Woven Words: How Fashion Shapes Modern Literature—and How Writers Can Use It Powerfully

In contemporary literature, fashion is no longer just an aesthetic garnish—it is a language of its own. The clothes characters wear, the fabrics they favor, the shoes they choose to walk in—all serve as extensions of who they are, what they’ve survived, and how they want the world to see them.

Authors like Sally Rooney, Elena Ferrante, Zadie Smith, and Ottessa Moshfegh have all wielded fashion with subtle precision, allowing garments to do emotional, political, and social work in the text. Whether it’s Connell’s silver chain in Normal People—a symbol of intimacy, masculinity, and even internet fandom—or the evolving wardrobe of Lila and Lenù in The Neapolitan Novels—marking upward mobility, internal conflict, and power—clothing becomes narrative.

But how can aspiring writers harness this power? Here’s a closer look at why fashion matters in fiction and how to integrate it into your storytelling in a meaningful, layered way.

1. Characterization Through Clothing

Think of fashion as a shortcut to character depth. How a person dresses often signals their internal state or the persona they wish to project. Is your character hiding behind oversized clothes? Do they wear heels that hurt, but give them power? Are they immaculately tailored, or quietly unraveling?

Try this: Create a scene where your character gets dressed in the morning. What do they choose and why? How do they feel in their clothes? Use this to reveal their priorities, insecurities, or ambitions.

Examples:

• In American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis uses obsessive fashion details to highlight the superficiality and psychopathy of his narrator.

• In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf opens the novel with Clarissa choosing a dress for her party—a seemingly trivial act loaded with themes of time, identity, and memory.

2. Tracking Emotional or Narrative Arcs Through Wardrobe

Clothes can be powerful markers of transformation. A significant change in wardrobe can signal a character’s evolution, newfound freedom, or even a moment of collapse. This transformative power of fashion is a tool aspiring writers can harness to bring their characters to life.

Try this: Use fashion to create a “before and after.” Maybe a character who used to wear all black begins to wear bold colors. Perhaps they shed layers, literally and figuratively, as the story progresses.

Examples:

• In The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath’s Esther Greenwood often describes the outfits she wears and how they correlate with her emotional state—her slipping into anonymity or reclaiming control.

• In The Devil Wears Prada, Andy’s wardrobe makeover is a visual metaphor for her transformation—and eventual resistance—in high fashion.

3. Cultural and Social Commentary

Fashion is not just about style; it’s a form of social and cultural commentary. It can speak volumes about gender, class, race, colonialism, and capitalism. By using clothing to explore these themes, writers can provide insightful commentary and engage readers in a deeper understanding of their characters and world.

Try this: Write a scene in a space where fashion expectations clash, such as a working-class character attending an elite dinner party. Let the clothing choices reflect inner tension and social disparity.

Examples:

• In Swing Time, Zadie Smith uses hairstyles and clothing to explore identity, diaspora, and assimilation.

• In Beloved, Toni Morrison describes garments as protection from the elements and symbolic armor for survival and selfhood.

4. Fashion as Mood, Setting, and Atmosphere

Fashion is not just about what characters wear; it’s a powerful tool for setting the mood and atmosphere of a scene. A 1950s petticoat conjures a different world than a torn hoodie, and a pair of stiff boots can create tension before a character even speaks. By using detailed fashion descriptions, writers can immerse readers in the world of their story and captivate their imagination.

Try this: Use detailed fashion descriptions to open a scene. Let the clothing define the atmosphere—somber, rebellious, decadent, oppressive.

Examples:

• In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses fashion to help define the Jazz Age. The flapper dresses, white suits, and silk shirts are not just visuals—they are emotional temperature checks of the era.

• In The Secret History, Donna Tartt uses anachronistic fashion—tweed coats, long scarves—to create a mythic, haunting mood around her characters.

5. Fashion as Memory, Loss, or Legacy

Clothing is often what we keep when someone dies: a mother’s scarf, a child’s sweater, or a suit never worn again after a tragedy. These textiles hold memories and emotional weight.

Try this: Let an article of clothing serve as a memory trigger. Who did it belong to? Why was it kept? What’s its emotional significance?

Example:

• In White Teeth, Zadie Smith uses a wedding dress as a site of intergenerational memory and miscommunication.

• In Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami ties clothing closely with grief, love, and time—using textures and scents to evoke people who are no longer there.

Final Thoughts: Writing Fashion with Purpose

Writers shouldn’t use fashion details for filler, but for precision. A red coat isn’t just a red coat. A character who always wears gloves might hide a burn or a ritual. A hemline could symbolize a rebellion. These small cues, if written with care, do heavy lifting. Fashion in literature is not about naming brands or listing trends. It’s about what those clothes mean, what they say about the person, what they say about us.

As a writer, you can dress your characters in metaphor. Use it well. Observe the world around you—on the subway, vintage stores, runways, or in your closet. Ask yourself what your clothes say. Then ask what your characters’ clothes say.

Because when you weave fashion into fiction with intention, you don’t just clothe your characters—you bring them to life!