Hey there, history lovers! Join us this week as we trace the long history of nail art. From the royal courts of Ancient China to the refugee camps of the Vietnam War, we discuss how nails became symbols of beauty, status, and self-expression across cultures and centuries.

SHOW NOTES & CORRECTIONS:

Apologies if I (Natalie) sound particularly nasally during some parts of this episode - this was filmed after I recovered from a horrendous 5-week long bout of some mystery illness.

Help us continue spilling the tea on history’s hottest people, events, items and ideas by supporting our show and following us on your fave podcast platforms and socials!

TikTok: @historyforhotgirls

Instagram: @historyforhotgirlspodcast

YT: history for hot girls

REFERENCES:Fetto, Funmi. “From Ancient Egypt to Cardi B: A Cultural History of the Manicure.” The Guardian, 27 Jan. 2021, www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jan/27/from-ancient-egypt-to-cardi-b-a-cultural-history-of-the-manicure.

Morris, Regan. “How Tippi Hedren Made Vietnamese Refugees into Nail Salon Magnates.” BBC News, 2 May 2015, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32544343.

“Nail Art.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 24 Feb. 2025, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/nail-art.

Nail Salon XR. “Nailed It Full Documentary with Viet Subtitles.” YouTube, 25 Mar. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_OcNYT_sDk. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.

“Nail Salons and Vietnamese Refugees: Finding Sanctuary in an Unexpected Place.” Si.edu, 28 Feb. 2024, americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/finding-sanctuary-unexpected-place?utm_source=si.edu&. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.

Rancier, Isabelle. “The Illustrated History of Nail Art.”

Refinery29.com, Refinery29, 21 Jan. 2012, www.refinery29.com/en-us/the-illustrated-history-of-nail-art.

Scofield, Rebecca. “Nailed It: Producing and Consuming in Tokyo’s Nail Industry.” Streetnotes, vol. 20, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5070/s5201011885. Accessed 17 July 2021.

Shapiro, Suzanne E. Nails : The Story of the Modern Manicure. Munich ; New York, Prestel, 2014.

Sicardi, Arabelle. “Welcome to the Golden Age of Nail Art.”

Harper’s BAZAAR, 1 Aug. 2023, www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/nails/a44380670/nail-art-history/.

Tsatalis, John P., et al. “Speaking with Your Hands—the History of the Manicure.” JAMA Dermatology, vol. 154, no. 5, 1 May 2018, p. 595, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.0303.

Vietnamese Heritage Museum. “Ms. Tippi Hedren - the Godmother of the Vietnamese Nail Industry.” Vietnamese Heritage Museum, vietnamesemuseum.org/details/ms-tippi-hedren/.

Willett, Julie A. ““Hands across the Table”: A Short History of the Manicurist in the Twentieth Century.” Journal of Women’s History, vol. 17, no. 3, 2005, pp. 59–80, https://doi.org/10.1353/jowh.2005.0038.

Thank you so much for listening! See you on the next one xoxox

Hey there history lovers! Buckle in, because on today’s episode we chat about the riveting history of jeans. We explore how the ordinary can also be iconic. From worker wear to high fashion, we trace the history of this fashion staple.

Help us continue spilling the tea on history’s hottest people, events, items and ideas by supporting our show and following us on your fave podcast platforms and socials!

TikTok: @historyforhotgirls

Instagram: @historyforhotgirlspodcast

YT: history for hot girls

Thank you so much for listening! See you on the next one xoxox

Hey there, history lovers! This week, we’re examining this year’s most bizarre pop culture trend: the 2025 conclave. Join us as we discuss jail cell diets, our dream jobs if we were allowed in the conclave, the Destiel confession meme, and the significance of being terminally online in today’s social climate. 

Help us continue spilling the tea on history’s hottest people, events, items and ideas by supporting our show by following us on your fave podcast platform and socials! 

Tiktok: historyforhotgirls

Instagram: historyforhotgirlspodcast  

Youtube: History For Hot Girls  

We’d love it if you hit that five star rating and shared us with your fellow history girlies!

Bibliography

Barone, C. (2025). Tailor of history: Meet the man who dresses popes. [online] National Catholic Reporter. Available at: https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/tailor-history-meet-man-who-dresses-popes [Accessed 27 May 2025].

evermoresivy (2025). [online] X (formerly Twitter). Available at: https://x.com/evermoresivy/status/1920539702915920301 [Accessed 27 May 2025].

Klee, M. (2025). ‘Pope Crave’ Meme Artist Beat Mainstream Media to Conclave News. [online] Rolling Stone. Available at: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/pope-crave-memes-conclave-vatican-news-1235334798/ [Accessed 27 May 2025].

