Vanity Veritas

Only Ugly Girls Want the Vote: Beauty and femininity in US politics

Beauty is always political, but when women enter the political arena, physical appearance takes on a whole new dimension. From the women’s suffrage movement to bra burnin

Hang Onto Your Shoe-Hats: The Life and Times of Elsa Schiaparelli

Elsa “Schiap” Schiaparelli was the enfant terrible of the 1930s Paris couture scene. Still, after World War II, she fell into relative obscurity, only to have her name an

Say Yes to the Mess: A Vanity Veritas Wedding Extravaganza

Say Yes to the Mess: A Vanity Veritas Wedding Extravaganza In our Season 2 kickoff, we take a tour through the strange and diabolical history of weddings in the western

Introducing Ourselves: Who We Are, How We Got Here, and the Hills We'll Die On

A chatty introduction to hosts Chelsea Feltman, Kristina Cole Geddes, and Elizabeth Urbanczyk answering the serious questions. We talk meet cutes, eyebrow angst, the case

It's Better to be Looked Over than Overlooked: The Indomitable Mae West

Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see us? In this episode, we discuss another of history’s It Girls, Mae West. Beyond her larger-than-life persona, Wes

Maria Callas: The Rise and Fall of an Opera Diva

Nearly 50 years after her death, Maria Callas remains one of the most iconic opera singers of all time, not just for her voice, but for her striking image. But who was sh

Tuberculosis: Angel Wings, Idiot Sleeves, and a Dumptruck Ass

Before there was heroin chic, there was consumptive chic. How did an objectively horrifying bacterial infection become the height of fashion and a marker of moral superio

Simply The Breast: A TIT-illating History From Wet Nurses to Silicone

Breasts. Bosoms. Boobies. If you don’t have them, you probably know someone who does. In this episode, we attempt to free the proverbial nipple by examining how cultural

All Mantis Shrimps are Bright Springs: The Long and Strange History of Color Season Analysis

Color season analysis has gone from a cringe 80s relic to a TikTok phenomenon seemingly out of nowhere. Where did it come from and why is it back with a vengeance? Is col

Give the Lady What She Wants: How Department Stores Changed How and Why We Shop

Give the lady what she wants! In our inaugural episode, we dive into a fascinating chapter of retail history. How did department stores come to be, and how did women shop

Vanity Veritas - Official Trailer

A sneak peak at Vanity Veritas, the show where three vain friends dive into the history of beauty, fashion, and culture trying to figure out how we got here and why we ca