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.

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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

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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.

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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].

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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