Fashion History Mystery #60: What's Up Lilli Ann? (Dressed Classic)

Fashion History Mystery #60: What's Up Lilli Ann? (Dressed Classic)

Author: Dressed Media February 19, 2026 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 twists and turns from its early years in San Francisco's Chinatown, to Lilli Ann's founder's fisticuffs with New York mobsters and his surprising relationship with the French textile industry which garnered Adolph Schuman the prestigious Legion d'Honneur award. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?  Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠classes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bookshelf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles Dressed is a part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AirWave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ network 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
What's in Your Closet:  On the Trail of Charles James [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:08
A query from a listener about a recent vintage purchase has us on the trail of the British/American couturier Charles James in our latest--and most bizarre--episode exploring What's in Your Closet. Want more Dressed: The…
Bog Fashion: Dressing the Bronze and Iron Ages with Nicole DeRushie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:55
Ancient textiles scholar-practitioner Nicole DeRushie joins us to discuss her recently released book Bog Fashion: Recreating Bronze and Iron Age Clothes. And as the book’s title suggests, Nicole does more than just study…
How to Start a Fashion Revolution, an interview with Carry Somers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:11
Groundbreaking visionary Carry Somers joins us this week to speak about her three decades of fashion activism establishing the world's first Fair Trade Certified fashion brand and her ten years as the co-founder of Fashi…
Marie Antoinette Style, an interview with Dr. Sarah Grant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:46
This week we cinch our corsets and plump our panniers with an inside look into the Victoria & Albert Museum's exhibition Marie Antoinette Style. Curator Dr. Sarah Grant joins us to speak about her exhibition which examin…