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Veronique Hyland
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Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink Paperback – March 15, 2022

by Véronique Hyland (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 107 ratings
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A New Yorker Magazine Best Book of 2022 * An Esquire Best Nonfiction Book of 2022 * A Town & Country Must-Read Book of 2022 * A Fashionista Summer Read

“Smart, funny, and impressively thorough.”—The Cut

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.  

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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper Perennial
  4. Publication date
    March 15, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0063050838
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0063050839
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From the Publisher

a smart and incisive essay collection centered on the fashion industry

Nina Garcia quote

Emily Gould quote

Library Journal quote

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Controlling what you wear is a proxy for controlling what you do,” Hyland writes in this examination not only of fashion but also of sartorial life more generally. Hyland finds meaning in what we wear, whether in the nineteenth-century vogue for bloomers or in courtroom attire, which is chosen to convey its wearer’s respectability.” — New Yorker

“Smart, funny, and impressively thorough.” — The Cut

“Whether you realize it or not, every outfit you choose makes a statement, telling the world who you are and who you want to be. With a rich sense of history and firm grasp on the current culture, Véronique Hyland is your fashion trend translator. Her debut essay collection—wry, thoughtful, and always provocative—is a must read for anyone who cares about clothes…which is to say, everyone.” — Nina Garcia, ELLE Editor-in-Chief and Project Runway judge

“This riveting, mind-expanding book made me see the world differently. I'll be thinking about Hyland's funny, incisive observations for years to come -- she has a way of putting things that makes the world snap into focus with its colors slightly sharper and brighter. You will not be able to stop talking about the things you learn from this book!” — Emily Gould, author of Friendship and Perfect Tunes

"Anyone who opts in to wearing clothes (and even those who opt out) should pay attention to this book." — Library Journal (starred review)

"Véronique Hyland's tremendous essay collection is for fashionistas who like their frock talk served with politics." — Shelf Awareness, starred review

About the Author

Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s fashion features director. Her work has previously appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; Bilingual edition (March 15, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063050838
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063050839
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 107 ratings

About the author

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Veronique Hyland

Veronique Hyland

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Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s fashion features director. Her work has previously appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, W, New York magazine, and Condé Nast Traveler.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
107 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book readable and appreciate its scholarly content, particularly its exploration of the sociology behind fashion trends.

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3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable.

"...Each chapter is a separate essay so nice to read when you don’t have a lot of time to sit and read in depth." Read more

"Fantastic read by an insightful and incisive author." Read more

"Terrific book!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Scholarly content"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the scholarly content of the book, particularly its exploration of the sociology behind fashion trends.

"Great read. Kind of the sociology behind fashion...." Read more

"...The authenticity and true importance of fashion that we experience everyday." Read more

"...For a more intellectual exploration into fashion theory and history, I would highly recommend other works in this genre--such as works by Dana Thomas..." Read more

Terrific book!
5 out of 5 stars
Terrific book!
This book is a collection of great essays. Ms. Hyland navigates the intricacies of the fashion world. The authenticity and true importance of fashion that we experience everyday.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • taylor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sociology of fashion
    Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Great read. Kind of the sociology behind fashion. Each chapter is a separate essay so nice to read when you don’t have a lot of time to sit and read in depth.
    Helpful
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  • Nelle Mercer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Power of Fashion
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Hyland’s writing style straddles the feminist textbook “criticism on the power of fashion” approach to the pop culture warm embrace of beats, punks and hippies as trendsetters appropriated by our capitalist high fashion world. Would love it if there were illustrations, as when she alludes to the differences between influencers on Tik Tok, Instagram and VSCO - or even the uniforms of the “rebels.” This book provides lots of points to further investigate how the fabric of fashion has become a global enterprise, transcending old ideas about the hegemony of haute couture and the inevitable rise of DYI trending via the internet.
    Customer image
    Nelle Mercer
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Power of Fashion

    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2022
    Hyland’s writing style straddles the feminist textbook “criticism on the power of fashion” approach to the pop culture warm embrace of beats, punks and hippies as trendsetters appropriated by our capitalist high fashion world. Would love it if there were illustrations, as when she alludes to the differences between influencers on Tik Tok, Instagram and VSCO - or even the uniforms of the “rebels.” This book provides lots of points to further investigate how the fabric of fashion has become a global enterprise, transcending old ideas about the hegemony of haute couture and the inevitable rise of DYI trending via the internet.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
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  • Tricia
    5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book is a collection of great essays. Ms. Hyland navigates the intricacies of the fashion world. The authenticity and true importance of fashion that we experience everyday.
    Customer image
    Tricia
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Terrific book!

    Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2022
    This book is a collection of great essays. Ms. Hyland navigates the intricacies of the fashion world. The authenticity and true importance of fashion that we experience everyday.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Laura
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Fantastic read by an insightful and incisive author.
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  • Katie | niftyreads
    5.0 out of 5 stars Like an extended fashion magazine - loved it!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2022
    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.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • NicoleD
    2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, Mostly Superficial (Does Fashion Theory and History a Disservice)
    Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Wanted to like this book, but sadly didn't find it as informative or insightful as I'd hoped. First off, instead of a cohesive narrative about "how the fashion imagery we see everyday shapes our identities," it's really a series of essays mostly covering recent fashion trends as well as various current pop/influencer culture topics that, in many cases, seem only tangentially related to the topic of fashion. This might be fine (since pop culture and fashion are obviously related); however, the cultural analysis in most essays comes across more so in the style of front porch philosophy (in an influencer-style voice) or superficial lunchroom conversation rather than a thoughtful study of the various topics. To make matters worse, the essays also vary somewhat in voice, with some seemingly going for a more serious journalistic tone and others relying more on the author's personal musings. To this latter point, the author also ruminates on various pet theories throughout that sometimes seem more connected to anecdotal personal experience than actual deep (not superficial) research. (For instance, one chapter promises to answer the question of "why we're all starting to dress the same" as if this is a brand new concept)...I definitely don't think this book adds any new insight to the question of why "fashion hold(s) so much power over us?" (as the back cover claims), and doesn't do much to challenge the critical claim that fashion is a shallow topic. Maybe if you're a total beginner to the subject matter you will find it interesting, but I personally didn't find much new information in this book that isn't already out there. For a more intellectual exploration into fashion theory and history, I would highly recommend other works in this genre--such as works by Dana Thomas, David Marx, or Richard Thompson Ford--which I found to be much more informed, thoughtful, and better researched.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Monique
    1.0 out of 5 stars Arrogance at its peak
    Reviewed in Italy on May 11, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I was curious to learn something about millennials but I stumbled into the most self-celebrating and arrogant description. The arrogant and self-celebrating description of these world-changers could make me laugh if it weren’t too irritatingly arrogant
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