Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink
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- Create Date：2022-05-30 06:53:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Véronique Hyland
- ISBN：0063050838
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Summary
In the spirit of works by Jia Tolentino and Anne Helen Peterson， a smart and incisive essay collection centered on the fashion industry--its history， its importance， why we wear what we wear， and why it matters--from Elle Magazine's fashion features director。
Why does fashion hold so much power over us？ Most of us care about how we dress and how we present ourselves。 Style offers clues about everything from class to which in-group we belong to。 Bad Feminist for fashion， Dress Code takes aim at the institutions within the fashion industry while reminding us of the importance of dress and what it means for self-presentation。 Everything--from societal changes to the progress （or lack thereof） of women's rights to the hidden motivations behind what we choose to wear to align ourselves with a particular social group--can be tracked through clothing。
Veronique Hyland examines thought-provoking questions such as: Why has the "French girl" persisted as our most undying archetype？ What does "dressing for yourself" really mean for a woman？ How should a female politician dress？ Will gender-differentiated fashion go forever out of style？ How has social media affected and warped our sense of self-presentation， and how are we styling ourselves expressly for it？
Not everyone participates in painting， literature， or film。 But there is no "opting out" of fashion。 And yet， fashion is still seen as superficial and trivial， and only the finest of couture is considered as art。 Hyland argues that fashion is a key that unlocks questions of power， sexuality， and class， taps into history， and sends signals to the world around us。 Clothes means something--even if you're "just" wearing jeans and a T-shirt。
Why does fashion hold so much power over us？ Most of us care about how we dress and how we present ourselves。 Style offers clues about everything from class to which in-group we belong to。 Bad Feminist for fashion， Dress Code takes aim at the institutions within the fashion industry while reminding us of the importance of dress and what it means for self-presentation。 Everything--from societal changes to the progress （or lack thereof） of women's rights to the hidden motivations behind what we choose to wear to align ourselves with a particular social group--can be tracked through clothing。
Veronique Hyland examines thought-provoking questions such as: Why has the "French girl" persisted as our most undying archetype？ What does "dressing for yourself" really mean for a woman？ How should a female politician dress？ Will gender-differentiated fashion go forever out of style？ How has social media affected and warped our sense of self-presentation， and how are we styling ourselves expressly for it？
Not everyone participates in painting， literature， or film。 But there is no "opting out" of fashion。 And yet， fashion is still seen as superficial and trivial， and only the finest of couture is considered as art。 Hyland argues that fashion is a key that unlocks questions of power， sexuality， and class， taps into history， and sends signals to the world around us。 Clothes means something--even if you're "just" wearing jeans and a T-shirt。
Reviews
Zofia
，
3。5
Ann
，
I feel I have to start this review with a couple of position statements。 The first is that I enjoy "nice clothes" and feel that picking out the right outfit is a small， daily pleasure and not a chore。 The second is that I believe that "a nice outfit" can lift one's mood and contribute to one's enjoyment of life。 The third is that I accept that our clothes are signifiers and not mere coverings。（A fourth may be that I cordially dislike athleisure wear and sneakers， whose much-touted "comfortablene I feel I have to start this review with a couple of position statements。 The first is that I enjoy "nice clothes" and feel that picking out the right outfit is a small， daily pleasure and not a chore。 The second is that I believe that "a nice outfit" can lift one's mood and contribute to one's enjoyment of life。 The third is that I accept that our clothes are signifiers and not mere coverings。（A fourth may be that I cordially dislike athleisure wear and sneakers， whose much-touted "comfortableness" I fail to understand- what's comfortable about clingy leggings or heavy， laced sneakers？）。With that out of the way， I can state that I enjoyed this collection of essays。 The main reason is that it expressed a number of ideas that I had never really thought about。 Such as the annoying way that so many beauty products or clothes are marketed with （fake） life-affirming messaging on a pinkish background。 Such as the way that the hoodies of tech startup culture can be just as constricting a dress code as an insistence on three-piece suits （with the note that tech CEOs wear suits when they have to testify before congress）。 About how women with a specific personal style， like Elizabeth Holmes or Anna Delvey， dress for their trials （and how Martha Stewart was critiqued for carrying a decade-old Birkin bag）， whereas the same attention is never lavished on male prisoners。 （Do you remember what Bernie Madoff was wearing？ Or the Enron executives？）。 