#its all about the pinstripes and the fit of the clothes

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Hitting the ground running with a new mini costume meta - thanks 911 for dropping that reel with Oliver and Aisha!!!

I’ve already seen a few people comparing the shirt Oliver is wearing with the shooting pinstripe shirt. I don’t disagree with you!

I’ve also seen the shirt being compared with the buck-tommy coffee date shirt - again I don’t think the comparison is wrong!

I do however think that maybe the bigger picture of the actual meanings of the various shirts is being missed!! So I’m here to help explain everything to you - I’m gonna take you on a walk through all of Bucks white/cream pinstripe shirts to help explain everything to you!!

Let’s start with the the colours and the colour meanings in context with Buck!

So we have white and we have cream. White on Buck when its in shirt form is generally an indicator of upcoming danger (in much the same way guest cast in check pattern (as well as the mains sometimes) means they’re the one in danger!) there are countless examples of this over the 7 and 1/2 seasons so far! White as a colour generally means purity and innocence as well as balance. But, it can also mean hope and clarity and self reflection. These are the meanings I associate most with the use of white on Buck - because although the white shirts signify danger, it is danger that brings a sense of hope and clarity to Buck, and generally leads him to a period of self reflection. We perhaps see this the most clearly with the tsunami arc - the white shirt foretells the danger Buck is about to be in (with Chris) but in the aftermath of the tsunami we get Ucks voice over and then are shown a reflective and pensive Buck just before Eddie shows up with Chris (helping to settle buck and reaffirm his reflections)

Then we have the cream - cream is a colour between white and yellow - there is a lot of implication to this - we can take the meanings of white from above, and also apply some of the meanings of yellow - so optimism, communication, clarity, curiosity, and confidence. Clarity being present in both colour meanings means this is the most important aspect of cream as a colour.

There is also the aspect of the pinstripes - there can be two main meanings attached to them - the concept of being trapped or imprisoned is the first one as they can resemble the bars of a jail cell and that connects into the use of pinstripes by mobsters and gangsters in the early to mid 20th century - thus deepening the connection to imprisonment. The alternative meaning stems back to their origin. Pinstripes in clothing were first seen in the early 19th century when they were used in the banking sector, when the different banking houses in London used different coloured pinstripes to identify their employees. It is from this historic use that the pinstripes comes to mean order, clarity and sophistication. And yes - once again we have clarity popping up!!!

So if we look at the times Buck has worn white or cream pinstripe shirts

4x13 shooting scene long sleeve white pinstripe shirt - this is the first time we see the white shirt become a pinstripe shirt and that is symbolic.

5x13 - Taylor moves into the loft - short sleeved white shirt with black pinstripe

6x01 - we do have the blue and white pinstripe zip front shirt, but it is blue with white pinstripes rather than the other way around (it is relevant in this meta I promise - I will be coming back to it!)

At the end of the episode wile Buick is moving his armchair, we have a cream shirt with light blue pinstripes

6x11 - coma dream Buck is wearing a white shirt with green and grey pinstripes

7x05 - Buck and tommy coffee date - cream shirt with blue and red pinstripes

All of these shirts are worn at really key moments for Bucks journey and connected to a very specific theme - self discovery and clarity. Not necessarily complete clarity, but the idea that things are becoming clearer for him - he is gaining more and more clarity with each white or cream pinstriped shirt - clarity of different aspects of who he is as a person. It is about the context of the scene and the episode more widely (and sometimes a couple of episodes like in the shooting arc).

The shooting shirt is about the clarity of stepping into a parental role with Chris - it is very much connected into the will reveal and the self reflection Buck does throughout this and the hope that the will reveal brings him - all things he discovers throughout the two episodes of hte shooting arc. Taylor moving into the loft and his conversation with Maddie is not about Taylor moving into the loft, it is more about the conversation with Maddie and Buck reflecting on the mistakes he has made in asking Taylor to move into the loft - the clarity around being a clinger!

The cream shirt from 6x01 is all about Buck reflecting and gaining clarity throughout hte episode about needing to be happy in his own skin - be happy with who he is - getting to know himself better, and that fits in perfectly with the cream shirt from the coffee date in 7x05 - Tommy is basically an irrelevance in this scene - he is being the plot device he was always intended to be. The episode is title ‘you don’t know me’ and the entire scene is about Buck recognising that he doesn’t know Tommy - but more importantly that he doesn’t know himself - this new part of himself that he has discovered - that he is bisexual. The scene is about buck gaining the clarity that he needs to learn more about this aspect of who he is - Tommy just represents a safe space for him to do that. The pinstripes shirt from the coma dream plays basically the same role - within a coma verse - the scene we see Buck in the pinstripes shirt is about him getting some clarity on the reality of this world he has found himself in - beginning to put the pieces together that all is not quite right in the world and that he needs to look for the answers.

The other aspect of the white and cream shirts is when we see the use of white or cream. White shirts being connected to Buck in danger in some way is the overarching theme of the white - but generally speaking the white appears as a visual representation of Bucks danger coming from external forces. The shooting,the tsunami, the coma dream shirt, and pretty much all the other times we see him in white, are all about external forces - they did not come directly from Buck himself. Whereas the cream shirts are very much connected to the inner workings of Buck - the armchair moving scene, the coffee date - both representative of Buck’s internal turmoil and inner forces being at work.

So as you can see all of these scenes are about clarity and self reflection - they are about Bucks journey to know himself and learn to love himself. This means that the new shirt we have will most definitely play into this theme. We don’t have any context for what episode or location its going to appear in because we only have a very out of context bts video to go off, but the fact it is oversized to an even greater degree than anything we’ve seen Buck in thus far, and the fact that it is cut pretty short at the waist is actually pretty revealing. I’ve spoken about the fact that Bucks clothes got increasingly smaller and ill fitting throughout season 5 and 6 and that it was symbolic of Buck not fitting in his skin any longer. This was then proven correct when we had Buck dressed in (standard) jeans for the first time and in properly fitting clothing for the first time in 7x04 when Tommy kissed him and basically revealed a part of Buck that he hadn’t been aware of - the fact the clothes now fit him pretty much perfectly in that scene revealed that he had found his fit - he was no longer under the impression he was straight - a label that didn’t fit him - and he now knew he was bi - a label that does fit him.

Since that bi awakening scene, we have been shown Bucks clothing moving in the other direction - becoming increasingly ill fitting by becoming increasingly bigger. I’ve spoken about how this was representative of the fact that whilst he now knew he was bi, he was still misunderstanding the assignment, that he wasn’t recognising that it was Eddie that he was in love with. Because the thing is - throughout season 7 and 8a, after his bi awakening, we’ve seen a variety of fits in Bucks clothing moving- from the ill fitting to the better fitting and the interesting thing is the context of when we’ve seen the ill fitting, too big clothing compared with the scenes when we’ve seen the better but still slightly too big clothing. As a general rule - scenes with buck in street clothes where the focus is on his and Eddie’s relationship - we have seen the clothes fitting him much better. Whereas the scenes where his relationship with Tommy was the focus, the clothes have been too big and baggy and ill fitting.

It a subtle way of conveying to the audience the reality of things - the costumes play their part in cluing the audience into the fact that Tommy is not a good fit for Buck, but that Eddie is. Becasue this is actually something that can be traced back to Bucks too small clothing era as well - often times his clothes fit better when he was in scenes with Eddie (and Chris) and less well fitting in scenes with Taylor, or later with Natalia, or indeed scenes with characters such as Connor and Kameron. There was the general overarching fit of being too small, but that was less pronounced in scenes with Eddie.

