Fashion is a complicated world. Youthful women, beautiful clothes, and the whiff of culture and privilege is a heady mix. It’s no surprise that the trends and fads in fashion have had us chasing our tails for eons. But before there was heroin chic and body positivity movements, fashion was shaping our health in a completely different way. Turns out it’s not just the culture of fashion that’s toxic.

Today we’re exploring the deadly fashion trends of centuries past. Industrial waste, poison hats, and columns of fire are on the docket today and it might make you think twice about what threads you decide to rock at your next big social function.

That’s what you're in for today on Impolite Society.

00:00 The World of Fashion: A Toxic Legacy

03:25 Historical Fashion: From TikTok Trends to Deadly Dyes

06:23 Aniline Dyes

19:17 Fiery Hoop Skirts

26:13 Felt Hats and Mercury Poisoning

37:00 The Legacy of Scheele's Green

46:06 Reflecting on the Dangers of Fashion and Industrial Chemicals

48:25 Share the Podcast and Stay Informed

 

Sources:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/toms-river-excerpt-on-aniline-dye/

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=448&toxid=79#:~:text=Aniline%20is%20irritating%20to%20the,acute%20or%20delayed%20hemolytic%20anemia 

https://mollybrown.org/death-by-crinoline/

https://thecowkeeperswish.com/2018/08/06/the-crinoline-fires/

https://www.famsf.org/stories/poisons-part-i-the-mercurial-world-of-felt

https://corrosion-doctors.org/Elements-Toxic/Mercury-mad-hatter.htm

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/05/02/scheeles-green-the-color-of-fake-foliage-and-death/

https://www.jezebel.com/the-arsenic-dress-how-poisonous-green-pigments-terrori-1738374597

Got your own thoughts? Text them to Impolite Society!

Support the show

Text Rachel and Laura your rude thoughts or email us at [email protected]. Visit our website for info about the show, your hosts, and where to find us online. If you'd like to support the show, visit us on Buy Me a Coffee- every little bit helps!