I also agree with the author's views on the tension between dressing to signal we are part of a group and as a measure of individuality。 I had to smile when she pointed out the similarities between Spanx and girdles， because that had been exactly my reaction when I first heard of it : what is so new about Spanx， isn't it another way to compress and shape your figure？The main point where I disagreed with the author was about uniforms and how they are used to suppress individuality。 Maybe so - but I would also make the counterargument that having the same blank canvas can actually make personality stand out more。 An individuality that is totally erased when unable to wear clothes of their own choice cannot have been a strong personality - aka a clothes horse。 Besides， if uniforms are so detested， why are people dressing so alike （"normcore"） ？ All in all， I found this book interesting and thought-provoking。 。。。more
Rachelle
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Dress Code。。。 a deep dive into history and moments in time that forced fashion to abruptly change， mirroring world events with feminine fashion。 Cheeky yet thoroughly informative， this book celebrates fashion's greatest details and explained the emotion of that time。 Detailed and lively discussion full of author's personal opinions。 Dress Code。。。 a deep dive into history and moments in time that forced fashion to abruptly change， mirroring world events with feminine fashion。 Cheeky yet thoroughly informative， this book celebrates fashion's greatest details and explained the emotion of that time。 Detailed and lively discussion full of author's personal opinions。 。。。more
Jen
，
I spent more time googling than reading。 This is a book for people in the industry or for fashion influences who are well aware of fashion history。 It is not for people with an interest in fashion， who lack a fashion pedigree。 I also found her use of $80 words unnecessary。
Achsah
，
I expected to skim this book but the punchy writing style and focus of the book grabbed me。 The author brings in how capitalism， war， politics， feminism， patriarchy， race， color， Instagram， etc。 affects fashion and clothing。 I also appreciated the historical details in the book （trench coats coming from trench warfare; pockets in women's clothing）。 "Of the typical woman， Berger wrote that 'from earliest childhood she is taught and persuaded to survey herself continually。 She has to survey everyt I expected to skim this book but the punchy writing style and focus of the book grabbed me。 The author brings in how capitalism， war， politics， feminism， patriarchy， race， color， Instagram， etc。 affects fashion and clothing。 I also appreciated the historical details in the book （trench coats coming from trench warfare; pockets in women's clothing）。 "Of the typical woman， Berger wrote that 'from earliest childhood she is taught and persuaded to survey herself continually。 She has to survey everything she is and everything she does， because how she appears to others--and particularly how she appears to men-- is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life。' For everyone who's had the experience of living in a female body， these words resonate eerily。 The male gaze catches and latches onto us。 We internalize it even when it's not there; it's a corset pinching us at all times， and it's a struggle not to see ourselves through its prism。" p。 148 。。。more
Edie Lee
，
A fascinating collection of thoughtful essays on topics ranging from the sociology and economic implications of a shade of pink， to choices made on what to wear when on trial。
Lisa Domeshek
，
Wanted to like this way more than I did。 I kept falling asleep reading it。 Interesting topics， but the essays could have been shorter。
Callie
，
an excellent book， covering historically in depth something all humans live into and interact with whether they do so deliberately or not
Leila Jaafari
，
A meditation on what Fashion is and why it’s important in modern life。 I liked the essays about the history of counterculture fashion and on uniforms。
Maggie
，
*thank you to harper perennial for the gifted copy
Stroop
，
Let women have pockets！ This is a strong collection of thought-provoking essays about how fashion intersects with life。 Whether you consider yourself a “fashion” person or not， fashion is everywhere。 It can be frivolous， it can be fun， it can be a political statement， an expression of identity， it can be used as a tool of suppression and control， and so on。 Dress Code explores all of this （and more） in a snappy and engaging way。
Ashley （ashleysbookthoughts）
，
Thank you， Harper Perennial for my gifted copy！I was immediately intrigued by Dress Code， which purports to examine why we wear what we wear。 I was expecting an expanded version of Miranda Priestly’s famous “cerulean speech” （which is in fact mentioned several times） from The Devil Wears Prada。 What I got ended up being far more interesting。 In a series of essays， Hyland provides fashion history （some of which was a little too inside baseball for me and seemed to assume knowledge I didn’t have， Thank you， Harper Perennial for my gifted copy！I was immediately intrigued by Dress Code， which purports to examine why we wear what we wear。 I was expecting an expanded version of Miranda Priestly’s famous “cerulean speech” （which is in fact mentioned several times） from The Devil Wears Prada。 What I got ended up being far more interesting。 