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stagefoureddiediaz · 2 years ago

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RWRB costume/ colour meta!

Ok, lets do this!!

Man have I missed writing costume/colour meta, so its good to have something to write about again! This took me far far longer than it should have - I kept getting distracted by the film while I was working on this - I'd go looking for a clip or to grab a still and end up just watching the film again 😂😂😂 but I've finished it and I hope you all enjoy it! Grab a beverage of your choice because this thing is a beast coming in at over 7000 words - I totally understand if you want to skip, but I have ADHD and do not know how to be concise 😂😂😂

Red white and royal blue employs several fun and interesting costume and colour theories (also made use of in the set design) to help tell the story of Alex and Henry. I’m not going to write a detailed meta for each costume - I just don’t have the time - but I am going to look at some costume/ colour details in focus, especially for Henry and Alex as well as highlighting other interesting choices! I also do not have the picture limit (I need more than 30!!!) to include every image I would like to, so if you want to see what I'm talking about, you might have to go check out the relevant scenes (I'll try to give you timestamps where I can!) I’ve kind of tried to do things chronologically, but I’ve left Alex and Henry to the end so if I don’t talk about them very much in the rest of this meta - that is why! putting it under a cut because its so long!

The royal Wedding

There are a couple of key themes here, the wedding party (consisting Lady Martha, Bea and Henry) have a distinct colour palette - dusty blue, dusty pink and Ivory, with the exception of Prince Phillip who is in his red Dress uniform - they’ve used a red uniform to make him stand out, convey that he is more important than the bride (what with his being in line for the throne and all that jazz) and hint at power - red is a power colour.

I’m not sure what royal orders the collar and riband that Henry is wearing are supposed to represent as they don’t belong to a specific British order - if I had to take a punt I’d say his red collar is meant to be a AU version of a Knight Grand Cross of the order of the bath but the one he’s wearing certainly isn’t a real order in the UK (it isn’t meant to be an order of the garter as that is the highest ranking order and Henry would then also be wearing the light blue riband we see on Prince Phillip) the royal blue riband with the red edging is more i line with the night grand cross of the order of Victoria, although in real life that riband should be for in the opposite direction. My feeling is that they wanted a red collar on Henry to play into the red as a symbol of power theme they’ve used on Prince Phillip, placing Henry as having the ‘power’ in his conversation with Alex (as he is on home turf) and the royal blue sash is a deliberate choice that I will talk about later when I focus in on Henry and I think its actually pretty significant as a choice. essentially the order insignia he is wearing are not real orders which is totally fine as this is essentially and au royal family!

We do have to talk about that wedding gown - not royal in the slightest - spaghetti straps and a low back would never be allowed for a royal bride, the dress is also too long on her (but that’s a different conversation about budgets and rental gowns so we’ll let it slide here!!) and her hair should also be fully up - not in the half up do she has going on! The colour is also wrong - she would have been tied to a very limited colour palette of white or ivory - no colour in a royal wedding gown, so the blush colour we see is a no go! I totally get why they did what they did with her gown in terms of colour and I’m fine with that choice (i’ll explain more in the next paragraph), I even get the fairytale princess look they were going for with that dress - but when you’re trying to portray a family so stuck in tradition and history etc, I can’t help but feel that they missed a trick to show her as buttoned up, conforming to the crown etc, especially as we never see her again!

At the reception we see pretty much everyone in colour of some description, with the exception on Alex and Nora who are both in black - this is why Lady Martha’s wedding dress is a pale blush pink colour rather than white. The only reason that the men aren’t in colour (if they’re not in dress uniform) is because they are wearing white tie for the formality of a royal wedding, otherwise I think we would’ve seen coloured ties or some such on them. This is intentional because the room has a general (muted) wash of colour which serves to highlight Alex and Nora, making them stand out and look like they don’t really belong.

Its a way of creating a them and us vibe and helps to establish the rivalry between Alex and Henry - we have a British scene, full of colourful clothing and the only identified foreigners are in black and white. We actually only see a black and white colour palette for the clothing of the Americans until Alex returns from his PR fix it trip to London after cakegate, while nearly all the Brits all were colour of some description - we can see this clearly in the hospital - all the children in colour, Henry in blues and - Henrys security in coloured ties while Amy is there totally in black.

Alex himself does wear navy blue but its a dark navy and that jacket is actually two tone - black and navy and its paired with black trousers in this scene - we see it again later - paired with taupe trousers which really helps to establish this idea of colour entering Alex's world once Henry is in it.

Sets

I’m going to pause on clothing here to quickly talk about the sets in the film and their colour palettes because they fall into three distinct categories;

We have the sage dusty greens, gold and bright reds of the British spaces - they have a regency and victorian air to them, all very traditional, opulent and royal in feel - they are the definition of a gilded cage and are ostentatious and Henry’s bedroom even fits into this mould (its very telling that we only see very limited physical intimacy between the two of them in this space - because its a space that neither of them truly fit or belong in) with its sagely green walls that echo the green walls of the state room the big royal family showdown occurs in.

Then we have the creams, taupes and beiges (with a bit of minty green for the walls of oval office) of the America spaces combined with the very intentional colour choice of that rusty orange (there is also the red room but that is a whole other conversation - I’ll go into it later).

The Rusty orange is such a colour choice, its rich and eye-catching. All colours have meanings associated with them - these can vary wildly depending on where and how they are used and have both positive and negative connotations.

Generally speaking, orange is an attention grabber - its energetic and stimulating, but it also conveys transformation and endurance. This orange has brown undertones which means we should also reference brown colour meanings when thinking about what the colour means on screen - brown is a safe colour and it is also strong and reliable, but it can also portray a sense of loneliness - that is something I think is a really interesting concept - we see Henry in Alex’s world (through the text chats as well as in the first blowjob scene) on the rusty orange sofas and one of the underlying major parts of who Henry is, he is enduring like the orange (and his royal status make him an attention grabber without needing to try) but there is that underlying sense of loneliness - yes he might’ve had a crush on Alex since the climate conference, but as soon as the air had been cleared between them during the PR trip Henry reached out and pursued Alex because he was lonely and wanted a friend - not knowing if it could ever be more than a friendship.

Then, finally we have the spaces Henry and Alex occupy - spaces which are just theirs to occupy - spaces when they are themselves - these are predominately yellow and blue spaces, with some deep colours such as the teal we see on the walls of Alex’s room and the red room.

I’ll go into more detail about all the yellow and blue in this film a bit later on in this meta, but to provide a comment on the red room - red is a colour of passion and love, but this shade of red they’ve chosen maintains that orange undertone we see in the rest of the American spaces.

I wrote a post on the choice of red calla lilies and how they are both a symbol of love and commitment, as well as a phallic symbol of sexuality, and I know Alexander Hamilton was on the wall in the book, but he is there not only because he was very likely bi, but also because he was the subject of what is known as the first political sex scandal - something our boys are essentially also themselves going to end up becoming!

Once Alex does return stateside we start to see colour begin to fill his world. This is a really interesting thematic choice - think how the wizard of Oz (a film very much associated with gay culture - ‘a friend of Dorothy’ was a slang code used by gay men to identify one another and there is obviously the rainbow connotation) begins in black and white and then transitions to colour as soon as Dorothy wakes up in Oz. This film is playing on that same trope/ concept - this is a story essentially told from Alex’s perspective, so Henry and his world is already in colour - its only when Alex enters that world and becomes entwined with it that colour starts to seep into his life - its done in a much more subtle way, but it is there - even during the text bantering they have going one while he is watching a film with Nora - it is a black and white film (‘Some Like it Hot’ - its self a film that helped open conversations about queer identity and the queer community at a time when the Hays code was still in operation and when Sodomy laws still existed in the US, but that is a whole other conversation and lots has been written about it before, its one of my favourite films and if you want to know more then head to your search engine of choice or hit up my inbox! It’s also a film our director Matthew Lopez adapted for the stage which is possibly partly why it was chosen for this scene- as a nod to his other work!)and they are both wearing grey while Henry is in colour (cream and blue - playing into the queer coded yellow blue theming) and sits on the bright orange sofa.

I cannot tell you how much I am in love with the Koi carp on Alex’s dressing room wall because the symbolism - the symbolism!!!!! Koi are seen as a symbol of strength, patience, perseverance, love and bravery they symbolise success through courage. Koi are known to swim against the current and overcome great obstacles - there is a Japanese proverb ‘Koi no Takinobori’ which translates as 'koi swim up waterfalls' and as the word Koi in Japanese also translates to mean love the proverb therefore means that love can go against the current and overcome great obstacles and if that isn’t the perfect metaphor for Alex and Henry’s relationship then I don’t know what is!!

