The Rosie Project

Simsion uses clothing to describe his characters’ attitudes to themselves and their roles in society. Don constantly describes both his own, and other people’s clothing in great detail, frequently noting not only colors and styles, but texture and accessories, such as hats, scarves, or jewelry.

Don dresses like a bum or a teenager in his favorite fifteen year old t-shirts and constantly refers to people’s clothing choices as “costumes.” In this way, he reveals that he finds all dressing to be a form of social play-acting—people dress according to their roles in life’s play. This attitude highlights Don’s contempt for social custom and also his naivety and social immaturity.

He says that he pays little attention to his appearance, which reflects his general disdain for the requirements of social interaction, but in actuality, his constant references to dress and its social appropriateness, or lack thereof, reveal his preoccupation with social correctness. He is pretending to be too cool to care, because his initial attempts to dress appropriately were so inept that they brought him only ridicule. However, Don does desire to fit in by wearing the appropriate clothing. As the novel progresses he seeks advice to gain the expertise he lacks—how to dress appropriately for his age and role in life.

In contrast with Don, Rosie has an intentionally unique look. Her glasses, hair color, and choice of attire—frequently punk or Goth-influenced—make a deliberate, positive statement. Rosie’s independent spirit and feminism are reflected in her clothing. For example, Rosie consciously chooses to dress in a manner that would not attract male attention. She doesn’t care what most people think, and Gene believes that she may be gay because of the way she dresses. However, she is successful in her quest to avoid unwanted objectification and sexual attention from men like Gene.

Both Don and Rosie call attention to themselves through non-traditional clothing choices. Rosie, however, is able to conform when she wants to because she has a more sophisticated understanding of social mores. For example, she wears a pretty ball gown to the faculty ball, and she enjoys choosing a gorgeous, expensive scarf for Claudia in the Hermes shop in New York.

Don’s outer transformation into Gregory Peck, in order to attract Rosie, symbolizes his inner transformation and reflects his new maturity. Everyone Don knows notices his transformation into a more appropriate, adult version of himself.