Fashion Literacy: Five Unconventional Fashion Book Recommendations

Because fashion insight can come from the most unexpected places.

The Saint Laurent book shop in Paris makes for great perusing.

Let's talk about fashion books. And no, I don't mean those glossy tomes collecting dust on your coffee table, posing as decor between your Diptyque candles and vintage Hermès ashtrays. While there's nothing wrong with a beautiful display piece, just as clothing's purpose extends beyond being admired, sometimes our literature about fashion should do the same.

These are five unconventional reads that have shaped my style philosophy. I'll preface this by noting that not all of these books explicitly address fashion and clothing. However, each recommendation explores themes that prompt us to question how we present ourselves to the world and to ourselves. This deepens our understanding of fashion's significance, proving that fashion insight can come from the most unexpected places.

The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

Starting strong, I recommend this literary masterpiece not only because Oscar Wilde himself was fashion's original provocateur but also because of how he conjures Lord Henry, the devil who makes Miranda Priestly look like a choir girl. In the book, Lord Henry declares aesthetics the highest form of genius, needing no intellectual justification. Through his sharp-tongued philosophy that "Fashion is what one wears oneself. What is unfashionable is what other people wear," Lord Henry's decadent wisdom reminds us that sometimes our aesthetic choices need no explanation. The novel challenges us to examine our motives for dressing—whether for ourselves or others—and whether our current social-media-driven need to justify every sartorial choice might be killing fashion's inherent pleasure.

Purchase The Picture of Dorian Grey here.

Harald Gründl’s The Death of Fashion

In "The Death of Fashion," Harald Gründl offers a razor-sharp analysis of fashion's existential crisis, examining how our industry's obsession with constant renewal may be its ultimate undoing. Through the lens of sustainability, overconsumption, and luxury's identity crisis, Gründl dissects the contradictions of a system that preaches innovation while recycling trends. Essential reading for industry insiders questioning fast fashion's unsustainable pace and consumers caught between conscience and desire.

Purchase The Death of Fashion here.

On the Standard of Taste by David Hume

Hume’s essay on how we form a "standard of taste" is a philosophy of style in disguise. He argues that taste stems from experience—a sentiment that transformed how I get dressed in the morning. A sustainable personal style should reflect the books you’ve read, the art you’ve loved, the places you’ve traveled, and really the life you’ve lived. If you, like me, have ever wondered why someone else’s outfit looks perfect but can feel off on you, Hume’s perspective offers clarity. Personal style isn’t about replication; it should be ever-changing, and ever-present—a practical expression of who you are while being adaptable to your lifestyle. This quick, thought-provoking read will inspire anyone to rethink fashion as more than clothing but as a sustainable reflection of life itself.

Purchase On the Standard of Taste here.

Hans Ulrich's Obrist Ways of Curating

Think of curation as fashion's unsung art – and Hans Ulrich Obrist as its mastermind whisperer. In "Ways of Curating," the legendary curator of London's Serpentine Gallery unpacks the power of selection with the same finesse as an editor crafting the perfect magazine spread. From archive deep-dives to exhibition narratives, he illuminates why curation matters. For the style-obsessed, Obrist's insights on creating meaning through objects feel particularly delicious when applied to our own wardrobes and visual feeds. After all, what is a well-edited closet, if not a personal exhibition of taste? From fast fashion to infinite Instagram inspiration – learning the art of meaningful selection might be the ultimate luxury. Consider this your masterclass in the art of less being more.

Purchase Obrist Ways of Curating here.

The Empire of Fashion (L'empire de L'éphémère) by Gilles Lipovetsky

In "L'empire de l'éphémère," philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky elevates fashion's love affair with the temporary into a powerful lens for understanding modern life. This isn't merely about fashion's transient nature, it's a brilliant analysis of how our pursuit of novelty shapes democracy, individuality, and culture. Lipovetsky argues that fashion's seemingly superficial obsession with the new actually drives social progress and personal freedom. This philosophical piece reveals how our culture of constant renewal extends beyond seasonal trends to become the engine of modernity itself. Perhaps our hunger for the new isn't something to cure but to understand.

Purchase The Empire of Fashion here.