In Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore, Terry Newman explores the fascinating relationship between literary icons and fashion. She profiles 50 writers in her new book, examining their style choices in the greater context of their lives and bodies of work.
Buy why should we link authors to clothing? Newman writes:
“Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore is a book with what may seem like an audacious premise—to tie together the heavyweight value of, for example, Samuel Beckett with a discussion of the fact that he wore Clarks Wallabee shoes. However, in reality, persona is closely connected with how you dress, and the fact that the man who wrote Waiting for Godot liked his shoes classic, comfortable, and enduringly modern says a lot about his personal taste and therefore his personality. The distinctive individuals included in this book are not just fabulous writers: they looked fabulous, too.”
Check out our gallery to view a few of the stunning photos from Newman’s book.
1 of 6
![]()
Joan Didion
"Who doesn't want her ethereal Virgin Suicides-like sensitivity and quirky intelligence? Even now, during her later years, Didion has got the package that the fashion industry craves and copies."
From the book Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore by Terry Newman. Text ©2017 by Terry Newman. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Photo Credit: Joan Didion from page 137. © Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo
2 of 6
![]()
James Joyce
"Though he may be an inadvertent style protagonist, James Joyce did have a way with bow ties, and you can tell that he is a man to whom appearances communicate character and echo emotion."
From the book Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore by Terry Newman. Text ©2017 by Terry Newman. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Photo Credit: James Joyce, mid-1920s, from page 173. © Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo
3 of 6
![]()
Edith Wharton
"[Edith Wharton] lived the life of an aristocrat and wore hats befitting her status in life."
From the book Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore by Terry Newman. Text ©2017 by Terry Newman. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Photo Credit: Edith Wharton, photographed at her home in France with her two pet Pekingese dogs, 1920s, from page 166. © Granger Historical Archive/Alamy Stock Photo
4 of 6
![]()
Susan Sontag
"[Susan Sontag's] trademark was the streak of white running through her dark hair. Defying society as ever, Sontag grew more seductive with age."
From the book Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore by Terry Newman. Text ©2017 by Terry Newman. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Photo Credit: Susan Sontag, 1993, from page 103. © INTERFOTO/Alamy Stock Photo
5 of 6
![]()
Oscar Wilde
"[Oscar Wilde] was never a slave to fashion, and one of his most famous quotes, again from the [New York Tribune essay 'The Philosophy of Dress'], underlines his wardrobe-wise way of thinking: 'Fashion is ephemeral. Art is eternal. Indeed what is a fashion really? A fashion is merely a form of ugliness so absolutely unbearable that we have to alter it every six months!'"
From the book Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore by Terry Newman. Text ©2017 by Terry Newman. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Photo Credit: Oscar Wilde, 1880, from page 162. © Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy
6 of 6
![]()
Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore is available now from Harper Design.