Lamy, O. and Golden, H. (2025). Leo XIV’s brother recalls feeling of ‘disbelief’ over his sibling becoming pope. [online] AP News. Available at: https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-xiv-brother-john-prevost-631d38eeef66ea85ab905b204c61d799 [Accessed 27 May 2025].

Macgregor, J. (2025). 75,000 people are playing a fantasy football game where you guess the new pope: ‘You have to choose 11 cardinals, the ones you think are the most papal’. [online] PC Gamer. Available at: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/75-000-people-are-playing-a-fantasy-football-game-where-you-guess-the-new-pope-you-have-to-choose-11-cardinals-the-ones-you-think-are-the-most-papal/ [Accessed 27 May 2025].

MacLeod, R. (2025). Conclave Fandom Is The Religious Left - Aftermath. [online] Aftermath.site. Available at: https://aftermath.site/pope-conclave-memes [Accessed 27 May 2025].

Mouriquand, D. (2025). Behind the memeification of the conclave and the viral ‘Tagle core’. [online] euronews. Available at: https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/05/07/behind-the-memeification-of-the-conclave-and-the-viral-tagle-core [Accessed 27 May 2025].

phosphorescent-naidheachd (2020). Reblog by @phosphorescent-naidheachd. [online] Tumblr. Available at: https://www.tumblr.com/phosphorescent-naidheachd/634541637088018432/hi-my-name-is-destiel-nevada-putin-election-covid [Accessed 27 May 2025].

Yee, C. and Katarina Kratovac (2025). Pope Leo XIV calls his election both a cross and a blessing, offers first homily. [online] AP News. Available at: https://apnews.com/live/pope-leo-xiv-robert-prevost-catholic-church-updates.

Thank you so much for listening, we’ll see you on the next one xoxo

Hey there, history lovers! Strap yourselves in - on today’s episode we are exploring the history of the high heel. From big masculine energy to the ultimate symbol of feminine power, we explore how the no-so-humble shoe reflects meaning about the time period in which it has come from, and the heel’s seemingly sudden disappearance from footwear in 2025.

Help us continue spilling the tea on history’s hottest people, events, items and ideas by supporting our show by following us on your fave podcast platform and socials!

Tiktok: historyforhotgirls

Instagram: historyforhotgirls

Youtube: History For Hot Girls

We’d love it if you hit that five star rating and share with your fellow history girlies.

Bibliography

https://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/trends/spring-shoe-trends/image-gallery/c7a6762279031c10ca2b7e61099a5dd7

https://www.elle.com.au/fashion/flat-shoe-trend1258015/

https://www.whowhatwear.com/fashion/shoes/red-high-heel-shoe-trend

https://edition.cnn.com/style/goodbye-to-high-heels/index.

htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/11/01/giving-stilettos-the-business/a-delicate-balance-women-work-and-high-heels

Bryanna Lynn on the CBC Podcast – Gendered Closet  BBC

You’re Dead to me Podcast, The History of High Heels

Dressed- The History of Fashion, Men in Heels: a His (and her) story, an interview with Elizabeth Semmelhack

Thank you so much for listening, we’ll see you on the next one xoxo

Hey there, history lovers! We love a good climax. On today’s episode, we explore the rise in the popularity of the romantasy genre. From stories of swords to… well, other swords, we unpack what is so captivating about this genre, as well as its critiques.

NOTES & CORRECTIONS:

Natalie's top 5 books are The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

FIND US ON SOCIALS:

https://www.instagram.com/historyforhotgirls/

https://www.tiktok.com/@historyforhotgirls?_t=ZS-8wCpeo0jpA4&_r=1

https://www.youtube.com/@historyforhotgirls

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8SaCL1OOxU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=K0ieFurt1n8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPBD2WybXrs

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-03/how-acotar-and-fourth-wing-romantasy-books-got-so-popular

https://stories.uq.edu.au/contact-magazine/what-is-romantasy-experts-explain-the-bestselling-book-trend/index.html

https://www.ft.com/content/2c9b51f4-2d57-4a82-94fa-b49696c844d6 https://www.ft.com/content/50a4f410-37bd-4d21-8562-d4fd0048966f https://www.ft.com/content/87b071fb-2df2-44fa-8d6b-603c943c17d3

The Rise of Romantasy (Season 4, episode 149), TBR Lowdown Podcast

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/02/romantasy-literary-genre-booktok https://www.pastemagazine.com/books/fantasy-books/romantasy-history-lesson-where-did-the-genre-come-from

The Assignment Podcast with Audie Cornish

The Serious Business of Romance Novels, Oct 2023

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/28/style/romantic-books-fantasy-romantasy-booktok-cec/index.html https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/the-sex-lives-of-elves-and-fairies-welcome-to-the-world-of-romantasy-20241113-p5kq7t.html

Thank you so much for listening! We’ll see you on the next one xoxo

Ahoy there history lovers! Welcome to part 2 of our deep dive into the lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read. In this episode, we finish up their story, and cover the different ways they are interpreted across history and in fictional media. Specifically, we discuss how Anne Bonny and Mary Read have been reinterpreted as symbols of feminism throughout the centuries, and also as queer icons in the modern day. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Arne Zuidhoek. 2022. The Pirate Encyclopedia. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.

