rogueinladysclothing | Low points in high places [Tagging Verity]

He's heard tales of the chao from other customers who have stopped by the garden to see their cuteness in action. "I'll take care to reinforce all of the seams, maybe add some extra lining, to be safe. The last thing I want is for something to happen to your dress on its first time out." He would be appalled to find out one of his creations had fallen apart so easily. No, he's going to work extra hard to prevent that.

Before Alex can hop in and say anything else blush-inducing, Amelia decides to chime in. "I don't think think I'll look the prettiest in it. Hell, I don't even know what I'll look like in it in the first place." She makes a bit of a face then looks up at Alex. "Unless... you have something in mind?"

Alex raises a hand to his chin around all of the bolts of fabric he's juggling. "I have a vague idea... perhaps you'd indulge me and allow me to do a rough sketch?"

Amelia hesitates before answering. "I'd be willing to stay, but I don't have a schedule today either." She turns to Verity. "He's usually pretty quick about these things, but if you'd rather he take our measurements and we come back in a day or two for an initial fitting, I understand completely." No need to do too many new things on her first trip to a full time tailor's shop.

"Ah, that's a good idea. Thank you." She's had a few small wardrobe malfunctions since she and Naugus adopted the chao. Not that she minds. But losing a cheap tee is different than having what's likely to be an expensive and incredible dress ruined. It's going to be lined. That's fancy.

"You will. I don't mind waiting. It'll give me time to look around a little more." Waiting for a sketch isn't going to be too confusing or intrusive. And there are drawers full of things and she doesn't know what those things are yet. She needs to know what the things are, Amelia.

"I'll get to work on those, then. Amelia, why don't you show Verity the trims? I don't think lace will go with what I have in mind, but if all else fails, see if you can't find something that goes with your new fabric." Before she can protest, Alex snatches the bolt of fabric from Amelia's hands and walks off toward his desk. Despite having over half a dozen bolts of black fabric in his hands, he remembers exactly which one Verity liked and sets it aside with Amelia's new fabric. He'll get to sketching and let the ladies sort out trims.

"I'm unsure if you'll need any of these, but I suppose I can explain everything." Amelia gives Verity an apologetic smile as she leads her to the many drawers filled with various things. She begins in the corner closest to all the natural fabrics - as far from Alex as she can get - opening the first of many drawers filled with trims. "Everything in these next few sets of drawers are trims. Many of the fancy bits you see along the cuffs and collars of clothing are trims rather than embroidery. They come in all varieties, from your most basic - a strip of another color of fabric - to more elaborate things that look as if they might be embroidered or painted onto the fabric. There are also trims with braids and tassels on them."

They can spend the next few minutes digging through and finding all of the interesting trims that Alex has to offer. They come in all varieties of colors and sizes. Some wide, some very thin, even some with 70's fringe hanging from them! Anything Verity can think of, it's likely there.

And they haven't even gotten to the lace or buttons yet!

"Thank you, Mister Needleworthy." The slightly adversarial relationship between Amelia and Alex makes her wonder. Snatching and bickering, almost like siblings.

"Can't hurt to know for the future," she points out as she follows Amelia over. She's attentive while Amelia explains things but is excited when she gets to start discovering them for herself. The attention to detail in some of the woven ribbons excites her the most. "These are gorgeous. Look at these little birds, they're so sweet."

Buttons she may need to think about later, but she's quite happy examining the fancy ribbons until Alex is done with his sketches.

Alex is the first person Amelia met after arriving in the Nexus who reminded her of home. The two have developed quite a bond, hence the sibling-like behavior. Verity will note that, despite all of the bickering, Amelia looks very calm inside the shop. Anything that's like home helps ease her worries about not being there.

"Ahh, those must be new." Amelia smiles at the sight of the woven ribbons Verity finds. "They weren't here a few weeks ago. Alex always seems to be finding new things that I would never expect to see." Their slow, methodical digging through the drawers reveals a thin gold trim with dangling gold beads spaced about an inch apart along the bottom of the trim. Amelia pulls it from the drawer and holds on to it, intending to see if Alex has something in mind that could have a use for it.

