Sarcurious

About Sarcurious

Sarcurious is a fashion podcast that gets you curious about your own closet. We dig into the history, cultural relevance, and meaning behind clothing so you can approach your wardrobe with more intention. Episodes drop every other Wednesday, covering fashion pieces, techniques, and creators. Subscribe to ask the “why” behind the “what” alongside us. Website: https://www.sarcurious.com/ Contact: contact@sarcurious.com IG: @Sarcuriouspod

Publisher

Yoana Byrd & Chandler Pibl

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Jun 2026

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

10 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Fisherman Sweaters: From Drowned Sailor Myths To Jean Paul Gaultier [Ep:10]

   Almost everything you think you know about the fisherman's sweater was invented. We open on the Aran Islands with the myth of a drowned fisherman identified by his family's secret stitch pattern, then trace it to a 1904 play, a book of "sacred" stitch meanings that historians consider fabricated, and a cottage industry built to bring money to some of Ireland's poorest islands. Along the way, we meet the plain, workhorse gansey of the British and Channel Island fleets, the herring girls who carried patterns up and down the coast, and the Fair Isle knit, which includes a Spanish Armada shipwreck legend, and the Prince of Wales photograph that turned workwear into high fashion. Then we get into why the sweater feels like it is not allowed to change: Grace Kelly next to Taylor Swift, certificates of authenticity at the Aran Sweater Market, the pink shop in Doolin, and a viral creator video that was part of a tourism campaign. We look at the screen and stage effect, from Knives Out and When Harry Met Sally to the Clancy Brothers and folklore, plus fisherman core, the Aran going Ivy, Ralph Lauren, and end with how Jean Paul Gaultier and Sami Miró remix the garment. We close with how we actually feel about them, and a bonus yap session on quiet luxury, old money, and tailoring. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:00:35 The Drowned Fisherman & Defining The Sweater00:03:23 Riders To The Sea & The Younger-Than-The-Car Aran00:07:00 The Gansey & The Herring Girls00:12:31 Fair Isle, The Armada & The Prince Of Wales00:21:34 The Sweater That Isn't Allowed To Change00:24:10 The Pink Shop Pilgrimage00:27:27 Knives Out & The Screen Effect00:31:31 The Clancy Brothers To Folklore00:34:34 Fisherman Core & The Aran Goes Ivy00:37:17 Gaultier, Sami Miró & Who Gets To Change It00:39:17 Personal Style & Feelings00:42:12 See You Soon!00:42:26 Bonus Yap Sesh: Quiet Luxury & Old Money Find our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RuSaV9vgRL7iv4Obzzz6jz0Bnk1_m973/view?usp=sharing Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Signet Rings: From High Treason To Taylor Swift [Ep:9]

   The signet ring’s story begins before written human history. Long before signatures, a small engraved stone pressed into clay or wax was your ID, your legal authority, and your lucky charm…a proxy so powerful that a seal outliving its owner could be dangerous. In this episode, we trace that object from seventh-millennium-BC seals and Mesopotamian cylinder seals, through Egyptian scarabs to the Minoan Ring of Minos that vanished for 73 years inside a fireplace. Then it gets violent before it gets sentimental. We cover Hannibal pouring dead senators' rings out before the Carthaginian Senate, the forged seal that almost opened a city's gates, medieval heraldry and forgery-as-high-treason, where the word "signet" actually comes from, and why every pope's Ring of the Fisherman still eventually gets defaced. From there, the ring loses its job and gains its status: Renaissance personal branding, the Victorian gentleman's flex, class rings and West Point, and King Charles still stacking his on a non-dominant pinky. In the second half we get into what a signet says now: Zendaya's "TH," Taylor Swift's hand-painted Cece Jewellery ring, the Official Preppy Handbook's ring etiquette, mafia and Hollywood pinky rings, women reclaiming that exact placement, and the Etsy-versus-fine-jewelry "dupe" debate — where a $6,000 ring and a $45 ring both belong to a category thousands of years old. As always, we close by talking about how we actually feel about them, and what we'd put on our own. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:23 Defining The Signet: Signum, Intaglio & The Pinky Rule00:02:31 A Seal Is A Proxy For A Person00:03:46 Mesopotamia & The Cylinder Seal00:05:43 Egypt, Scarabs & Minoan Crete00:12:00 Rome, Hannibal & Attempted Forgery00:14:44 The Middle Ages: Wax, Heraldry & High Treason00:16:06 Where The Word "Signet" Comes From00:19:15 The Ring Of The Fisherman00:22:00 The Renaissance & The Victorian Flex00:27:28 Class Rings, West Point & King Charles00:29:25 Pinky Ring Power: The Modern Signet00:30:19 Celebrity Signets: Zendaya, Taylor Swift & Cece Jewellery00:36:40 Prep Schools, The Official Preppy Handbook & Class00:40:23 Men In Pinky Rings & The Female Reclamation00:41:17 The Mafia, The Godfather & Hollywood's Hand00:43:46 The Dupe Debate: Etsy, Cece Jewellery & Spinelli Kilcollin00:48:22 Personal Style & Feelings00:51:55 See You Soon! Find our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pl9tIEa8TYtFLU_TWStU-IBWCO78jEUh/view?usp=drive_link Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

3. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Alps Vintage: From Sister Side Hustle to Full-Time Vintage Business [Ep:8]

   For our first-ever guest episode, we’re joined by Alexa Alper, cofounder of Alps Vintage, a Chicago-based vintage business she runs with her sister, Nikki. What began with thrifting, estate-sale treasure hunting, and selling finds online became a full-time business centered on vintage watches, jewelry, accessories, and the thrill of finding pieces with real personality. Alexa takes us inside the world of sourcing vintage watches: from digging through markets in Morocco and finding hidden gems while traveling, to why she gravitates towards specific brands when sourcing, bracelet-style watches, and pieces that feel more like jewelry than traditional collectors’ watches. We also talk about learning the business in real time, navigating authenticity and repairs, creating a brand identity with your sister, and why vintage shopping is ultimately about finding something that feels uniquely you. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro 00:00:13 Gals Catch Up 00:01:17 From thrifting and estate sales to a full-time vintage business 00:07:09 Vintage watches as jewelry: style, quality, and what to look for 00:14:18 ’70s Seikos, pricing rare finds, and sourcing designer watches 00:18:54 The art of the hunt: sourcing vintage from Chicago to Morocco 00:23:03 Growing Alps Vintage: community, marketing, and working as sisters/co-founders 00:31:58 Pop-ups, holiday markets, and the future of the brand 00:42:19 Personal style, rapid fire, and where to find Alps Vintage Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

4. 

   26 Aug 2026

   Aviators: From WWII Pilots to A$AP Rocky [Ep:7]

   Aviator sunglasses have spent almost a century doing double duty: protecting pilots' eyes and building an entire narrative around masculinity, power, and fashion. In this episode, we trace the shape from open-cockpit flying goggles to American Optical's 1935 D-1, through the mid-air accident that gave Bausch & Lomb the original teardrop shape and green lens, to the moment the US military officially standardized the aviator sunglass in WWII. We follow General Douglas MacArthur's history-making return to the Philippines in 1944, the postwar surplus boom that put pilots' exact sunglasses into civilian hands, and how Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, and eventually Tom Cruise in Top Gun turned a military tool into a Hollywood signature (and a 40% sales spike for Ray-Ban). We dig into why aviators became a political symbol and how 2025's ~49% jump in aviator searches, Ray-Ban's first-ever creative director in A$AP Rocky, and a Dolce & Gabbana collab are pulling the shape back into the center of culture. As always, we close out by talking about how we each wear (and feel about) aviators, and what this most universal of shapes says about ease, authority, and personal style. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro 00:00:13 Gals Catch Up 00:08:07 Defining the Aviator & the First Commercial Sunglasses 00:10:41 Open Cockpits, Goggles & American Optical 00:13:33 Bausch & Lomb & the Original Aviator Shape 00:17:23 Ban Rays: Ray-Ban’s Origin 00:18:02 WWII Standardization: The AN6531 Comfort Cable 00:19:15 MacArthur's Return & the Birth of an Icon 00:20:45 Postwar Surplus & the Aviator Goes Hollywood 00:24:38 The Aviator Goes To The Moon 00:25:26 Top Gun, Tom Cruise & the Ray-Ban Sales Boom 00:28:21 Ray-Ban's Brand Strategy: Caravan, Wayfarer & Taxi Driver 00:32:33 The 2025 Comeback & A$AP Rocky as Creative Director 00:34:01 Dolce & Gabbana, the Shooter Model & the Sunglass Case as Jewelry 00:36:44 Why Aviators Are Universally Flattering 00:38:14 Aviators as Political Language: Biden & Macron 00:43:35 From Sunglass to Optical & the End of "Nerd Glasses" 00:45:53 Military Surplus Goes Civilian (Then and Now) 00:49:12 Personal Style & Feelings 00:52:45 See You Soon!Find our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sMdPkGoyqesq55UkPWdymhsz_66UDGd8/view?usp=sharing Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

5. 

