Are writers supposed to dress for the runway? Fashion trends and writers aren’t terms that are usually combined, yet a random search of “fashion” and “writers” led me to the intriguing topic “fashion for writers.” What would writers’ fashion look like?
Most writers I know are introverts: shy and unseen. You read about them and their work. You just don’t see them, so does it matter what they wear?
Of course, writers wear clothes, but what exactly are the fashion trends for this elusive group? The mystery is about to be solved. Here are some fashion tips and trends for writers… and anyone who wants to dress like a writer.
What should a writer wear?
A search through Google images showed me a wide range in fashion: a suit and tie (while standing in front of the stereotypical bookshelf, because what is a writer without books, right?), a blazer with scarf and sunglasses, and a t-shirt and dark-rimmed glasses.
These days, I rarely see anyone in a shirt and tie. I’ve never met a writer with a scarf and sunglasses before either.
In some of my writer groups, people write about lounging around the house in gym wear or PJs while they sip a glass of wine at their computer.
Some easy fashion tips
The topic of fashion and dressing like a writer has resulted in an article on Wikihow that provides fashion tips on dressing like an intellectual writer or an artistic writer. Writers write a lot, the article advises, so wear glasses. And writers should carry an accessory, such as a book. To look more “artsy”, the article recommends wearing sunglasses or scarves, anything to flatter your looks.
This article describes fashion that fits with the times. Many of us have worked from home lately, and writers are no different. For one of its fashion tips, the article says, wear whatever you like as long as you’re presentable from the waist up for those virtual meetings. Pants are most important if you leave the house. Otherwise, no one at home really cares what you wear.
Comfortable clothes, such as yoga pants, are fine.
Or find an outfit to show off if you’re a writer who is into social media and wants to show off your outfit-of-the-day.
For genre writers, the article suggests dressing for your niche; perhaps dressing more like the characters in your stories. For example, if you’re a romance writer, dress like the heroine. If you’re writing a western, dress like a cowboy.
Writers should have fun with whatever they wear, as long as these fashions inspire them to write. Practically speaking, it may be easier to wear what anyone working from home wears to sit for a day in front of the computer.
But unlike most people who work from home, writing is its own profession. What we wear is like our work “uniform” or our unique identity.
If you’re a writer, ask yourself, what pieces of clothing would define your identity? What clothing characterizes you so that when you’re famous, your fans can recognize who you are with one single glance?
Vanya Wryter Consulting Services 
What we wear is always an interesting subject. To my mind it’s a sign of the times and it does depend on your personality. There was a time in my life when I would have dressed professionally, if writing at home. Not now, though. In my full on professional days, I always observed Hawaiian shirt Friday’s, even as a CEO.
In the days when I used to fly a lot (so pre COVID), if I was in formal business attire, people would recognise me. However, this wasn’t the case if I was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts (so heading to a hot or tropical climate).
If I was a famous writer, what pieces of clothing would define me? Probably the Hawaiian and Bamboo Grass shirts 🌺🌺🌺
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I would agree! I started COVID times by dressing up for virtual meetings. But people started to dress down, and eventually I started to wear a hoodie to meetings… something I wouldn’t have done three years ago!
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