Authors Who Look as Good as Their Book
By Elana Katz
As if it weren’t enough to have the talent to write an entire book, plenty of authors deserve just as many accolades for bringing that same attention to detail to their style as well.
Getting a book published involves a lot of meetings, sure, but it also involves a lot of time alone writing. Once the book is released, an author gets to leave their desk and do something especially exciting (or scary, depending on the person)—meet their fans. But what does one wear to a book signing or tour where they’re being photographed and having in-person conversations with new people? We asked the experts.
Six romance authors talked with us about how they plan their outfits for book signings, where they get their inspiration, and other authors whose style they admire. Some are just starting their book tour journeys with their debuts and some have this process down after publishing multiple books. In either case, all of these authors are just as thoughtful about their style as they are about their characters.
Lyla Sage, author of Done & Dusted
Q: Is there a certain type of outfit that you reach for when you’re doing book signings or events?
LS: My priority for an outfit for book-related events is always going to be something that I feel both confident and comfortable in. I'm not naturally extroverted, so whatever outfit I choose is kind of like my armor. It tells my brain that I'm suiting up—that I'm ready to meet readers and talk about my books and have fun. My personal style leans a little more Western-Alt, while my author style has the freedom to lean a little bit more Western-Classic, but there's a lot of overlap between the two. That makes it easy for me to shop my closet for events, but I often take note of gaps in my wardrobe that I can use an event as an excuse to fill.
Q: Where are your favorite places or brands to shop from for these events?
LS: My favorite place to shop for clothes in general is eBay—truly! I've been collecting clothes for a long time, and that's made me passionate about a circular fashion ecosystem. I try to get as many pieces as I can secondhand. For example, my fringe and suede jacket collection gets a lot of love, and nearly all of them were jackets that I won eBay auctions for. When it comes to collecting, patience is the name of the game! I source a lot of my clothes that way. If there's a new piece I want—I'm quite partial to Reformation Denim and Understated Leather pieces—I set up a Google alert with the item name and my size, so I'll get notified if someone lists it or something similar on Poshmark, Depop, etc. But I like to treat myself to some new stuff, too!
Usually, I buy two or three new pieces for each book tour—either to finish or create a new outfit, and then I'll shop my closet for the rest. For the Lost and Lassoed tour, I got a custom jacket from Westerly USA (pictured), which is a small, sustainable, Western brand that uses only recycled materials. That jacket is my pride and joy, and I want to be buried in it. For Wild and Wrangled, I bought a new pair of cowboy boots that I've been coveting since 2021, and I can't wait to wear them at every stop. :) I hope that I'm building a closet that will last a lifetime!
Elise Bryant, author of Happily Ever Afters
Q: Is there a certain type of outfit that you reach for when you’re doing book signings or events?
EB: I am almost always wearing a dress. My friends sometimes joke that I'm so fancy, but it's really because I'm lazy and indecisive—one choice and I'm done! And I usually go for something loose and printed because, this is maybe TMI, but I sweat a lot during events. I'm an introvert with social anxiety and I love meeting readers, but I get very nervous!
Q: Where are your favorite places or brands to shop from for these events?
EB: Like 90% of the time, for events and normal life, I'm wearing a dress from Ace & Jig or Gorman. I also love Variety Hour, Farm Rio, Printfresh, Wray, and Anthro. For my most recent book release, I splurged on a dress from Hunter Bell that I'd coveted forever and now I wear it to things like school pick-up.
Q: Are there any other authors whose style you look to for inspiration?
EB: I love everything Amy Spalding wears and often slide into her DMs to find out where she got something. She turned me on to Nooworks, which is now a new favorite of mine!
Crystal Maldonado, author of Fat Chance, Charlie Vega
Q: Is there a certain type of outfit that you reach for when you’re doing book signings or events?
CM: Whenever I’m choosing outfits for book signings or events, I always make sure it’s something I feel cute in. If I’m uncomfortable or self-conscious in any way, I’ll be totally miserable. I’m drawn to dresses and skirts, so those tend to be my go-to when I’m choosing an outfit. I really love items that have fun patterns (like books or notebooks!), are especially colorful, or offer a little sparkle.
Because I’m a big fan of themes, I’ll sometimes match my outfit to the theme of the event or to whatever book I’m promoting. For my next YA book, Get Real, Chloe Torres, the cover features the main character in a yellow dress with a few butterflies fluttering around her, so I have a yellow dress and butterfly earrings at the read. When in doubt, I always choose a fun pair of earrings to go with whatever I’m wearing!
Q: Where are your favorite places or brands to shop from for these events?
