FOUR ROLES OF FASHION IN A ROMANCE NOVEL
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Eiyo Fadneiras,
Welcome back to my blog. I have a fun, interesting topic to geek out about together today. Yay!!! ^_^ Bookworms and fashionistas, you're going to enjoy this topic. This entry's geeking topic is about books and fashion. Yup, we are going to talk about the four roles of fashion in a romance novel. Hooray!!! And besides geeking about books and fashion, I also have some exciting news to share at the end of this post. So make sure you read this post till the end ^_^
Fashion is really a fun topic to geek out about. As an author who studied and used to work in the industry, I find fashion a fun premise for my stories. That's why I chose fashion as the main premise for my latest novel, Manchester Epiphany. Fashion is also the sub-premise for my previous novels, Fail Merah and Saranghaeyo Namsan.
Besides writing, reading stories that use fashion as a premise is totally entertaining and chic. Yes, reading stories with fashion as a premise makes you want to enter the book and join the fun. But making a story fun, entertaining, and chic is not the only role of fashion in a romance novel. There are other roles of fashion in a romance novel. Now, we are about to find out ^_^ Let's begin with no.1 to no.4...
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#1 FASHION SHAPES A CHARACTER'S IDENTITY
Fashion is about self-expression. A person's choice of clothes and accessories shows their inner self, values, and mood before they speak. The same goes with fictional characters. Styles that an author creates for their characters give readers some insight into the character's identity. It also makes the character memorable to readers. Besides identity, fashion also reflects a character's growth and beliefs.
#2 FASHION SIGNALS A CHARACTER'S STATUS AND SOCIAL CLASS
Outfits instantly communicate wealth, power, and social status within a community. Historical or contemporary settings rely on strict dress codes for balls and social events to create tension and public scrutiny. Authors who write billionaire romance fiction, like Ana Huang, usually use fashion as their main or side premise. One of the best examples of a romance novel that highlights fashion as a character's status and social class is King of Wrath by Ana Huang. The female lead, Vivian Lau, is a jewelry heiress from a wealthy family. Her fashion showcases her background, occupation, and social class.
#3 FASHION SHOWCASES A CHARACTER'S CULTURAL HERITAGE
Besides identity and expression, fashion is also a tool to showcase culture and heritage. Incorporating cultural heritage through fashion adds incredible depth, authenticity, and emotional weight to a romance novel. When characters wear clothing tied to their roots, it moves beyond simple aesthetics and becomes a powerful storytelling tool. Authors like Kevin Kwan (famous for his Crazy Rich Asian series) love using fashion to symbolise his characters' roots and heritage. It's amazing!
#4 FASHION BUILDS PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY BETWEEN ROMANTIC LEADS
Fashion creates romantic and dramatic tension in a story. That's why fashion is a good premise in a romance novel. Fashion also helps an author with the show-don't-tell technique. Glances at a brooch, a kebaya, or a misplaced stiletto can heighten the physical awareness between characters. Plus, a dramatic change in attire during a ball, date, or makeover scene often shifts how the love interest perceives the protagonist.
Okay, so these are the four roles of fashion in a romance novel. Romance authors who love using fashion as a premise for their stories are Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Kevin Kwan, Ana Huang, Catharina Maura, Lauren Asher, Adalyn Grace, and Fadima Mooneira. Hehehe ^_^
So, fellow bookworms, do you love reading romance novels with fashion as the main or sub-premise? Which romance novel showcases the most chic and trendiest fashion you have read? Please share your thoughts in the comment box below ^_^
Before I end this post, I want to inform you guys that I'll be having a Fadima's Bonanza 9.9 Sale on my Shopee shop @FADNEIRA-ON94U. All of Fadima Mooneira's original products are discounted by RM5.00, up to RM15.00 off. Whoa! So mark your calendar and don't miss out. Btw, my second novel, Saranghaeyo Namsan, will be selling for RM25.00 (original price RM35.00). And the stock for Saranghaeyo Namsan is limited. So if you're interested in Saranghaeyo Namsan, don't miss out ^_^
Okay, this is all for now. See you in my next post. Insya-Allah, the upcoming post will be related to this one. So stay tuned.