So the fact this new shirt is soooo very oversized - to an extent we’ve yet to see and to the point of swamping him (impressive considering the man is a unit!) - the grey goodbye to Eddie shirt might also joint the ranks of this, but I’m holding fire on that one for the moment as I want to see better quality stills or video! This shirt in particular is very telling becasue we have the dual aspects of the shirt being both too small and too big - too small because the cut is short, and too big because it is so oversized - its really playing into his spiralling out after Eddies departure in a big way. My personal feeling is that in line with white shirt theory, we are going to be watching Buck go through the ringer - but likely in an internalised way, because this new shirt is definitely in the cream side of the spectrum - much lighter than the other two cream shirts, so I’m expecting to see some external happenings as well, but I think it is much more inner turmoil we’ll be seeing. I also think the idea of being imprisoned is also relevant - the idea that Buck is trapped in his own head as he starts to realise the nature of his feelings and the fact he has lost Eddie (or thinks he has) just as he’s realising he loves him. Of course this is speculation on my part, but speculation grounded in my studies and understanding of the costuming on 911 - especially when it comes to Buck and Eddie!

These shirts also sit in tandem with his white high tops - the ones that represent his wider journey to find himself and his family - to find his happiness. We’ve seen a bit of a step back on the shite high top front in seasons 7 and 8a so far, but we have had other white trainers used and I think we’re just transitioning shoe to fit in better with the new clothing styles and that it is white shoes more generally rather than those specific high tops that represent that ongoing journey.

The other thing that sits in parallel with the white and cream pinstripe shirts is the shirts with pinstripes in the opposite colour way - dark shirt with light pinstripes.

4x14 we have the black shirt with white pinstripes he’s wearing when Taylor turns up at the loft

5x09 - the navy shirt with white pinstripes in the awkward ILY scene

6x04 - the navy shirt with light blue pinstripes - in the scene where Buck agrees to be a sperm donor

6x17 - conversation with Maddie - the ring cutter scene!

7x05 - first date at the Italian - navy jersey shirt with cream pinstripes

7x10 - hospital and awkward dinner date at the loft - the brown shirt with mint green/blue pinstripes

All of these shirts represent moments of Buck doing the opposite of the white and cream shirts - these are all scenes where Buck is effectively harming his journey forward - they are scenes where his clarity becomes clouded, where he is unable to be self reflective - when he has false hope, or when his mind is obfuscated - so the happenings in those scenes leads him away from his path. The way the dark pinstripe shirts nearly always follow a light coloured pinstripe shirt is very telling - the idea of the dark shirt clouding his previous clarity that the white or cream shirt had brought him - almost as if he was making progress and processing things - moving forward - only the darkness rolls in and we see Buck basically locking away his progress - locking away any clarity he was gaining.

The dark shirts are all about leading him away from his true path. The white shooting shirt in 4x13 is followed by the black shirt in 4x14 when Taylor chases Buck - obfuscating him from his path towards Eddie. The 5x13 white shirt - when he chats with Maddie and starts to understand what he’s done by asking Taylor to move in, is preceded (in this single case) by the awkward ILY scene in 5x09 - he’s already got clouded judgement (because of Eddie) and even though he’s gained clarity he can’t walk it back - but we do see him confessing later in 5x13, perhaps suggesting that his clarity is that he needs to be honest with himself and with those around him.

Then we have the 6x01 cream shirt followed by the navy pinstripe shirt in 6x04 when Buck agrees to become a sperm donor - once more Buck veering off course. And remember the blue zip up shirt with the cream pinstripes from 6x01 - yeah coming back to those now, because those three shirts all play in tandem with one another. The blue shirt is in Bucks blue - the blue he wears when he is his truest self - the blue we see connected to Eddie most frequently. The scene has Eddie in yellow for the first time and Bucks pinstripes more or less match Eddies shirt - followed at the end of the episode by the cream one with the blue stripes - and very much part of a scene about Buck deciding to figure himself out before he looks for love. The more I watch that scene and look at the context with the other pinstripes shirts the more convinced I become that the lasagne scene was the set up for Buddie canon had we ended the show at the end of season 6. The whole thing was setting up buck to figure himself out - figure out he’s bi and in love with Eddie. I obviously cannot prove it, but the pieces are all there to play into that being Bucks intended arc - the sperm donor arc was likely meant to actually be a wider arc about Bucks desire for family and about learning he already made one - about learning and understanding families come in all shapes and sizes and that you can build one if you want to - that he already has.

Then we have the coma shirt followed by the ring cutter shirt. The pairing is maybe a little less obvious here, but there is something about the idea that Buck is gaining awareness of being trapped in his mind whilst oblivious to the reality of his sexuality. The coma dream shirt is about him beginning to figure out that the reality he is in is not his actual reality - its about making him begin to question what he actually knows and understands about himself and that spins out into the wider plot for the coma dream -about getting back to his family. It makes the lack of Eddie in his dream even more pronounced - that he’s figuring out that he has a family who loves him and is there for him, but that he still isn’t in a place to look at the romantic aspect of love. The ring cutter scene is really about Buck once again mistaking sexual attraction with romantic attraction - it is tied into Natalia and into Bucks death - there is a connection to this idea of looking in the wrong places (hence why he can’t find the ring cutter in the kitchen utensils pot - which is where it would be if sex and romance were actually aligned - because love is found in the kitchen!) Natalia is sexual attraction - not romantic.

The trio of the BT first date, coffee date and then the third date (that we are shown on screen) the pattern is a bit more like the Taylor ILY/ Maddie conversation shirts i that we have clouded/obfuscated Buck to start with - the kiss has confused him, and the date has also confused him - it is about him not actually looking at himself and recognising who he is - it is also a bit about the fact that he’s misunderstood his jealousy - that if Tommy hadn’t kissed him, he may well have eventually figured things out and realised that it was actually Eddies attention he was after and the full reality of that - which is what the Maddie conversation is all about. The cream shirt in this trio is then about Buck recognising the need to work on himself - the need to explore who he is more fully and also recognising that Tommy is essentially a safe space to do that - he literally says that he doesn’t know what it is yet but he wants to find out - it isn’t about Tommy, its much more about his self - that he doesn’t;t know how this new label he has fits him yet, fits into what he wants from life, but he wants to embrace it and find out. The subsequent move into brown on the third shown date, is all about that obfuscation coming back in - that Buck is very much in family mode - worried about Bobby - but Tommy distracts him with sexual innuendo and the implication is there in the subtext that this is a relationship based on sex rather than on love and knowledge. Which is what we then see play out through 8a.

All this to say that the new oversized whilst also too short shirt is in my opinion really going to help play into Bucks spiral out in the absence of Eddie and that it will be worn in a scene that is about Buck finding some clarity around Eddie and his potential return to fuck boy Buck and why he has gone down that route - be that his full OHHH moment or something else I can’t really guess at, but the fact it might be a scene with Hen is interesting to me as we’ve seen Buck go to Hen when faced with some difficult decisions - and I will confess the idea that he’s going to talk to her about missing Eddie and feeling lost and not knowing what he’s feeling - not understanding and that she might help him into his ohhhhh moment is a rather delicious one to me. I’m expecting this to be a scene in 811 or 812, I think it’s coming after Eddie has left for Texas at he end of 810 (because I believe the goodbye scene will be in the last 10-15 minutes of 810), and that it will be towards the end of his spiral when his abandonment issues are causing the most havoc with him - because we’ve gone to extreme on the oversizing - so it has to be at the point just before Buck is able to start finding himself, to stop over correcting and beginning to fit in his own skin - when we will see the costumes begin to fit him better again - up to the point where we hit perfect fit - which will be at the point Buck is either ready to fight for Eddie, or at the moment Buddie goes canon. I will write another post about the Eddie goodbye costumes - I have many thoughts - and about the fit and styling of Bucks uniform in the maroon teeter totter car, but it is late and I need to go to bed so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow or Friday for that one!