In a series of essays， Hyland provides fashion history （some of which was a little too inside baseball for me and seemed to assume knowledge I didn’t have， but I’ll allow it）， how designers are inspired by regular people as much as regular clothes are inspired by designers， and most interestingly， how social norms and current societal goals influence fashion。 Some of my favorites involved discussion of the historical restrictiveness of women’s clothing （meant to keep us helpless） and how bloomers that allowed mobility were tied to the women’s suffrage movement， styles becoming more covered up in the wake of #MeToo， the double-edged sword of women’s fashion in politics， and the deliberate use of fashion and appearance to perpetuate fraud and later appear innocent in court （Elizabeth Holmes and Anna Delvey）。 Not every essay worked for me， but the vast majority did。 I enjoyed Hyland’s analysis of the role of fashion as a shorthand for culture， values， and belonging。 Even “opting out” of current fashion trends is a fashion statement and a statement about who you are。 。。。more
Sara
，
Fantastic！！！
vee
，
4。75/5。 Excellent exploration of how fashion moves through culture and moves us。 Only missing point， and this is intentional， would be more from author's perspective as owner of an 'unruly body' while immersed in fashion world。 cant wait to read more of her work。 4。75/5。 Excellent exploration of how fashion moves through culture and moves us。 Only missing point， and this is intentional， would be more from author's perspective as owner of an 'unruly body' while immersed in fashion world。 cant wait to read more of her work。 。。。more
Erin Cunningham
，
I've always loved Veronique's voice， and have been a fan of her writing since her days at The Cut。 This book is a true culmination of her expertise in the field and provides a much-needed smart take on the world of fashion and style that is almost non-existent today。 I've always loved Veronique's voice， and have been a fan of her writing since her days at The Cut。 This book is a true culmination of her expertise in the field and provides a much-needed smart take on the world of fashion and style that is almost non-existent today。 。。。more
Sara
，
A wonderful collection of essays on the only art form you can't opt out of participating in。 A wonderful collection of essays on the only art form you can't opt out of participating in。 。。。more
Kathleen Dupré
，
If you are coming to this book for a history of fashion and how different trends came about， kind of like a light documentary about the fashion industry， then this will not be the book you are looking for。 Instead， it is a deep dive into the ways fashion subtly and sometimes insidiously impacts the way humanity perceives itself and the way humans perceive each other--and often the wayst that marginalized groups are subject to more stringent expectations when it comes to the way they dress and ho If you are coming to this book for a history of fashion and how different trends came about， kind of like a light documentary about the fashion industry， then this will not be the book you are looking for。 Instead， it is a deep dive into the ways fashion subtly and sometimes insidiously impacts the way humanity perceives itself and the way humans perceive each other--and often the wayst that marginalized groups are subject to more stringent expectations when it comes to the way they dress and how their look impacts their reputation。 This was a fascinating analysis of all the little ways that clothing and appearance have a huge impact on our lives and how those things have been impacting us all throughout history。 。。。more
Helen Geng
，
Actually 2。5Read April 2022NYPL book
Julia
，
For someone that has a single fashion bone in her entire body - a tiny one while we're at it - I had way too much fun reading this book。 "Dress Code" covers different themes in the fashion world with both a history lens and a provocative writing style， much as a longer editorial in a magazine， which is the author's background。Even needing to google most of the names of the people mentioned， the particular pieces of clothing and the fashion shows in Paris/London with their couture masters， I real For someone that has a single fashion bone in her entire body - a tiny one while we're at it - I had way too much fun reading this book。 "Dress Code" covers different themes in the fashion world with both a history lens and a provocative writing style， much as a longer editorial in a magazine， which is the author's background。Even needing to google most of the names of the people mentioned， the particular pieces of clothing and the fashion shows in Paris/London with their couture masters， I really enjoyed getting a new perspective into the fashion world and industry。 For me， the concept of fashion as central is someone's life is foreign， but reading this book it not only made perfect sense but also gave me interesting insights on how we can use clothing to our own advantage。 My favorite chapters were the one about work clothes and their impacts on people's perceptions of success and status， the one on attires for trials and the expectations they try to convey， and the one on the evolution of women's clothes and the suffering they can bring to the wearer。 Some common themes throughout the chapters were also super interesting， such as comprehending why fashion holds a different value for men and woman， based on their role of creator & muse/consumer。 One discussion of "doing it for oneself" while at the same time meeting the world's expectations was very eye-opening。 Hyland managed to write a book perfect for the curious but unfashionable people， the ones that just blindly follow （or try to to follow） the trends。 For the initiated on the theme， it might read as too obvious， but for me it was fun， interesting and certainly full of content that I wouldn't have consumed otherwise。 Thanks a lot NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Natalie （booknerdalie）