   12 Aug 2026

   Paisley: From Emperor Akbar to Etro [Ep:6]

   What Westerners now call paisley print traces all the way back from a sacred Persian motif to a print now associated with 1960s Flower Power and the 2010’s brightly colored lunch boxes. We dig into the motif's roots in ancient Persia and Kashmir, how it got wrapped up with the East India Company and popularized in Europe, why the West named it after a Scottish town, and how it went from a status symbol for the elite to paisley's very different life today, from Rimzim Dadu's cord work to Etro's brand identity. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:00:13 Gals Catch Up03:39 Setting the Scene: Ancient Paisley Origins06:01 Kashmir, Emperor Akbar & the Shawls of Empire08:14 Trade Routes, Spread of Paisley, Drawing the Line on Paisley vs. the Bandana10:32 How "Paisley" Got Its Name, Jacquard Looms and Mass Production of Paisley14:26 On Bandanas, Their Origin, and Tie to Paisley16:34 "Sham Cashmere": Classism in the Mills, The Aesthetic and Art Nouveau21:37 The Decline: Bustles, War & the American West22:46 Boho, Rebellion & the Summer of Love26:08 The Beatles & Their Love for Paisley28:21 Cultural Appropriation, Reconsidered31:56 Paisley's Life Outside the West (Manifest Magazine, Rimzim Dadu)36:38 Etro’s Heritage and Paisley41:53 Personal Feelings & Feeling45:07 See You Soon!Find our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here. Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

6. 

   29 Jul 2026

   Espadrilles: From Neolithic Farmers to Naguisa [Ep:5]

   Espadrilles have (quietly?) walked through six thousand years of history. What was originally viewed as a peasant shoe became a staple in the late Golden Age of Hollywood’s dressing, luxury resort wear, and many fashion houses’ resort collections.In this episode, we trace the espadrille from the Cueva de los Murciélagos and a 1322 medieval Catalan municipal ordinance through regional Spanish craft traditions, the 19th century's shift from esparto to jute manufacturing, and a 20th-century identity shaped by JFK, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Picasso, and Dalí. We dig into how Yves Saint Laurent and the Castañer family invented the luxury wedge espadrille, why the shoe earned its reputation as "the democratic shoe," and how brands like Naguisa, Morjas, and Goldberger are reinventing it today alongside Chanel, Hermès, and Valentino's own house takes. As always, we close out by talking about how we each wear (and feel about) espadrilles, and what this unisex shoe says about ease, class, and taste. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:00:14 Gals Catch Up00:03:49 Espadrille Definition & Early Origin00:07:57 Origin and Etymology: The Espadrille Precursor 00:13:32 Early Modern Period Regional Styles And Specialties00:17:15 19th-Century Esparto to Jute Manufacturing Revolution00:23:44 20th Century Artists and Late Golden Age of Hollywood 00:30:57 Espadrilles In The Modern Day: Democracy, Reinvention, Luxury, Effortless Yet Refined00:31:47 YSL Meets Castañer00:37:25 The Democratic Shoe 00:39:32 Trend Cycle Comeback 00:42:38 Reinvention in the Modern Day00:44:39  Espadrilles Gaining Couture House Codes00:49:03 Epitome of Effortlessly Cool00:52:14 Personal Style & Feelings00:55:47 See You Soon!Find our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here. Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

7. 

   15 Jul 2026

   Lace Collars: From Ruffs to Rihanna [Ep:4]

   Lace collars have framed power, piety, and poetic drama for centuries…and they’re still quietly running the show today. In this episode, we trace how tiny stitches of linen thread became status-defining ruffs, falling collars, cravats, and jabots, then follow lace into industrialization and the modern day. We talk Wuthering Heights and method dressing, Pinterest’s love affair with Poet Core, Florence + The Machine’s moody collars, Erdem’s runway shows, and lace’s Prairie Core/gothic drama duality. As always, we wrap up by discussing how we feel about lace collars and what all of this says about gender, status, and our own styles. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:00:14 Gals Catch Up03:20 Lace Origins And Types06:14 Trade Routes And Pattern Books07:09 Who Made Lace And Why08:45 Ruffs And Their Evolution14:06 Sumptuary Laws And Ruffs18:16 From Ruffs to Falling Collars, Cravats &  Jabots23:27 Great Male Renunciation25:13 Lace After Rococo26:29 Lace After The Industrial Revolution29:01 RBG’s Power Collar & Judicial Lace30:11 Prairiecore & Nara Smith31:46 – Poet Core and Pinterest Predictions34:40 – Method Dressing & Wuthering Heights37:33 – Music & Lace Collars: Florence + The Machine39:41 – Church, Couture & the Met: YSL, Galliano & Rihanna42:09 – Erdem, Naturalists & High‑Fashion Lace Collars44:39 – Personal Style & Feelings50:11: See You Soon!Find our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here. Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

8. 

