Book Review: The New Dress by Virginia Woolf.

“It was absurd to pretend it even—fashion meant cut, meant style, meant thirty guineas at least—but why not be original? Why not be herself, anyhow?”
How much a perfect dress means to you?
In this materialistic society there are many who want to look good by wearing costly and fashionable dresses just to impress others, they wear it not for themselves, but for showing off to gain attention and at least become one of those whom they think have high standards. New dress by Virginia Woolf is a short story, about Mabel Waring (the main character) having inferiority complex, feeling insecure, nervous of wearing a new, although an old fashioned dress in an upper class party hosted by Mrs. Dalloway. She is feeling awkward while standing between all those who are dressed up perfectly whereas on the other hand she, after checking herself up in the mirror “confirmed the suspicion that it was not right, not quite right”. Soon she starts to feel that everyone is staring and mocking her just because of her not so perfect dress. While having such uncomfortable thoughts, Mabel recalls growing up in her unremarkable family. She then thinks about her reality, including her marriage to a man with a “safe, permanent underling’s job.” She thinks back to special, isolated moments in her life, which she characterizes as “delicious” and “divine.” Later on, she decides that she wants to find a way to be happy. She decides to pursue self-improvement and transformation. Dealing with the issue of feeling mediocre and having a pressure to look perfect among others this short story by Virginia Woolf is a decent read.
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️