In movies and shows, the effect that style has on a character is obvious. Shiny, colorful clothes insinuate a big personality, while muted colors represent the more reserved or sensible characters. The character Hannah Montana, for example, is the epitome of this principle. She is the embodiment of a charismatic teen pop star, and her look represents it well. Her bubbly persona and glittery clothing go hand in hand. Each episode displays her in a new and equally flamboyant outfit, and in certain episodes, you are allowed a glimpse into her personal closet, which, as you can imagine, is filled to capacity with an array of sparkles and bright colors. Because of the visual aspect of a TV show, the effect that style has on characters like Hannah Montana is clear and noticeable.
With books, however, this effect is much more subtle, though nonetheless powerful. When reading about a character, appreciating the significance of their fashion tastes often takes more thoughtful consideration. First of all, you must avoid the pitfall of mindless ‘I just read a whole chapter and remember absolutely nothing’ page-skimming. You will begin to notice the intentionality of certain aspects of the characters' clothes.
Authors often describe their character’s style in a way that both stays consistent with their nature and accentuates their persona. In the book Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov was a law student dealing with extreme poverty and inner turmoil. He dressed in the type of clothes appropriate for a law student, but these clothes were old and ragged, showing both his station and state of mind. He always wore his top hat despite its poor condition, as though it was the last thing tying him to his former scholarly status. Dostoyevsky describes it as “a tall round hat from Zimmerman's, but completely worn out, rusty with age”.
Sometimes authors will portray a person’s style as so different from their disposition in order to draw attention to certain aspects of their character. In the book American Psycho, businessman Patrick Batman is meticulous about his appearance, wearing a polished suit every day. Simultaneously, he murdered countless people for sport. This duality made his character all the more fascinating.
Book characters can even become famous for their look, inspiring style references, and Halloween costumes. For example, many people have not read the book Sherlock Holmes, but most could easily identify his character or recognize someone dressed up as him. The same is true for characters like Scarlett O’Hara and Daisy Buchanan.
Finally, the overall dress can set the scene for whatever time period a novel takes place in. This again is different from how clothing represents time periods on screen because the effect on the reader is more subconscious. I've often developed a latent understanding of what time period a novel takes place in merely by picking up on different fashion ensembles referenced in the novel. This is prevalent in pieces like Great Expectations, where Pip, in his aspirations to become a gentleman, dresses in refined 1800s clothing, and in Pride and Prejudice, where gowns are frequently noted as indicators of social class, as was common in the early 19th century.
Changes in a character’s style can be indicative of many things, such as personality, plot, character arc, and time period; and while it is somewhat unrealized and underappreciated, in these ways I think that fashion contributes a great deal to literature.
Written and Curated by: Mia Taylor
Blog Published and Directed by: Natalia Miller
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