I am obsessed and I adore the set designer for including that wallpaper in general, but especially in their text banter flirty developing relationship - the writing is essentially on the wall for where their relationship is going and how its going to unfold - they are literally Koi swimming agains the current and overcoming great obstacles to be together!!

Back to the costuming!

As I said previously - when Alex returns from the PR trip we start to see increasing amounts of colour and it starts with blue - Oscar is wearing a blue shirt - a colour we only see him in for that scene and then again at the end of the film - during election night. Its an important choice - Henry's colour is blue - its the colour we nearly always see him in some form of blue so for this to essentially be the first colour that appears in the clothing in Alex's world is telling in its own way - it is the beginning of the slow saturation of Henry in the world of Alex. Oscar is always in tan colour-ways apart from those two scenes and generally speaking we see him wearing Mexican tribal and geometric prints/patterns and cowboy boots - playing into his Mexican heritage, but also establishing him as Texan.

Miguel is clearly set out as the baddie to us all - head to toe in black all the time expect at the PM dinner - when he has to wear a white shirt because its etiquette - but they do make sure to give him black buttons on that shirt - which separates him from everyone else in dinner dress very clearly and keeps the undertone of untrustworthiness going.

The other thing to note is the grey fuzzy jacket he wears when being interviewed on the news. I’ve spoken before in my 911 meta’s about how the use of the grey fuzzy patterning is symbolic of confusion or obfuscation and that holds true here - Miguel is called out as being the one who hacked and leaked the emails by the presenter and he tries to bluff his way out - to obfuscate the truth.

We see the idea of green and jealousy play out a couple of times in the film - the flirty girl that tries to commandeer Alex and kisses him at the NYE party is wearing a very blatantly iridescent green dress which sets her apart from the rest of the crowd and then when the crowd drops low we also get the green lights on the DJ desk - while the scene is a play on the I saw you across a crowded room idea, there is also that undercurrent of jealousy - Henry is Jealous of Alex’s ease and that he cannot have him loudly and in the way he wants - highlighting that jealousy helps to build into Henrys later actions when he throws caution to the wind and kisses him under the tree.

Ellen Claremont has a narrow colour palette as well - we only see her in black in that first scene and in the ‘new Texas strategy’ arguement with Alex, after that her dominant colour is cream and we also see plenty of red which is a power choice - she wears it in scenes when she needs to convey power and status such as at the PM dinner or when she is shutting down his Texas strategy. The cream is the base colour for her - its a colour of elegance, sophistication, it is also a neutral colour - playing into her position as POTUS, but also when she wears it in one on one scenes with Alex, it is a sign of her being a mother rather than the POTUS.

Zahra tends to wear blacks with one blue/grey cashmere jumper and when we do get colour on her they are jewel tones - purple and teal. We also get some more grey fuzzy patterning - again playing into my previous statements - here it is very much about confusion rather than obfuscation - she only wears the fuzzy grey when she finds out about Alex and Henry and has her mind blown by the knowledge. Its a perfect costuming choice for this scene as it conveys so much about where her brain is - that her mind has been blown by this huge thing she as just become privy to and it helps make her facial expressions even louder!

Nora wears a full spectrum of colours, the stand ones are obviously the red bodice and trousers she wears for new years and the pink shirt she wears in the office when Alex is having a mini bi panic and figuring himself and his attraction to Henry out. Generally speaking a characters costumes are meant to be about them and their own character, however with a film like this, everything is a driving point for the two main characters and so, other characters costumes will, at key points be less about the character wearing them and more about driving the story of the mains forward - this is very much the case with Nora’s red outfit (and we have already talked about the green of the flirty girl at new years representing jealousy).The red is very very red, it is meant to stand out and is a nod to romance - for both herself with Pez and for Alex and Henry, but Red is also a colour associated with passion and sexuality as well as fire and heat - essentially it is a marker that things are about to kick into action on the romance scale - we are heading from friends to lovers.

The pink shirt plays into the same theme - its a continuation, but a cooling down - less about the heat and passion of a sexual encounter, and more about the concept of romance and relationships - because that is what the conversation is ultimately about in this scene. We have the bi flag background helping to visually tell us what the conversation is about, but we also need to have that subtle reminder that this is not about fire and passion it is about the potential for romance - for love - because if Alex is going to hook up with Henry, it isn’t going to be a hook up, it going to be real. We do of course see things heat back up in the red room (as they should), but ultimately that is the last of the fiery heat we see - from then on anything connected with Alex and Henrys relationship is much more steadfast - the blues and yellows I will talk about in a minute!

Lets talk signet rings!! We see them worn on the male members of the royal family - so King James, Phillip and Henry - as well as Alex when Henry gives him his ring. their use is telling and significant. James and Phillip both wear their signet ring on the little finger of the right hand, while Henry (and Alex) wears his on the little finger of the left hand. in a general sense one would usually wear a signet ring on the little ringer of the non dominant hand - so if you’re a lefty you wear it on the right hand and vice versa if your right handed. This is not what is being portrayed here - all three of them are naturally right handed (yes I did spend far too much time on google to find this out!!) which would in theory mean all of them should have their rings on the left little finger and yet only Henry does.

There is however another explanation - a ring worn on the right hand is symbolic of tradition conformity and rigidity and royalty (traditionally the monarch would wear a ring on the right hand and this was offered to subjects to kiss), wearing it on the dominant hand as a sign of power/ dominance. Henry and then Alex wear Henry’s ring on the left hand - the traditional hand that wedding bands are worn - because of the concept of the main artery running from the heart down the left arm and into the left hand, it is a symbol of love and life and connection to another person and is where the concept of the red string of fate comes from (which ties in nicely with Alex referring to the rope in his chest pulling him towards Henry). This all gains greater significance when Henry gives his ring to Alex and that he choses to also wear it on the left hand, its essentially a symbol of engagement and eternity - it is a sort of pre engagement I guess - and is a low key statement from Henry he is giving Henry Fox to someone for eternity - to Alex.

Right, shall we talk about the yellow and blue theming that I keep mentioning. This specific theming, tends to be seen more in sets and lighting than costumes - although we do see it used in costuming too (looking at you Bea!!). For those not aware, there is a tendency to use yellow and blue colour-ways for queer story arcs - if you look at Heartstopper (esp s1) they have been using it to great effect , and it can be seen in other shows and films with queer character arcs to such as 911 (and Lonestar), as well as plenty of other mainstream media if you’re looking for it. I don’t know when or how it became a colour way associated with queer relationships - especially mlm relationships - I’ve not had the time to deep dive into that particular research spiral - but suffice to say we see it put to very very great effect here in Red White and Royal Blue - we only ever see it used as a colour way when it is regarding Alex and Henry and their romantic relationshipI’ve included some of the blue and yellow we see (couldn’t fit it all in - 30 pictures is apparently not enough!!!) surrounding Alex and Henry and there is plenty of it. The first time we see this yellow/blue theming come into play is at the turning point - when Henry opens up the lines of communication with his text message. Alex is in his room - the first time we’re seeing into his room - a room painted dark blue and full of yellow accents - the lamp on his desk and the unit to the side of the sofa, as well as the very yellow and blue painting we see above his bed (which was commissioned for the film and so the colour choice was very much deliberate). Just to show how prolific the yellow/blue colour way is here is a list of most of the occurrences - I've tried to include as many of them in the pictures as I can as well.

The copy of People is yellow and blue, the Jacket Alex wears for new year has gold and blue embroidery. The PM’s dinner has blue lighting with gold curtains and there are a lot of blue and yellow dresses being worn in the crowd when Alex is watching Henry. The cushion on the sofa behind Alex is yellow and blue. Then we get to the French hotel room and the Eiffel Tower - it is literally all yellow and blue - everything - even down to the blue (extra safe) condom packets. the New York hotel room is dark blue and gold another is a blue bottle of lube on the side (the condoms and lube are very much a deliberate colour choice - there are a million different colours you can buy both in so if the colour wasn’t important they could’ve chosen any, esp as fuchsia and red is the most common colour for both in the durex brand in the UK).

In England - Henry mostly occupies green spaces - in keeping with the royal theme I wrote about earlier - however the room he is most himself and most comfortable in is the music room/ library which is yellow and any time we see him in that space, he is wearing blue. It is telling that when the emails between Henry and Alex are hacked, his sanctuary is full of ‘old white men in suits’ and Henry cannot go in there - symbolic that who he is - his true self - has been violated and he is being forced into ‘royal coded’ spaces - back into his box as it were!

