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Nerd Nite London- July 15th A fashion-themed goodbye to the Paper Dress Vintage, with Late Night Disco Party!

Nerd Nite London is a monthly event where three speakers give 18-21 minute fun-yet-informative talks across all disciplines, while the audience drinks along.
Address: Nerd Nite, Paper Dress Vintage, 114-116 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3AH

Details: Wednesday July 15th Tickets £7.50. Early nerd tickets £6 (limited availability). Tickets available here

Spy fashion from the 1940s, a history of underwear, and hair-styles through the 20th century.  Nerd Nite London is bidding a sad farewell to the Paper Dress Vintage with a fashion spectacular, a guest MC and a late night disco party with our very own DJ . Come join us, learn, drink and bid farewell to a great venue.

Dressed to Disappear: 1940s Spy Fashion in Europe

Why did spies need fashion in WWII? Concentrating on the Special Operations Executive, I’ll discuss the relationship between fashionable clothing and espionage. Examples will include how shoes could get you killed, and how Countess Mountbatten got her knickers!

Emma has a degree in Fashion History and Theory from Central Saint Martins. She loves people’s old clothes, and wants to spend her life in a museum taking care of collections of them.

Hairstyles in the 20th century: a reflection of social change and technology.

When and why did King Camp Gillette invent his razor? Why did Edwardian, corseted women cut most of their hair off in the 1920’s? Who invented the perm? What caused many British barbershops to close during the 1970’s and 80s?

Huge changes during the 20th century were reflected in the distinctive, changing hairstyles worn by men and women in Europe over the time period. This talk will reflect on how world events and technology caused people to accept or reject ideas of who they should be, and how this was displayed through hair.

Candice is a professional barber and hairstylist. She spends her days cutting and styling hair, shaving and swapping stories and secret histories with her diverse London clients.

The (not totally comprehensive) history of (some) underwear

For centuries, fashion has been used to alter the appearance our proportions. Through a bewildering array of pads, scaffolds, bindings, or props we’ve wanted to make our parts look bigger or smaller, as dictated by the times. In this talk we’ll explore some fashion history, and our inability to be content with our “natural” selves.

Laura Rubin is a California-based technologist, historian and reenactor with an obsessive love of costume history. Laura combines studies in textiles, social history, art history, cultural anthropology, archaeology, and traditional archival study in pursuit of experimental archaeology projects.

And then…
Dancing til midnight with the block-rocking, hip-shaking tunes of DJ Prolix

All proceeds from Nerd Nite go to charity. This month’s charity is the Duchenne Children’s Trust. More information about Nerd Nite London can be found by following us on Twitter @nerdnitelondon, liking us on Facebook www.facebook.com/NerdNiteLondon or visiting www.london.nerdnite.com