Mirror, mirror, on the wall.. On this episode of Silhouettes, we reflect on the fascinating and often fragile history of mirrors. Starting with polished glass, to scientific developments in treated glass, mirrors hold up a reflection to our societies; dictating when, why and how vanity, self-styling and personal care have become important throughout time. Examples include use in Greek mythology, their importance in Roman culture, cultural impact across high society and the important role of empowerment mirrors played during the slave trade.

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In this episode of Silhouettes, I chat with the wonderful historian Elizabeth L. Block all about the fashion of the gilded age, and her seminal book on 19th century fashion: Dressing Up

Dressing Up chronicles how wealthy American women--as consumers and as influencers--helped shape French couture of the late nineteenth and examines the couturiers' influential clientele--wealthy American women who bolstered the French fashion industry with a steady stream of orders from the United States. 

Countering the usual narrative of the designer as solo creative genius, Block shows that these women--as high-volume customers and as pre-Internet influencers--were active participants in the era's transnational fashion system. Block describes the arrival of nouveau riche Americans on the French fashion scene, joining European royalty, French socialites, and famous actresses on the client rosters of the best fashion houses--Charles Frederick Worth, Doucet, and Felix, among others. She considers the mutual dependence of couture and coiffure; the participation of couturiers in international expositions (with mixed financial results); the distinctive shopping practices of American women, which ranged from extensive transatlantic travel to quick trips downtown to the department store; the performance of conspicuous consumption at balls and soirees; the impact of American tariffs on the French fashion industry; and the emergence of smuggling, theft, and illicit copying of French fashions in the American market as the middle class emulated the preferences of the rich. Lavishly illustrated, with vibrant images of dresses, portraits, and fashion plates, Dressing Up reveals the power of American women in French couture.

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Happy Halloween! In this Halloween special episode, I’m joined by Katie Godman, author of Gothic Fashion: The History to talk all about her wonderfully Gothic book, as we trace Gothic fashion history from barbarians to haute couture and delve into the long, fascinating and sometimes unexpected evolution of all things Gothic. How Gothic fashion has evolved from its ancient roots to the Victorian Gothic, all the way to the Goth subculture movements of more recent history.

Katie’s book Gothic Fashion: A History is published by Unicorn Publishing and available to buy through their website. Katie can also be found on Instagram from @kittiecostume as well as via Blandford Fashion Museum socials.

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Thanks for listening, and stay fab everyone.

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Become an aCast+ subscriber to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content: https://plus.acast.com/s/silhouettes-a-fashion-history-podcast-1.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.