Back to costumes and he two blue hoodies. I’m gonna get a bit of hate for this, but the blue hoodie is actually two different hoodies! - they are slightly different shades of pale blue - Alex’s is much more dusty blue, while Henry’s is much more baby blue, they are also different cuts - Alex’s a traditional sleeve cut while Henry’s has a raglan sleeve cut (think baseball tee). There is the idea with these two hoodies that they are at different points in their journeys, but still connected and i love that we see them in them at really key points of crisis - they are a comfort blanket in a way - Alex wears his during is bi crisis and again when he's watching Miguel on the news and figures out who the hack was, while Henry wears his when he lets Alex in - when he opens up and unspokenly confesses his love for Alex, when he agreed to take the step and be brave - both are wearing these hoodies in moments when they need/want comfort the fact that they are wearing such similar hoodies speaks to the fact that in it is the other they want that comfort from (even if Alex doesn't actually realise it during his min bi crisis).

And now to our two mains - lets start with Henry.

Henry

The bulk of Henry’s wardrobe is double breasted suits - a key theme for the members of the royal family - not one else where’s them - its a fun costuming choice, cease generally speaking the double breasted suit isn’t in fashion at the moment - the film fit single breasted suits we see on the rest of the characters is. It's a very clear choice to create a them and us concept in a visual and telling way. the other thing to note about these db suits is that only Henry wears plain fabric - the ones we see on Phillip and James are pinstripe or woven stripe. I want to quickly mention the tie King James is wearing because of its very obvious pattern. it is the only loudly patterned tie in the entire film - all others are either, plain , striped or spotted. In the book Henry says that patterned ties are considered too political (i'm paraphrasing and can't find the actual quote!!) and here we have a king playing with politics wearing a patterned tie - I love tiny nods like this to the original source material that only those of us who love the book will pick up on - its just a tie to the ga!

Henry himself wears pinstripes - when he is at his most royal - so for example when he is taking part in the PR exercise post cakegate. His ties also fit into this theming - he almost exclusively wears striped ties excepting at a couple of key moments - when he’s undertaking skulduggery and the yellow one he wears for the election. at all other times he has stripes on his tie. the stripes get wider or skinnier depending on the situation - the wide ones tend to be for royal events while the skinnier stripes tend to be connected to Alex.

Another thing to note with Henry is the lack of black he wears - the only time is at the most royal of occasions - the wedding - all the rest of his suits are varying shades of blue or grey (and cream) even the tux he wears to the PM dinner is a dark navy with black lapel rather than black - it differentiates him from everyone else in the room (esp Miguel) and shows him as the object of Alex’s gaze. I also want to mention the royal blue theme we see on him - something I love Keith Madden for doing - Henry nearly always has something blue on him and a lot of the time (especially connected to times when he is doing something connected to his status as a royal) we see him wearing something royal blue - its why his riband at the wedding is royal blue rather than the lighter blue of the order of the garter - but we also see it in the royal blue socks we see him in several times, the royal blue pyjamas when the hack/leak comes to light and the blue shorts in Texas when he’s lying on the bed before he leaves to return to England. We also see him in a lot of blue shirts keeping that blue theme connected to him.

Then there is my most beloved check theory - (its a theory connected to 911 for those who don’t know my costume metas already) Check is connected to foreshadowing of trouble - Henry wears a check/plaid pattern at a couple of very very key moments - at the bar in Texas - when we see Alex realise his love is the forever kind, when he is back in England having broken his own heart in a misguided attempt to save Alex (gingham shirts in pink and blue) and then the suit he wears when he choses himself over the crown and steps out onto the balcony with Alex to greet the crowds has a subtle check pattern (not sure if you can see it its the pictures but if you watch the scene you should be able to) all of these are moments which foreshadow the upcoming or current trouble in his life.

Yellow roses - symbol of Texas being flipped - from Mexican to independent (and eventually becoming part of US) - symbol of the fact Texas is about to flip blue from red. Yellow roses are also a symbol of good luck more generally and the yellow tie is a great choice to suggest neutrality in the election scenes (at this point in time Henry still has royal status). We see Henry in a grey suit with this yellow tie - this only further highlights his escape from royal life - when he is un the US we do not see him wearing the navy blue suits we see him in in England - the only exception is the dark navy dinner jacket he wears to the PM dinner . In the US he wears either a grey suit or the cream/light blue suit we see him in when he visits the lake house and the light blue linen jacket we see him on his light back to the UK is the only single breasted jacket we ever see him in - I would have loved to have seen the grey suit at the end also have been single breasted, but I'm guessing budget constraints prevented that from happening, as it really would've highlighted the difference between Henry George Edward James Hanover-Stuart Fox and Henry Fox!

At the lake house we get a piece of costuming that I love - the slightly differing short lengths we see on Henry and Alex - it Alex’s shorts are always shorter than Henry’s - it maintains that sense of Henry be more closeted and buttoned up - the overhead shot of them on the pontoon shows it really clearly - the two of them have similar leg lengths which serves me well here to show this point - the shorts Henry is wearing are at least 3 inches longer (possibly more) than Alex's - it isn't just that one pair of shorts - all 3 pairs of Henry's shorts are longer - its a costuming choice thats s perfectly in keeping with their respective characters.

The final thing to talk bout is Henry’s rainbow turtle swim shorts - a cute nod to his being gay - especially as Alex is is his purple bi swim shorts. But there is also the fact that they are turtles. Turtles are a symbol of steadfastness, longevity, perseverance and transformation. they can also be seen as a symbol of everlasting love. there is also the concept of carrying the weight of the world - which is seen in its most explicit way in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels - where a giant turtle carries the world on its back. All of these metaphors and symbols perfectly fit Henry and his relationship with Alex - it is a symbol of the enduring nature of their love for each other, the perseverance we will see for them to overcome the obstacles thrown at them, the steadfastness of their love, as well the transformation we are seeing Henry go through - from closeted gay thinking he has to conform to the very rigid and dated ideals of his family - to the freer Henry we see in the US - the real Henry and the version of himself he so desperately wants to be but thinks he can’t - he has the weight of the world on his shoulders at that moment a la the disc world turtle.

Alex

Alex, obviously has the largest number of costumes, as well as the largest colour palette, but even that is pretty limited. In the same way we see Henry’s wardrobe go through a subtle transformation, we also see the same for Alex, almost in the opposite direction - while Henry’s wardrobe becomes freer, Alex’s becomes more grown up - more mature and conveys his growth as a person - becoming more certain in who he is. I’ve already written a fair amount throughs this meta about Alex’s costumes, so this section is a little shorter than Henry’s for that reason!

We get rebellious Alex to begin with - the leather jacket easily conveys this to us, its almost a universal symbol or rebellion in costuming speak at this point and one of the reasons I like its use here is that it very quickly sets him apart from everyone else in the film - yes its early on, but he is the most casually dressed character by a long way - and this jacket it the antithesis of the buttoned up penguin suit from the wedding - it emphasises how uncomfortable Alex was in that environment and as a result gives the heavy drinking we saw before the cake went flying purpose and visually sets him up as the lead and as a rule/ convention breaker. The same is true of the greyscale with leopard print Hawaiian shirt which is meant to contrast him dramatically with Henry, who is still stuck in that stuffy double breasted suit prison of convention and expectation to behave a certain way - the costuming does a big chunk of the work in giving us rebel v prince in those opening scenes. I actually like that they brought the leather jacket back for the drive to the lake house - it sets up Alex’s falling in love arc nicely - in that it allows the idea of rebellion to continue flowing through the story - Alex wanting to be outing proud in Austin and not grasping that that isn’t an option Henry at this moment in time and is a nod to his not really understanding the different places he and Henry are in when it comes to what being out means for them respectively.

I’ve already written about the black and white colour way we see him in until his PR stint when we start see colour appearing in his wardrobe. I’ve put the pictures roughly in chronological order because it helps to show his progression, but it also shows the increasing amount of blue in his wardrobe, especially in moments connected with Henry.

To pick out some of my favourites - the Mexican pattern shirt with the red cardigan is wonderful - we have the shirt hinting at Alex’s heritage - in blue with the chunky knit red cardigan - I’ve written above about the use offered as a colour of passion and how that passion ebbs and flows - this cardigan also plays into that idea - it is the first time their texting becomes flirty - even the text message is in a red bubble on screen. This idea carries on with the orange red tee he is wearing during the turkey conversation - I made a post about that outfit being the same colour way as the turkey in question and how to talk turkey means to talk honestly and openly with someone - the very thing we see in that scene.

