Oscar Wilde, the most renowned of all dandies, once said “you can never be overdressed or overeducated” and Dorothy Parker wondered “where is the man who can ease a heart like a satin gown?”

Beat hero Jack Kerouac went casual in a lumberjack shirt and jeans, while Tom Wolfe chose flamboyant elegance in a white three-piece suit, fedora and spats. 

Existentialist Albert Camus was always beautifully dapper in a well-cut suit and  Crombie coat with the collar popped. On his first trip to New York, he fell in love with the city, but despaired of Americans’ garish neckties, saying: “You have to see it to believe it. So much bad taste hardly seems imaginable.”

So for your Book Holiday, perhaps walk around in your favorite author’s outer layers and further escape into a world of fantasy in the comfort of your armchair, at your book group, or even at a costume party. Search Etsy or vintage shops for chic items to complete your look.

Today’s craft riffs on this clothing theme, with a paper-doll of your favourite author to dress up, using the template provided.