Fashion inspiration can be found anywhere, and books are incredible sources for style innovation. Book-Inspired Fashion explores these treasure troves, and brings them them to you in looks inspired by vibrant characters, far away lands, brilliantly woven plotlines, and more.

I’m doing things a little bit differently this week, because I’m not going to use quotes to create outfit sets – the Sherlock Holmes universe is far too big for that. Instead, I’ll be using three characteristics of Holmes’ unforgettable personality to construct his character across the many works in which he has appeared.

Table of Contents

Reading Between the Lines

Sherlock Holmes, one of the most beloved literary characters of all time, is the invention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who published the first Holmes work, A Study in Scarlet, in 1887. This was followed by more novels and many short stories, resulting in a phenomenon that laid the foundation for the detective fiction genre in the decades to come. The last of the Holmes stories were published in the 1920s, but the popularity of Sherlock Holmes has never really died down. Today, there are many film and television adaptations that feature Holmes, but I highly recommend reading a few of the original short stories to capture the unique presence and personality of Holmes as Doyle intended.

It has to be said that the character of Holmes is far from perfect. In fact, his flaws and vices are vital parts of his character, and make him all the more fascinating to follow. 

1. Arrogance

Product Info: Dress, Heels, Bag, Jacket

Although Sherlock Holmes is not initially financially stable, he is eventually able to accrue the connections, reputation, and support to live comfortably between cases. It’s not his success, however, that creates the sense of near-arrogance within Holmes – it was there all along, noticeable in his minute actions and interactions with other characters. He is confident and unafraid to tackle any case (and is especially unwilling to back down from one).