I never meant for this to end up this long - it was supposed to be a mini meta on the new shirt - and well this is me so I spiralled and here we are!!! Aren’t you glad to have me back 😂😂😂

Tagging a few people who might be interested, but as I haven’t figured out peoples new url’s I don’t actually know who wants tagging!! @lover-of-mine @fruityfirehose @spotsandsocks @leothil @lemotmo @satvojihusana @buddiediaz118 @bewitchedbewilderedbisexual @sunflowerdigs

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

TOM GLYNN-CARNEY photographed by Nick Tydeman for GQ magazine.

The interview for GQ.

— talking about clothing style and fashion:

"I like the clothes that I wear in my personal life so that’s why I try to incorporate them into [press looks].”

“They’re a bit of me. That’s how I like to go about doing press: just be authentic as best as I can.”

“Sustainability is a big thing in my life, it’s something I’m very passionate about.”

“The whole idea of single-use outfits just grinds my gears, it’s totally unnecessary.”

He and his stylist Tom O’Dell have spent the year browsing vintage markets and second-hand stores for unique pieces they can fuse together for a big look.

“It’s all preloved and it tells a story – not just from a sustainability point of view but it’s about its character and how things have aged.”

— talking about king aegon ii targaryen in 'house of the dragon' S2:

“You can take the character on a full arc and find lots of different colours to his palette, which is always interesting from an actor’s point of view."

"I feel like by the end of season two, I know Aegon so much more than I did at the end of season one.”

“I feel like on that set, it’s such an ensemble-led project and everybody has their own moment. There doesn’t feel like any hierarchy in that sense but, obviously, when I put the crown on my head, I’ve got to convince myself I’m more important.”

— the serious answer: Tom Glynn-Carney lives in the countryside now, his instagram bio reads ‘aspiring farmer’:

“If I’m out by the woodshed I’m gonna get caked in all sorts of crap so [I wear] stuff that I’m not too precious about.”

“I don’t think I own anything that’s new anymore, I’ve tried to weed that out, and any new purchase is always second-hand.”

It also helps that he has Joe Mills, his grooming guy, on-hand too.

— Tom Glynn-Carney’s fit for the 'House of Dragon' S2 London premiere, is something he’s already worn before:

“It’s a 1970s pinstripe suit. It’s brown with caramel pinstripe, high-waisted, slightly flared trousers.”

“I wore it for a stock photoshoot a few months back and I liked it so much I wanted to nail that on for one of the major looks for this tour.”

He found a dream stylist in the form of O’Dell, who specialises in second-hand clothing and has connections with vintage stores all over Europe:

“His studio is just a Mecca for all of that stuff.”

“I trust him wholeheartedly to be able to point me in the right direction.”

— About the influence that inspired Fabien Frankel on the red carpet:

“For the record, [Fabien] copied me, so write that down!”

[alltaternotot]

Looking Glass | N. Zadorov

Nikita Zadorov x tailor! Reader

Summary: Nikita is trying to find a new suit tailor after his retires, and he is surprised to find a small tailor shop with all kinds of surprises, even beyond the suit

WC: 11k

CW: fluff, smut, relatively slow burn, strangers to friends to lovers?? swearing, limited knowledge about tailoring/suitmaking, the use of the words “suit” and “hand” a million times, light proofreading. Let me know if I’m missing something!

NSFW (MINORS DNI): fingering, p n v, in the mirror, clothed sex, so much praise it’s not even funny, Z likes to talk, consent checks, creampie (BE RESPONSIBLE! WRAP IT!), aftercare, this one got HORNY so be warned.

A/N: cuz we all love a giant pretty man in a nice suit ;)

<><><><>

1 - the meeting

“I’m sorry Nikita, I’m retiring in two weeks, I’m finishing your last suit order then I can’t take any more. But I really do appreciate your business over the years, my friend.” Nikita’s tailor, Dimitri, said over the phone in Russian.

This was a little bit of a shock to Nikita, as his tailor had been designing and fitting his suits from day one, all the way back in Colorado. His closet was piled high with suits he would never stop loving, years and years of designing a look that was perfect for him.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m thankful I could at least get one last suit from you. I hope retirement treats you well, call anytime if you find yourself in Vancouver.” He said, earning a light hearted chuckle on the other line.

“Will do Nikita. Your suit will be on its way to you in the next few days. Best of luck this season.”

They ended the call with the usual goodbyes and made his way over to his closet, pulling out his navy pinstripe suit for the game coming up in just a few hours. His ex used to pick out his suits every game day, but now that they had been broken up for some time he started to enjoy the freedom of wearing whichever suit he felt like. His style was his own after all.

He burned the day away, working out and skating in the morning, eating a light lunch and watching some new show that Quinn had mentioned. He felt calm and ready for the evening ahead. The game hadn’t changed in that way for him, he still loved it like he did as a little boy back in Moscow.

It was finally time to get dressed, his favorite part of his game day routine. He threw on a crisp white button down with a burnt orange tie, one that stood out against the rich blue of his suit. He slipped his legs into the soft fabric of his dress pants, then his large arms into the sleeves of his jacket, he opted for sunglasses, one of his gold watches, and a spritz of his favorite cologne. Finally, he slipped his feet into his nice warm brown dress shoes and did up the button on his suit.

He let out a sigh, admiring his outfit and fixing a lock of hair that had fallen into his face. The floor length mirror across from his bed lit him up perfectly. He looked sharp and professional, the kind of look that seeps confidence. He loved dressing the part of a millionaire athlete, there was no denying that. He shuffled around his room, picking up his essentials before throwing them all into their respective places in his pockets. He was ahead of schedule today and feeling a little bit more antsy to go. He pulled his front door shut and locked it before spinning on his heel towards the elevator.

The only thing he disliked about his his large apartment was the parking. He took the elevator down into the labyrinth of a parking garage his building had, low ceilings and mess everywhere. They had construction going on for the past two weeks or so, mildly inconveniencing him quite a few times. He would walk along the barrier of the construction to his waiting car every game day, trying not to let all of this piss him off. He pulled his phone out to pick a song, one earbud in, trying to keep his mind on the game ahead. Suddenly, he brushed the chicken wire fence that was up to close off a good 15 parking spots. He heard a rip and some pressure on his arm, right near his shoulder. His hand flew to his shoulder, almost trying to save it from what already happened.

“Shit!” He exclaimed to no one in particular. His fingertips were in contact with a decent sized rip right on the seam of his sleeve, a little hole showing the white shirt underneath.

He untangled himself from the chicken wire, not wanting to pull any more fabric, before jogging up to his car window to examine the tear. Luckily, it looked like just the seam was torn, so hopefully it was an easy fix. He didn’t want to go back upstairs and plan an entirely new outfit, so he just got in the car and left the stupid parking garage. He knew he would get an earful from the guys and probably a go-around meme post on Instagram about the visible rip, but at this point he just wanted to leave and get ready for the game.

