Oscar Wilde On Dress
The beauty of dress, as in the beauty of life, comes always from freedom.
— Oscar Wilde
It is rare that an important contribution by a major author passes by unrecorded by bibliographers, unrecognized by historians, and ultimately unappreciated by the modern reader. Rarer still if the author in question is Oscar Wilde. But such was the fate of his essay “The Philosophy of Dress,” which first appeared in the New-York Tribune in 1885.
Author John Cooper — respected researcher, lecturer & historian on the life and work of Oscar Wilde - rediscovered the essay in 2012 and published it the following year in a limited hardback bibliophile edition. That publication represented the essay’s first appearance in book form, and the first posthumous release of a lost work by Wilde.
This volume is the first softcover version of that book, presented in an updated, expanded, and stylized edition.
This volume is the first softcover version of that book, presented in an updated, expanded, and stylized edition.
- Wilde’s essay appears again as a centerpiece, along with articles and letters to the press that formed a public debate on the subject of dress. These are now accompanied by a transcript of Wilde’s public “Dress” lecture which initiated that discussion.
- This edition also includes an entirely new collection of articles and letters by female dress reform advocates of the period — including a contribution by Oscar’s wife, Constance Wilde — which appear now in print for the first time since their initial publication in the Pall Mall Gazette in the 1880s.
- Also new to this edition is an essay by Oscar’s mother, Lady Wilde, entitled “Suitability of Dress,” that appeared in her last published collection, Social Studies (1893).
- Finally, as supplement, and also published for the first time in book form, are “The Strand Letters”— a collection of invited comments from leading artists of the day on the subject of ladies’ dress, which appeared in the second edition of The Strand Magazine in 1891.
- The soft cover edition is further distinguished by lavish & loving production details — wrapped in a letter-pressed cover, with die-cuts taken from French dressmakers’ curves; between decorative endpapers lie lavish margins, an abundance of white space, elegant drop caps, and graceful Chiswick ornaments.
The result is a definitive examination of Wilde’s relationship to dress—an overlooked aspect in Wilde studies—that also constitutes a unique collection of Victorian dress theory. Oscar Wilde continues to be favorably reappraised as one of the most culturally avant-garde tastemakers of the late nineteenth century. In an ever-fashion-conscious world, the themes explored, like the author himself, are still relevant. In this respect, this book will also be of deep interest and value to fashion students, historians, and practitioners.
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UK & INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: This title ships worldwide, right now!
International shipping has become expensive & chaotic: Via Shopify we're offering the absolute cheapest reliable shipping via DHL. Prices fluctuate around $20 per book - this includes taxes, duties, a 6.5% processing fee as well as a 2.5% currency conversion fee - all in order to access the cheapest current shipping costs. Not ideal, but best we can do. If you want this book, we want you to get it — please email to explore other/additional arrangements if desired.