，
This book's back cover immediately had my attention。 Described as "Bad Feminist for fashion，" Dress Code explores why fashion has so much power over us — and all the missteps the industry has made in terms of inclusiveness， sexism， and more。 The introduction hits so hard as it addresses the idea that liking fashion is superficial， girly， and nonconsequential。 But how is enjoying the art and history of style any less prestigious than being a patron of other art like painting， film， or literature？ This book's back cover immediately had my attention。 Described as "Bad Feminist for fashion，" Dress Code explores why fashion has so much power over us — and all the missteps the industry has made in terms of inclusiveness， sexism， and more。 The introduction hits so hard as it addresses the idea that liking fashion is superficial， girly， and nonconsequential。 But how is enjoying the art and history of style any less prestigious than being a patron of other art like painting， film， or literature？ Plus， you don't wear a movie every single day of your life， do you？ （mic drop。） 。。。more
Patricia Bello
，
“Fashion is often referred to figuratively as “armor，” but what if we thought of it as something more akin to a defensive adaptation？” Dress Code by Veronique Hyland3。5 stars。 Sometimes I enjoy the non-fiction book about look and fashion。 And this was informative and so very interesting。Spanning decades， the author covers the origins and philosophy so to speak， of various trends， look or articles of clothing。 It’s a good read for a student of fashion and anyone really who’s just curious about th “Fashion is often referred to figuratively as “armor，” but what if we thought of it as something more akin to a defensive adaptation？” Dress Code by Veronique Hyland3。5 stars。 Sometimes I enjoy the non-fiction book about look and fashion。 And this was informative and so very interesting。Spanning decades， the author covers the origins and philosophy so to speak， of various trends， look or articles of clothing。 It’s a good read for a student of fashion and anyone really who’s just curious about the clothes you wear。 And who enjoys The Devil Wears Prada references。 Thanks so much to @harpercollins @harperperennial for the arc of this book。 Really enjoyed it。 。。。more
Alicia
，
I'm super interested in stories and perspectives on fashion and wardrobe so Hyland's essays were something I looked forward to and certainly enjoyed。 Her stories talked about our obsession with French girls and the color pink， normcore， athleisure as regular attire， the Zuckerberg hoodies and tshirts that are really expensive， how it vacillates between sculpting your body or sculpting with your clothes （think girdle）， how Zoom in the pandemic shifted fashion， how the younger generations are alwa I'm super interested in stories and perspectives on fashion and wardrobe so Hyland's essays were something I looked forward to and certainly enjoyed。 Her stories talked about our obsession with French girls and the color pink， normcore， athleisure as regular attire， the Zuckerberg hoodies and tshirts that are really expensive， how it vacillates between sculpting your body or sculpting with your clothes （think girdle）， how Zoom in the pandemic shifted fashion， how the younger generations are always the ones to move the needle。 and much more。 There were times she was super opinionated and political that overshadowed her depth of knowledge and research for the sake of an easy snipe， however the amount she knows and shares about topics she found interesting and wrote about was enlightening。 There were new words I learned and much to think about。 I took pictures of a handful of pages to revisit。 。。。more
Rachel
，
This book was so eye opening！ Hyland really knows the industry and has written and incredibly well thought out and researched book about how fashion and what we where is about much more than just a color or passing trends， it all runs so much deeper than that。 This was so well written and enjoyable to read I really loved how relatable her language was and it was so approachable while also tackling some big topics in a really tactful way。 Everyone who wears clothes or even if you don’t should pic This book was so eye opening！ Hyland really knows the industry and has written and incredibly well thought out and researched book about how fashion and what we where is about much more than just a color or passing trends， it all runs so much deeper than that。 This was so well written and enjoyable to read I really loved how relatable her language was and it was so approachable while also tackling some big topics in a really tactful way。 Everyone who wears clothes or even if you don’t should pick this one up！！！ 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Thanks to Harper Perennial for a gifted copy for honest review。I was very interested in all that this book had to say about fashion and culture。 Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink by Véronique Hyland explores the changes in fashion over the years， and the deep influence fashion has on culture and vice versa。 It's about so much more than just the clothes we put on every day， and I thought this book made a lot of really intriguing connections and had a lot to say ab Thanks to Harper Perennial for a gifted copy for honest review。I was very interested in all that this book had to say about fashion and culture。 Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink by Véronique Hyland explores the changes in fashion over the years， and the deep influence fashion has on culture and vice versa。 It's about so much more than just the clothes we put on every day， and I thought this book made a lot of really intriguing connections and had a lot to say about this relationship from someone who really knows what they are talking about。 。。。more
