The New Dress is one of the more memorable short stories written by Virginia Woolf in the years leading to her suicide. Published sometime after its creation in 1927 in the collection A Haunted House and Other Short Stories, it is a poignant tale about an insecure middle-class woman in a party meant for the privileged.

 

The narrative begins as we delve deep into the consciousness of Mabel Waring, seeing the world as she sees it, reading her thoughts, and going face-to-face with her psyche. It is, as readers soon find out, a very troubling psyche.

 

Mabel spends most of her time in the party excessively worrying over how she looks and how the other party-goers see her. Overthinking every single word and action (not to mention the inaction) of her fellow guests, she cautiously goes on throughout the night constantly in fear of what the high-class folk think of her and her new, but old-fashioned gown.

 

There are many arguments over what the peculiar style of imagery and prose in the story mean. Some say the dress represents Mabel's attempts to please the crowds (i.e. being someone she normally wouldn't be) while her cherished china cloak of around 20 years of age represents the real part of her that she throws away just to fit in more. Other say that these details are irrelevant, and that Mabel is a manifestation of Woolf's own insecurities and misgivings about herself. Still more say that it is a testament to Feminism. A criticism of social strata in early 20th century society. Or perhaps, just a story written to show how 'hysterical' women can be about their looks.

 

Whatever your take on the deeper symbolisms of the story, we can all agree on one thing: all of us, at least once, have felt like Mabel Waring. We have all known how it feels to change who we are just to be like the rest. And that's likely the strongest message that The New Dress imparts onto its readers.