From some angles, it can appear that the world is one massive dumpster fire right now. The news is filled with political doom and gloom, freak weather incidents are on the rise, the rich are getting richer whilst the poor suffer horribly, and tolerance of others seems to be in extremely short supply. Much like... Continue Reading →
How a corset told the tale of Westworld
[SPOILER ALERT] This article contains mild spoilers for Westworld season 2, mostly in the form of discussion of costumes. I recently finished watching season 2 of Westworld and am still processing the clever storytelling, the visual brilliance, and the excellent performances from a delightfully diverse cast. Despite being set in a 'wild west' theme park,... Continue Reading →
5 life lessons from Star Trek: Discovery
Having now watched the final episode of Star Trek: Discovery, I was inspired to write a 'life lessons' post on the show. It goes without saying that I really don't want to spoiler it for you if you are yet to start or complete the series, so forgive me if this appears somewhat vague. 1)... Continue Reading →
Doctor Who: Feminist Icon?
As we prepare to meet the 13th Doctor in this year's Christmas episode of Doctor Who, I thought I'd re-share a piece I wrote back in 2011 on what I thought were the show's feminist credentials. I'm hoping that the next series will continue to deliver what I've always loved about Who, despite the inevitable... Continue Reading →
Why I now think that Fashion Week can ‘sashay away’
I've been trying to write this post for months, but two things inspired me to finally finish it: a recent article by Frankie Graddon for The Pool on garments with annoying cut-aways, and the announcement of the line up for RuPaul's Drag Race: All-Stars season 3. Here's the reason why I turn to drag queens... Continue Reading →
5 life lessons from Spaced
I figured that if '5 life lessons from...' was going to be a series on this blog, the next show I had to address would have to be what is possibly my favourite television programme of all time. Despite the fact there are only 14 episodes of less than thirty minutes each, Spaced had a... Continue Reading →
Thoughts on the 13th Doctor
You may have noticed that, after the Wimbledon Men's Final on Sunday, a short trailer was shown on the BBC to announce the 13th actor cast to play the lead role in Doctor Who. Even if you haven't watched the show or seen the clip (embedded below), you can't have escaped the reactions to this... Continue Reading →
5 life lessons from RuPaul’s Drag Race
Having watched the finale of Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race at least a few times now, I have been pondering a few broader thoughts about the show. Yes, some aspects of early seasons were problematic and season 9 was not without controversy, but RPDR has (albeit rather slowly!) learnt from its mistakes and has... Continue Reading →
5 life lessons from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I'm currently re-watching Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. along with someone who's never seen it before. Starting from the beginning again is reinforcing my love for the show, its characters, writers and actors, so I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts. No spoilers though. This is based on season 1. 1) You don't have to... Continue Reading →
“The Only Garment That Could Kill”: Corsets and the Great British Sewing Bee
Knowing that I have an academic interest in fashion history and a love of mid-twentieth century clothing, a friend of mine recently asked if I had seen a recent 1950s themed episode of the Great British Sewing Bee. Now in its third season, the basic premise of the format is much the same as the... Continue Reading →