History Unhemmed

• Fashioning Womanhood in Modern China: The Qipao or Cheongsam (PART I)

  In this episode, we unravel the origins of the qipao or cheongsam. This garment is inextricably linked to the formation of modern China and has origins going back to at least the Qing Dynasty. Join us as we explore its role as a symbol of elegance and empowerment. If you have any requests, questions, or simply feel like saying hello (we're friendly and Mr. B won't bite), drop us a line at [email protected]. You can also find us on social media: Instagram: @history_unhemmed Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/people/History-Unhemmed/100084597553601/ We are also on Patreon at: Patreon.com/historyunhemmed THANK YOU! RESOURCES: Finnane, Antonia. Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. Lee, Chor Lin and Chung May Khuen. In the Mood for Cheongsam: A Social History, 1920s-Present. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2012. Ling, Wessie and S Segre Reinach (eds). Fashion in Multiple Chinas: Chinese Styles in the Transglobal Landscape. London/Oxford: I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury, 2018. Ling, Wessie. Fusionable Cheongsam. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2007. Sim, Cheryl. Wearing the Cheongsam: Dress and Culture in a Chinese Diaspora. London & New York: Bloomsbury, 2019. Steel, Valerie and John S. Major. China Chic: East Meets West. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999.

  --------  

  38:10
• Spotted and Spot On: The History of the Polka Dot

  Join us as we explore the fascinating and multi-faceted history of the polka dot. These innocuous little spots contain multitudes, from technological advancements to a risqué dance craze. If you have any requests or questions, or simply feel like saying hello, drop us a line at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  and/or follow us on social media: Instagram: @history_unhemmed Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/History-Unhemmed-100084597553601/ Support us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/historyunhemmed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ THANK YOU! RESOURCES:  Johns Hopkins University. "Introducing Data Science: Big Data, Machine Learning, and More, Free Online Textbook." https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/items/6cf47d49-4968-46ee-a8f9-c7c8c35b55ac. Knox, Charles Henry. The Spirit of the Polka. Legare Street Press, 2023. Kusama, Yayoi and Delphine Arnault, Akira Tatehata, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Mika Yoshitake. Louis Vuitton Yayoi Kusama. New York: Rizzoli, 2023. Le Tour de France. "The Polka Dot Jersey." https://www.letour.fr/en/the-jerseys-tour-de-france/the-polka-dot-jersey. PBS Western Reserve. "The History of Polka: From Europe to Northeast Ohio." ⁠https://www.pbswesternreserve.org/blogs/luminus-stories-about-us/the-history-of-polka-from-europe-to-northeast-ohio/#:~:text=The%20origins%20of%20polka%20are,day%20Czech%20Republic%20and%20Poland⁠. Stewart, Jude. Patternalia: An Uncovered History of Polka Dots, Stripes, Plaid, Camouflage, and Other Graphic Patterns.  New York: Bloomsbury, 2015.  Welters, Linda and Cunningham, Patricia A. (eds.). Twentieth-century American Fashion. New York: Berg, 2005. 

  --------  

  38:41
• The Glamorous, Gritty, and Groundbreaking Life of April Ashley

  Today's episode delves into the life of April Ashley, a fashion icon and a pioneering figure in the transgender community. Despite facing tremendous challenges and frequent discrimination, Ashley emerged as a resilient advocate for transgender rights, contributing to greater awareness and acceptance. Support us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/historyunhemmed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historyunhemmed⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you have any requests or questions, or simply feel like saying hello, drop us a line at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠  and/or follow us on social media: Instagram: @history_unhemmed Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/History-Unhemmed-100084597553601/ THANK YOU! RESOURCES:  Ashley, April and Duncan Fallowell. April Ashley's Odyssey. London: Arena, 1982. "April Ashley: Portrait of a Lady." Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool Museums, https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/museum-of-liverpool/exhibition/april-ashley-portrait-of-lady. "April Ashley: The Legal Battle." The National Archives Blog, National Archives UK, https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/april-ashley-the-legal-battle/. "April Ashley, Transgender Pioneer in Britain, Dies at 86." The New York Times, January 3, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/03/world/europe/april-ashley-dead.html.

  --------  

  37:20
• A Bit of a Stretch: The Rise of the Elastic Waistband

  EPISODE NOTES: It's that time of year again! Hopefully you have your "Eatin' Pants" clean, mended, and ready to roll. Enjoy today's episode, and a little snack, as we explore the history of the elastic waistband and your favorite stretchy slacks! ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/historyunhemmed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historyunhemmed⁠⁠⁠ If you have any requests or questions, or simply feel like saying hello, drop us a line at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠  and/or follow us on social media: Instagram: @history_unhemmed Facebook: History Unhemmed  Thank you! <3 RESOURCES:  Clemente, Deirdre. Dress Casual: How College Students Redefined American Style. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2014. Farrell-Beck, Jane and Colleen Gau. Uplift: The Bra in America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002.  Jackson, Joe. The Thief at the End of the World. New York: Viking, 2008. Schmidt, Christine. The Swimsuit: Fashion from Poolside to Catwalk. London: Berg, 2012. Slack, Charles. Noble Obsession: Charles Goodyear, Thomas Hancock, and the Race to Unlock the Greatest Industrial Secret of the 19th Century. New York: Hyperion, 2003. Warner, Patricia Campbell. When the Girls Came Out to Play: The Birth of American Sportswear. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2006.

  --------  

  45:43
• Hell for Leather: A Short and (Mostly) Factual History of Human Skin as a Textile

  EPISODE NOTES: Leather Face and Norman Bates and their penchant for human skin is the stuff of horror movies and fuel for more than a few nightmares. Sometimes, however, the truth is weirder (and creepier) than fiction! ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/historyunhemmed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historyunhemmed⁠⁠ If you have any requests or questions, or simply feel like saying hello, drop us a line at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ and/or follow us on social media:Instagram: @history_unhemmedFacebook: History Unhemmed  Thank you! <3 RESOURCES:  de Baecque, Antoine. Glory and Terror: Seven Deaths Under the French Revolution. Oxford: Taylor & Francis, 2013. Dorsey, Carolyn. “Antoine Le Blanc: A shocking story of murder and a community’s revenge.” Morristown Green. September 26, 2014. https://morristowngreen.com/2014/09/26/antoine-le-blanc-a-shocking-story-of-murder-and-a-communitys-revenge/ Douglas, John E., Olshaker, Mark. Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. New York: Scribner, 1998. Hunt, Lynn. The French Revolution and Human Rights: A Brief History with Documents. New York: St. Martin's, 2016. Maffie, James. Aztec Philosophy: Understanding a World in Motion. Boulder: Colorado University Press, 2014. La Lande, Jérôme de. Art du Tanneur. Paris: Saillant et Nyon, 1761.  Miller, Mark E. Big Nose George: His Troublesome Trail. Glendo: High Plains Press, 2022.  Portilla, Miguel Leon. Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Nahuatl Mind. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988.  Rosenbloom, Megan. “A Book by Its Cover.” Lapham’s Quarterly. October 19, 2016. https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/book-its-cover Ruysch, Frederik. Frederik Ruysch and His Thesaurus Anatomicus: A Morbid Guide. United Kingdom: MIT Press, 2022. Schechter, Harold. Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho. New York: Gallery Books, 1998. Thompson, L S. “Tanned Human Skin.” Bulletin of the Medical Library Association vol. 34,2 (1946): 93-102.

  --------  

  38:14

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About History Unhemmed