated History Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠classes⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all make choices about what to put on our bodies each morning, but how often do we consider the deep and surprising stories woven into those fabrics? Dressed: The History of Fashion pulls on those threads, unraveling the complex tapestry of clothing to reveal its profound connections to power, identity, and everyday life. This isn't just a chronicle of hemlines and haute couture; it's an investigation into how garments have shaped and been shaped by the world around us. Each episode digs into a specific topic, whether it's the political symbolism of a specific uniform, the technological innovation behind a common fabric, or the cultural ripple effect of a seemingly simple trend. You'll hear about the people-designers, wearers, rebels, and rulers-whose choices in attire left a lasting mark. Produced by Dressed Media, the podcast sits at a fascinating intersection of arts, history, and society, treating fashion as a vital and accessible lens for understanding human experience. The conversation goes beyond the surface, offering rich context and narrative depth that will change the way you look at your own closet and the clothed world moving past you on the street. Tune in for a thoughtfully researched and engagingly presented journey through the wardrobe of humanity.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Dressed: The History of Fashion
Podcast Episodes
The Art of Historical Hatmaking with Rachel Frost (Dressed Classic) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:49
In this 2020 interview from the Dressed archive, we learn all about the art of historical hatmaking with Rachel Frost, one of only a handful of hatmakers in the entire world using sixteenth century European techniques. L…
Fashion History Mystery #60: What's Up Lilli Ann? (Dressed Classic) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:23
Today's we answer several listeners' requests for an episode on the American womenswear brand Lilli Ann. One of the great runaway success stories of American 20th century fashion, the backstory of the brand takes some tw…