![Ep. 96: Continental Luxury [TEASER]](https://is5-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts125/v4/58/bf/5f/58bf5f9e-7c4e-263f-2c7e-28a53f0d9593/mza_3807473265649867802.jpg/250x250bb.jpg)
Episodes
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Full episode available on Patreon <3
In this week's episode, we journey into a World of Pure Imagination to discuss fantasy, fairytales, and the endless revisitation of children's media. We investigate the historical influences of the fantasy genre, from classic feudalism to Victorian industrialization, and unpack common motifs from talking animals to hopecore orphans. We also discuss the turn to live-action realistic fairytales, the consequences of this aesthetic and conceptual darkening, the effects of AI on the storytelling and creativity, and more.
Links:
Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes by John Cotton (1656)
The Golden Age of Children's Literature – The Literary Encyclopedia
The Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index of Folktale Types
Under the Influence: Anna Biller on Donkey Skin – Criterion
"Chapter 31: Fairy Tales" from All Things Considered by G. K. Chesterton
"Out of Kansas: Revisiting the Wizard of Oz" by Salman Rushdie for The New Yorker
How Wicked Built Immersive Real-Life Sets, From Shiz To Emerald City – Architectural Digest
Willy's Chocolate Experience (Glasgow, Scotland Scam Willy Wonka Event) Script
Pinnochio: A True Story (2022) Trailer -
In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the rise of celebrity lookalike contests, YSL's Proustian fantasy films, recent literary scoop on Cormac McCarthy, the extension of Brat into the deep dark winter, and all things Wicked from the uncanny Hollyweird sapphism of its press tour to the inescapability of its garish color scheme in consumer products.
Links:
Saint Laurent – AS TIME GOES BY
Marc Jacobs reading selfies
Emma Chamberlain for Warby Parker
Celebrity lookalike contests in CNN
"Aquarius" from Hair (movie adaptation)
Wicked costume design breakdown – InStyle
Gwyneth Paltrow wins Best Actress – 1999 Oscars
Mr. Golightly's "Who Sang It Best" YouTube playlist
"Cormac McCarthy’s Secret Muse Breaks Her Silence After Half a Century" by Vincenzo Barney – Vanity Fair
Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik – Interview
Charli xcx Opening Monologue – Saturday Night Live
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson post-fight speech
Miley Cyrus on her upcoming album Something Beautiful – Harper's Bazaar -
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In this week's episode, we are honored to talk with dancer Lexee Smith, one of the most captivating and quietly influential figures in contemporary pop culture. Fresh off the heels of her crazy month of newly released projects, including Addison Rae's "Aquamarine" and Lady Gaga's "Disease," Lexee joins us to discuss her approach to dance, performance, and style. We talk about showgirls, video vixens, Clarice Lispector, Dance Moms, Parisian elegance, unhinged warmups, the Age of Aquarius, insane asylums, and much more.
Special thanks to Death to Stock! Use code "Nymphet" to get 20% off your first 12 months. Visit Death to Stock here!
Links:
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@lexeesmith on Instagram
Damiano David – Born With a Broken Heart (Music Video)
"You Were Meant for Me" from Singing in the Rain
Lady Gaga – Disease (Music Video)
Addison Rae – Aquamarine (Music Video)
Addison Rae – Aquamarine (Behind the Scenes)
"The American Modern Dancer: Loïe Fuller and Isadora Duncan"
Martha Graham – Lamentation (1943)
All His Jazz: The Life and Death of Bob Fosse by Martin Gottfried
A Look at Halston’s Historic Costumes for Martha Graham Dance Company – Vogue
My Boyfriend's Back – Molly Long Choreography
Massive Attack, Young Fathers – Voodoo in My Blood (Music Video) -
In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the double-release of Addison Rae’s “Aquamarine” and Lady Gaga’s “Disease,” Lexee Smith as Hollywood’s body double Rasputin, the “Dirty Cash” effect, the pros and cons of Gay Halloween, the triumph of the Dodgers, Slavic Dolls versus Brazilian Bombshells, and more.
