"Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore" by Terry Newman

"[Newman’s] surprisingly convincing thesis is that the sartorial choices authors make are deeply connected to the narrative choices they make — or, as Beckett put it, ‘the fabric of language’ they use.” -- Vanessa Friedman, The New York Times Discover the signature sartorial style of fifty men and women of letters, including Maya Angelou; Truman Capote; Colette; Bret Easton Ellis; Allen Ginsberg; Patti Smith; and David Foster Wallace; in this unique compendium of profiles—with eighty black-and-white photographs, excerpts, quotes, and facts—that illuminates their impact on modern fashion. From Zadie Smith’s exotic turban, to James Joyce’s wire-framed glasses, or Samuel Beckett’s Wallabees, a writer’s attire reflects the creative and spiritual essence of his or her work. As a non-linear sensibility has come to dominate modern style, curious trendsetters have increasingly found a stimulating muse in writers—many, like Joan Didion, whose personal aesthetic is distinctly "out of fashion."