Virginia Woolf on clothes and identity

“Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.”

- from her novel Orlando: A Biography, published in 1928

Orlando: A Biography is a semi-satirical, fantastical novel that spans over 300 years of English history. It follows Orlando, a nobleman who mysteriously transforms into a woman and lives through centuries without aging significantly.

This quote appears during a moment of reflection on how Orlando’s change in gender affects not only her internal experience but also how she is perceived by the world. Woolf uses clothing as a symbol of gender performance—highlighting how societal expectations are often tied to external appearances.

Even in 1928, Woolf challenges binary notions of gender, showing how identity can transcend physical form.

The novel critiques how society imposes roles and expectations based on superficial markers like clothing.

Orlando’s long life allows Woolf to explore how identity evolves across eras and cultures.