Fashion Inspo: Literature Edition

By Kiana Delsooz

Before I go any further with this blog post, I’d like to say that this wouldn’t be possible without my friend Tessa bringing up this wonderful idea (so just to let everyone know this is their blog  as well)!

I felt this would be a great way to end my blog journey at The Coterie: not only will I be exploring a topic that I find very interesting (i.e. fashion inspiration in literature), but also sharing the experience with a great friend! 

So without further ado, let us begin this topic! 

-------

When it comes to literature, there is a lot that it can offer in terms of inspiration for other creative pursuits (writing, drawing, photography, filmmaking, music, cooking, etc). Fashion is one such pursuit, as, whether you think so or not, literature can greatly influence different styles of fashion.

___________________________________________________________________

Dracula - Victorian Goth

Of course, I must begin my discussion by talking about Dracula (especially considering this year's Literary Ball!). Whether you’re into gothic clothing or not, there is no denying that  Dracula continues to provide fashion inspiration to so many.

Afterall, goth subculture is deeply rooted within gothic literature (e.g. Frankenstein and Jane Eyre), among other Victorian era influences. Of course, over time there have been different types of gothic fashion—often intertwined with one another. However, I wanted to narrow down my discussion to Victorian Goth and fashion ideas loosely based on the Dracula novel. 

Rather than simply conveying horror, the novel showcases the supernatural aspect of both horror and isolation. For example, Dracula's castle is shown to be decaying, recalling the dark and mysterious ruins of old gothic buildings. 

_____________________________________________________________________

Sherlock Holmes - Dark Academia 

Now, with Sherlock Holmes, it can be viewed as exemplifying the dark academia aesthetic. For those who don’t know, dark academia basically originates from an internet community revolving around the melancholic aspect of classic literature, education, and the arts.

The Sherlock Holmes novels themselves focus on melancholic themes that relate to the drab appearance of different environments (e.g. the gloom and mystery of Victorian London). These drab settings help set the tone of novels, adding an additional layer to the narrative that is fitting for the subject matter of a mystery series. I mean, if Sherlock Holmes included cheery imagery throughout, then it would end up being quite a different series now wouldn’t it?

Moreover, this focus on melancholy relates to the protagonist himself: Sherlock experiences highs and lows that lead him through periods of melancholy (usually occurring when he has no challenging cases to solve). Furthermore, that is why this novel and short story series came to my mind when thinking about dark academia. 

___________________________________________________________________

Pokémon Adventures: Sword and Shield - Streetwear 

Lastly, I wanted to discuss Pokémon in relation to fashion. Even though Pokémon is thought of as a video game first, there are plenty of manga from the franchise. One of these is based on the Sword and Shield games from 2019. 

One prominent fashion influence (other than athletic wear) in the Pokémon games (such as Sword and Shield), is streetwear. Many people say that streetwear emerged from New York City hip-hop culture around the 1970s and 1980s when it combined with elements of Los Angeles surf culture. By the early 1990s, it started to become popular globally, and continued to have a strong presence in the 2000s and onward. 

Streetwear is common within Pokémon, especially in the later titles where there is more opportunity to customize your trainer and express your identity. Like the game, the manga can give fashion ideas to people, inspiring them to find outfits they can wear in real life which are similar or loosely based off of outfits in the manga. 

Outside the outfits of characters, readers can be inspired by individual Pokémon, allowing them to think outside of the box and experiment with different clothes that match the color scheme of that Pokémon. 

___________________________________________________________________

Overall, fashion can be inspired by books in multiple ways and through different styles. In the process, it allows people to find their style or find different ways of styling they might not have thought of before. Afterall, fashion in general is never one route, and books aren’t only one genre. 

-------

And with that, that is my final blog post at The Coterie! Before officially ending this blog, I wanted to say thank you to DeeDee and Zoe for bringing me onto the blog team! 

Also, I wanted to say thank you to the blog manager/editor Jesse for always making insightful edits and notes to each blog draft! That and I would like to say thank you to Sonia for adding each blog post to The Coterie website! 

To my fellow blog writers (Lubna, Yasmin, and Afrah), I always enjoyed reading your blog posts as they were always creative and informative at the same time!

And to those who read my blogs, thank you, I really appreciate it! It may be my last time writing at The Coterie, but definitely not the last time I’ll be writing about things I’m passionate about.