Fashion Podcasts I'm Obsessed With
Podcast recs for industry news, business insights, gossip, and trends.
Over the years, I’ve transformed from an avid music listener into someone who’s Spotify Wrapped is less of a blend of my nuanced taste and more of a… “Your #1 Artist is Hugh Jackman,” because you’ve listened to ‘One Day More’ from the Les Miserables soundtrack on repeat all year.
It’s because aside from the occasional song hyper-fixation, I fill my gaps of silence with podcasts, instead.
It’s gotten so bad that I can’t even do the dishes or take a shower without having a podcast on in the background. Maybe it’s because I’m a “party of one” in my apartment and the silence is too boring… or maybe it’s because I want to multi-task and I feel like I’m not being “productive” if I’m not learning something while de-pilling sweaters I shouldn’t have put in the washing machine in the first place. Either way, I’m addicted.
But, while I need a podcast playing in my ear at all times, I’m extremely picky about the ones I listen to. My standards are high. I’ll shop around for a good episode for 30 minutes until I find one worthy. I have my comfort classics, but it usually takes some time to introduce new “faux friends” into my repertoire.
I’ve vetted a lot of fashion podcasts because those (along with film, pop culture, & relationship advice) are what I tend to seek out.
All of this to say, I’ve done the work, so you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
I am also well aware that listening to fashion talk may not exactly be the best medium for absorbing info about trends, styles, etc. since you’re not able to SEE what they’re discussing, but nonetheless it brings me great joy.
Here are my favorite fashion/style-related podcasts if you need a pick-me-up. All of them are nuanced, so you’re sure to find something you like. If not, don’t shoot the messenger.
Fashion News & Pop Culture
Every Outfit: AKA the Holy Grail of Podcasts
We’re starting off strong with my absolute favorite podcast of all time. If you’re a Sex and the City super fan, you’ve probably heard of the Instagram account @everyoutfitonsatc that analyzes… well… every outfit on SATC.
The hosts are the two fabulous, opinionated women who run that account. And while their show is rooted in their love of SATC, their episodes are typically a mix of segments that dissect fashion news, film, and pop culture.
They’re both fashion and film girls with a dry, witty sense of humor, so I feel a particular kinship to them as if their dialogue was actually written just for me. A lot of fashion/pop culture podcasts have narrow hosts that aren’t as in-tune to the cultural zeitgeist of the past 50 or so years, but Chelsea and Lauren bring a level of “remember the feud between Kelly Ripa and Clay Aiken in 2006?” to the party that is much needed in a pop culture discussion.
Episode Recs?
On Sex and the City: The Post-It Always Sticks Twice (For SATC fans)
On Clueless (For movie/fashion fans)
On Chloë Sevigny, Chromatica Ball, Hotline Calls (For pop culture fans)
Fashion Journalism/Publications
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr
Who What Wear is by far my favorite fashion publication podcast venture. Sorry, Vogue! Each week Hillary Kerr sits down with an esteemed guest, typically with a career in fashion to chat about culturally relevant topics, discuss new ventures, and dissect emerging trends. I love this one because she doesn’t ONLY talk to celebrities. It’s a great mix of guests and she only incorporates a celebrity interview if it’s relevant to fashion.
Most are stylists, fashion journalists for various publications, “actual” fashion influencers (not just pretty faces), writers, etc. I love hearing about the nuances of their work in the industry, how they got there, and the advice they share.
Here are some of the most recent guests (for idea of scope):
Lauren Sherman // Fashion Journalist (Forbes, Business of Fashion (BOF), Puck Media)
Nikki Ogunnaike // Editor & Chief at Marie Claire
Julia Fox // Icon
Mandy Lee // Trend Forecaster & Content Creator
Jamie Mizrahi // Celebrity Stylist for Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Allen White, etc.
Episode Recs?
Is the Algorithm Killing Personal Style? Featuring and (This one is the first one I listened to that got me hooked & it features some fantastic Substackers)
Journalist Lauren Sherman on Puck Media, Victoria’s Secret, and the State of Fashion Journalism
The Run-Through with Vogue
Okay, so ‘Who What Wear’ is the better of these two podcasts, by far. This one is hosted by long-time Vogue editors Chioma Nnadi and Chloe Malle who exclusively interview Vogue-related entities (cover stars, editors, etc.).
Though I’m thoroughly interested in Vogue, I wish this podcast cast a wider net and dug deeper into style phenomenons with more controversial takes from the hosts. But since it’s Vogue, they’re going to plant their feet firmly in the middle.
It’s high fashion news for basic people, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I just prefer some bite.
However, the episodes that are good (feature an interesting guest) are 100% worth the listen. But I’ll be honest, the hosts don’t particularly carry the podcast on their own. They’re kind of like a vessel for fashion information sharing.
However, I do have some favorite guest episodes that I would recommend.
Episode Recs?
Fashion Business & Industry News
The BOF Podcast
If you don’t know what The Business of Fashion is, it’s essentially a media company that produces global news, analysis, and advice pertaining to the fashion industry. It’s like the New York Times of fashion publications, in a nutshell (even though NYT does have a style section).
Their pod is an extension of their site and for people who want to dive deeper into the business side of the things or get advice on how to build a career. They report on fashion at the industry level, often interviewing fashion entrepreneurs, executives, and CMOs. BOF often answers questions like:
How did Miu Miu grow 58% last year?
Why luxury labels are slashing prices in China
Which beauty brands are the most profitable in 2024?
The tone? A bit more serious than others on this list.
You get a behind the scenes look into the minds of key decision makers. There’s a lot of research and stats behind their content, as they are constantly analyzing fashion and consumerism on a global scale.
Episode Recs?
The Glossy Podcast
Glossy is another media company that has their own podcast. Shocker! Similar to BOF, The Glossy Podcast interviews similar fashion execs and fashion entrepreneurs, but it’s a bit less serious in tone and tends to lean toward the marketing side of the industry, which I think is a little more fun, although I am definitely biased working in marketing!
They explore topics like brand building, ad channels, and creative advertising. The hosts are fun and the episodes swap between interviews and quick “Week in Review” bits, which is where they gab about fashion news. It’s the perfect digestible listen if you want to stay up-to-date on what’s what.
Episode Recs?
Casual Fashion Talk
anything goes with emma chamberlain
So, you’re tired of hearing about profit margins, and listening to fashion houses talk about the “new direction” they’re allegedly going this season? Great, Emma Chamberlain’s podcast is a breath of fresh air.
While the podcast itself isn’t entirely fashion-oriented, Emma Chamberlain is, as you know, YouTuber turned “fashion girlie,” so she often dedicates episodes to sit down and free talk about fashion, trends, and her experience at industry events. I personally was never a fan of her YouTube channel but after she started taking the style world by storm, I decided to listen to ‘anything goes’ and I’ve been a fan ever since.
She is pretty in tune with the fashion world as someone who regularly attends the Met Gala, has a personal stylist, and gets to travel to attend couture shows — yet she speaks candidly about her experiences with a passion that’s pretty infectious.
Yes, I know that someone who makes millions of dollars a year may not be “relatable”, but it’s cool to hear someone who genuinely loves fashion talk about how they’ve made their way into that world and loving every second of it.
Her fashion-related episodes range from her simply just giving opinions on trends, to unapologetically ranting about cheugy things she likes. It’s all in good fun, and I highly recommend.
Episode Recs?
There you have it. That is the end of the rope. If you decide to crack open any of these podcasts, because of this newsletter, let me know! We can bond over our love of “fashion for the ears.”
Until next time, stay fab.
Thank you for the shout, Emilee!!