Unlike certain writers whose lives were more interesting than their work, or others whose work was more interesting than their lives, Oscar Wilde was both a gifted writer and a fascinating personality. Take a look at these descriptions of his attire that were written by journalists during his visit to the United States and Canada in 1882 when he was 25 years-old, long before his legal and financial troubles began, as excerpted in a recent issue of Harper’s Magazine from the forthcoming book Oscar Wilde in America: The Interviews:

A black felt hat of unusual proportions

A sealskin cap many sizes too small for him

A broad-brimmed white sombrero

A long bottle-green overcoat trimmed with fur

A sky-blue cravat of the sailor style

A morning suit of light mastic-colored tweed

A monster moonlight-green tie

A cobweb-colored velveteen coat

A ring with a seal of great size

Loose trousers of subdued tint but of very self-assertive cut

A mouse-colored corduroy blouse with gray worsted pantaloons

A velvet jacket, concerning the fit of which he should have a word with his tailor

A ‘Bon Silene’ rosebud in his coat lapel

A boutonniere, somewhat withered, made up of heliotropes, a brightly foliated daisy, and a tuberose

These descriptions are very funny, but slightly baffling. What color is a cobweb? In what sense is the word “monster” being used? Regardless, it’s easy to understand why Wilde’s appearance on our shores would have caused such a sensation in 1882.

David Desmond

Oscar Wilde's tomb at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris (yes, those are lipstick marks)