The drive was maybe fifteen minutes without traffic, but usually ended up being closer to 30. He spent most of that time mentally preparing with soft music playing on a normal day, but this whole ordeal left him brooding with displeasure about nearly ruining one of his favorite suits. He was first at the light on one of the corners that he always passed on this route, when he noticed a shop he had never noticed before.

It was a little shop right next to a corner store, a chalkboard sign out front reading Suits! Dresses! Tailoring! He perked up a little at the sight of a tailor, the rip on his shoulder almost taunting him. He pulled off the road, right into a parallel spot on the cross street, getting out and almost running up to the door of this place. It really did look unassuming from the outside, but inside was really glorious. A bell chimed as he stepped inside and took it all in.

There were bolts of fabric stacked up taller than him, and designs of beautiful dresses and suits scattered around on mannequins, amazing colors and patterns on full display. There was a small counter and a desk, catalogues and thick design books littering both tables. He could hear a few people talking somewhere in the back, or rather one person shouting numbers and the other repeating them.

“Just a second!” A voice echoed from somewhere behind the bolts of fabric.

A woman appeared from a back room, a tape measure hanging around her neck snd and a notebook in her hands, scribbling down numbers on the page. She was short (even though pretty much everyone was short to Nikita) and very pretty. She wore a nice blouse and a mid length skirt, all topped off with a pair of nicer looking heels. It almost caught him off guard, like he was blindsided by meeting someone so pretty on a normal work day.

“How can I help you?” She asked, looking up, then up again to meet his eyes.

“Hi, umm, I know this is a weird ask but I am almost late for work, and I accidentally ripped the seam of my sleeve. Would you be able to fix it quickly? If not, totally fine, I’ll just be on my way.” He explained, turning to show her the tear in his shoulder.

“I can do that! Do you have maybe 10-15 minutes?” She asked, his eyes falling to his watch to check. He would turn out to be right on time.

“I think so.” He murmured, taking his phone out of the inside pocket and the jacket fully off.

She took the jacket, giving it a once over, then opened a tub of spooled thread sitting on one of the tables not too far from where he stood. He watched her pull out a tray of blues, holding them up to the blue of his jacket, then replacing them till she found an almost perfect match to the rich navy. She threaded a needle with lightning speed and flipped the jacket inside out to pull the seam together and pin it, deciding it would be the fastest to just stand at the desk and hold the massive jacket in her hands.

She could see how the sleeves accommodated large corded muscles in his arms, and how well done the work was. Whoever made this suit certainly did an excellent job and took his measurements down to the millimeter. She let herself look up at him briefly, his attention now on a deep purple suit displayed in the corner.

He was larger than life and had a confidence about him that was hard to ignore. His frame was perfectly accentuated with the cut of his suit pants and the button down he wore. His hair was perfectly cut and his sunglasses were perfect for his handsome face. The scar running through his lip down to his chin gave him a tough, no bullshit kind of look that only added to his confidence. He had a great taste in cologne, the spicy warm scent wafting through her senses from having his jacket. Even his accent was like a deep, rich honey being pouring from his lips. She pictured him as a hit man, or a spy, or some sort of agent. Something fantastic.

Once the stitching was done, she took the jacket over to one of the many massive mirrors on the wall and flipped it back, looking closely at the seam to make sure it was straight. Nikita walked up behind her and she offered up the jacket.

“Try that, hopefully the seam sits straight on your shoulder.” She remarked, watching him slip his big arm through the sleeves and button it back up.

He turned in the mirror, running a large finger over where the rip once was, now perfectly hidden by a straight seam. It was like nothing ever happened to it. He cracked a smile and turned back to the woman, yanking on the hem of the jacket to straighten himself out.

“That’s perfect. How much do I owe you?” He asked, pulling out his wallet.

“Oh don’t worry about it! It was just a quick stitch!” She exclaimed, holding her hand up in a stop gesture when he tried to hand over a fifty dollar note.

“Really, I insist. You’re saving me a lot of embarrassment with my… coworkers.” He said, circumventing the fact that his coworkers are in fact teammates on the most famous sports team in the area.

“Honestly, it’s no big deal. I’m just glad you let me work on this amazing suit. Your tailor is a magician!” She joked, and he just smiled.

“What was your name? I’ll be sure to recommend you for any fixing my coworkers need done on their suits.” He said, grabbing a business card from the desk.

“My name is Y/N, but the people who own this place are Rob and Krista. Any of us would be happy to help!” She exclaimed.

“Great. I’m Nikita. It’s nice to meet you, but I have to run. Thanks for everything!”

He turned on his heel to leave, sending a gentle wave her way before picking up the pace back to his car. When she turned around, the 50 dollar note was sitting on the desk, inconspicuously next to the pile of business cards he grabbed from. She let out a chuckle and let the fantastical daydreams of secret agent Nikita fill her mind up as she pocketed the note.

“Who was that Y/N?” Rob asked, emerging from the back holding the plans for a custom gown he was making.

“He just needed a seam stitched, no big deal.” She muttered, and he hummed at the far of gleam in her eye.

<><><><>

2 - the outing

Nikita scored two goals and got an assist that night. He was on top of the world and couldn’t come down. When the final horn sounded he found himself thinking of Y/N, and how the blue thread she used must have weaved some luck into him.

After his post game shower and doing media he found himself back at his locker, pulling his suit back on to return home. His button up was on, no jacket or tie, and he was almost done loosely tying his right shoe so he could finally leave. Quinn and Brock were close by, chatting with each other about the game.

“Fuckin rights Z, what a game!” Brock exclaimed, clapping a hand on his back, “What’s with you huh? Where’d all that goal scoring energy come from?”

“Just a good night I guess, nothing too crazy.” He responded, a little reluctant to share why he truly thought he was finding the back of the net.

He stood, quickly going back over to the sink to give himself a once over before finally leaving. Out of curiosity, he flipped the seam of his jacket into the light of the mirror in front of him, eventually finding a section of the seam that was a slightly different color with two tiny knots at each end. He smiled to himself and flipped it back, throwing it over his arm. Quinn and Brock watched, also curious why Nikita was all of a sudden examining his jacket. The looked at each other with a shrug, and let it go.

~ two weeks later ~

The universe had a funny way of treating Nikita sometimes. JT Miller gave him a call, basically begging him for a tailor recommendation. He said that ‘nothing was fitting well’ and that ‘you should know Nikita, I’ve never seen you wear a bad outfit!’. He was absolutely happy to give JT the information, and he told him that he had a suit he needed to get fixed anyway. He didn’t, but he wanted an excuse to go see Y/N and try to thank her in a hopefully normal sounding way for giving him good luck. They made a plan for their next day off in two days.

“Ah, perfect…” Nikita muttered to himself, digging out a beige jacket that he had made years ago, one that had a ripped inner pocket, buttons missing, and a weird seam wrinkle that wouldn’t go away. He had been digging around in his massive closet for close to an hour, trying to find something to bring to the tailor so it didn’t look like he was acting as the peanut gallery for JT, and now Elias as well, who weaseled his way into their trip because of similar reasons to JT.

A knock sounded at his door, Petey and JT both with their suits wrapped up in bags. They were dressed casually. Nikita offered to drive them all, making sure to avoid the chicken wire fence despite being in a black t-shirt and shorts. The drive was short and easy, but his heart beating with a flutter of excitement made it slightly harder to focus.

The bell chimed in the doorway when they entered, the sound of people talking in the back filling the men’s ears. JT and Petey had a similar reaction to the state of the store as he did the first time, both of their mouths falling open in surprise.