I adore the subtle yellow and blue jacquard embroidered New years jacket - the moment our boys connect and we move further into the lovers part of the enemies-friends-lovers trope and it keeps the yellow/blue theming an active part of the storyline. - the contrast with Henry’s orange tie is a choice - while there is a lot of colour at the NYE party Alex blends into the background while Henry is quite literally tied into the orange theme we’ve already seen in the furniture and sets - orange stands out and now we the audience are being drawn into unconsciously making the same connection that Alex is making - Henry is lonely, but he is an enduring and attention grabbing part of Alex’s life - it only further reenforces the direction of Alex’s gaze - green wearing flirty girl who??

We have a fair amount of Alex and the bi colour ways and we subtly see it coming into play from more or less the moment they start messaging - the light purple tee and purple message boxes, flowing through to the women sufferage wall and the fact he is wearing blue and purple in that scene with Nora in pink to round out the there colours. then we have the blue and purple colour ways he wears at the lake house - bolder and brighter - contrasting with the more muted shades from before - showing that he has recognised and accepted that part of who he is - he’ now out and proud and his parent know about him. I’ve used the old subtle a lot, but this is yet another example of transformation and growth for a character done subtly through colour. We also see him bathed in bi lighting at the bar when he has his 'OH I feel forever about him' moment at the Texas bar - he is the only one in that whole scene lit in that way - Henry is blue lit, while there is a more general lighting scheme that is blue/red dominant for the bar as a whole.

On to Alex’s suits and ties - he seems to have 5 suits and a jacket (not including the formal wear - tux and tails) a black one, 2 navy blue ones (one with a woven pinstripe that he wears in Paris) a bright bluish grey one and a grey one along with the black and blue waffle jacket we see him wear both on the PR trip and at the Polo match. I am obsessed with the fact that when he is in England he wears the navy suits and jackets whereas in the US he wears the other colour s suits - in the same way we see Henry less buttoned up and wearing grey and lighter blues in the US, here we see Alex fitting into Henry’s world and the navy blue suit uniform of the Royal family - its a wonderful piece of costuming that tells so much of how each of them are fitting into the others worlds, especially wen the black and navy waffle one is only worn early on - it is the cross over garment!

The ties have a similar story to tell - we see him wearing 4 ties - a yellow one we see in the beginning in the news reel and never see him in again and then we get the lighter blue striped one at the polo match - the one most similar to the striped ones we see Henry wear - suggesting he is trying to fit into this new world - Henry’s world - that he’s been invited into - its somewhat jarring for his character and plays on the idea of trying too hard - its therefore telling we don’t see it happen again - we only see hi in a striped tie again at he end during election night and accompanied by the black suit we saw him in a couple of times on the campaign trail in Texas. the blue tie is the only other tie we see him wear and it nicely connects all the key moments he has while in his suit - key political moments - his speech at the DNC followed by his speech to the press after the email hack and when he is at Buckingham Palace facing up to the King.

The final ting to talk about is the khaki green shirt jacket - I cannot tell you how happy I was with this costuming choice (and not because it was screaming Eddie Diaz from 911 vibes) khaki is so associated with military - with the army - anti is the most perfect choice for this scene - army are about war - they go somewhere to fight - to storm the palace etc so to have Alex - who has never worn anything remotely like this before rock up to KP to fight for his relationship - for his love - is the perfect choice, its a subtle yet clever way of emphasising the Alex has chosen to fight for what he wants - for his relationship with Henry and what makes it more telling is that we only see him change out of it once Henry has explicitly stated that he will try to be brave and that he wants history to include his love for Alex. It is why we see Alex in the yellow and blue Mexican patterned jacket - he no longer needs fight for his love because he has won - this yellow/blue jacket is a piece of costume tied into pivotal moments - we see the jacket twice - when he wins his bid to get the Claremont campaign to focus on Texas and Ellen tells him he’s going to Texas, and again when he has won the day with Henry and they are back together - in some ways that makes this his victory jacket - victory in his own personal battles - battles that are central to who he is and his development and I think that’s petty neat!

Hopefully you've enjoyed this deep dive into the sets and costumes of the film - I've loved writing it and I can only hope its coherent! Feel free to hit me up with any questions or comments and likes and reblogs are love ❤️🤍💙 thank you for reading and until next time...

#this really is a monster post!!!#rwrb meta #red white and royal blue #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #rwrb movie #first prince #costume meta #set meta #meta #long post #kym costume meta #costume theory #colour theory #colour theory meta #kym writes meta

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quillandsaber · 9 months ago

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A Jill Warrick costume breakdown, because I can

Here's my "best guess" on how everything she wears is put together. On one hand...it's a Final Fantasy costume, and we all know it's all about aesthetic over pragmatism, but because I'm writing something that needs a layers breakdown, I might as well do it here.

(This is heavily based on staring way too long at the art book, so at least I do have some basis for my assumptions.)

Invisible underlayers: I'm positive she has on some kind of undershirt with at least short sleeves and probably some kind of lower-body undergarment as well, in addition to stockings/hose/socks. The fabric of the white tunic is too rough and its construction too structured to be right next to the skin. And since she wears snug leggings, she's surely got something underneath for chafing purposes. These would be of a plant-based material.

Leggings/Breeches: I think these are navy, but some illustrations in the art book portray them as off-white. I'd assume them to be wool, but in the 18th century a lot of working men wore chamois leather breeches (which appear kind of a creamy off-white when new) because they were hard-wearing and would stretch/mold to fit your body. Either way, I expect they button just below the knee (because as anyone who's worn knee-high boots with trouser-legs tucked in can tell you, a long trouser leg just ends up bunching up towards your knee over the day) and the rest of her leg is covered by the stockings/socks. Experienced wearers of 18th century men's clothing have informed us that properly-fitting breeches buttoned below the knee are, for most people, perfectly adequate to hold up knee-high stockings without additional garters.

Shoes: Flat shoes of brown leather, I'm guessing no more than ankle-high (more on that later). Jill Bearup would be proud.

Gaiters: These appear to be dark-blue leather and button up the side. They cover the top of the shoe and the stockings and serve as a protective layer. There's really no reason to have thigh-high gaiters if you also have high boots, which is why I suspect her shoes aren't as tall as you'd imagine.

Gaiter-garter: The brown cuff just below her knee is probably a separate piece that keeps the gaiters from falling. A lot of early tall boots required some form of garter to keep the looser and floppy stand of the boot from sliding down to the ankle.

White tunic: I believe that both the white blouse-portion and the white skirt-portion are all the same garment as they appear to be the same texture and color. The drape of the sleeves reminds me of crepe crepon (a textured weave with a bit more body than most crepes), and my gut says it looks like silk crepe crepon but it would make more sense if it were a wool crepe. It would be constructed from a fitted, interlined yoke and unstructured front and back panels, cut shorter on the front panel than the back panel. Structurally-speaking, the yoke looks to be too close-cut for her to be able to pull it over her head even if she took off the ribbon...but eh. Final Fantasy game. If I were making this for cosplay I'd probably just make the neck slit go a teeny bit lower than would be game-accurate.

Overskirt: This is the bright blue miniskirt and long black sash-y bit. I can only chalk up the long black sash-y bit to it being a Final Fantasy game needing to be Extra (tm), but the blue miniskirt would have the benefit of providing some weight to help keep the white tunic from flying up during activity. There's a lacing closure at her left hip. I'm assuming it's wool due to the weight.

Fitted leather bodice: This layer probably provides most of her torso protection as well as bust support. The belt below the bust certainly suggests that bust support is one of its functions; having worn medieval and Renaissance clothing quite a bit, I can verify that you don't need a garment right next to your skin to provide all your bust support even if you're generously-endowed (which Jill is not). It has a "belt loop" over her left hip to suspend her sword-belt.

Sword belt: Leather sword-belt that suspends a chainmail panel backed with white fabric. I can't get a good look at the texture of the fabric, but it would make sense that they'd back the chainmail with some kind of fabric to protect her clothes underneath since the texture of riveted chainmail is really destructive to basically everything; that panel of backing fabric is probably cheap and rough stuff intended to be replaced.

Sleeve garters, glove, and vambrace: self-explanatory. The lacey bit at the gauntlet of the glove is probably glove lining.

Fabric belt dealies: There's an illustration of these in the art-book: a white triangular pennant with embroidery on it and a blue rectangle wrapped together and suspended over her left hip. I am assuming these have some kind of personal significance, but I don't know what they are.