When their search through the trims is almost at its end, Alex joins the two ladies and hands each of them a small sketchbook. "Now, these are only rough sketches, and there's always room for change, but what do you think? I tried to work in what would be best for both the fabric and for the wearer, but I'm more than happy to adjust as necessary." He smiles in particular at Verity as Amelia seems very absorbed in looking over every detail in the sketch Alex has handed her already.

Anyplace where Amelia can relax is a place Verity's likely to trust. Same with people. Verity may not end up liking them, but Amelia is so cautious, she wouldn't behave this way without a good reason.

"If he didn't get new things, people wouldn't come back to see what's new," she points out. "It drives foot traffic, which increases sales. Which I'm sure you know, sorry." Seeing the marketing tactics isn't quite the same thing as not falling for them. The bird ribbon is set aside while they continue looking; it'd make a cute headband.

When Alex returns Verity greets him with a smile before taking the sketchbook. She's also examining it carefully, particularly for the sorts of artistic "improvements" fashion designers like to make to figures. When she's content that the figure in the sketch is reasonably true-to-life she turns her attention to the dress. Her lips press together in a thin line for a moment and her eyes are glassy when she admits, "I think it's the prettiest dress I've ever seen."

But no pressure or anything.

"I suppose that's true," Amelia concedes. "I hadn't really thought about that, given how I've always purchased clothes in the past. I forget how many things are different from what I remember them to be in my world." She smiles at Verity to make sure it's understood that she's not offended in any way. While Amelia is a businesswoman back home, there are still many things to learn here.

Verity's appraisal of his design causes Alex's cheeks to darken to a rosy shade of pink. "Such high praise on a first pass... I hadn't expected that."

"Oh? Let me see." Amelia snuggles right on up to Verity to get a peek. Her face brightens as she looks over the design and she gives an emphatic nod. "I like it. I think it's going to look great on you, Verity." She shifts her smile from Alex to Verity and gives another nod.

"And what about yours, hm? What do you think?" Alex raises an eyebrow at Amelia, trying to get the attention off of himself a bit more.

"It's... not what I expected." She looks a bit uncomfortable as she holds the design to her chest. "No corset this time?"

He frowns a bit at her question. "You're not wearing one now, so I thought I'd mix it up a bit. Besides, a week isn't enough time to properly make both dresses and a corset."

"Ahh, point taken." Her cheeks turn a slight shade of pink and she then offers the design for Verity to see. "I think... I'd like it better without full sleeves. Maybe half length? If I'm dancing a lot, I might get warm."

Alex thinks on that for a moment. "Perhaps more of that gauzy layer for the other half of the sleeves, then? They'll be loose and billowy, which means they shouldn't get in your way either. However, they'll look lovely when you hang your arms at your sides."

The suggestion gets another smile from Amelia. "I like it."

"Perfect." Alex answers Amelia's smile with his own. "Let's get you two fitted, then."

It might not be so easy to use this kind of tactic in a spice shop, but who knows what kinds of recipes and ideas she'd be going home with. Or what she might decide to do here in the Nexus.

Verity's blushing now too, partly from having embarrassed Alex and partly from the surprise snuggling. She shifts an arm around Amelia's shoulders to make room for her to look. "It's really gorgeous. I think anyone would look good in it."

She's curious about the design for Amelia, but doesn't try to peek until Amelia offers a look. "I told you you'd be the prettiest. You're going to look fantastic. That trim you found with the beads would work nicely around the neckline." She hopes the suggestion is okay.

She'll follow Amelia's lead for the fitting.

"Gold trim?" Alex seems pleased that Amelia found something to add to her gown. He holds out a hand for it and becomes positively giddy when he sees it. "Ahh, yes, I think Verity has the right idea. This is going to be perfect!" He turns and motions for them to follow him to the desk.