Jessica
，
There's nothing I love more than books that seriously examine a topic that's generally considered frivolous because of its association with women， and this book is a really great addition to that extremely specific genre。 There's nothing I love more than books that seriously examine a topic that's generally considered frivolous because of its association with women， and this book is a really great addition to that extremely specific genre。 。。。more
Katie | niftyreads
，
I’m not sure what it says about me that I finished reading DRESS CODE by Véronique Hyland’s fabulous book of fashion essays on bed rest lounging in my oversized sweatshirt and joggers。 It evoked all sorts of feels: it made me miss real clothes， swiping through my closet on the daily， and， especially， my shoes。 Oh， how I miss my heels。 Hyland is ELLE’s fashion features director among having her work featured in countless other famous fashion and regular magazines。 So， if you are like me and enjoy I’m not sure what it says about me that I finished reading DRESS CODE by Véronique Hyland’s fabulous book of fashion essays on bed rest lounging in my oversized sweatshirt and joggers。 It evoked all sorts of feels: it made me miss real clothes， swiping through my closet on the daily， and， especially， my shoes。 Oh， how I miss my heels。 Hyland is ELLE’s fashion features director among having her work featured in countless other famous fashion and regular magazines。 So， if you are like me and enjoy flipping through ELLE’s pages each month， this is a book you will love because think of it is as an expansion of those beloved articles。 The care that Hyland has put into each essay is astounding。 This small book is a little over 250 pages， but it packs a punch with 15 essays。 It covers four major topics: Underpinnings: Why We Wear What We Wear， The Top Layer: Fashion and the Wider World， High Heels: Dressing Up for the Patriarchy， and Moon Boots and Jumpsuits: The Future of Fashion。 If you’re a fashionista or just interested in fashion history， this book will interest you。 Even though I read the entire book， different essays stood out more。 Three that come to mind are “Patagonia on Bedford Avenue，” “Déjà Hue，” and “The Revolution Will Be Spandex-Clad。” I connected with them and found myself googling events or people Hyland had mentioned。 Whereas others were just more of a read to me。 I equate this to reading an issue of ELLE， some essays I love， others I read once。 But I also see it as a great discussion book - like the magazine - because different essays will interest different people。 I don’t know if you want to call me a fashionista right now laying here in my joggers and an oversized sweatshirt， so maybe just call me a fashion nerd until I’m off bed rest。 But I really enjoyed my time reading DRESS CODE。 It made me feel educated and fancy， something I really needed at the moment。✨What is the most iconic piece of fashion that comes to mind right now？✨ 。。。more
Dawn
，
I loved this insightful， expansive exploration of the role of fashion and beauty in our lives。 The author takes an intersectional feminist viewpoint， and frequently acknowledges the role of various privileges。 Nevertheless， she retains a （possibly rare） empathy for celebrities， who must make a plethora of decisions which will inevitably lead to criticism。 Hyland makes many thought-provoking connections and points。
Scarlett Harris
，
Impeccably researched。
Cat D | _basicbookworm
，
Dress Code is a collection of essays centered on fashion - the history， why it matters， and the power it holds。 Covering a wide range of topics from millennial pink to female politicians， this book examines how no one can escape fashion and that the clothing we wear sends a message。 I love clothes but I wouldn’t say I really follow fashion closely。 So this book really got me thinking about how the clothing I wear came to be and what it might say to others。 I loved all of the cultural references Dress Code is a collection of essays centered on fashion - the history， why it matters， and the power it holds。 Covering a wide range of topics from millennial pink to female politicians， this book examines how no one can escape fashion and that the clothing we wear sends a message。 I love clothes but I wouldn’t say I really follow fashion closely。 So this book really got me thinking about how the clothing I wear came to be and what it might say to others。 I loved all of the cultural references and how they were used to provide context to fashion trends。 This book was informative while still being funny。 Overall， I found it to be fascinating！Thanks to Harper Perennial for the advanced copy！ 。。。more
Tyler McCall
，