Episode 24: Carte Blanche - The Power of Dressing in White

Pristine, pure, powerful, peaceful: the meanings of white are many and various. It should occasion no surprise, then, that dressing in white (and its opposite, black) have long been a popular theme in costumed entertainments. Tracing the history of this colour through clothing, Lucy and Ben discuss some of the more intriguing uses of white in dressing up, from the seventeenth-century royal masque to Donald Trump’s recent, regrettable UK State Visit.   Links Accompanying images can be viewed at @dressfancypodcast Queen Charlotte’s Ball: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Charlotte%27s_Ball;https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6147297/Young-debutantes-charming-display-annual-Queen-Charlottes-Ball.html Debutantes in 1957: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25PxVHSdRh4 Fiona McCartney, Last Curtsey (2007): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Curtsey-Fiona-MacCarthy/dp/0571228607 ‘Diner en blanc’: www.dinerenblanc.com; https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2017/06/22/diner-en-blanc-2017-how-to-participate-in-the-most-secret-and-chic-dinner-in-white/ The White Ball, Holland Park (1969):Nick Foulkes, Bals: Legendary Balls of the Twentieth Century  (2011). Getting White Tie right: https://www.debretts.com/expertise/etiquette/dress-codes/white-tie-dress-code/; https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/white-tie-dress-code... Unlike Trump…https://www.esquire.com/style/mens-fashion/a27718121/donald-trump-white-tie-uk-state-visit/ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/oct/07/maam-darling-craig-brown-review-julian-barnes

Om Podcasten

A smart, playful and interrogative take on contemporary fashion and its context – weaving together sartorial and social history to tell powerful, surprising stories of identity. Hosted by Lucy Clayton together with a selection of special guests including designers, artists, writers, activists, academics and of course, the dresser uppers themselves, this show explores the way we dress in all its creative, sequinned and chaotic glory.