CM: Finding affordable, plus-size items can be such a struggle, but I love to shop; so I think of it like a treasure hunt. For fun patterns, I love Joanie Clothing, which is a UK brand that offers sizes up to a US 22. For wardrobe staples, I tend to grab items from Old Navy. I’m lucky in that there are a few local shops that carry plus-size clothes, including one called 25 Central, and there’s a thrift shop in New Haven, CT, called Witch Bitch Thrift that I love. Eloquii, Unique Vintage, and Cider are some other faves!
Q: Are there any other authors whose style you look to for inspiration?
CM: I love peeking at what other authors are wearing and getting inspired! Some of my faves include Prisca Dorcas Mojíca Rodríguez, Jasmine Guillory (she has the best dresses!), Julie Murphy, and Leah Johnson.
Annabelle Slator, author of The Launch Date
Q: Is there a certain type of outfit that you reach for when you’re doing book signings or events?
AS: Clothes are a language in themselves; so if I’m promoting a workplace romcom, I’m always going to be leaning towards a ‘technically’ work appropriate look with a creative flair. Like for my launch party at Daunt Books in London, I wore a full suit, but in bright colours to match my book cover. I wanted the look to emulate both Grace and Eric, balancing the traditionally feminine colour combo with more of a traditionally masculine work attire.
While I’m in general promo mode for The Launch Date by guesting on panels or attending events, I’m sticking almost religiously to a red and pink colour palette. Coming from a marketing background, I knew I would be doing this as soon as we had the cover colours confirmed, as it helps build a recognisable brand. I now get people from all over the world sending me pictures of their pink and red outfits! I can’t wait until I can reveal my next book cover, because I’m already spotting pieces that I will be wearing next year.
Q: Where are your favorite places or brands to shop from for these events?
AS: I try my best to shop second hand and avoid fast-fashion fabrics wherever I can. I used to work for a sustainable clothing brand, so seeing the ins and outs of fast fashion and fabric production really changed my mindset whenever seeking out new items to add to my wardrobe. The high-low method is my usual go-to for events, searching for items from eBay or Vestiaire. For example, my launch party outfit: my blazer is Victoria Beckham, tie is from a discount scarf bin in a charity shop, shirt is Jaeger, trousers/pants are ASOS, and the shoes are secondhand (originally from Zara). My earrings were a gift from a friend made by an amazing creator on Etsy and my bracelet is a vintage Georgio Armani costume bracelet my mother-in-law bought me in Italy!
Q: Are there any other authors whose style you look to for inspiration?
AS: It brings me so much joy when you can see authors dressing as their main characters or an homage to their covers. At the moment, I'm loving Alex Aster’s looks for the Summer in the City rollout—if I had the budget I would be pulling like that all the time!
Myah Ariel, author of When I Think of You
Q: Is there a certain type of outfit that you reach for when you’re doing book signings or events?
MA: I love a great dress and even more so if it’s comfortable and has great color! There are so many things to consider for book talks and signings—what will the chairs be like? Will we be up on a stage? So I have to consider things like length and comfort, too. If the dress has pockets, I’m sold! I honestly cannot recall the last time I wore a pair of pants and truly believe that jeans are my enemy.
Q: Where are your favorite places or brands to shop from for these events?
MA: I’m a big fan of online retailers like ASOS, simply because of the variety of options and sizing. I’m 5’9” and love their “tall” line. I’m also a big fan of FarmRio because of the lush colors and patterns and again… the dresses! Target used to be an old faithful for me, but I would love to see them reaffirm their commitment to diversity.
Q: Are there any other authors whose style you look to for inspiration?
MA: I absolutely love Kristina Forest’s style! She always seems to pair stylish separates in a cool way, and her footwear is on point. Lauren Ling Brown also has amazing taste! Honestly, everybody is killing it these days.
Katie Naymon, author of You Between the Lines
Q: Is there a certain type of outfit that you reach for when you’re doing book signings or events?
KN: I want something that feels authentic to me, but also maybe a bit more elevated, and most importantly, something comfortable and unfussy. An elastic waistband, a skirt or dress I don't need to be paranoid about how I'm sitting, a print or dark color that won't show sweat (I'm very unashamed of being a big sweater, but I don't necessarily want it to distract in a photo, haha).
Q: Where are your favorite places or brands to shop from for these events?
KN: I didn't want to buy anything specific for events, so I shopped my own closet for pieces that I would otherwise wear to festive occasions. But I love shopping secondhand, and some of my absolute best investment purchases I've gotten at a heavy discount from places like Poshmark and Vestiare Collective. I live in Sweden, so I'm on a Scandi-style kick these days, and one of my favorite brands is Ganni, which has a lot of playful print pieces in interesting but familiar cuts that felt perfect for a signing.
Whether you’re an aspiring author yourself, dreaming of your own book tour, or a reader looking forward to attending a signing, there’s inspiration from all of these authors on where to shop and how to dress for events. It’s more proof that they’re impressive in more ways than one, not that there was ever any doubt.