Canfield, Rob. 2001. “Something’s Mizzen: Anne Bonny, Mary Read, ‘Polly’, and Female Counter-Roles on the Imperialist Stage.” South Atlantic Review 66 (2): 45. https://doi.org/10.2307/3201868.

Evans, Tegan. 2024. “Enemies of All Mankind: Gender, Violence and the Queering of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.” Australian Feminist Law Journal 50 (1): 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/13200968.2024.2310315.

Johnson, Charles. 1724. A GENERAL HISTORY of the PYRATES, from Their First RISE and SETTLEMENT in the Island of Providence, to the Present Time. Pater-Noster-Row, London: Black-Boy.

National Library of Jamaica. 1721. The Tryals of Captain John Rackham and Other Pirates. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/the-tryals-of-captain-john-rackham.

Oppenheim, Maya. 2020. “Female Pirate Lovers Whose Story Was Ignored by Male Historians Immortalised with Statue.” The Independent. November 19, 2020. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-pirates-anne-bonny-mary-read-lgbt-statue-b1725018.html.

Park, Andy, and Clare O’Halloran. 2024. “Piracy in the Caribbean and the Tale of Mary Read.” ABC Listen. ABC Radio National. May 22, 2024. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/drawingroom/francesca-de-tores-saltblood-piracy-/103880692.

Rebecca Alexandra Simon. 2022. Pirate Queens. Pen and Sword History.

Rowan, Caroline. 1999. “Powerful on Land and Sea: An Analysis of History’s Attitude to the Lives and Careers of Two Female Pirates; Grainne Mhaol and Anne Bonny.” Thesis, Women’s Education, Research and Resource Centre, University College, Dublin. https://researchrepository.ul.ie/articles/thesis/Powerful_on_land_and_sea_an_analysis_of_history_s_attitude_to_the_lives_and_careers_of_two_female_pirates_Grainne_Mhaol_and_Anne_Bonny/19841401?file=35254234.

Vencel, Wendy. 2018. “Women at the Helm: Rewriting Maritime History through Female Pirate Identity and Agency.” Honours Thesis, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection. https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/ugtheses/452.

Thank you so much for listening! We’ll see you on the next one xoxo. 

Ahoy there, history lovers! This week’s episode is Natalie’s first script for the show, and it got a little out of hand. This is part 1 of a 2-part deep dive into the lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Join us as we learn about their lives and examine the issues with the sources used to study them.

NOTES & CORRECTIONS:

Around the 37 minute mark, I misspoke and said Jack Rackham was “executed around the time Anne Bonny and Mary Read were” — this is inaccurate because neither woman was executed! I was instead trying to say they were put on trial at the same time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Arne Zuidhoek. 2022. The Pirate Encyclopedia. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.

Canfield, Rob. 2001. “Something’s Mizzen: Anne Bonny, Mary Read, ‘Polly’, and Female Counter-Roles on the Imperialist Stage.” South Atlantic Review 66 (2): 45. https://doi.org/10.2307/3201868.

Evans, Tegan. 2024. “Enemies of All Mankind: Gender, Violence and the Queering of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.” Australian Feminist Law Journal 50 (1): 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/13200968.2024.2310315.

Johnson, Charles. 1724. A GENERAL HISTORY of the PYRATES, from Their First RISE and SETTLEMENT in the Island of Providence, to the Present Time. Pater-Noster-Row, London: Black-Boy.

National Library of Jamaica. 1721. The Tryals of Captain John Rackham and Other Pirates. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/the-tryals-of-captain-john-rackham.

Oppenheim, Maya. 2020. “Female Pirate Lovers Whose Story Was Ignored by Male Historians Immortalised with Statue.” The Independent. November 19, 2020. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-pirates-anne-bonny-mary-read-lgbt-statue-b1725018.html.

Park, Andy, and Clare O’Halloran. 2024. “Piracy in the Caribbean and the Tale of Mary Read.” ABC Listen. ABC Radio National. May 22, 2024. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/drawingroom/francesca-de-tores-saltblood-piracy-/103880692.

Rebecca Alexandra Simon. 2022. Pirate Queens. Pen and Sword History.