#ffxvi #jill warrick

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charlotte-of-wales · 1 year ago

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that's his Royal Victorian Order sash. He does normally wear the Garter (the blue one) but he also wore this one for the Opening of Parliament, not sure why.

But isn’t the royal Victorian order a lot skinnier. The one he is wearing seems as wide as the garter

it’s definitely the Victorian Order, the colors match:

I’m not an expert in Orders but maybe knights of certain rank have thicker ones? We’re mainly used to seeing the ladies of the BRF wearing their sashes with gowns so those are pretty skinny.

#answered

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rom-e-o · 2 years ago

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In a Crowd of Thousands (Ebenezer/OC) ~ Part 1

It’s finally time for a masquerade-themed story.

Rating is PG-13. There is suggestive sexual content, adult language and alcohol/tobacco usage.

Let’s begin!

<><><><>

Esteemed syndicates and staff,

You are cordially invited to attend a masquerade ball hosted by Lloyd’s of London to celebrate the arrival of the summer equinox.

The theme for the evening is: Meierblis

Join us for this May-Blaze ceremony to partake in an evening of dancing, and rejoice as we light fires to frighten away the last of the winter chill and welcome the warmth of spring.

Please don costumes in accordance with the theme of the evening. In addition, all individuals not currently bonded by the right of Holy Matrimony are required to arrive alone, to maintain the notion of anonymity.

Please RSVP for the following:

Almack's King Street, St James's, London

April 30, 6-11p

The ballroom was decorated and dressed to the nines, the wide chamber lit with vanilla candles and the massive marble pillars flecked with gold and strung with more ribbons than a wealthy woman’s garter belt. The masquerade décor that Lloyd’s of London had commissioned to have the ballroom decorated with was as fantastical as it was all-encompassing. It matched the existing display of romantic oil paintings, Rococo-inspired furniture and cherubic paintings that spanned the domed ceiling of the space’s impressive rotunda so well, that the inexperienced eye might not even suspect the space was decorated for an event.

The only thing more adorned than the grand hall were the guests that began to file in, the pace as steady as a stream of salmon moving upriver. A parade of swishing shirts, feathered frocks and sequin-encrusted capes snaked its way into up the grand entry staircase and through a towering atrium. Just beyond a pair of massive doors with crystal doorknobs was the grand ballroom, which was steadily filling with chattering dancers and frantic attendees running around with trays of champagne and mints.

Among the crowds of individuals dressed in color combinations that would make even the most stunning cosmic galaxies turn and gawk, Ebenezer Scrooge stood as tall and rigid as an obelisk.

The older gentleman was donned in a simple uniform of black velvet, a red sash across his chest and gold accents. His mask was fashioned of simply black velvet, the color only highlighting the steely blue hue of his eyes. In a sea of color, he was tall, dark and handsome. With the added contrast of his silver hair against his dark costume, many sets of curious eyes fell upon him as throngs of people passed.

Ebenezer checked his pocket watch for the time. A quarter ‘til seven, its face read.

He sighed as slipped the instrument back into his pocket. The evening had barely begun, and he already felt antsy. He wondered briefly if he could sneak out but decided against it.

After all, he had been invited to the event and was representing his company. It would be bad manners to leave to leave unannounced, not to mention so early.

Besides, he couldn’t just leave Bob and his clerk slash fiancée, Constance, to fend for themselves.

When he’d first opened the wax-sealed invitation that had summoned him to the event, he had been optimistic if not a bit intimidated by the prospect of attending a ball. By principle alone, Ebenezer saw himself as a tad too introverted for grand events or dances. Then, there was the matter of the excess of the whole display.

Before and after his visit from the Three Spirits, he never found appeal in visual displays of wealth. Despite his miserly tendencies from years ago, he’d hoarded the funds instead of spending any money on opulence. Even now, most of the money he made went to charities and various other efforts to better the lives of individuals around London.

As such, such a candid display of wealth for a party was…concerning. It made him itch.

In fact, this entire festivity of indulgence was one that he thought the Ghost of Christmas Present would fit right into, he thought with a light chuckle. Wherever that jolly fellow was, he was missing a hell of a perfect party. He was fine with missing out on the company of his winged fairy friends, however.

Knowing that he couldn’t leave, he decided to continue to keep his eyes peeled for his associates.

Bob and Ethel, officially married, had been allowed to come together. However, much to his annoyance, the invitation had insisted that all women (even engaged ones – he’d checked) were to arrive alone, per party rules. He’d disliked the idea of leaving in a different carriage than her, but she had insisted over and over that she would be fine.

“I was a socialite, remember?” she told him with a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll find you. I promise.”

Now, in a crowd of thousands, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Or a dandelion, more accurately.

Before he could wallow for too long, his gaze snagged on a couple walking with unusual exuberance. Or, to be more accurate, the woman was bounding forward, absorbing the sights with frantic swings of the head. The gentleman she led followed as swiftly as he could on his thin legs. It was a tall fellow, and his red hair stood out vibrantly against the green suit jacket he’d donned. Even when being pulled along, his face bore a nervous yet incredibly familiar smile. It reminded him of…

“Bob? I say, Bob Cratchit, is that you?”

To his relief, two mismatched eyes quickly flicked to his. Unless there were two redheaded lads with heterochromia and cowlicks in London, it seemed he’d found his man.

“Ebenezer?” he asked, then sank into a relieved sigh. “Oh, thank goodness! Ethel, over here, darling!”

After muttering something to the woman on his arm, Bob Cratchit scurried over to the alcove that Ebenezer had tucked himself into.

“It’s good to see a friendly face,” Ebenezer said, reaching out to shake the man’s hand. “Well, half of one, anyway.”

“Haha, funny, sir,” Bob rushed to say, itching the back of his neck self-consciously. The gesture caused the mask upon his face to budge slightly. “T-This is quite a spectacle, is it not? I feel invisible and as if I’m under a stage light all at the same time!”

Right, Scrooge realized. This was likely the first time his former clerk had attended a gathering like this.

“Ethel, dear, you look radiant.”

“Thank you, Ebenezer! As do you. Very dashing!”

“You flatter me,” he supplied kindly, tucking his hands behind his back. “I’m simply relieved to hear my uneasiness isn’t showing. This is all very…ornate, isn’t it?”

Ethel, dressed in a frock of blue velvet that was embroidered with yellow and white daisies, beamed behind her mask. “I think it’s exciting!”

“Y-Yes, that’s a good word for it, dearest,” Bob said, smiling nervously and chuckling. However, Scrooge could tell from the quick side-glance that the poor redhead felt as awkward as he did.

“I say, where is Constance?” Ethel asked.

“I haven’t spotted her yet,” Scrooge said with a sigh, turning his head back to the crowd. He squinted, suddenly wishing he’d brought his glasses. All these faces were starting to look the same.

“Poor lady, all alone in this madness,” Ethel teased.

“It wasn’t my choice, believe me,” Scrooge huffed, “I’d much have her right here.”

“Why in the world did ladies need to arrive separately, anyway?” she asked. “That is, all the single ones?”

“Haven’t a clue,” Ebenezer offered, sighing again as he glanced around the atrium. His head flicked back and forth like a busy pigeon’s in a park square. “And she’s not single. She’s engaged. To me. However, apparently, that doesn’t count.”

“Which you obviously aren’t bitter about.”

“Obviously.”

“Ah, so this party is following the ‘single until married’ idea, huh?” Bob mused aloud. “A unique concept.”

“A stupid concept,” he grumbled.

“Oh, perhaps they have a little game in mind!” Ethel posed, which earned a worried glance from the older man. “Something to make the evening more interesting. A night to remember, if you will.”

The notion made Ebenezer’s eyes go wide behind his mask. “You don’t think—"

The thought of another man taking his fiancée into his arms was…far from pleasant. Regular waltzing was one thing, but if their plan was to truly pair up ‘single’ women for more intimate dances, that was something that made his blood start to heat up. In fact, he felt a vein pulse in his forehead at the thoughts of another man’s hands on her hips, her breasts pressed against another man’s chest, another pair of lips inches away from her own..

Seeing his wife was on the cusp of alarming the man, Bob swooped in quickly to put a pause on any additional conspiracies the two could concoct.

“Whatever the reason,” Bob started, seeking to calm his wife and his business partner simultaneously, “I’m sure she’s fine. After all, she hosted huge parties in New York for twenty years!”

“That’s true,” he admitted, his pallor returning to normal after a brief flush of anger.

“She was a socialite, host, ambassador, model…if anything, an event like this is her forte, sir!”

A light chuckle left Ebenezer’s lips.

