When you think of Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, fashion might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, Woolf’s novel, set in post-World War I London, offers a subtle yet rich depiction of a society in transition, where shifting values and identities were reflected in the way people dressed. The clothes worn by Clarissa Dalloway and the characters around her are more than mere descriptions—they are part of the larger narrative of change, modernity, and recovery in the wake of the First World War.

Before the war, Edwardian fashion epitomised structure and formality. Women’s wardrobes revolved around tightly laced corsets, long skirts, and heavily layered ensembles that reflected societal expectations of restraint and decorum. The devastation of World War I, however, marked a significant shift in both society and fashion. The early 1920s ushered in an era of looser, more practical clothing, as people moved away from the weighty constraints of the past. For women, this meant shedding corsets and embracing more freedom in their dress, a transformation that mirrored the changing roles and greater independence they had experienced during the war.

By the 1920s, the “flapper” look had emerged as a defining symbol of the era. Hemlines rose, waistlines dropped, and women began favouring straight, boyish silhouettes. Dresses became lighter, simpler, and more streamlined, made of fabrics like silk and satin and adorned with minimalistic beading. While Clarissa Dalloway herself does not embody the carefree rebellion of the flapper, her understated elegance reflects this broader shift in fashion. The intricate and heavily embellished styles of the Edwardian era no longer dominate; instead, her clothing acknowledges the changing times, balancing the expectations of her high-society world with the more modern aesthetic of the 1920s.

Fashion in Mrs Dalloway is also deeply symbolic, reflecting the process of societal recovery after the war. As characters like Septimus Warren Smith grapple with the trauma of battle, civilian life is equally marked by a desire for normalcy and renewal. For women, the war had been a transformative period, offering opportunities in the workforce and a taste of autonomy. This newfound independence was reflected in their clothing, which became more practical, functional, and expressive of personal identity. In the novel, the descriptions of fashion are subtle yet significant. Clarissa’s choice of a party dress, for instance, speaks to her role within her social circle, but it also hints at the broader cultural shifts happening around her. The dress represents not just her class but her attempt to reconcile tradition with modernity, much like her internal struggles throughout the story.

Virginia Woolf’s work is often examined through a feminist lens, and Mrs Dalloway is no exception. While the novel does not explicitly advocate for political change, Woolf’s attention to the intricacies of women’s lives and inner thoughts offers a quiet critique of the societal structures that constrained them. Fashion, as an expression of identity, plays an important role in this critique. The post-war evolution of clothing granted women greater control over how they presented themselves, allowing for a sense of individuality and freedom. At the same time, Woolf uses fashion to highlight the limits of this progress. Clarissa’s outward appearance—elegant but conventional—reflects the lingering societal expectations that confined women of her class. Though her choices reflect a nod to modernity, they are also constrained by the need to uphold certain standards of femininity and propriety.

The fashion depicted in Mrs Dalloway is not dramatic or revolutionary in the way it is in some stories, but it is deeply telling. It reveals a society in transition, a world negotiating its past and future, and individuals trying to define themselves within it. The clothing in the novel offers a subtle but meaningful lens through which to understand the broader cultural shifts of the 1920s, making it a fascinating reflection of the times rather than just a detail of the plot.