Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | June 1, 2004 |
| Founder | David Sedaris |
| Products | Essay collection |
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is a compilation of essays authored by American humorist David Sedaris, released by Little, Brown and Company on June 1, 2004. This collection delves into Sedaris's childhood in Raleigh, North Carolina, his familial bonds, as well as his experiences living and working in New York City and France.
The book received acclaim from reviewers at The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly, who emphasized the central role of family throughout the essays. Critics observed a shift in Sedaris's narrative approach, characterizing these pieces as more reflective, serious, and emotionally impactful compared to his earlier, more exaggerated style. Upon release, the book entered The New York Times Best Seller list at No. 1 in the Hardcover nonfiction category and earned the 2004 Lambda Literary Award for Humor.
Background
Comprising twenty-two essays, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim features work by David Sedaris, with twenty-one of these essays originally published in magazines such as The New Yorker and Esquire. Initially, Sedaris intended to name the book Repeat After Me, after one of his preferred essays, but altered the title to avoid overlap with his earlier collection Me Talk Pretty One Day. The chosen title was inspired by a dream experienced by his partner Hugh, who found it intriguing despite its ambiguous relation to the book’s content.
A number of essays center on Sedaris's family life and early years, often drawing from his habit of incorporating personal history when fulfilling themed writing assignments for magazines or for Ira Glass's program This American Life. In a conversation with NPR's Fresh Air, Sedaris highlighted his conscious effort not to depict himself as more intelligent or gifted than he was during childhood.
The cover design, created by graphic artist Chip Kidd, features the torso of a nude doll. Kidd explained that the artwork needed to evoke a strong emotional response while aligning with the book’s title, demonstrating a calculated method to visual presentation.
Essays
- "Us and Them"
- Recollections of a childhood within a family that eschewed television
- "Let It Snow"
- An incident where Sedaris’s mother left her children outside amid snowfall
- "The Ship Shape"
- Memories concerning a second home that his father never acquired
- "Full House"
- A poignant moment arising from a childhood game of strip poker
- "Consider the Stars"
- Contemplations about the popular student at school
- "Monie Changes Everything"
- The story of Sedaris’s affluent aunt
- "The Change in Me"
- The aspirations of thirteen-year-old Sedaris to adopt a hippie persona
- "Hejira"
- Being expelled by his father due to his sexual orientation
- "Slumus Lordicus"
- His father's tenure as landlord of a Section 8 housing complex in the early 1980s
- "The Girl Next Door"
- Relationship dynamics with a neighbor girl from a troubled household
- "Blood Work"
- An episode involving mistaken identity during house cleaning
- "The End of the Affair"
- Contrasting responses between Sedaris and Hugh to a romantic narrative
- "Repeat After Me"
- Visiting sister Lisa and exploring family sentiments about being essay subjects
- "Six to Eight Black Men"
- Reflections on Dutch Christmas customs and other cultural peculiarities
- "Rooster at the Hitchin' Post"
- Birth and marriage experiences concerning a younger brother
- "Possession"
- Apartment hunting coupled with visiting Anne Frank's residence
- "Put a Lid on It"
- A visit to sister Tiffany’s home highlighting their relationship
- "A Can of Worms"
- Mental wandering during a meal with Hugh and a friend at a diner
- "Chicken in the Henhouse"
- Examining prejudices against homosexuals in America
- "Who's the Chef?"
- Arguments within a long-term partnership
- "Baby Einstein"
- Welcoming his brother's first child
- "Nuit of the Living Dead"
- A late-night encounter at their rural home in France
Several essays such as "Us and Them," "Let It Snow," and "Possession" were subsequently included in Sedaris's 2020 anthology The Best of Me.
Reception
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim received widespread acclaim, being regarded as a significant highlight in Sedaris's literary journey. Augusten Burroughs, writing for Entertainment Weekly, deemed it Sedaris's finest work, praising its combination of sharp wit, poignant moments, and polished narrative style. Essays such as "Put a Lid On It" and "Rooster at the Hitchin' Post" were particularly commended for their blend of heartfelt emotion and humor. Kirkus Reviews drew attention to Sedaris's trademark deadpan comedy alongside his warm yet incisive depiction of familial relationships. Tasha Robinson from The A.V. Club lauded the collection for its grounded, understated humor, noting a progression toward simpler storytelling techniques.
Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times highlighted the prominence of Sedaris’s family stories, interpreting this focus as a sign of his transition from a primarily comedic writer to a memoirist with deeper emotional layers. She pointed out a shift to a more reflective, Chekhov-inspired narrative voice that contrasts with his previous stand-up style. Similarly, Robinson remarked on the emergence of a more serious, mature humor that still retained Sedaris’s characteristic dry wit.
In another piece for The New York Times, Stephen Metcalf emphasized Sedaris's newfound introspection within the context of his comfortable lifestyle, applauding the way he balanced humor with self-examination. He singled out the essay Possession, which recounts a visit to the Anne Frank House, as an example of this self-aware comedic approach, although Kakutani considered it less effective.
Upon its release on June 1, 2004, the book immediately claimed the top spot on The New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Best Seller list, holding that position for two weeks and remaining on the chart for sixteen weeks in total. It was honored with the 2004 Lambda Literary Award for Humor, recognizing outstanding achievement in LGBT literature.