“I know all that,” he said with a light smile. “No, I’m not worried about her fending for herself, believe me. Like you said, while this is a battlefield for me, this must be a candy store for her.”

“Oh?”

“No, I…simply miss her company,” Ebenezer admitted, casting his partner a sideways glance. “That’s all.”

<><><><>

Across the gilded atrium, in another guarded alcove that provided little respite from crowds, a portly fellow in feathers made chatter with a strawberry-blonde woman.

“Well, you certainly ar’ the loveliest flower I’ve e’er seen, my lady!” his voice drawled, his accent distinctly English, but his cadence and pronunciation not matching a London dialect. It seemed likely he’d been invited to the occasion from out of town, and had traveled in to rub elbows and mingle.

“Normally I don’t fancy flowers, especially them frilly ones, but for one as lovely as yo’self, I am willin’ to make an exception.”

His eyes licked up and down her form, taking in her shapely figure and dress. The cream-colored gown was embroidered with cascading blue flowers and petals. Her mask, simple cream satin, concealed the annoyed furrow of her brow.

“Oh, you’re much too kind, sir,” Constance DoGoode said with a smile that betrayed her true discomfort at the situation. “Truly, you are a flatterer! I wish I could talk longer, but I must be on my way. Now, if you’ll excuse—.”

Seeing an opening under one of his arms, she attempted to dive under it a make a quick escape. However, he swayed his body like a pendulum to cut her off.

“Aw, runnin’ off so soon?” he asked, the grin below his beaked mask devilish and knowing.

“I’m afraid so,” Constance said, attempting to laugh off his behavior. “You see, I’m meeting my associates here. I’m sure they’re looking for me.”

“Oh, forget them!” the stranger drawled as he reached out to cup her bare shoulder. She jerked lightly at the contact, but with the atrium wall behind her, the woman didn’t have additional space to seek solace in. “It’s a party, not a business meeting! Light’n up, girl!”

Constance lifted her hands and sat them upon her hips. He wasn’t going to relent as easily as others did, she realized.

“I’m meeting my fiancé as well,” she added, punctuating the sentence with a grin. “I’m engaged.”

“Ah, not hitched yet, then? Sounds like you’re still free range, lass.”

“I’m happily engaged,” she added, adding extra emphasis in hopes of chipping through his thick skull.

“All the same, really,” he said, “How about it? One last hurrah before you’re stuck beddin’ the same bloke fer the rest o’ your days?”

With a sigh and shake of the head, she peered into the middle-distance for a moment, as if trying to manifest something. Then, with the swiftness of a changing zephyr, her eyes lit up in realization. After then, she straightened her posture and smiled back at him.

“Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I could share a few moments,” Constance said, making a show of lowering her eyes to the ground and sheepishly moving her hands behind her back. “After all, I’m here for work, and I’m sure my associates wouldn’t mind if I took some time to enhance, um … business relations.”

Her coquettish demeanor and response pleased him, and his hand dropped from her shoulder to find the notch of her svelte waist. Then, he inched lower and squeezed her bum. “Very good. I’m glad you see things my way.”

Fighting the urge to cringe, Constance beamed innocently. “Oh yes. In fact, a man like you seems like just the variety of company I wanted for this evening.”

“Is that right?”

“Oh, yes,” she said, “I can tell just by chatting with you that you are a man with business sense! Well, how familiar are you with the London stock markets right now?”

For the first time, his confidence swayed. “Um, I’m not…”

“What am I saying, of course you’re versed!” she said, slapping his chest playfully. “Apologies. Now, let me break it down for you. Lately, area competition has been increased for individuals looking for banking resources.”

“Erm…banking?”

“Yes, and offices are being tempted to bend underwriting standards to make more aggressive, higher loan-to-value loans. Now, as we all know, moneylenders typically charge higher interest rates than banks. So, what’s your perspective on this issue?”

“M-Mine?”

“Yes, yours, you goose!” she said, enjoying how perplexed he looked. “You said you wanted to talk business, yes?”

Blinking like a freshwater fish on a line, the man lifted an arm to scratch the back of his neck self-consciously. “Ugh, I don’t really …”

Constance seized her opportunity and dashed under his arm, escaping the narrow area he had trapped her in. With a swish of the skirts, she was off, her heels clicking against the polished tiles as she weaved between other guests.

“Sorry!” she yelled back, “I’d recommend Lloyds Illustrated Paper for some light reading!”

“Hey!” he yelled over the heads of others, who all turned to look at him inquisitively.

Meanwhile, Constance scurried from the atrium, hail and gown flowing behind her.

Once she was a safe distance away, the woman flattened herself against the wall and peeked around one of the massive marble pillars that lined the space. After a quick sweep, she let out a sigh.

“Whew! That was close.”

Whether it was New York or London, it seemed perverted partygoers were an unfortunate commonality. She could only hope the rest of the evening would be more pleasant.

Of course, once she found Ebenezer, that was almost guaranteed.

She paused for a moment to glance down at the engagement ring on her finger. A solitaire-cut diamond on a simple gold back glittered back at her. It was stately and elegant; absolutely perfect and beautiful.

A smile lit up her face.

“I can’t wait to see you,” she mumbled to herself, bringing her hand to her chest and squeezing it tightly over her heart. “Ebenezer.”

Just the thought of meeting her handsome fiancé on the masquerade dance floor filled her with renewed energy.

Picking up her skirts again, she slowly descended the stairs to the south side of the ballroom, moving in sync with throngs of other costumed dancers toward the dance floor.

<><><>

On the north side of the ballroom, Ebenezer, Bob and Ethel eventually made their way into the ballroom, squeezing past a concerning number of partygoers who had already consumed too many glasses of champagne and were falling over themselves by the entryway.

“The sun hasn’t even set!” Bob remarked in astonishment, one arm wrapped protectively around Ethel as they walked. “Guests are already sloshed!”

“Heavens, how interesting,” Ethel remarked with a light laugh. “Well, if they plan to spend the entire evening here, I fear they won’t make it. Why, I think they’ll be passed out within the next hour.”

“Or half hour,” Ebenezer corrected as a drunken man in a gesture costume, complete with a jingle-bell trimmed collar, swerved into him.

With a gasp of surprise, he grabbed the man by the shoulders and straightened him as best her could. “Ah, goodness! Mind how you go, sir. I say, are you—?”

Giggling, the man staggered away before Scrooge could even finish his concerned inquiry. Mere moments later, he slipped into the arms of a woman in a peacock-inspired gown, Unlike Ebenezer, she was much less forgiving of the man practically falling atop her, and smacked him hard enough across the face to make him spin into the marble floor.

The trio winced in unison at the sound of impact. After a moment of silence, the other dancers and guests stepped over his body, laying limp and supine on the floor. Upon closer examination, his chest was moving up and down. Another beat later, the sound of snoring was barely audible above the rumble of party guests and small talk.

Ethel was the first to break the silence with a concerned clearing of the throat. “S-Should we maybe, um…”

The inquiry was cut short by a cacophony of trumpets that played a welcoming melody that boomed through the corridor. The sound caused all the guests to jump in unison before their masked faces split into wide grins and erupted into thunderous applause.

The sound was a summons from the ball’s hosts for everyone to gather around a mid-tier balcony that overlooked the ballroom, which occupied the lowest floor of the building.

Opting to follow the crowd, the trio slotted themselves in an open spot near the edge of a balcony, seeking solace between two large pillars that provided some relief from the crowds filling the space.

The actual dance floor glittered with golden marble tiles, and the edges were lined with tables of champagne and amuse-bouche type appetizers. With another blow of the trumpets, a small parade of gentlemen in ornate suits and matched masks strolled from a large arched doorway leading to a deeper part of the ballroom.

Even from afar, Ebenezer could recognize the men.

“I know them,” he said with a nudge and point. “That’s Mr. Drosselmeyer on the left, one of the longest underwriters with Lloyds. He’s a good man, he taught me the ropes alongside Jacob. The man in the middle is Howard Haversham II, a shipowner and major investor. He might be the richest man in all of England.”

“T-Truly?”

“Yes, but he’s exceptionally timid. That is, he keeps his wealth quiet. I’m quite surprised he’s appearing publicly.”

“Ah,” Bob said, obviously taking mental note of the identities his business partner pointed out. “I see. Oh, and what of the gentleman on the right?”

“I’m…huh. Hm.”

“What’s wrong? Are you not sure?”

Scrooge squinted, trying to make out the less distinct features of the last gentleman. The other two, he knew so well that he could identify them from a mile away. However, this last gentleman was one that he recognized from…somewhere. That much he could be certain of. He was of broader frame with silver-streaked chestnut-colored hair, and a grin that looked so natural on his visage that an artist could have sculpted it specifically for his frame.

