Growing up, Glasgow-based comic Amelia Bayler was fascinated by the trajectory of pop stars and their sartorial choices, from Madonna’s Confessions On A Dance Floor disco leotard to Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad rock-star rebrand. Entering the comedy world, she adapted the idea for herself, curating outfits and creating new thematic identities for each show. ‘I had an era where I would exclusively wear a tracksuit with piano keys down the side,’ she says. Paired with a yellow wig and yellow glasses, it was her way of signaling to the audience: there’s music involved, buckle up. ‘Then I changed it up and started wearing a pink suit. I had no idea why.’ 

Then Bayler realised she wasn’t the only comedian doing this sort of thing. ‘It started off as fun conversations in green rooms and WhatsApp chats,’ she recalls. ‘That’s when I realised loads of comedians have something to say on this topic. So I wanted to explore their thought process and what they’re thinking when putting together looks for the stage.’

That’s how her podcast Funny Looks came about: a niche, hilarious, heartfelt series where she chats with fellow comics about what they wear and why. Whether it’s deliberate visual cues, superstitions or simple comfort onstage, style in comedy isn’t an afterthought; the podcast makes it clear that it’s a big part of the craft. And there are rules, unsaid but not to be undervalued. ‘There’s this long-running idea that you don’t wear shorts onstage, especially at weekend gigs. Lots of comics take that seriously.’

Over time, the podcast has transformed into a fascinating catalogue of individuals tracing their careers through clothes, complete with stage fashion rules, style confessions, and the occasional fashion fantasy. Bayler herself has her eye on Eddie Murphy’s iconic all-red leather outfit from his 1983 stand-up film Delirious. ‘It perfectly captures the rockstar persona comedians often adopt. Though I’m not sure I’d pull it off at a bowling club in Glasgow.’

Beyond the laughs and the serving of looks, the podcast has become something deeper. ‘The most rewarding part has been the stories,’ Bayler says. ‘Hearing how people’s families influenced their style, or the weird little rituals they have before gigs… it’s just been a real laugh, but also so fulfilling.’ Clothes, it turns out, are just the podcast’s starting point. What follows is an intimate, funny, and refreshingly honest peek behind the comedy curtain. And if Funny Looks had a uniform? ‘Pink!’ Bayler declares, without a single doubt. 

Funny Looks is available on all the usual platforms.