Rowan, Caroline. 1999. “Powerful on Land and Sea: An Analysis of History’s Attitude to the Lives and Careers of Two Female Pirates; Grainne Mhaol and Anne Bonny.” Thesis, Women’s Education, Research and Resource Centre, University College, Dublin. https://researchrepository.ul.ie/articles/thesis/Powerful_on_land_and_sea_an_analysis_of_history_s_attitude_to_the_lives_and_careers_of_two_female_pirates_Grainne_Mhaol_and_Anne_Bonny/19841401?file=35254234.

Vencel, Wendy. 2018. “Women at the Helm: Rewriting Maritime History through Female Pirate Identity and Agency.” Honours Thesis, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection. https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/ugtheses/452.

Thank you so much for listening! We’ll see you on the next one xoxo

Hey there, history lovers! On today’s episode we discuss how lipstick sales going up, means the economy is going down! From hair dye to hemlines, we unpack how women are often at the centre of quirky recession indicators and how beauty trends can reflect a shift in the economy.  

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-09-12/makeup-fragrance-hairtok-reveal-a-lot-about-consumer-economy-inflation 

https://www.voguebusiness.com/beauty/beauty-blind-spot-inclusive-luxury-colour-cosmetics 

https://www.euromonitor.com/article/redefining-the-lipstick-effect-examples-of-recession-proof-categories 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2022/06/01/with-inflation-rising-the-lipstick-effect-kicks-in-and-lipstick-sales-rise/?sh=32eeed7a1276  

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/52807802.pdf 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/dec/22/recession-cosmetics-lipstick 

https://www.businessinsider.com/lipstick-index-explained-how-makeup-sales-could-forecast-recession-2022-8 

https://www.npd.com/news/blog/2022/the-evolution-of-the-lipstick-index/  

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1006731471172641080 

Thank you so much for listening! We’ll see you on the next one xoxo

Hey there, history lovers! In our very first episode, we are diving into the history of the Met Gala. We explore why it began, how it became known as “fashion’s biggest night out,” and if it is still the impactful, cultural phenomenon it once was.  

NOTES & CORRECTIONS:

The first Met Gala was held in 1948, rather than 1947 as mentioned in the episode.

When discussing monetary value in the episode, we are referring to the approximate modern day equivalent. Just a little inflation maths that we forgot to flag in the recording! 

BIBLIOGRAPHY & FURTHER READING:

The Entire History of the Met Gala, Understitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmy4Hgkkvls&t=187s

A history of the met gala in under 60 sec, Vogue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W96_Dd9bI5Y

A complete history of the met gala: everytheme unveiled https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqx31AM-b1o

The history behind the Met Gala, Olivia B Waxman, 2024  https://time.com/6972918/met-gala-history/ 

The Costume Institue https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/the-costume-institute 

The Lives of the Party: A whirlwind history of the met gala, Lilah Ramzi, May 1 2024 - https://www.vogue.com/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-met-gala-video 

By saying nothing as the world burns, the Met Gala shows we’re still living in a gilded age, Amelia Abraham May 2022 https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/may/03/met-gala-saying-nothing-world-burns-fashion-gilded-age 

Met Gala Organizers face criticism for “GildedGlamour” theme amid inflation, Maya Yang 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/may/02/met-gala-theme-gilded-glamor-criticism-inflation 

Fashion previews, protests, parties, The scene Surrounding the Met Gala, Lauren Bilbin Annaliese Nurnber and Jada Yuan, May 7 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/interactive/2024/05/07/photos-met-gala-scene/ 

What does the Met Gala theme make the internet crazy, Jose Criales-Unzueta, May 2 2024, https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/why-does-the-met-gala-theme-make-the-internet-crazy 

Fashion History Mystery #13, Party of the Year: The Met Gala by Dressed, The History of Fashion podcast. 9 May 2019. 

If you would love to know more about the history of this year’s exhibition theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, we highly recommend you check out Monica L. Miller’s lecture for the National Arts Club, whose work has inspired this year’s exhibition. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tsFpvDN_Xs&t=2268s 

FIND US ON SOCIALS:

https://www.instagram.com/historyforhotgirls/

https://www.tiktok.com/404?fromUrl=/historyforhotgirls/

Thank you so much for listening! We’ll see you on the next one on May 19th! xoxo

Hey there, history lovers! Join two teachers, Michelle and Natalie, as they explore the history of people, events, items and ideas traditionally considered feminine. It’s history as told by hot girls for hot girls.

Episodes will be posted fortnightly. Keep an eye out for our first episode, The History of the Met Gala, releasing on May 5th. Can't wait to see you there! xoxo

Find us on socials:

Youtube: youtube.com/@historyforhotgirls

Instagram: tiktok.com/@historyforhotgirls

Tiktok: instagram.com/historyforhotgirls