“He looks so familiar,” Scrooge mumbled to himself. “Where in the world do I know his face from?”

“Have you spoken to him before?” Bob posed. “Maybe thinking about where you met him will help you remember.”

It was a good suggestion. As his mind retraced its steps to try and remember all the social events he’s attended and all the clients he’d met with, he found his memories drifting further and further back.

Then, the man extended a hand to a woman who emerged from the crowd. Her hair was crafted into an immaculate updo, her curls light and perfect. As she flashed a lovely, ruby-red smile up at the man, realization rushed him with the ferocity of an early-morning tide.

He hadn’t met the man, but he’d seen him. He’d seen him in a vision.

A vision from the future.

“Isabel’s husband.”

“Isabel?” Bob repeated, partially surprised by the informal use of another woman’s first name. “W-Who is that, sir?”

His mouth went slightly dry as he struggled to speak.

“She was, um…”

The trumpets blared again, Mr. Drosselmeyer stepped forward and cleared his throat.

“Esteemed guests, welcome to Lloyds of London’s first-ever masquerade gala!”

The room erupted in applause, which was silenced by a simple raise of the hand. Drosselmeyer wasn’t a particularly physically imposing man, but something about his presence unanimously demanded respect.

“For this monumental occasion, we have invited investors and notable business owners from across the country, and beyond,” he added. “Tonight, we are honored to have guests from India, China, the United States, Japan, Algeria, Scotland and Puerto Rico. The diversity in this room represents a promising, blooming economy that is varied and prosperous.

“We all hail from different lands with different languages. However, for tonight, we are united in anticipation for the spring season, and banishing the icy cold that has stilled our railroads, iced our streets and collapsed our buildings. Tonight, let us eat, drink and be merry and light bonfires to celebrate the blessing of the spring equinox!”

Another round of applause came as Drosselmeyer stepped back and Haversham stepped forward.

“Ladies and gentleman, I’m honored and grateful to be before you this evening,” the man said, his bow impressively deep for a man of his somewhat advanced age. “I began my business as a meager tradesmen, and now, I am surrounded by some of the most brilliant minds in the world.”

“Oh, his is mild-mannered!” Ethel whispered to Bob.

“While I am beyond honored to be invited to this tremendous occasion, I will admit that I also harbor a bias,” he revealed, hand moving to his heart. Then, his body pivoted to face the man on the right…the same one who Isabel had gone to. “My son, Captain Barnaby Haversham, has returned from a one-year mission to chart a new ship route through the treacherous and ice-filled Canadian waters. The maps produced as a result of this voyage will not only advance and expedite trading opportunities for our fine London entrepreneurs, but for those across the world!”

The man dipped his head kindly at his father’s sweet words.

Haversham continued, “He is joined here this evening by his son, William; daughters Emilia and Olivia; and his wife, Isabel Wright, nee Fezziwig, of Cornhill!”

She smiled and dropped into a curtesy, her one free hand lifting the hem of her skirt. The other three children swayed from the crowd. Two young women, both brunettes like their father, bowed with the same amazing grace of their mother. The son, a man who looked just shy of thirty, flashed a handsome grin before bowing.

A distinct sound of swooning came from the audience.

“Well, I guess if you’re the wealthiest man in London, you can bring unlimited guests,” Ethel commented, completely oblivious to Bob and Ebenezer’s ongoing conversation. “It helps when your son is an absolute looker! My oh my!”

“E-Ethel!”

“What? You have eyes. You know I’m right!”

“T-That’s not…”

A nearby guests shushed the couple as Haversham continued his speech.

“Tonight, as we celebrate our prosperous success as a nation, I implore you to spare a thought for men like my son, who make jobs like ours possible through hard work, perseverance, and bravery in the face of the unknown!”

Haversham led the crowd in another round of fabulous applause, which many raised their champagne flutes in recognition of.

Obviously flustered, Barnaby looked to his wife with a flushed grin. He seemed to mouth the words, ‘This is too much...’ to her.

With the same poise and grace she’d displayed decades before, Isabel nodded and gripped his arm reassuringly. Then, she took a ceremonial step back and joined in the applause.

With that, the trumpeters all began to filter down into the ballroom through a set of twin staircases at both ends of the ballroom. There, some drifted onto a small orchestral platform to commence playing a spirited symphony of notes that would be right at home at the start of a romantic opera.

At that same moment, William was immediately surrounded by a gaggle of young woman, each one masked but unchaperoned.

Ethel made a small sound of realization. “Ohhh. I see.”

“What?” Bob inquired.

“Well, I just realized,” she said, pointing to the crowd of woman accumulating around the man. “I…think I know why it was requested that all unmarried women come without a chaperone, dearie. Look over there.”

Bob followed his wife’s finger until his eyes also landed on the sight below them. Sure enough, rather than looking as bashful as his father had during his introduction, William was all smiles and wasted no time in kissing the hands of all the women who giggled over him.

“Oh,” Bob said, shoulders sagging in disappointment. “I think you may be right.”

Yet, as Bob and Ethel continued to watch, they saw his attention suddenly shift from the gaggle of ladies around him to something, or someone, on the other side of the room.

Following his line of sight, it only took a few seconds for them to spy exactly who had caught the man’s attention.

William’s eyes had fallen on a distinct woman in a cream and blue dress. Her rose gold hair fluttered unbound down her back, and her bare freckled shoulders made her stand out even further.

“Sir, look,” Bob said, elbowing his partner and pointing.

Scrooge, who’d been staring at Isabel since her entrance, snapped out of his daydream and followed Bob’s command. The instant he did, relief flooded his visage, and he instantly looked ten years longer.

“Constance!” Ebenezer called through the crowds.

Upon hearing her name called, the woman looked upwards. When their eyes met, her blue eyes fit up like twin supernovas.

“Ebenezer, there you are!”

Quickly, she picked up her skirt and dashed toward him eagerly, her smile wide and radiant.

All the while, William’s eyes lingered on her every move.

Even when Ebenezer wrapped his arms about her and placed a kiss upon her lips, his gaze did not waver.

In fact, it only seemed to make his eyes spark with further intrigue…as did his mother’s.

#scrooge 2022 #scrooge netflix #scrooge x oc #oc constance dogoode #in a crowd of thousands

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mrmrswales · 2 years ago

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when do you think kate will be given the order of the garter? i know it will probably happen soon but i kinda hope she never gets it the wide blue sash looks awful with gowns during state events 🫣

I dont see her getting it for a good while honestly. Even QE giving it to Camilla last year was a bit unprecedented

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maximumwobblerbanditdonut · 2 years ago

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Princess Anne acts as the King's personal bodyguard during the procession

Princess Anne played a pivotal part in the King's coronation. (Getty Images)

Princess Anne proved her importance to the monarchy during her big brother, King Charles III, coronation. She has a role as the Colonel of the Blues and Royals in the Household Cavalry regiment as Gold Stick. And Gold Stick was the original close protection officer.

Underneath her cloak, she opted for her military uniform — adorned with her many military medals. She paired her look with a black hat — with a red feather detail.

To reflect her role in the proceedings, she wore her her Blues and Royals uniform with the dark green Thistle Mantle, and the Thistle Collar, Garter Sash, Garter Star, Thistle Star, GCVO Star, full sized medals, KCVO Star and Companion of the Order of the Bath neck decoration.

The Princess Royal, 72, played a pivotal role in Saturday’s coronation, acting as the Gold-Stick-in-Waiting during the King and Queen’s procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace following the coronation.

STUART C. WILSON//GETTY IMAGES

Princess Royal followed King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's carriage on horseback as they left Westminster Abbey and returned to Buckingham Palace, leading a procession of armed forces personnel.

JEFF J MITCHELL//GETTY IMAGES

The Thistle cloak is made from deep green silk velvet with a lining of white taffeta, and features a hand embroidered gold badge and garter blue velvet hood. When she mounted her horse, she removed the cloak to reveal her smart military attire.

#coronation

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thiswasinevitable-rwrb · 1 year ago

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*rubs hands together*

Okay, so obviously it's a film and the awards/medals aren't real because that might rankle the actual royal family. The costumes are just supposed to look regal but here's an interpretation of Henry's medals/decoration:

[ I started with a website on English awards here but bounced around Wikipedia, and youtube videos as well. ]

Red & White Cross Pendant and Red & White Ribbon - Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

"...rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service..."

