Style and fashion inspiration comes from so many places, but for me one of the most enduring might be literature. Literature from childhood, timeless stories, especially continues to have an impact on the pieces of clothing that I’m drawn to. I’d been thinking about the influence of literature and film/TV on fashion a lot lately…you can’t help but notice store windows and magazine covers showcasing looks inspired by The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, and so on.
Recently, I visited the New York Public Library’s exhibition The ABC of it: Why Children’s Books Matter (blog post here). It got me thinking about how important children’s literature is for adults, as much as it is for children. We grow up on the words and images found in children’s literature, our imaginations expand, our personalities develop….perhaps, that’s why those stories stick with us. So, it’s not surprising that they resonant with other parts of our lives as we age. From Haute Couture on the runway, to Polvore sets and Pinterest boards, it’s clear that many of the characters we grew up with are still inspiring our wardrobes as adults.
In terms of style, I may not wear a whole Alice in Wonderland costume/look on any typical day of the year, but I certainly find myself wearing details reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Tulle skirts, smocked dresses, frilled socks, an over-sized bow, polished Mary Jane shoes, checkboard tights, a heart shaped locket, sometimes just a particular color combination…these are storybook details brought to life in fashion.
Here’s a look at some of the children’s literature that have had the biggest impact on my personal style.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
"Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE
"The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie
GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES
Example: Little Red Riding Hood (actually referred to as Little Red Riding Cap in the Grimm’s version)
"Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl. Everyone who saw her liked her, but most of all her grandmother, who did not know what to give the child next. Once she gave her a little cap made of red velvet. Because it suited her so well, and she wanted to wear it all the time, she came to be known as Little Red Cap." Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Little Red Cap
LITTLE SNOW WHITE
‘Oh, Queen, thou art fairest of all I see. But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell, Snow-white is still alive and well. And none is so fair as she." Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Little Snow White
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
“‘If we walk far enough’, says Dorothy, ‘we shall sometime come to someplace.’" L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES
"There was once a King’s son who had a larger and more beautiful collection of books than any one else in the world, full of splendid copper-plate engravings." Hans Christian Andersen, The Garden of Paradise
Illustration from The Garden of Paradise and Other Stories by Hans Christian Andersen
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
"Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia." C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
"It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will." L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
POLLYANNA
"Just breathing isn’t living!" Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna
NANCY DREW
"I don’t promise to forget the mystery, but I know I’ll have a marvelous time!" Carolyn Keene, Nancy’s Mysterious Letter
MADELINE
"In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." Ludwig Bemelmans, Madeline