“Welcome in, gentleman. What can we help you with today?” An older man stepped up to the counter, a confident smile making his crow’s feet appear.

“Hi! I believe we talked on the phone a few days ago about some repairs the three of us need done? My name is JT.” He said, shaking the man’s hand earnestly.

“Ah yes! We would be happy to help! Let me go grab the other two.” He said, retreating to the back again.

This time, Rob, Krista, and Y/N all came up front. Y/N hadn’t been expecting secret agent Nikita to be standing there. He offered a gentle wave, and she offered one back as Rob began consulting JT while Petey introduced himself to Krista.

“Back with friends I see! How did the seam turn out for you?” Y/N inquired, coming up close to him.

“Very well. It’s holding up perfectly so far.” He answered, letting his hand fall on top of the jacket folded over his arm, “I actually have another one I could use your help with.” He said, offering up the beige jacket.

“No problem! We should be able to get them done in a day or two-“

“We can get these done today for you gentleman! You are more than welcome to hang around, it shouldn’t be too long.” Rob announced to everyone.

Y/N was a little surprised at this. Rob wasn’t usually the type to cut out time for walkins when his plate was stacked high with custom orders. Krista also seemed unbothered. She had been working on a dress that was due to the client in two days before they all came in, which normally took precedent over whatever little fixes came and went.

“Are you sure Rob? Mrs. Fueller’s dress needs to be done soon?” Y/N asked under her breath as they walked out of earshot.

“I will gladly finish suits for Vancouver Canucks players same day Y/N, it would be insulting to our great hockey town to not!” He exclaimed jovially.

It all clicked for her then, why Nikita was in a rush and dressed so well. Why him and his friends were also so athletic looking. Nikita also heard, eyes going wide as his cover crumbled right in front of him. He wanted just a few more moments of bliss without the fanfare, selfishly. He offered a sheepish smile to her when she looked back at him, feeling a little caught despite not really doing anything wrong.

She retreated to get her kits, still holding onto the jacket. This one smelled faintly of that warm spicy scent she loved last time. This one would be a relatively quick fix like the last one. She took the space at the front desk so Rob and Krista could have the work spaces in the back. They called Petey and JT into the back work space, leaving Nikita to wander.

As she came back up front, she found Nikita in front of a dark green suit, pulling at the sleeve and rubbing the fabric between his fingers. He noticed her sit and turn the lamp on, laying his suit out on the smooth surface. He made his way back over to her, not resisting his urge to talk to her. His presence was strong and steady as he watched her rip the thread from the buttons left on the suit.

“I’m starting to think you’re clumsy, Mr. Canuck. Two suit coats in two weeks?” She joked, and he took a seat in the leather chair placed in front of the desk.

“I try not to be. I just like to be on my game with my suits y’know?” He answered, letting a twinge of guilt rip through him for not being totally honest about who he really was, “I’m sorry I wasn’t up front about who I was at first.”

“It’s ok, I understand. I’m sure you have people stopping you at every corner.” She answered as she pulled buttons out of their little plastic case.

“Not much of a hockey fan?” He asked.

“I grew up New Mexico, so there wasn’t much hockey around. Once I moved here I never totally caught on. But I like it when I see it! I know you guys have played well this season!” She explained.

He hummed in approval, “you should come see a game. It’s a lot of fun to see it live. I’ll even score a goal for you.” He joked, and she laughed along with him.

“Maybe I will.” She agreed, now moving on the inner pocket.

They continued to talk, just sharing about themselves and other light topics. He was absolutely endeared by her, her quick wit and personality shining through as they continued along. He learned that she moved to Vancouver for college and never left. This job was essentially dumped in her lap and it was too enjoyable to abandon. She could execute her favorite designs and get paid a decent wage.

Nikita’s coat was all wrapped up with all repairs made flawlessly, his old suit jacket returned to rights. He took it back, slipping a 100 dollar note into her kit when she tried to refuse him again. Now it was a waiting game for his teammates. He could see Petey with a tape measure in his armpit and JT looking through a few bolts of gray fabric; he guessed it would be a little while before they wrapped up. He perused the mannequins, taking note of the beautiful craftsmanship. He stopped at the double breasted dark green suit again, taking a good long look at it.

“I designed that one, y’know.” Y/N piped up, suddenly very close to him, making him want to reach out and touch her. He had a foot on her at least, her head reaching just above his sternum he guessed. He could smell the faint scent of sickly sweet flowers coming off of her, and instantly thought he would never smell anything better ever again.

“Really? It’s very impressive, something I would wear in a heartbeat…” he admired, then a lightbulb went off in his head, “I’m actually interested in buying some new suits, would you be willing to do them for me?” He asked.

“Absolutely Nikita. What kind of look do you like?” She responded, immediately interested.

“the style you saw on me the first day mostly. I think I want some color or something to give it a bit extra though.” He pondered, Y/N immediately beginning to swirl with ideas.

“Tell you what, I’ll set up an appointment with you and we can discuss it.” She offered, and he turned to her with a smile, “we can look through some catalogs and pick out some cool options.”

“Hmm, I would gladly take an appointment, but I don’t want a catalogue suit, I want what you think looks best,” He said confidently, “if you are ok with it, I would like to give you my number so if you see a pattern or inspiration you can tell me.”

Y/N’s heart dropped into her stomach, never to come out again. It was very, very rare that someone wanted anything other than an average suit, especially someone that seemed to be built for a nice suit like he was. Her mind lit up with a constellation of ideas.

“I-I would be honored.” She said, a little too stunned to say much else.

He smiled, making his way back to the desk for a business card and a stray blue pen. He jotted down his information on the back, handing it to her. She pocketed it, shoving it deep so there was no chance it fell out. JT and Petey made their way up front, now holding their suits plus some papers and fabric squares.

“All set Z?” Petey asked, and he nodded to the two men.

“We hope to see you all soon! Enjoy those jackets!” Rob said, waving as they made their way out the door, the little bell sounding as they exited the store

~*~

Rob and Krista returned to work on Mrs. Fueller’s dress, talking amongst themselves about how ‘nice those young men had been’ and how ‘you don’t see down to earth athletes like that anymore’. Y/N sat down at the desk gathering all of her supplies back into the kits. She smiled to herself at the 100 dollar note Nikita had left for her, making a mental note to scold him when she saw him next time.

There was a next time.

She fished the business card out of her pocket turning it over to reveal his neat, square handwriting.

Y/N,

Don’t share this with anyone! Hope to hear from you soon.

-Nikita Zadorov

XXX-XXX-XXX

She quickly put the number in her phone and saved it under secret agent Nikita before sending him a text.

Hi Nikita, it’s Y/N. Let me look at my schedule and we can put something on the books. I already have some ideas!

Not even ten minutes went by before a text buzzed from him

Sounds great. We leave for a week and a half tomorrow, but I should be available once we get back to Vancouver. Thanks for all of your help!

She sent off a thumbs up and a thank you before cleaning up her space to finish the last details on Mrs. Fueller’s dress. She imagined beautiful rich fabric and how it could lay on Nikita’s build, where to accentuate and where to bring in. There were seemingly endless options.

She couldn’t wait

<><><><>

3 - the fitting

During the week and a half the Canucks were on the road, Nikita found himself a little absorbed in talking to Y/N. They scheduled for a few days after the Canucks returned to Vancouver, and he couldn’t stop the flutter of excitement he felt when he thought about seeing Y/N again.

