How books became a popular fashion trend

John Waters once wisely said, “If you go home with someone and they don’t have a book, don’t be mad at them.” Well, if current fashion trends are anything to go by, he was right. Reading is hot, now more than ever. While fashion often looks to the wider culture for inspiration, books have become status symbols in their own right. On sunny days, parks are filled with people pulling their hot girl books out of their girly tote bags – usually by Otessa Moshfeeg. My vacation and vacation year Or something by Sally Rooney.

Indeed, books are symbols of taste and self-expression. Choosing which books go on your shelf — or Insta story — is akin to choosing what to wear. TikTok, Instagram and Goodreads are full of ‘hot-girl book’ lists, but when exactly did reading become such a fun pastime? Noughties romcoms want you to believe that being cool and reading books go hand in hand, mocking hot popular kids who spent their lunch breaks with their noses between the pages. The tables have turned since then, but books have become another way to present our most collective selves online through the culture we consume. So, if you read ‘Hot Girl Books’ you must be hot.

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On the runway, designers are interpreting this trend through a sartorial lens. In recent seasons, we’ve seen fashion bibles turn to both classic and contemporary literature for inspiration. Otessa Moshfegh takes on fashion’s bestselling novelist for AW22, debuting a runway look at Maryam Nasir Zadeh’s NYFW show as well as writing a short story with show notes on Proenza Schouler. Meanwhile, Jonathan Anderson’s AW22 Lowe’s show featured him reciting a poem by Sylvia Plath. Fever 103 °. For SS22, the designer released three JW Anderson capsules inspired by the quote, “The secret of life is in art,” from literary fashion guru Oscar Wilde.

Bookworm Kim Jones is no stranger to introducing literary codes to collections at Fendi and Dior. For Dior Men AW22, Jack Kerouac’s beat looked classic. on the road, Unveiling the original copy from the Kerouac Estate stamp of approval on the runway. Previously, the creative director’s collection for Fendi Couture SS21 with Virginia Woolf was inspired by school trips to Charleston Farmhouse, a popular retreat for the Bloomsbury collection of which Woolf was a part. Elsewhere, Valentino Pierpaolo Piccioli commissioned 17 famous authors – including Andre Aciman, Leila Slimani and Emily Ratajkowski – to create campaign poses featuring their writing. And thirsty Parisian menswear label Louis Gabriel Nucci draws each of his collections from the seminal French novel. Simply put, literary needs have never been more like this. Books tell us where we are, where we’ve been and where we’ll be, so it’s no wonder they serve as an endless source of inspiration for the fashion world.

Of course, the trend has been increasing over time. While off-duty at fashion week, the Hadid sisters grabbed paper, New York Post They called their books “the hot new accessory of 2019,” but the tabloid article drew backlash for the sexist notion that some women only keep books for decorative purposes. Later that year, Kendall Jenner was caught sitting in the sun reciting cult hits like Darcy Wilder. Show me a really healthy person and Chelsea Hanson I’m with someone else tonight. ‘How did Kendall Jenner get a copy of my book?’ Wheeler speculated that it was Jenner’s modeling agent, Ashley Gonzalez, who completed the supermodel’s reading list. Thus, the elusive concept of popular book statistics was born. It has been reported that some famous people hire someone to choose the books they read or carry in public. It makes sense – after all, there’s nothing more embarrassing than being seen reading something embarrassing on the tube.

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In the year In 2020, Kai Gerber started her own book club, with newsletters from Dua Lipa and Lorde, often featuring literary advice that makes the art of reading cool and lively. When Architectural Digest While filming a tour of Ashley Tisdale’s home, the actress revealed that she sent her husband to buy 400 books to fill the shelves before the interview. She has been criticized for using books only for decoration, but the idea of ​​books as accessories may be repulsive to some, but to others it makes reading more attractive and enjoyable.

When Berlin-based artist Kala Henkel published her first novel, Other people’s clothes, earlier this year, was immediately billed as a hot girl’s book by content creators on BookTok, Tik Tok’s literary community focused on categorizing, discussing, reviewing and making fun of books. Kala’s novel It follows the story of two art students who live in Berlin in 2009 and throw extravagant parties every weekend. The guard “A brilliant plot-driven thriller in a shiny jumpsuit,” he described. It’s easy to see where his impressive credentials come from, and Kala isn’t disappointed in that realization. “I think there’s a cultural energy that makes young women angry at the things they love,” she says. “It’s interesting that the color-coordinated books on the bed have flashing lights and I don’t think it accentuates what’s in the books.” If anything, he’ll get you out of academia.

Calla is interested in “Writer Camp.” “My author photo is me in a lake in Switzerland in a bra, I mean seriously.” Being an author often means wearing a persona, whether willingly or not. Unfortunately, an expository writer is so heavy-handed that it becomes camp. Many contemporary writers conform to the literary tragicomedy by writing tragic waifish characters and avoiding the public eye. While many books in this genre still feature on ‘hot-girl’ reading lists, there is a desire for more glamor in literature, even if it comes down to the cover art.

Lauren Hauer, who creates content on BookTok, freely admits that a book’s appearance plays a role in her decision to read it. “I was reading a Rachel Cusk book on the subway and I was like, this book looks great with my outfit!” she says. “I was hoping some New York street photographer would take a picture of me and my hot book.” Speaking on the phone while walking around town, Lauren said: “I’m seeing Otessa Moshfegh girls everywhere. She became synonymous with being a sad girl. It’s really like another accessory. Your platform Doc Martens and your Ottessa Moshfegh book are your complete look.

This literary fad could simply be the latest trend in our never-ending search for a proven online person, or it could indicate that being smart and knowledgeable is more important than ever. With all the conflicting information online, turning to books can provide a sense of calm. If a book matches your aesthetic, there’s a high chance you’ll relate to it. Even crass academics who might resent books as fashionable accessories certainly read books for prestige and validation. Just because what you’re reading looks good with an oat latte doesn’t mean you’re too deep to appreciate its content.

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