From Book Stores to Runways: Is Reading This Season's Trendiest Accessory?

Credit: The Guardian

Over the past year, the internet has been plagued by the so-called ‘performative male’ who notoriously flaunts the effortlessly put-together outfit of a band t-shirt, of whom he has most likely never listened to, wired headphones, and a classic literature book that fits perfectly in his back pocket. Such a look has become so notorious, identifiable, and easy to recreate that I even had friends don the attire as a Halloween costume. Maybe he's carrying Silvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, maybe he's taking on a bit of 1984. Either way, literature as an accessory became branded as performative. The St Andrews student population is not free from this epidemic of ‘performative’ men, with even my friends and I being guilty of walking by a man reading alone, perhaps in the quad or outside Taste, and calling out his ‘performative’ nature.

It didn’t take long before the world of high fashion played into this trend and capitalised on the newfound appreciation of classical literature as a symbol of one’s intellect. This became especially clear with Jonathan Andersen debuting his new take on the iconic Dior Book Tote, which was one of his first creative moves as the newly appointed director of the iconic fashion house. The Book Tote became a staple in every fashion girl's wardrobe when it was reinvented by Maria Grazia Churi in 2018 to be a classic boxy canvas tote dripping the iconic Dior monogram oblique embroidery and a large, loud Christian Dior logo along the centre. The 2018 iteration of the Book Tote became one of the most coveted bags of the last decade and a travel and beach staple for the likes of Rihanna, Chiara Ferragni, and Bella Hadid. 

However in a moment where fashion houses such as Chanel and Miu Miu are turning to a more understated but fun luxury, so too is Dior. However, Jonathan Andersen has reimagined the Book Tote a little more literally than one might expect. He has incorporated the iconic tote shape and Dior branding with some beloved book titles such as Madame Bovary, Bonjour Tristesse, and Les Liasons Dangereuses. Perhaps a little ironically, the newly imagined tote has come at the perfect time for the so-called ‘performative reader’ allowing for such a person to no longer need to worry about carrying their favourite novel in their back pocket for the world to see, but for it to be displayed loudly across the bag that they carry. 

This trend doesn’t only belong to Dior, with Coach recently creating a collection of book bag charms with a marketing campaign that followed, geared towards encouraging readers and fashion lovers alike to find joy in their bags. Only this past week have we seen the iconic British high street brand River Island partnering with Enid Blyton to make a collection of (suspiciously Dior-esque) book totes of our beloved childhood classics. The question remains: Is this merely a new, kitschy, and whimsical trend that allows for a bit of fan-girling fun in the fashion world, or is fashion pandering to the performative obsession with literature? 

Credit: River Island

My verdict? It’s all a bit performative really. But don’t we all want to be a little performative sometimes when we are showing our love for our favourite things? Think about it: When we were 5 years old and decked head to toe in Hannah Montana or High School Musical merchandise, or carrying our favourite character books and magazines into school for show and tell, were we considered to be performative? Of course not!  

With the rise of ‘quiet luxury’ (thanks Sofia Richie!) there has subsequently been a rise of intellect as a status symbol instead of a designer’s label that you carry- isn’t this just the fashion world’s way of staying relevant? Even if the owner of the bag hasn’t managed to wade their way through the monstrosity that is Ulyssses, isn’t it a little fun that they have the desire to keep the book’s legacy alive and on their shoulder instead of dusty and on a library shelf? Perhaps this marriage of literature and fashion is coming intentionally at a time when almost all of our media consumption and literacy comes from our phones or televisions, reminding us of the tactility of both art and literature that still exists.

Credit: @laurencunningha.m on Instagram 

University, particularly St Andrews, feels like a very fitting backdrop for such fashion statements with so many of us students studying and reading these books. Perhaps, performatively or not, we should all incorporate our favourite books into our next outfits, for you never know what kind of conversation it may strike. Fine…I’ll treat myself to a Dior Book Tote if I have to!