Thomas Carlyle

Sartor Resartus Thomas Carlyle

Literally meaning "The tailor re-tailored," "Sartor Resartus" is Thomas Carlyle's 1836 novel which was first serialized in "Fraser's Magazine" in 1833-1834. The novel poses as a review for the work "Clothes, Their Origin and Influence" by the fictional philosopher Diogenes Teufelsdrockh, Professor of "Things in General" at Weissnichtwo University. Intended by Carlyle as a new kind of book, "Sartor Resartus" is at once a work of fiction and social philosophy that challenges the reader to determine what is truth and what is merely the invention of the author. The exploration of fashion through the fictional work discussed in the book exists as an allegory to explore the changing conventions of other elements of culture and society. "Sartor Resartus" marked an important transition from the Romantic and Victorian periods, whose influence on countless other literary figures cannot be understated.