Henry's ribbon and cross actually don't match the real ones (Henry's ribbon is red-white-red but the real one is white-red. And the cross is blue on the real one.) Also, this is a type of Knighthood, which is a whole thing my American ass doesn't know anything about lol

Red & Blue Sash - Royal Victorian Order

The Order is for personal relatives/friends of the crown to "personally thank and honour people who had helped her directly, or represented her across the Empire." Our Henry travels a lot, so this makes sense.

This contrasts the solid blue sash Philip wears for the Order of the Garter. Philip's silver star breast badge can also be for the Order of the Garter. The rest of Philip's medals are for military service.

Gold Star Breast Badge - ???

This thing is totally up for interpretation because all of England's star badges are silver. The closest to a gold star is the Order of Bath, which regards military service (and book readers know our Henry was eager to avoid the military). But the star badges often coincide with whatever the person is already wearing so we could say the gold star is for either of the above medals already mentioned.

The key details about this medal are that it's a gold star badge with a light blue ring around a single, central gold star. Use that symbolism however you wish ~

I would actually love to know what the medals Henry wears at the wedding reception are supposed to mean. What has our son accomplished??? Our prince is decorated ✨

#red white & royal blue #rwrb #red white and royal blue #don't take this post seriously please lmao #just costume analysis #henry fox mountchristen windsor #philip fox mountchristen windsor

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theroyalweekly · 2 years ago

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The Queen Consort is wearing a royal blue lace dress by Bruce Oldfield and the late Queen’s sapphire and diamond tiara and matching necklace and bracelet. She also wears the Garter sash, with Queen Victoria's Garter star and the Late Queen’s family order. 📸 by @ChrisJack_Getty -- Emily Nash

#queen camilla #queen consort #british royal family

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seirclys · 3 years ago

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VADD Fashion Analysis 1: Hunting Competition Arc

The MLs' hunting outfits have design elements that tie into their normal outfits. At a closer look, there are also details that help make the MLs cohesive and also relate to Penelope's own hunting outfit.

Reynold Eckhart

His normal color palette seems to be grey-black, varying shades of brown/tan, and red.

Reynold's normal outfit is a classic one that shows the "laidback second son" trope, with an untucked and undone shirt, rolled-up sleeves, a pendant, loose belts, and chains, as well as a coat draped over his shoulders.

In his hunting outfit, red is reflected in the ribbons that run parallel on the center panel of his outfit. On the top ribbon, there are two red and black ribbon-ends, likely reflecting the ribbon on the right of his chest in his normal outfit.

His hunting pants are a tan color, and his boots are a darker brown. His hunting suit is made of a wide black collar, dark grey sleeves, and a light grey inner collar. His sleeves in both outfits are rolled up to his elbows. (His collar looks like a hoodie, ngl)

Reynold's metallic accents, both in his normal and hunting outfits, seem to be copper. While it's unclear whether the chains, buttons, and bracelet that he normally wears are copper(due to the inconsistent lighting), his vest pinstripes have a copper-like color. He also has a belt(garter?) on his left leg in both outfits.

Derrick Eckhart

Derrick's color palette is black, blue, and purple, with metallic accents of gold and silver. He shares it with his father, Duke Eckhart. This also gives a stark contrast to his brother: since Derrick is the next duke, he's expected to be the perfect heir and to take after his father the most.

His coat is always buttoned up and is shorter than the duke's own. He's also normally seen with gloves. Blue becomes the dominant color with his hunting outfit, as well as silver. He wears a deep blue-purple cape on his right shoulder, mirroring the thin, sash-like purple cape that's on his normal outfit.

Both outfits have silver chains on his upper body.

Derrick also wears a diamond-shaped pin in both outfits with diamond patterns repeating throughout his hunting outfit, like his cufflinks and lapel pins.

This can also be seen on the duke's coat before he changes the pins out for Penelope's amulet.

In all three of his outfits, there is brocade, which is also shared with the duke(gold brocade in his default). With his dining hall outfit, it reflects the hunting competition one more in the way his jacket buttons up in the middle.

All of his outfits have epaulet designs, though, unlike the duke, Derrick's do not possess any tassels.

Winter Verdandi

Winter's color palette is a mix of black, white, and purple, with silver accents. Design-wise, he's very consistent with the diamond patterns and black-and-white details.

Winter's normal outfit seems to be a neater, more refined version of Reynold's: the open coat, untucked button-up, and lack of gloves. In his White Rabbit disguise, he's seen in a thick, buttoned-up coat and heavy black gloves, as well as the trademark mask. His shirt also changes from the folded-down collar to a pleated-ruffle collar.

Throughout all of his outfits, we see the same yellow-ish brooch at his neck with a dark purple bow, though his hunting outfit is a simple ribbon.

In an interesting contrast to his White Rabbit persona, Winter's hunting outfit also has a white ribbon, with the White Rabbit possessing a black bow underneath the purple one. Like in all of his outfits, there's the diamond fabric in the lining of his outer suit, as well as the pins, buttons, and even the chains crisscrossing his body.

Winter's hunting outfit seems to be a vest of sorts over a black shirt; during the trial arc, he's seen with his original coat over the black shirt with Penelope's cufflinks.

All of his outfits have some sort of thin, pale scarf/sash, which appears as a set of belts in his hunting outfit.

Callisto Regulus

Callisto's color scheme is primarily white and black, with gratuitous use of gold, as well as deep red and purple accents.

His first appearance outfit is the same as the hunting competition one; likely to show how Callisto is always ready for a fight. It's also an interesting parallel with the duke: both of them are the only male characters(Marquis Ellen included, perhaps) who don't wear special outfits for the Hunting Competition.

His suit has wide gold epaulets, the Regulus crest on the upper arms, and multiple aiguillettes, as well as a deep purple and silver sash(which he ditches during the competition).

In the middle, his suit has a black panel with gold lacing. Interestingly, his lapels are asymmetrical; the left is black with two panels; the bottom one being a gold pinstripe color. The singular right panel is plain white(can be classified as a shawl lapel, though the shape is more triangular than curved). He wears white pants and matching boots; the boots have gold detailing on the heel.

Overall, his adult outfit seems to be very similar to the one he wore as a child, though the dark brown is swapped for white, and his lapels are switched. His epaulets also have tassels, though he always has some sort of white ribbon tied on one of them.

On the eve of the hunting competition, Callisto's suit has different touches. For example, his lapels match and lack the pinstripe, with the top sections being black and the bottom being white. The stomach panel is white instead of black. He forgoes the fur-lined cape for a burgundy one that wraps underneath his left arm and swaps the white bow on the right epaulet for a black one on the left. His cuffs are no longer folded back or black, and his cufflinks match the diamond-shaped ones on his lapel.

Design Parallels with each other and Penelope

- The Eckhart siblings all have some sort of white ruffle/cravat detail at their neck

- All of them except for Reynold have brooches, with Penelope being the outlier without a jeweled one.

- All of them except for Derrick have a ribbon, tie, or bow around their necks. Derrick has the elaborately embroidered high collar, which doesn't count.

- Derrick and Penelope also have silver-lined boots with notches in the front.

- Winter and Reynold don't have metallic trimmed boots, though Reynold has cords(?) wrapping around the top of his boots.

- Derrick and Winter seem to be the only ones with boots that have visible lacing.

- Derrick and Reynold have silver patterns over a black fabric in the middle panel of their outfits.

- The brothers also have capes, though Derrick's is draped over one shoulder.

- Derrick and Reynold also have the Eckhart crest at the right side of their chest, with chains attached to them.

- Winter and Derrick have silver armbands on their upper arm.

- The two also have cufflinks.

- Reynold, Callisto, and Penelope all have folded-back cuffs with contrasting colors.

- The pink-haired siblings have cuffs that are light-grey with black and gold edges, as well as a single button on each cuff.

- Callisto and Reynold have an attachment on their right chest( the Eckhart crest for Reynold, protective amulet for Callisto) that has black and red decorations(ribbons for Reynold, and tassels for Callisto)

- Derrick and Penelope have black gloves, though Penelope's resembles Winter's, with the cutout at the back of the hand.

- Reynold is the outlier with his copper accents; Derrick and Winter have silver with Penelope and Callisto sharing gold.

- Reynold and Penelope have taller boots than the rest of the main characters.

- They all have open collars, though Reynold's outfit can be interpreted as a lowered hood.

- Winter and Reynold have multiple belts over their body.

#lysia's posts #scrutinies #fashion analysis #villains are destined to die #vadd #death is the only ending for a villainess #death is the only ending for the villainess #ditoeftv #penelope eckhart #derrick eckhart #reynold eckhart #callisto regulus #winter verdandi

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