After regathering the sketchbooks and making a few quick notes on Amelia's design, Alex pulls out his tailor's tape and motions to Amelia. "You first, since you've done this before." She nods and walks over, holding perfectly still as Alex measures the length of her arms from shoulder to elbow, shoulder to wrist, and then wrist to elbow, as well as the distance from the top of her shoulder to the floor and a few measurements around her collar bone. He then has her lift her arms as he measures her bust, underbust, waist, and hips. After having her put her arms back down, he measures from the top of her shoulder to her waist and hips, from her collar bone to her waist and hips, from her collar bone to the floor, and her waist to the floor. So many measurements, but Amelia seems to be used to it. She stands perfectly still unless asked to do otherwise.

"What kind of shoes will you be wearing?" Alex asks as he finishes writing down the last of the measurements.

"How bad of a look will I get if I say boots?" She gives Alex a sheepish grin.

"If you come to your fitting without an appropriate pair of shoes, I'll take you shopping myself." He sighs and waves her off before motioning Verity over. "All right, it's your turn. Now, don't mind me if I appear to get handsy - I assure you that's not my intent. I'm only here for your measurements so I can make you the perfect gown for the Samhain ball."

She'd expected it to be complicated, but she hadn't expected it to be that complicated. Verity has no idea why he needs all those different measurements. But Amelia thinks it's all necessary... maybe someone will explain later.

"That's a lot of measurements," she remarks quietly. She's been measured for bras before, so she's not too upset about it; and it'll be over her clothes, so she shakes her head a little. "It's okay, everyone has to have something about their job they enjoy. I'm sorry if I can't hold as still as Amelia does."

She takes a moment to pull her hair up into a ponytail before stepping into the spot where Amelia had been for the measurements, focusing on keeping her breathing slow and even. It's hard not to fidget when she's nervous.

Alex shakes his head and chuckles softly. "No need to worry about that. If I can handle a squirming toddler, I think I can handle a woman who is honestly trying to stay still." He's quick about his work and his touch is delicate when he does have to put his hands on Verity. Special attention is paid to keep from tickling her while he goes about checking measurements around her waist - the last thing he wants is to surprise her while he works. When he's finished, he gives her a smile and steps back a bit. "You're all set."

Amelia watches the whole exchange without comment. She knows this must be strange for Verity, given how clothes are regularly purchased in her time. As Alex finishes taking down the last of Verity's measurements, she asks, "So when do you want us in for a fitting?"

He doesn't look up as he writes. "If you come together? Three days from now. If you come separately, I can see you in three days, Amelia, and I can see you tomorrow, Verity." After finishing the last of his notes he smiles at Verity.

"Why do I have to wait the three days either way?" Amelia frowns at him.

"Because I don't need to make a mock up of your dress before I put it together." He rather conspicuously points his pencil at her and gives her a raised eyebrow.

That gives Amelia pause for a moment. "...oh. Right." And then she's blushing.

Her embarrassed face makes Alex laugh heartily. It takes him a full minute to recover before he can continue. "Either way, I'll have everything done for both of you in five days, give or take a day depending on any and all small adjustments that need to be made."

"People put toddlers through this?" She really can't imagine why. It seems cruel. But her view on children is quite odd, she knows. It's something to ponder while Alex takes the measurements and helps keep her from feeling the urge to stim. Still, there's a sigh of relief when he's done and she can relax again.

"I can come back tomorrow," she offers, "but... what's a 'mock up' and why do I need one when Amelia doesn't?" She pulls the elastic out of her hair while she asks and gives her head a little shake. Life is so much easier when messy hair is considered a legitimate choice.

"A mock up is basically a 'rough draft' of the final design. I'll make the design out of muslin, as it's a relatively inexpensive material, and make sure that the way I've drafted the pattern for it fits you the way I want it to - and to make sure you feel comfortable in the general design. I can make notes and adjustments on the mock up that I can then translate to the final design without having to worry about having to restart your dress from scratch several times over to get it right." Alex seems to have that answer pretty well memorized. A hazard of the Nexus is someone wandering in and having no idea how an old fashioned tailor does his work, but Alex seems to have taken it completely in stride.