Full episode available here <3
Links:
Lady Gaga - Disease (Official Music Video)
Addison Rae - Aquamarine (Official Music Video)
Dirty Cash (Money Talks) videos on TikTok
Shawn Mendes opens up about his sexuality, in a way
Shawn Mendes Interview feature
ian - Sh*t Sad (Feat. Chief Keef) (Official Music Video)
Barack Obama on DeepCut with VicBlends
Slavic Dolls vs. Brazilian Bombshells videos on TikTok
Saturday Night Live TikTok skit
Young Posse (영파씨) - Ate That (Official Music Video)
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In this Halloween centennial special, we have the sublime honor of being joined by one of our all-time heroes Valerie Steele, fashion studies trailblazer and director of the Museum at FIT, to discuss all things Gothic, inspired by her seminal book Gothic: Dark Glamour. We explore the aesthetic’s medieval origins and trace its cultural evolution through literature, art, and architecture all the way to the rise of the Goth subculture in the 1970s and beyond, covering Victorian dandies, sexy vampires, McQueen skull scarves, Japanese couturiers, and more.
Thanks so much to Valerie for joining us!
Links:
Image boardThe Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Gothic: Dark Glamour by Valerie Steele and Jennifer Park
Gothic: Dark Glamour exhibition at MFIT on Google Arts & Culture
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu
Goth Talk: Christina Ricci - Saturday Night Live
“Very Mad, Very Maudlin, Very Macabre: It’s Showtime for the Goth Revival” by Tish Weinstock for Vogue
How to Be a Goth: Notes on Undead Style by Tish Weinstock
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In this week's episode, we're joined by the inimitable Emma Glenn Baker, NYC personal trainer and host of the podcast STARGIRL, to discuss all things body and the cultural status of fitness as it relates to body, brand, and spirit. We discuss activewear power players from Gymshark to Lululemon to Skims, the rise of the erotic fitness-inspired editorials, the sublime embodiment of Gen Z sweethearts Livvy Dunne and Addison Rae, the spiritual consequences of a life lived in stretchy clothes, and more.
Listen to STARGIRL, join the Patreon, and follow Emma on IG!
Links:
“Athleisure, barre, and kale: the tyranny of the ideal woman” by Jia Tolentino in The Guardian
Toxic gym motivation trend on TikTok
“Make Yourself a Gift” by Emma Glenn Baker in Real Life
Equinox “Want It All” ad campaign
The Official Gymshark Story
“Musclebound” in A Dedicated Follower of Fashion by Holly Brubach
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In this week's episode, we define the Pastel Protestant Grandmother aesthetic, a cozy visual universe recognizable to anyone belonging to the American Middle Class, or anyone who's ever been to an antique store in America. We discuss the hypnotic sedation of low-definition media, nostalgia-based commodities from Precious Moments figurines to dusty dollhouses, anti-intellectualism and sentimentality in American culture, the social history of craft, Christian kitsch and camp, the dark side of elderly matriarchs, and more.
Links
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Pastel Protestant Grandma – Our Official Playlist!
Anti-Intellectualism in American Life – Richard Hofstadter
Red Hat Society
”The Forgotten Everyday Origins of ‘Craft’” – Sarah Archer
Cræft: An Inquiry into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts – Alexander Langlands
Hobbies: Leisure and the Culture of Work in America – Steven M. Gelber
“Do Protestants Have a ‘Low’ Aesthetic?” – Front Porch Republic
“A Defense of Christian Kitsch” – Paul Griffiths
Gaither Music on TikTok
Listen to exclusive episodes here <3
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In this edition of Study Break, we discuss Mel Ottenberg's new denim line and its adjacent clean boy creepshot visuals, the two-pronged cultural force of the Sweat/Short 'n' Sweet tours, our prediction for Disney adult chic following Coperni's S/S '25 show, Lady Gaga's disastrous Harlequin styling and Ryan Murphy's indelible impact, Dark Brainrot and weirdcore developments, recent cinematic triumphs including Megalopolis and The Substance, and more.
Links:
Club Mel – Mel by RE/DONE
TikTok King Bach Buquen is Hot, Viral, and French – Interview
Sabrina Carpenter's Short 'n' Sweet Tour – Rolling Stone
Gracie ABramS
Coperni Spring/Summer 2025 at Disneyland Paris
Coperni Vinted Disney merch controversy
Chloé Spring/Summer 2025
Joker Folie à Deux x Louvre – Lady Gaga, Mona Lisa
Francis Ford Coppola explains the origin behind "Wow Platinum"
Aubrey Plaza vs. Patti Lupone – Hot Ones Versus
Smartschoolboy9 – An Internet Rabbit Hole
Mr. Prada Murder Trial
At New York Fashion Week, Designers Search for America – AnOtherHurricane Helene Relief Efforts:
North Carolina Disaster Relief FundOne SC FundUNC Asheville Disaster Relief -
Full episode available here <3
In this week's episode, we ascend the great champagne tower of history and proclaim the existence of Continental Luxury, an evocative aspirational aesthetic that has bewitched the palates of tastemakers across generations. We discuss the history of luxury hotels, the evolution of the boutique hospitality industry, Old World cuisine and interiors as status symbols, and we summon a cast of characters including Anthony Bourdain, Nancy Drew, and Keith McNally to unpack the oyster-laden, gold-trimmed, cherry-garnished lifestyle of our collective dreams.
