[Review] A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause

A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause

Rating: 3.5 stars

Published: August 6th 2019

Format: ARC

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Shy in Avon-upon-Kynt. And for eighteen years, Emmaline Watkins has feared that her future held just that: nothing.
But when the head of the most admired fashion house in the country opens her prestigious design competition to girls from outside the stylish capital city, Emmy’s dreams seem closer than they ever have before.
As the first “country girl” to compete, Emmy knows she’ll encounter extra hurdles on her way to the top. But as she navigates the twisted world of high fashion she starts to wonder: will she be able to tailor herself to fit into this dark, corrupted race? And at what cost?

This is my second Project Runway-esque book in two weeks. And I've become such a fashion person lately, so I'm all here for this.

A Dress for the Wicked is about a Emmy, a start-up designer from Shy, a small town in the country of Britannia Secunda, who is chosen to participate in the Fashion House Interview. It's a competition in which girls all over the country compete to work for the illustrious Fashion House, a fashion company that has a monopoly on the country's fashion. Emmy realizes that the Fashion House is not exactly as it seems.


I really do wish that the competition was a little more cutthroat. It appeared as though there weren't really any consequences/no one really got eliminated from this competition, so what really was the point? The competition was in the background of the story. But what I do like was how the apparent villain of the story wasn't even a villain. There was this added nuance to Madam Jolene's character, with how she just wanted to protect her fashions.

The world building was little bit off because I wasn't so sure where this faux-European country existed in the midst of all the European affairs of the time period (19th century? Victorian era). The country appeared removed from all of it, despite gaining independence from Britain only a century ago.

I personally think that the romance between Tristan and Emmy was unnecessary. Ignoring the insta-love, it didn't feel like there was any chemistry between them, and only appeared as some kind of need to check-off that there is a straight, albeit very forced, romance in this book!

There was more monumental focus and development between Emmy and Sophie, especially since Sophie came off as a mean girl initially (only for Sophie to admit that Emmy was one of the only true friends she's ever had??). That was quality female friendship growth! Thankful that the books I've been reading as of late have steered away from needless girl hate.

I couldn't see her, but I felt the bed given beneath her as she rolled over to face me. Her hand found mine in the dark, touching my shoulder and following it down to my arm, where her fingers closed around my wrist. She held it tightly, securely.
"I've never met anyone like you, Emmaline Watkins." - p. 358

I enjoyed Emmy's character development too, especially since she went from easily-intimidated country girl to strong fashion designer, but I think I just empathized and enjoyed Sophie's character a lot better. She's lost so much, and comes off as cold and driven, but she finds it in her to stand up to her supposed guardian to make a name for herself.

"Well, some of those mazes are cut in such a way that no matter which turn you take, you will always end up in the middle. You can turn right. You can turn left. It doesn't change anything." She stopped on the stairs and turned to face me. A few steps above me, she towered over my head. Somehow, she no longer looked tired. "That's me, Emmaline. It doesn't matter which way I turn. I'll always be like this." - p. 300

Overall, an okay book, even if I didn't enjoy the romance and the underdeveloped world.