She started to send him photos of chic magazines, ones that had borderline eccentric suits, which she promised she would dial back but she ‘saw lots of potential’ in them. She sent him pictures of bolts of fabric, which he eventually just FaceTimed her to see. She was in the middle of a massive fabric store, dressed in a hoodie from what he could tell, which for some reason was endearing to him.

Y/N was very surprised by the FaceTime, but picked up anyway after the second ring, as it would give her an opportunity to hear his honey laden accent. He looked to be in a hotel gym, lightly huffing and trying to dry his damp forehead off with a towel. His hair was undone and falling in his face, and he was close enough to the camera that she could see the light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks. A domestic thought of doing this all the time flashed through her mind before she stamped it out.

“What do you think of doing something in this?” She asked, flipping the camera to show off a beautiful deep green.

“I like that a lot, I have a couple of green suits so maybe red? Or purple?” He inquired.

“Now we’re talking. I’ll get back to you ok? I’ll find the best red and purple I can.” She promised, which made him smile.

“I’m holding you to it.” He said, then a faint ‘come on Z food’s here’ sounded of in the background, “I have to go, but we’ll talk soon!”

“Ok Z, have a good night! Good luck for the game!” She said

He sent a wink into the camera, “will do Y/N.” Then ended the call.

Y/N couldn’t help the butterflies that erupted in her stomach as she played that wink over and over again. He was just so nice and confident (not to mention handsome), all while trusting her to deliver something great. She perused the bolts some more, finding a luxurious maroon and a dark purple that looked almost black. She bought them both and returned to the shop to place them in the pile that was forming for Nikita’s appointment.

They kept texting. Not even about suits or fabric or accessories, just casual conversation. He would text her before games, after games, late at night when he should have been sleeping. He imagined her cuddled up on the couch in a soft t-shirt with snacks and a movie on, or at the shop with her cute heels on and hair all styled, answering his texts with a smile and a giggle when he said something funny. They didn’t really talk about hockey either, outside of an occasional question about the rules or a funny story from Russia, which was refreshing for him.

Y/N had done her own digging (for research purposes of course) and fallen into a hole of stalking his socials. She had watched a heavy hit compilation of him on YouTube, and couldn’t believe that the one she met and the one knocking people into the next year were the same person. She watched one of his away games, against the Seattle Kraken, finding herself invested in the play going on and feeling that twinge of excitement when the camera found Nikita every once in a while.

It was days and days of sweet conversation and thinking about each other when they weren’t talking. Multiple teammates of Nikita’s were giving him shit for always being on the phone, but he felt like he couldn’t help it. It lit him up inside to see Y/N’s contact flash across the screen. She was so witty and kind, not to mention beautiful. She even began to cross his mind when he was alone in the hotel room.

The day finally came. His appointment was at noon, so he prepared a little early and stopped for coffee, also grabbing Y/N’s order as a little surprise. He felt like he needed to show his appreciation for the wonderful couple of weeks he had. The familiar bell chime went off as he opened the shop door, this time no bickering voices, just faint music coming from the back. Y/N walked up front to meet him, cracking the smile she had been waiting to crack since he asked her what her favorite color was over a week and a half ago. He handed her the coffee he was holding and offered a friendly side hug.

“Oh! You really didn’t have to, but thank you! Always full of surprises.” She remarked, setting down the coffee.

“Hey, what can I say. We’re gonna need all the caffeine we can get.” He said, then looked around to find no Rob or Krista, “where is everyone?”

“Rob and Krista decided to take a vacation in Italy, they’re gone for another week, so you’re stuck with me by myself I’m afraid.” She explained, grabbing a book from the corner to set out.

He perked up a little unintentionally at that news. The thought of the two of them together like this felt eerily similar to just, hanging out, and not an actual business deal being done by two professionals. He had been waiting for the appointment like it was a scheduled hang out for fucks sake.

“So first I’m thinking we get your measurements, then talk about what you want to see, and see where it takes us?” She offered, and he nodded, “great, if you don’t mind coming over here under the light so I can see you.”

He was dressed in a t shirt and shorts again, hopefully something that would make it easy for her to get good numbers. She had a little lawyer pad and a pencil, along with a tape measure ready to use in the other hand.

“Just stand normally and relax, I’m gonna work from the bottom up.” She noted and Nikita relaxed his stance.

She began, quickly pulling the tape measure around his ankles, jotting down numbers then moving up. She measured his calves, then knees, then thighs at their thickest, then the outside seam from hip to ankle. Nikita was trying to focus on anything but her touching him, literally anything but her skilled fingers pulling the tape measure taught around him. She finally measured his inseam, going from his groin to the inside of his ankle, then the other side, all before popping up and writing the last numbers down.

He was so, so still. He felt like if he moved he would shatter like glass under her touch. He was barely breathing. She moved to his hips, then waist, then from his armpit to hip. She wrapped the tape measure around his chest, the metal tag hitting him dead center, and she took the number. He wondered if she could feel his heart rattling his rib cage under her hand.

She pulled a block out from the corner to stand on, giving Nikita a moment to breathe and relax. She started on his arms, taking his wrists, biceps, and shoulder width, then from shoulder to wrist. Finally, she wrapped the tape measure around his neck. His pulse quickened at her closeness, and all he could think about was her breath fanning over his collarbone while she leaned in to read the number.

“Ok… that’s the last number…” she murmured, letting the tape measure fall loose around his neck, “wanna sit down to talk about what you’re thinking design wise?”

“Y-yeah, let’s do that.” He said, letting out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

She directed him to the seat around the front of the desk. She grabbed her pre-cut fabric squares in maroon, dark purple, and a sage green with silver detailing woven in. She grabbed her organizer of buttons and other accessories, and the magazines she had compiled since they began texting. She had tabs sticking out of each one, the magazines resembling annotated homework more than catalogs. She stuck them all on the desk, then sat.

He leaned back to accommodate his size in the seemingly too small chair, his knees bent up at a slight angle and his arms resting beside him. To a passerby it might look like an interrogation if they didn’t know any better. It was like he took up as much space physically as he did mentally for her.

“So, I showed you the fabrics I liked best over our call, but I wanted you to feel them and decide for yourself if you like them.” She started, handing him the fabric squares that he pinched between his fingers, one by one.

“The purple and the maroon are great, and I like that you went for a lighter green. I think three suits is a good amount for now, so let’s stick with these.” He explained.

“I thought the same, so we’ll go with those.” She set aside three piles, with one fabric square per pile, “I love to see double breasted suits, and they look great on you, so I was thinking about making the purple fabric double breasted with these buttons.” She pulled out gold buttons that were adorned with little flowers, very much like an old wax seal, “they’re vintage, and I think they fit the style nicely.”

He nodded, and let her take them back to set in their own pile with the purple fabric square.

“I think since the maroon is a little more adventurous we could try a strap closure in the front, it’s one of the more chic styles coming out of fashion recently.” She explained further, flipping to a saved page in one of the magazines where the model had a suit that was closed with a slim gold buckle and a strap across the waist. He had never considered something like that before, but he could see Y/N’s vision coming to life, so he agreed.

“And for the green I think a couple of buttons and a nice fit will do the fabric plenty of justice.” She said, holding up the green fabric square.

“This is all perfect Y/N.” He said, looking over the three piles in front of them, “what can I expect in terms of time?”

“I have one quick project before you, but I would say around a month for everything? Rob and Krista gave me permission to take on just your project after my other project is done.” She said, taking a glance at the calendar on her desk.

“That’s perfect for me, don’t rush on my account, I’m a very patient man.” He said with a sly smile, and she just laughed, the clearest most lovely laugh he could have imagined.