Links:
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Ritz and Escoffier: The Hotelier, the Chef, and the Rise of the Leisure Class by Luke Barr
"Towards a Political Geography of Hotels" by Ruth Craggs
"A Legend as Big as the Ritz" – Vanity Fair
César Ritz: Life and Work by Chastonay, Adalbert
The History of Tourism: Structures on the Path to Modernity – Institute of European History
The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class by Dean MacCannell
“The Social and Material Life of Colonial Hotels" by Maurizio Peleggio
Hotel: An American History by A. K. Sandoval-Strausz
Home on the Rails: Women, the Railroad, and the Rise of Public Domesticity by Amy G. Richter
The romantic journey; the story of Thomas Cook and Victorian travel
Travel influencer rice farm controversy in The Daily Mail
"The World's Revolt Against 'Bad Tourists'" – BBC -
In this episode, we investigate the cultural landscape of the 1990s with the help of a most legendary guest: NYT pop music critic and Popcast host Jon Caramanica. We discuss slackerism and authenticity discourse, the rise of alternative and independent media, the intricacies of subcultural style, the twin flames of rock and hip-hop, the surprising parallels between Gen X and Gen Z, white rappers, child rappers, Tommy Hilfiger grails, and much more.
Links:
Listen to Popcast
Jon on Instagram
Lady Gaga on the Doritos #BoldStage at SXSW, 2014
How SoundScan Changed Music Charts – Billboard
Pop Music's Middle Class by Shaad D'Souza – New York Times
Ice Spice vs. Cleopatra Drama Explained – Rolling Stone -
In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the most pressing topics facing fashion and culture, featuring analysis of Sabrina Carpenter’s grindhouse pinup comeback, Addison Rae's arthouse cult single "Diet Pepsi," reflection on Simon Porte Jacquemus's legacy (and speculation on his rise to the Chanel throne), Hollister nostalgia-baiting, global fashion updates from the UK and Mexico, and more.
Links:
Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet – Video Playlist
"Diet Pepsi" by Addison Rae (dir. Sean Price Williams)
"Breakaway" by Bruce Connor
The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter
Chanel's New Kaiser – Lauren Sherman for Puck News
Hollister long-sleeve babydoll tops on TikTok
"Archive" Hollister tops from 2022 on TikTok
Halley Kate v. Sophia La Corte drama summary
Tribal trend in Mexico (some TikTok examples)
Intentalo by 3ballMTY -
Full episode available on Patreon <3
In this episode, we put on our gamer girl headsets and dive into the world of Dress To Impress, the viral fashion game taking the internet by storm. We discuss the emerging fashion sensibilities and favorite references of Generation Alpha, the surreal beauty standards of the Roblox universe, DTI as an election year sociological indicator, the history of FlopTok, the deregulation of child labor, and more.
Links:
Play Dress to Impress on Roblox
Roblox Audience Insights
Plot Economics by Venkatesh Rao – Ribbonfarm
Over Half of US Kids Are On Roblox – The Verge
I'm Heartbroken No One Likes My Outfits in DTI – Polygon
Open Worlds by Alexi Alario (lol) – Real Life
eflsur on Tik Tok
CaseOh DTI highlights on YouTube
Madison Beer's DTI Livestream -
In this episode, we embark upon a swashbuckling anthropological journey into one of the most mysterious aesthetics of the menswear universe: Male Pirate Dressing, a style beloved by prestige actors and aging rockstars alike. Along with our two expert witnesses, James Harris and Lawrence Schlossman of the Throwing Fits Podcast, we ask some of life’s most difficult questions: Why is midlife crisis boho such a prevalent phenomenon? Are indie sleaze icons destined (or doomed) to succumb to over-accesorized fashion piracy in the years to come? Do men know about John Galliano? Tune in to find out!