XoXo,
Fadima Mooneira ^_^
(Authorpreneur, Novelist, Blogger, Illustrator & Crafter)
#BooksAndFashion #RomanceNovel #Fashion #FashionInRomanceNovel #Edutainment #PopCulture #FadimaMooneiraDotCom
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Wow, what an interesting post!!! 🤩 I think one of the most 'fashionable' novel I have ever read is a historical romance by Virginia Henley, titled 'Seduced'. Set in Georgian England, it describes with great detail the various lavish fashions of that era. ~Maddy
ReplyDeleteMaddy.... long time no hear from u!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Delete-Lynna-
Whoa!!! I'm not familiar with Virginia Henley's works. But what you said makes me wanna read Seduce <3
DeleteHehehe... Lina dari hari tu asyik nak shout out Maddy >_<
To Fatin: I rasa Virginia Henley's works are quite historically accurate. Segala perangai dan mentality masyarakat zaman tue pun dia tulis as is. If that means the ML is considered a red flag for today's standard, dia tak modify pun. Unlike sesetengah penulis yang akan buat characters dia more open-minded utk sesuaikan dengan penerimaan orang zaman sekarang. Tapi Virginia Henley tak buat macam tu. Kalau minat nak kaji history, her novels are quite a history lesson hehe..
DeleteTo Lina: Haluuuuu!!!!!!! 🥳🎉🎉🎉🎉
Uhuuuuu... tetiba I rasa takut pula nak bacak novel Virginia Henley. Takut I marah2 dekat characters dia dan bagai. Uhuhuhu...
DeleteI have been looking for a book to read, so glad I chance upon your blog :)
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for a trendy cozy read, do check out my latest novel, Manchester Epiphany. Fashion is the main premise of the story and Manchester is the setting. Just link on poster above this post.
DeleteI'd love to look into reading more books with fashion, it's always so fun to learn about different styles.
ReplyDeleteYeah, me too. Fashion makes a story more fun to read ^_^
DeleteAku pun suka baca novel2 yang berkisahkan dunia fashion. Novel yg fashionnya paling chic dan trendy yg aku pernah baca ialah Manchester Epiphany by Fadima Mooneira. Fashion2 dlm novel tu semua ummm... ummm berlaka. Oh la la la! Aku rasa penulis tu sgt bijak gabungkan ilmunya dalam bidang fashion ke dlm cerita. Tahniah penulis. Teruskan usaha. Chaiyok!
ReplyDelete-Lynna-
Thanks, Lina. You always made my day ^_^
DeleteFashion in books sounds fun and adds more to the story. Unfortunately, I have not read a book with a heavy focus on fashion. Hopefully, I get to read books that have it as the premise.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.loyaltyrain.com/
Hehehe... I know this may sounds vain. But I highly recommend to read my latest novel, Manchester Epiphany. It is written in English and fashion is the main premise of the story. Insya-Allah, I will have it on Amazon soon. I will let you know.
DeleteBefore reading this post, I was wondering how you even portray fashion in novel that would alow for the nuances in how we dress. But it makes sense that something as simply of indicating wealth, status (especially in a period setting, and cultural specific fashion choices would be easy to get across with mere description. But with modern clothes, how do you showcase someone's identy if people have the same background and fashion sense to indicate something that sets them out from other characters?
ReplyDeleteOoohhh... that's not hard. If the character is from an elite society, make them wear designer brandnames head to toe, and give them luxury accessories. Elite people usually love diamonds. And as for ordinary people, identify their personality first. If you want to make the character a simple-minded person, just make them dress causally ~ plain t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, etc. But if the character is someone artsy, make them creative in mixing and matching their outfits.
DeleteBut some of the richest people in the world often don't wear designer gear, and often dress modest most the time. Plus, some of thr smartest people often dress modest or even forget about fashion too together. How could you work that in so such nuance could exist?
ReplyDeleteFirstly, what is your problem with fashion?
DeleteOkay, true... some of the richest and smartest people aren't into fashion. And maybe rich people in the West aren't that into fashion. But rich people in Asia are highly into fashion. If not, how can fashion houses survive and make money? Some may not be into style. But they are into brands. And speaking of brands, not all designer clothing is fancy. Some are simple and modest. Thought you should know...