"I suppose you've done enough work for me that it's not really necessary, huh?" Amelia taps a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"I'll refrain from putting the finishing touches on your dress until I have you in for your fitting, but I can get the basics done without needing a mock up, yes." He gives the rogue a bit of a smile. "This is the first time you've asked about a dress, though. I'm glad you've come around to the idea."

"Don't push too hard, Alex - I'm taking my steps back into wearing a dress more than once or twice a year slowly." She shakes her head a bit. "I'm certainly not going to be wearing them every day anymore."

He puts his hands up in a defensive way. "No rush. Just remember - I've got all of those fabrics you've had your eye on over your time here set aside and waiting. Whenever you're ready, that burgundy is coming out first."

"I..." There's a small twitch of her eyebrows as she thinks about everything she and Verity talked about earlier. It's definitely a lot harder to hold back than she thought. Her voice is a bit strained, but still controlled, when she tries again. "I think I might like the forest green first, actually."

He seems to be taking a lot of things in stride, like the modern materials he's started collecting. Probably at the request of one of those people who don't know how tailors work, she'd guess. "Oh. That makes sense."

Verity watches the exchange between them with a little frown forming. She can see the change in Amelia's mood, but waits to see how she handles herself. Jumping in to stop her all the time won't teach her anything. The restraint gets a small and approving nod from her.

Then she'll change the subject. "Could you make me a headband of this ribbon too, please?"

The relief of having not done something terribly stupid is obvious in Amelia's slumped shoulders, and she's grateful for Verity's jump in to save her from any further embarrassment. She's just going to hide over here off to the side now, thanks.

"Of course." Alex walks over and gently takes the ribbon from her, turning it over to inspect it before smiling at Verity. "This should work nicely for a headband. I'll just need a few quick measurements, though." He sets aside the trim and grabs his tape again. Once he's sure Verity is ready, he'll take a few quick measurements around her head, scribbling down the measurements alongside all the others he's already taken.

"Perfect. Now, would you like the band underneath to be white or black? Or perhaps some other color? The world is your oyster as far as colors go." He chuckles and motions to the walls on either side of them. "The fabric doesn't matter much in this case, so no need to worry about that part."

Verity's gaze follows Amelia until Alex takes the ribbon. "Should have left my hair up," she murmurs. This is easier to hold still for; she's used to having people work in and on her hair. "You're very thorough. Do you keep these on file for future reference?"

The question of color gets a soft hum and she examines the ribbon again. "If nobody's going to see it, white would probably be smart? It would match the background color of the ribbon." And probably wouldn't show through or change the appearance too much. "How will it fasten? Or will it be sewn shut?"

"I don't mind the effort," Alex offers with a smile before beginning his measurements. "I do keep everything on file for future reference. If I can easily see a change in your general shape or if you're going for something completely different than normal - like Amelia over there - then like to take new measurements. Just in case."

He considers the questions for a moment before answering. "I think some kind of decorative snap would be nice, that way you can put it together on the side of your head without worrying about it looking odd. I'll do my best to make sure the pattern matches up, though."

Amelia's still off to the side, though now she's taking the time to look at buttons. So many tiny drawers filled with so many different sizes and colors. It makes for a good distraction.

"I suppose it falls under the carpenter's adage to measure twice and cut once?" Wait, no, she doesn't want to get measured again. Crap. "You must have found all kinds of diplomatic ways to handle telling someone they've gained weight."

"If the pattern can match up that'd be great. But somehow I doubt my head is so perfectly shaped and sized for that to work." The flashes of light and color from the buttons are very distracting, Amelia. Verity doesn't want to miss out on looking at the pretty things. "If you can manage that, though? I'll probably be back for a lot more."

