About









Clothes in Books has been running since 2012, with more than 2000 entries and nearly 2 million pageviews. In that time, I have found that many people share my curiosity and interest in the clothes characters wear in literature of all kinds... the blog has a particular emphasis on crime fiction of all eras, classic literature, 'women's fiction' of the mid 20th C, and children's books. And also something I describe as 'high-grade tosh in the form of massive bestsellers from a bygone age, mostly now forgotten' - two posts with links to define what that actually is. (With mention of the sub-genre 'books I read so  you don't have to'.) 

But every genre is represented sooner or later. You can read some blog history here.

And now for some boasting, in the guise of being informative:

Because of the blog I have met a huge community of lovely online friends, and I have become an official or unofficial fashion adviser to many writers - from crime to the proper use of fashion terms for the translation of a Eurovision winner's autobiography... [and I am always willing to give fashion advice, don't hesitate to ask - clothesinbooks@hotmail.co.uk ]


I have taken part in literary festivals - defending Barbies, talking crime fiction to experts - met up with many of my online friends, and been to dinner at the Detection Club.





I contributed a piece on Josephine Tey to a book called Murder in the Closet - gay themes in Golden Age crime fiction - edited by the marvellous Curtis Evans. Our book was nominated for an Edgar award, and I went to New York for the ceremony.

I have written for the Guardian newspaper, and appeared on several podcasts


In real life I am Moira Redmond, longtime journalist, writer, author and website editor. I live in Winchester, England.

I am on Twitter as @ClothesinBooks


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Most blog entries feature  a book or books via some aspect of clothes, general appearance or accessories. There'll be illustrations suggested by that description, along with comments on the book and picture.

The format does vary: some entries start with an extract from the book and some don't. Sometimes I write a straight review, or do a themed entry. 

Comments are always welcome.



Period Piece
http://clothesinbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/books-of-1952-period-piece.html
Ballet Shoes

I Capture the Castle
http://clothesinbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/in-full-glory-of-some-passion-james.html
The Dead

Stig of the Dump

Insignificant Others




Using the tabs at the top of the page you can:

- See all the photos on one page, and very enchanting they look too. This page opens in Pinterest, so use the back keys to get back to the blog.

- Get to a page listing all the books that have featured in alphabetical order of author. (If you find any mistakes or bad links please let me know – there doesn’t seem to be any easy or quick way of producing this list, and it is hard work, so mistakes may well creep in. If you know of any way to produce such a list automatically would also love to know.)

You can use either blog search box or the labels (below the entries) to look for themed entries. Some suggestions: black dress, white dress, fur, silk, hats, clothes panic.

As far as I am aware there are no copyright issues about any of the words or pictures – if you think differently please let me know.

Ideas or suggestions for future entries are most welcome.

Email address:
clothesinbooks@hotmail.co.uk 

 

Comments

  1. I found your blog so interesting. Margot Kinberg featured you in he blog this week so I thought I'd pop over and take a look. Well worth the visit. Such an interesting, informative blog. Thanks for sharing. I am reminded of the History Wardrobe Company whom I met when they did a tour of libraries in the UK some time back, dressing in period costume, explaining the rituals and meanings behind the clothes and the status of certain outfits and certain occasions when one would wear an item or not. Wondeful. Jane.

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    1. Thanks for visiting and for kind comments Jane. That's so interesting about the History Wardrobe Company, I've not heard of them but will go and look them up - anything like that is so fascinating, isn't it?

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  2. What a lovely idea for a blog! I dabble in crime fiction myself, and thanks to you will have to keep a much better eye on the wardrobe from now on.

    - Mel

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    1. Thanks for the kind words, Mel, and glad you are enjoying. I will look out for your name....

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  3. Moira – Thanks for the comment at Margot’s post on my books for her Introducing … feature. Hoping you like the Kay Francis mysteries. Love your blog : where do you find all those great photos?

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    1. Thanks for visiting, and for the kind comments. I am looking forward to reading Murder at the Belmar, it sounds great. There are wonderful photos online - I like to use Creative Commons ones, Flickr has a lovely selection.

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  4. I really enjoy coming to your blog. I'm not a fashionista by any means, but love well designed clothes and history -- your blog is a combo of two favorite things! Thanks for all your hard work. Noted and appreciated. :-)
    liz in texas

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    1. Thanks so much for the kind words, you made my day! I hope you will continue to visit.

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  5. Came across you on The Guardian books blog - I love games like the one you're playing and will be back

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    1. Thank you - how nice! I hope you will enjoy future visits....

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  6. What a great idea! I've just found your blog via Martin Edwards and shall be following you in future. Love clothes, love books!

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    1. Thank you, how kind, you are very welcome - I hope you enjoy future visits.

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  7. How kind of you - and your own blog is truly one of my own inspirations, as well as providing me with endless new books. I will start preparing my entry....

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  8. Hi. I recently read Linda Grant's The Clothes on her Backs and loved it - I was really pleased to stumble across this blog just now and see that you have featured three of her books here. Would you consider looking at 'Surviving Schizophrenia: a memoir' by Louise Gillett? If you click on the 'Look inside' button on Amazon you'll see a clothes reference in the first few pages - the author wakes up in a mysterious location wearing her sister's clothes and wonders where her own cherished French Connection togs have vanished to...

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    1. Hi there - thanks for coming to comment, and always glad to meet another Linda Grant fan. I will certainly go and take a look at the book you mention.

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  9. Hello, I've come to you via Stuck in a Book, and would love to follow but can't see how without twitter - is there a way?

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    1. Hi there, and thanks so much for visiting. I seem to have lost the follow box since I re-jigged the pages - I'm not always very good at using blogger! I will have to try to get it back. Thanks so much for taking the trouble to tell me.

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  10. hello Moira, your brother, Tim, recommended I have a look at your entry on Hamnet, as I'd just read it and recommended it to him. Now I've visited once, I think I'll become a regular.

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    1. Thanks Jamie, what a lovely comment! I hope you will visit and comment frequently... I'm guessing you liked Hamnet too.

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    2. i loved it! But the grief overwhelmed me to the point of tears at the end!

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    3. Oh yes, incredibly moving and affecting!

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