“We’ll plan on it then.” She whispered, seconds going by before she looked away from his eyes.

They both stood, Nikita reaching out to shake her hand once she came around the desk within arms reach of him. He pulled her in for a brief hug, as if to say ‘we’re past all the pleasantries’. Something was shifting in the air, between them.

“Um, I really wanted to thank you, for the trust. This project is a big deal for me.” She murmured.

“It’s an honor for me to own such a brilliant collection.” He assured, letting her go after one final pat on the shoulder, “I can’t wait for a month from now.”

“I can’t either.”

<><><><>

+1 - the gifting

Right on schedule, Y/N had all three pieces done in a month. She stayed up late and got up early quite a few times simply because she was inspired to finish. Everything, down to the very last stitch, was perfect. She thought of making replicas to save for a future fashion magazine.

Nikita and Y/N continued to talk, a lot. He found himself texting her anytime he thought something was funny, or interesting, or really any sort of thing that he thought she would like. When he was home, he would drop coffee off to her, and she would try to hide his suits from his curious eye. Each time he did, it would end with a hug and a promise to talk soon.

She ended up calling him one afternoon extremely frustrated. Her dishwasher started to make a funny noise and her landlord wouldn’t pick up, and he happily came over to help her, fixing it in a mere hour. They spent the whole evening tucked in a private corner of her favorite restaurant, her treat, as a thank you.

One night, on a rare off day on the road, she picked up another FaceTime call from him, and they talked into the early hours. He wanted to hear her voice all he could, and play her pretty laugh on repeat. They waded a little deeper beyond light banter, and they both shared personal things, and tried to be encouraging. Nikita admitted that NHL life could be lonely without anyone to share it with, especially since his ex moved on, but he was trying his best to enjoy every minute with his teammates. Y/N hoped she could give him a little peace in that way; be an avenue for him to take when the nights got a little too lonely. When they signed off, Nikita found himself biting back an ‘I miss you’.

He was on a road trip for a couple of days after his suits being finished, so they planned on meeting up at the shop on his next off day, which happened to be the day after the Canucks returned from a very successful 3-0 road trip.

Y/N had secretly been watching his games from the privacy of her apartment, cheering on the Canucks of course, but especially Nikita. She watched all of his media availability, and laughed at all of his witty replies. He was witty with her too, but from a different place. She knew he wasn’t trying to be smart with her, he just wanted her to laugh.

She had been waiting so long to see him, and today was finally the day.

She got up late morning, the sun already decently high. She decided this day was a hair down kind of day, so she brushed and lightly curled the ends. She threw on her favorite green dress with built in cups, and a black cardigan over the top, pairing everything with black heels. She threw on a light dusting of makeup and some perfume to finish everything off.

She made her way into the shop, not noticing the dark clouds rolling in behind her as she pulled each suit off the rack and placed them in very nice suit bags. The plan was to meet Nikita at 4pm, then get dinner after. When she turned back towards the front of the store, the sky was much darker and big raindrops were gliding down the windows. The storm got heavy very quickly, the wind whipping sheets of rain into the side of the building. Normally Y/N would find this kind of weather relaxing, something that would warrant comfy clothes and a cup of tea, but she had Nikita to wait for, and the more it rained the more she got worried about her plans for the day.

She was suddenly bathed in darkness as the power flickered and shut off completely. The light coming from outside was dim at best, and the rain only seemed to pelt the glass harder. She felt her heart sink. There was no way she could work on anything, let alone meet Nikita and give him his suits.

Right on cue, special agent Nikita flashed across her phone. She picked it up and tried to smooth over her frustrated tone. Despite being frustrated, she was tremendously relieved.

“Y/N, are you ok?” Nikita asked, hearing the rain in the background.

“Yeah, yeah, I think I’ll be ok, I just have to be careful getting home and we can reschedule, ok?” She asked, the defeat weighing down her last few words. She thought of her shit box sedan, probably floating down the flooded street by now.

“What’s happening over there?” He inquired, it couldn’t be that bad, right?

“Uh, the power’s out and the street is flooded out front, I’m not going to make you come over here Nikita.” She argued, “the roads are dangerous as it is.”

“Im coming to get you, just relax and I’ll be there soon.” He said, the determination in his voice rocking her a little bit.

“It’s really not safe right now! Don’t worry about me I’ll just wait it out.” She tried to reason, but she was cut off with a ‘no, no, no, stop.”.

“I’m not letting you sit there in the dark Y/N, I have an SUV I’ll be fine. Just sit tight and I’ll be there soon.” He pushed, and quickly hung up so she couldn’t try to deter him any more.

Not even fifteen minutes later, a black SUV swung up into the spot right in front of the door, Nikita running to the door with his arm up over his eyes. He threw the door open and pulled it closed, water gathering on the floor in front of him.

“You ok?” He asked.

“Yeah I’m good, it’s just dark.” She laughed, gesturing to the flashlight on her phone illuminating them.

“Good, let’s get the suits and get out of here.” He said, stepping back to the door to wait for her.

She first slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her keys from the desk. Then she grabbed all three garment bags, tucking them into her cardigan before folding it over her body like a disgruntled teacher. He pushed the door open as soon as she was by his side, fighting the wind and big drops. He stuck his arm out, using his big body to try and shield her as much as he could. He hit the hatch button on his key fob and she ran as quickly as her heels would allow on the flooded sidewalk, laying the bags down flat in his trunk before hitting the button to close them in safely. She made the quick shuffle to the passenger seat, shutting the door with an aggressive thud.

Nikita and Y/N both let out a breath. She hoped they would both make it out without getting too wet, but it was no use. She was soaked, her nicely curled hair now a damp mess, her cardigan and dress soaked on top. Nikita’s sweatshirt and hair were also soaked, him taking the hem of his sweatshirt to wipe his dripping forehead.

“So I was thinking we could go to my place, but if not I’ll take you home..?” He suggested, and she nodded after a beat.

“We can go to yours, I want to show you the suits.” She said, and he pulled out of the parking spot with a nod.

The road was absolutely drenched, so the drive home was slower, but nothing his SUV couldn’t handle. Nikita wordlessly turned on her heated seat, hoping to combat the shivers she developed as the minutes ticked on. He felt really bad about her getting rained on, but he couldn’t in good conscience leave her to drive home that shit box sedan or sit in the dark studio all day till the rain stopped. He was so relieved when the entrance to his building’s parking garage came into view. He parked in his spot, getting out first and grabbing the garment bags out of the back. Y/N brushed her wet hair out of her face in the mirror before opening her door and hopping out.

They made their way inside the elevator, side by side, until it arrived at his floor. He opened the door and let her in first, extending his hand in a come in motion. His apartment was nothing short of amazing. The space was large and open with a beautiful kitchen, plus large windows that overlooked Vancouver. The room was decorated exactly how she pictured, lots of sleek neutrals and modern details. He had a massive sectional sofa, with a huge tv and an electronic fireplace right underneath. He had a sliding glass door that lead out to a lovely balcony that housed a couple of plants and Adirondack chairs.

They could see the rain still coming down hard against the glass, with no signs of stopping any time soon. Across from the open living space was a large hallway that she assumed led to his bedrooms and bathrooms and any other extra space he had.

Y/N bent and grabbed a hold of one heel, sliding it off, then the other, then tucked them into the mat where a lot of his shoes sat near the door. Her heels were covered in water stains and grime from the dirty sidewalk, so she figured it would be better to leave them there for now. Nikita set the garment bags over the arm of his massive cushy sofa sectional before he meandered into the kitchen, pulling out two mugs and setting some water to boil. Without heels on, she fell right below his sternum, and it was now even more glaringly obvious how wide their size difference was.