Verity's finally coming to understand the obsession with ribbons in Jane Austen novels.

"I'll see what I can do. Now, you two run along - I've got plenty of work to do to make sure the both of you look your very best for ball." Alex makes a small shooing motion at Verity in Amelia's direction, since the girl seems to be decidedly not paying attention at the moment. At least, that's how it looks. In reality, she's been listening the whole time and she turns when she hears Alex's comment, motioning Verity over to look at all the fun buttons. No need to worry, Verity, Amelia wouldn't deprive you of your chance to look at all the shiny things!

"Yes, sir." There's a distinct note of teasing in her tone, but she'll turn and go to join Amelia. She's curious what her friend has discovered, and a just competitive enough to hope she can catch up.

She looks over the one Amelia's kept out, sometimes turning one over to inspect both sides, before she comments. "I never knew there were so many ways buttons could look. They're mostly all white, in my experience." Buttons are a place where fashion has definitely fallen down since the Industrial Revolution. "Are those wood?"

Amelia nods as Verity begins taking a look at all of the buttons Alex's shop has to offer. "There are some made of wood, some of pearl or other soft gemstones, and many of them are made of plastic. In my world, most are made of wood or bone." She hopes that doesn't worry Verity too much. "I think Alex mostly keeps plastic varieties around, as they offer the largest range of color. However, some of these hand carved wood buttons are stunning." She holds out one in particular to make her point.

The idea of carved bone doesn't phase her. She figures it's animal bones, and it's not wrong to use all the parts of something. It's paleo environmentalism. "Oh, that's incredible. It's so thin." She rubs her thumb over the carvings to feel how shallow each mark is.

"People use gemstones as buttons?" Mother-of-pearl buttons she's heard of. Anything more than that would seem like a stunt to her, like a diamond-studded bra. "I suppose that's one way for the men to make up for not wearing jewelry."

Amelia laughs softly at Verity's comment. "Only the richest people do it, and it's definitely not very common, but it does happen from time to time. Usually, though, the fanciest anyone will get with their buttons is pearl or carved sea shells. As for me? I prefer wood buttons. They can be painted or dyed a variety of colors and are relatively inexpensive."

The fact that she cares about how expensive or not expensive anything is could be considered comical if Verity knew anything about Amelia's spending habits back home. Then again, she's been rather frugal and insistent on haggling for lower prices on almost everything here in the Nexus, so maybe it's not as strange as Amelia might think?

"I wouldn't imagine many people could afford to do it," she agrees with a faint smirk. "There was a time in my world when people used jewels as buttons, and to decorate their clothing. They'd wear the outfit once or twice, then cut off the gems to use them again on another dress." Such wasteful decadence. She, too, prefers to be careful with her money when she can be. It allows for splurging when the need arises.

"Are you looking for buttons for your dress?"

"Sounds like something I'd hear stories about the nobles of my world doing." It's such an over the top display of wealth that it leaves a sour taste in Amelia's mouth. Sure, her family is noble now, but the only stories she hears about such things are from those in the far away capital or in other lands. And they sure as hell don't have enough money to even think about doing something like that.

"No, not for this dress. I don't think it'll need buttons. I just..." She sighs. No point in lying - it's a hard thing to remember. Her voice drops lower as she continues. "I got so close to doing something stupid and I was worried I might follow it up with something stupid, so I thought it best to hide and remove the possibility of doing it." A few buttons pass in and out of her hands as she speaks - a nervous habit, but a better one then reaching up and playing with her hair pin right now. There's no mistaking her actions for an aggressive move when she plays with the buttons.

Good lord I hope not.

FF7 was weird sometimes.

I never played D: (It's in my Steam library, though!)

Then I was just rambling like a crazy person, sorry.

I just take it as some of the crazy I can look forward to when I get to play!

You have to pick out a dress at one point, and "soft shimmers" is the best option.

Ooooh! Good to know. :D

HTH :)

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