   1 Jul 2026

   Structured Pleats: From Samurai to Sporty & Rich [Ep:3]

   Pleats don’t just create movement; sometimes they give a garment its structure. In this second and final pleats episode, we continue our deep dive from “Pleats to Plissé,” moving from pleats as a surface texture into the world of structured pleats that physically build a garment's silhouette. We follow knife, box, and cartridge pleats through time: from ancient Egypt’s Tarkhan dress to Korean Hanbok, Japanese Hakama, Chinese Mamianqun, and European men's and womenswear. We then jump into today’s context: country clubs, tennis-core, quiet luxury, royal off‑duty dressing, Sukeban girl gangs, Gossip Girl uniforms, Miu Miu’s boxer‑waist skirts, menswear trousers, and how we both use pleats in our wardrobes. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:00:17 Gals Catch Up00:01:40 Pleats Two‑Parter Setup00:02:33 Knife, Box, & Cartridge Pleats00:05:33 Ancient Egypt Origins00:07:57 Korea: Hanbok00:10:56 Japan: Hakama00:15:06 China: Mamianqun00:16:47 Renaissance: Pleats & Shape00:21:13 Kilts Over Time00:22:44 Fortuny, Negrin, & Heat Setting Pleats00:24:11 Duality in Structured Pleats’ Messaging Today00:25:08 A Polished Aesthetic: Quiet Luxury00:28:49 A Polished Aesthetic: Royalty & Ceremonial Codes00:31:30 Rebellion on Polished Codes: Sukeban, Gossip Girl, & Modern Spins00:35:31 Menswear Pleats Comeback00:39:12 Personal Style & Feelings00:44:16 See You Soon!Find our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here. Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

9. 

   17 Jun 2026

   Pleats to Plissé: From Ancient Egypt to Dior [Ep:2]

   Pleats are one of the oldest trick in fashion's book; we're talking 5,000 years old, and they're still one of the most technically demanding things a garment can do. We're kicking things off with Pleats to Plissé: the first of two pleat episodes focused on pleats as surface texture — the kind that move, shimmer, and feel almost alive on the body. Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:00:56.2 Gals Catch Up00:02:53.9 Pleats Episode Roadmap00:03:37.5 Defining Pleats Types00:04:57.6 Ancient Egypt00:08:00.9 Ancient Greece00:12:14.5 Ancient Rome00:16:28.3 Medieval Europe00:18:10.3 Warriors and Kilts00:22:04.9 Fortuny & Negrin00:26:13.3 Industrial Pleating00:27:17.3 Pleating Houses Today00:28:31.8 Why Pleats Still Matter00:29:25.2 Pleats as Human Craft00:31:29.1 Synthetics and Sustainability00:33:55.7 Miyake Backstory & Philosophy00:38:28.4 Iris Van Herpen and Kineticism00:42:26.3 Couture Craft at Dior00:49:27.1 Smart Shopping and Tradeoffs00:51:11.3 Personal Style & Feelings00:56:45.2 Final Takeaways and FarewellFind our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here. Follow us on Instagram @Sarcuriouspod Have feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we're fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. W're learning alongside you. Thanks for being here! We're so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

10. 

    13 Jun 2026

    Welcome to Sarcurious! [Ep:1]

    Welcome to the first episode of Sarcurious, the fashion podcast that hopes to get you curious about your wardrobe. In our intro episode, we catch up a bit, share how we met, how our friendship grew through the stories we helped others tell, and how that eventually led to talking about the stories we tell through our clothes. You’ll hear a bit about what pulls us toward fashion and its storytelling abilities, plus why we care about the stories behind our clothing. From there, we walk through the three-part structure you’ll hear in every episode: history, cultural context, and our personal “why,” so you can start seeing your own wardrobe as a story you’re actively telling. Timestamps:00:00.0 Intro00:13.8 Gals Catch Up08:25.1 Pod Origin16:28.6 Pod Structure Follow us on Instagram @sarcuriouspodHave feedback, a topic request, or just want to say hi? Reach us at contact@sarcurious.com. We read everything! A note: we’re fashion enthusiasts, not professional historians. We’re learning alongside you.Thanks for being here! We’re so glad you found us. — Chandler & Yoana

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.