In 2013, John Cooper, an expert on Oscar Wilde, made a surprising discovery. While researching aspects of Wilde's famous 1882 American lecture tour, he came upon a lengthy article written and copyrighted by Wilde in 1885 on his philosophies of dress.  

What made this unique was that this significant piece of writing by Oscar had seemingly been forgotten or lost to history.  

This episode marks the publication of a new edition of John's book Oscar Wilde on Dress which includes the original essay, as well as extensive background and supplemental material to put not only the essay but also Oscar's life into perspective. 

Wilde was passionate about the dress reform movement in the late 19th century, which sought to liberate women from the constraints of a male-dominated society. This fascinating essay, along with John's commentary and additional resources, sheds new light on how Oscar thought not only about dress, but about larger issues of beauty, freedom, and gender. 

Find more about John Cooper's book "Oscar Wilde on Dress" 

This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon

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