Links:
Image BoardAlexander McQueen Spring 2003 Ready-to-Wear
Heidi Slimane Wearable Pirate Uniform
The Trouble with Johnny Depp – Rolling Stone
Were Pirates Foes of the Modern Order, or Its Secret Sharers? – The New Yorker
Throwing Fits on Substack
Throwing Fits on Instagram
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In the third installment of our Study Break series, we turn our attention to the world of sport, analyzing the Broquette SKIMS campaign and all things Olympics, including Ralph Lauren boater costumes, the radical European uncoolness of the Opening Ceremony, and our own creative styling concepts for Olympic athletes. We also discuss Mark Zuckerberg's rebrand, "Brat hangovers," and Kamala Harris's Loewe tomato girl potential. (Disclaimer: this episode was recorded July 28!)
Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience.
Learn more about Croissant on their website!
LINKS:SKIMS Summer Uniform Campaign
Nicola Coughlan for SKIMS Soft Lounge Campaign
2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
How Team USA's 2024 Olympic Outfits Were Made By Ralph Lauren
Mark Zuckerberg personally fuels the rumors of his Supreme takeover
J. W. Anderson Gucci rumors
Alexi's Kamala-core Pinterest board
Adam Lambert, ‘Moana’ Star Auli’i Cravalho Taking Over Lead Roles in Broadway’s ‘Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club’
Fragrances by Sabrina Carpenter
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FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE ON PATREON <3
In this week's episode, we're joined by Sophie Kihm, renowned baby name expert and editor-in-chief of Nameberry, the world's largest website about names. We discuss historical name influences from politics to Hollywood to influencers, the rise of the baby name snark forum, 21st-century name considerations like personal branding and SEO, and the overlap between trending aesthetics and name intelligence.
Links:
Nameberry on TikTok
Nameberry Newsletter on Substack
Sophie Kihm on Instagram
"How Gen Z is Your Name?" by Sophie Kihm for Nameberry
"10 Baby Name Trends of 2024" by Sophie Kihm for Nameberry
McKinli Hatch, the Internet's first viral baby name moment
That Name is a Tragedeigh Subreddit
Name Nerd Circlejerk Subreddit
"Why R U Mad at the Name Kayleigh?" by Kathryn Jezer-Morton for The Cut
Names + nicknames in a 1960s yearbook
"Luxury" name hate on RedditFind exclusive episodes here <3
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In this week's episode, we revisit the '90s does '60s phenomenon and discuss the parallels between the two decades—swinging youth culture and nightlife, technological optimism, design innovation—while also finding surprising similarities to our contemporary moment. We highlight the Austin Powers trilogy as this sensation's most brilliant high-camp cultural artifact, unpacking its satire of free love, modern masculinity, and British cheekiness. We explore Space Age fashion, the British Invasion(s), pop environmentalism, Volkswagen Beetles, iMac G3s, the Powerpuff Girls, and much more.
Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience.
Learn more about Croissant on their website!
Links:
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Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute's "Groovival" Are.na Board
"Austin Powers-core" musical subgenre Tweet
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery – fashion photography montage
Obituary of Pierre Cardin – The New York Times
Industrial designer Karim Rashid
"BBC" by Ming Tea – Official Music Video
Dressed to Regress: Interview with Austin Powers costume designer Deena Appel (1999) – LA Times
Deena Appel interview – From Tailors With Love
The Peacock Revolution: 1960s Menswear – Victoria & Albert Museum
Peter Bogdanovich on the lasting influence of Austin Powers in Goldmember – The New Yorker
‘A real stroke of genius.’ How Apple’s iMac G3 became an object of desire – CNN
AWOLTrends on Blobjects
Prada's spacesuits for NASA's 2025 Moon mission – Forbes
The Low Earth Orbit Economy – NASA
"Bye Bye Sixties" – Nancy Sinatra, Goldie Hawn, and Ruth Buzzi (1969)Find exclusive episodes here <3
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In this episode, we dive into the history of pin-up and rockabilly fashion to analyze this aesthetic's continuous deployment in the 21st century pop landscape. We discuss the exaggerated gender dimorphism of the 1950s, the striking similarities between pin-up girls of the '40s and Instagram starlets of today, rockabilly's morbid legacy and the Overton window of obscenity, the decadence of Americana foodstuffs, and the raunchy, feminine stylings of Amy Winehouse, Katy Perry, and, most recently, Sabrina Carpenter.
