Literary fashion holds a unique place in fashion discourse. Unlike the written fashion of magazines, which, as Roland Barthes (1967) explains, preserves the “purity” of garments by avoiding personal expression, literary fashion reflects individuality. It embodies what Ferdinand de Saussure calls "parole", combining visual and verbal elements to shape character identity and evoke imagery. Clothing descriptions in literature help readers visualize characters, turning abstract figures into vivid representations. These descriptions often dramatize meaning through materials, textures, and emotional effects, creating poetic, romantic, or even parodic narratives that deepen the significance of events.

Umberto Eco (1972) asserts that clothing and accessories result from “an ideological choice” and convey a message. While Eco specifically refers to a tie as the bearer of this message, he demonstrates that “clothing is communication” within the framework of social life. Similarly, Algirdas Greimas and Jacques Fontanille argue that clothing reflects a “form of life,” linking personal style to emotions and social contexts. Following Isabella Pezzini (2002), this study proposes a semiotic typology of clothing in literature, applicable across novels:

1. Sign of transformation;

2. Moral and social type;

3. Emotional and sensitive marker;

4. Spatial and temporal marker;

5. Relational function;

6. Cultural sign.

Using this typology, the study examines clothing in Korean and Japanese literature, from the Samguk yusa and Genji Monogatari to works by contemporary authors such as Han Kang, Young-ha Kim, Haruki Murakami, and Banana Yoshimoto. Outfits that define characters and events in these novels will be analyzed through the typology with semiotics tools to illustrate and support the theoretical claims. By analyzing fashion in these works, the study demonstrates how clothing reflects cultural identity and social change in East Asia, highlighting the enduring role of fashion in literature as a means of narrative enrichment and cultural expression.

E. P. Thompson’s William Morris: From Romantic to Revolutionary underwent several revisions since its first publication in 1955, with the most significant being the under-examined 1977 edition, particularly evident in its “Postscript”. Thompson no longer emphasized Morris’s identity as a Marxist, but instead more actively defended the Romantic tradition, arguing that Romanticism was not only the foundation of Marxism but also the sustaining force behind Morris’s lifelong creative work and practice. Therefore, the “Postscript” not only demonstrates Thompson’s inheritance and innovative interpretation of Morris’s thought but also reflects his academic endeavor to reconcile diverse intellectual traditions. It is through this profound exploration that Thompson achieved a more comprehensive understanding and interpretation of the British Romantic tradition and Marxism.

Anonymity in Pacific Island mythology and history has often been exploited by Western historians and mythographers, who have inserted themselves into the narratives of these cultures. The absence of specific authors in oral traditions has been widely and frequently abused, allowing Western interpreters to project their perspectives onto these stories, often without proper acknowledgment of the original sources. This practice has led to the distortion of indigenous narratives, as Western authors have reinterpreted myths and histories through their own cultural lenses, sometimes misrepresenting or oversimplifying complex cultural contexts. For example, the portrayal of Pacific cultures in Western media has often been criticized for perpetuating stereotypes and inaccuracies. This appropriation not only undermines the authenticity of Pacific Islander voices but also contributes to the erasure of indigenous authorship and authority over their own cultural narratives. Recognizing and addressing this issue is crucial for preserving the integrity of Pacific Island mythology and history, and for ensuring that indigenous perspectives are accurately represented and respected. Through a critical approach to the Hawaiian myths collected by W. D. Westervelt and comparison to the contemporary approach taken in Judith Schalansky’s Pocket Atlas of Remote Islands, this paper will confront some of the problems facing the study of mythology within the geo-political context of the Pacific.