Read Dickens today

From moodboard

Today, the UK is going mad for Charles Dickens. It is his 200th birthday, and we've already been treated to new adaptations of Great Expectations and the Mystery of Edwin Drood. More is to come, including another Great Expectation and a series of programmes on TV and radio. You might think Dickens has little to do with fashion, but I argue that EVERYTHING is to do with fashion.

Even today, Dickens characters inspire stylists, designers and general stylish people to dress unexpectedly. In particular, 'Miss Havisham glam' saw a surge in popularity in ast year's couture and bridalwear collections. His work has also been the source of many great films, TV shows and plays. All of these require costumes, and it must be a costume-designer's dream to land such a project. There is already a basic description and a style of the time to work from, but the characters allow much room for interpretation as far as wardrobe is concerned. Since many of them are larger than life, it makes sense for their clothes to reflect that part of their personality, and so be a little over the top.

So today, pay tribute to the man who is in part responsible for many of the best screen costumes of our time. Pick up a copy of something he has written and get stuck in to the effortlessly detailed character description. Who knows? Maybe it will inspire what you wear tomorrow.