Links:
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Welcome to the Club: The Women of Rockabilly (2001)
Rockin': The Rockabilly Scene by Andrew Shaylor
Rockabilly: The Twang Heard 'Round the World by Michael Dregni
Dave Hickey on Rockabilly in Air Guitar: Essays on Art & Democracy
Sabrina Carpenter "Nonsense" Outros Compilation
"What Happens When a Pop Star Isn't That Popular?" by Shaad D'Souza – New York Times
Sabrina's custom "Espresso" swimsuit vs. Marilyn Monroe's in How to Marry a Millionaire
Katy Perry performing "One of the Boys" in 2008
Rolling Stone on the backstory behind Katy's Teenage Dream cover
Rolling Stone review of Teenage Dream upon release in 2010
TASCHEN's The Art of Pin-up by Dian Hanson
Alexander Thompson's photographs of Mexican-American Rockabillies
Property from the Life and Career of Amy Winehouse – Auction Catalog
"A Sly Wink to Pinups of the Past" by Ruth La Ferla – New York Times (2012)
Caroline Gnagy's Work**Full interview with Caroline Gnagy also available on Patreon!
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In this episode, we link up in Hell's Kitchen and transform into experimental theater critics in order to provide an unbridled review and aesthetic analysis following our patronage of the new Broadway revival of Cabaret, a musical with a captivating history and a surprising relevance to many of our favorite themes and subjects. We talk about the century-long meme of Berlin debauchery, Sally Bowles as a feminine archetype in her many iterations, Eddie Redmayne's viral Emcee performance (and its chilling implications), and the wildly imaginative costume design work of Tom Scutt, from sleazy boudoir ensembles to fascistic menswear.
Links
Go see Cabaret on Broadway!
Cabaret – "Wilkommen" performance at the 77th Annual Tony Awards
Cabaret (1972) starring Liza Minelli
Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
March Vogue profile on the 2024 revival, feat. interviews with Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin
How a Broadway Theater was Remade Into a Queer Cabaret (interactive NYT article)
Playbill interview with set and costume designer Tom Scutt, featuring costume sketches!
Cabaret (2024) review in the LA Times
Cabaret (2024) review in the New York Times
Previous iconic Sally Bowles moments: Liza Minelli's "Mein Herr" and Jane Horrocks' "Cabaret"
Biz's essay "2016, 2017"Find exclusive episodes here <3
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In this week's episode, we don our polarized hippie glasses and go back in time to investigate the cultural legacy of the Grateful Dead and all that they represent: psychedelia, Pied Piper figures and their cult-like followings, cross-country motor travel, bootleg merchandising, musical improvisation, and more. We analyze the parallels between the infamous Summer of Love and the summer now upon us, with a special focus on the darksided undercurrents lurking through both.
Links:
Finding Authenticity in a T-Shirt – The New Yorker (on Online Ceramics)
Owsley Stanley's website — The Bear Story
Owsley Stanley: The King of LSD – Rolling Stone
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, 1968 (full PDF!)
Grateful Dead 2015 Chacos collab
The End of Merch – GQ
Will the Grateful Dead Live Forever ... Through Merch? – Billboard
A Guide to Grateful Dead Iconography
How Fashion Became Obsessed with the Grateful Dead – WSJ
Why, in 2018, is Fashion Obsessed with the Grateful Dead Aesthetic? – Fashionista
The Disembodied Body of Marilyn Monroe – Wendy LesserFind exclusive episodes here <3
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FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE ON PATREON***
In the sophomore edition of our Study Break series, we check in on a few of our cultural prophesies: on the Silly Boy front, we analyze the rise of LEGO-man rap sensation Ian, and on the Alt-Print front, we assess the threat of Katy Perry's new Bushwickified era. We also announce Shiloh Jolie as our nepo baby top draft pick in light of her recent Afrobeat activities, discuss the Frutiger Aero undertones of J. Cole's "Grippy," mourn the disillusion of much-loved brands including Dion Lee, Mara Hoffman, and The Vampire's Wife.
Links:
Shiloh Jolie Pitt Dancing to Afrobeat
North West for ERL
The Vampire's Wife Shuts Down
Mara Hoffman Shuts Down
Dion Lee Raises Alarm
Marc Jacobs - Dear Bullies
The Curious Case of Underselling Arena Tours
J. Cole mixing "Grippy" by the sea - Show more
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