Reading way too much into fashion and books.
Runways and retail stores – not traditionally thought of as literary realms. But fashion and literature have been bedfellows since Homer made note of Hermes’ (the god, not the brand) golden sandals. From Anna Karenina’s iconic black gown to Holly Golightly’s LBD, books and clothes go together like, well, Gatsby and tossing shirts into the air.
It’s not all petit mains and great works – fashion and literature are intersecting at all levels from highbrow to mass market (The Devil Wears Prada, anyone?). Bottega Veneta is hawking a four-figure version of the iconic The Strand tote. And Dante just made a major appearance at the Spring 2023 couture, for heaven’s sake.
I was a bookish, nerdy child. I am a bookish, nerdy adult. I also love clothes, and those two passions have never felt less unrelated than they do right now. In addition to my lifelong “I prefer indoor activities” bonafides, I spent years working in fashion’s retail trenches at Marc Jacobs (a career that provided a prolonged glimpse into the human condition worthy of its own epic poem). When I look at a collection, fashion visuals or clothes on a rack, I often think, “Hey, I read something like this once.” I don’t flash to Emily Bronte every time I look at a long full skirt, but I do it enough for it to be a little crazy. And if I must live with the intrusive thought of “Wow! Miss Havisham really originated uniform dressing as a concept,” I might as well share it!
So, welcome to Tossing Shirts. This newsletter will look at the intersections between fashion and books. Sometimes those connections are one-to-one – a designer who cites a specific literary inspiration for a collection or an editor’s new memoir. Sometimes they’re more esoteric – are there any modern-day thoughts on style to be taken from The Scarlet Letter? Stay tuned.