“What kind of tea do you like Y/N? I have mint, camomile, and some sort of spicy-orangey one.” He asked from around the corner.

“Spicy orangey sounds good.” She joked, finally walking into the kitchen where he was pulling a little box out of one of the higher cabinets, “I never took you as a hot tea kind of guy.”

“I like it sometimes. Nathan MacKinnon said I should try it when I can’t sleep before taking melatonin, and he was kind of right.” He laughed at the memory, “the Dogg is always right when it comes to what you eat and drink.”

“Hey, if it works it works.” She remarked as he handed her a perfectly warm mug of tea.

They sat quietly for a minute, letting the warm liquid warm them up a little further. The sound of the rain outside was much more soothing in the comfort of his apartment. Y/N hadn’t realized how deep the chill had gotten from her still too wet cardigan and hair. He looked at her for a moment, realizing she was still shivering a little and damp. Once both of their teas were done, he grabbed the mugs and turned them in the sink.

“You should take that cardigan off, you’re going to catch a cold,” he said matter of factly, “I’m sure I have something you can wear if you want.”

She shrugged it off, and Nikita took a hold of it and turned on the electronic fireplace, putting it next to the slowly building warmth. He turned to the garment bags, and picked them up carefully, nodding his head towards the hallway.

“My closet’s down here, I want to see in the mirror.” He said.

At the end of the hallway was his room, decorated similarly to the rest of his living space. The bed was underneath the window on the opposite side of the door, a nice long ottoman chest sitting at the foot of his bed, the kind that had a cushioned top to sit on like a bench. Across from the bed was an absolutely massive ceiling to floor mirror that was backlit with soft white light, making it easy to see. There was a connecting door to the bathroom, and another door that seemed to be a walk in closet, absolutely filled to the brim with suits. Her jaw fell to the floor at the sight of all of this tailoring genius in front of her, and they were about to add three more to his amazing collection. She continued to look around while he slipped into the closet.

“What do you want to see first Y/N?” He asked, separating out the bags and hanging them on the closet door. He had thrown on a nice white button down and a black tie on, just to make sure he was doing the suits true justice. He kept his shorts on, creating a very interesting sight

“Hmm, the green one?” She asked, and he nodded, turning on his heel to take the green suit into the bathroom.

She took a seat on the ottoman chest, waiting patiently for him. He returned, pulling on the sleeves and adjusting the jacket on his frame. The green complimented him so well, and the cut hit him in the perfect spot on his hips to make him look muscular and fitted. The pants perfectly accentuated his thick thighs. He turned to the massive mirror, taking a quick once over before turning back to Y/N, who’s jaw was on the floor again.

“I don’t think that could fit you any better.” She said, and he laughed.

“Well, you took the measurements, I knew it was going to be perfect.” He responded, “ok, what next?”

“Do the purple one, the last one is going to surprise you.” She said, and he obliged, of course.

After another few minutes in the bathroom, he re-emerged, the velvety purple showing up almost black with the gorgeous vintage gold buttons holding it all together. The suit, again, was cut perfectly, showing off his physique. He turned, looking at the fit and the buttons, all before turning to Y/N once again.

“I think you were made for the double breasted suit.” She admitted, and he gave her a wide smile and a dorky little spin.

“I love the color, it’s so deep.” He said, again turning to go back to the bathroom with the maroon suit in hand.

Now this one, she wasn’t entirely sure about how he was going to feel. The buckled closure was new for his wardrobe, but she had faith that he would embrace it. While he was in the bathroom, she stood from her spot and looked inside his closet, wanting to grasp the full picture of his collection. His closet felt like it continued on for miles. She heard the door open, and turned to see Nikita messing with the closure.

“Can you help me close it?” He asked, and she took a moment to look at him.

The maroon of the suit was perfect for his skin tone, and the fit, again, looked perfect. the clasp that closed the jacket was a delicate gold, something that would fit with his usual accessories. The fabric tie that he would attach to the buckle seemed to be jammed a little, very easy to fix. She grabbed the tie, pulling it gently so it would slide out again, and grabbed the buckle with her other hand, slowly snaking the piece in and looping the pieces together.

Nikita’s brain shut off. She was so close to him, smelling like rain and sickly sweet flowers, with her hair now falling in messy locks from being wet. Flashes of every moment they spent together, through the phone or not, spun through his mind. He thought about the dinner they had, and how pretty she looked, and how hard they laughed. In this moment she looked beyond beautiful in her dress, the freckles on her shoulders standing out. His arms were at his side but he so desperately wanted to reach up and touch her.

So he did.

He ghosted his hands over her bare arms, up her shoulders, and placed them on the sides of her neck. She looked up at him, her gaze finding his. She didn’t look apprehensive at all, in fact there was a glimmer in her eye that he had never seen before.

“What?” She murmured, keeping their eyes locked.

His thumb grazed her jaw, keeping a slow, feathery pace, “nothing, I just wish this would happen every day.”

“Trying on new suits?” She wondered, even though she knew that wasn’t it.

He leaned down, almost to her lips, “No, having you here to help me.” He murmured, “I want you here all the time. I’ve dreamed of having you here with me.”

That was all she needed. She met him the rest of the way, standing on her tiptoes to reach his lips. Their kiss was all consuming, encapsulating every feeling they both felt over the last few months, but were never able to say. He felt so soft against her, his hands remaining on her neck while hers slid around his waist. She pulled back, Nikita chasing her lips as she broke away. She looked at him for a minute with a soft, twinkling look on her face, Nikita deciding he never wanted to see her look any other way.

“C’mere.” He said, pulling her back in.

He kissed her deeper, his tongue dancing over her bottom lip so she would open up. She did, willingly, the both of them melting into each other’s embrace. One hand snaked back into her hair, the other sliding down and across her back. Her hands crawled up his arms, holding onto the soft fabric of his suit jacket.

He tightened his hold on her hair, kissing across her cheek and down her pretty neck. She let out a soft moan, her lips sitting on the shell of his ear. He wanted to bottle up that sound and keep it forever.

As he mouthed at her collarbone, he took a step, then another, till they were standing in front of his ottoman chest, the mirror right across from them. He sat down, finding her lips again. He reached up and pulled on the knot in his tie just a little loose, giving him more room to move. Their kiss was growing hungrier, his need to feel her growing stronger with every move. Her hands found his hair, fingers carding through his soft locks.

He grabbed at her waist, pulling her flush with him between his thick thighs. She began trailing kisses down his neck, or what she could reach with his stiff collar in the way. He opened his eyes, just for a moment, and watched her squirm under his touch in the mirror. He could see his own pupils darken at the thought of watching her.

“Nikita..” she groaned, “please.”

“What is it baby?” He asked, letting his hands wander to the sides of her breasts.

“I, I just want you.” She said, placing a desperate kiss on the corner of his mouth, “can we go to bed?” Grabbing his hands to pull him up.

“No, wait,” he said, using the hand that she was holding to turn her around, “right here.”

Y/N and Nikita looked like a work of art together in that mirror. Her hair was tousled and messy, falling down to one side while he kissed and sucked at her shoulder, moving the thin strap of her dress down her arm with one hand and caressing her head with the other. The maroon of his suit and her green dress accented the other perfectly. She could see her nipples beginning to pebble under the built in cups of her dress, making her look beyond sultry in his arms. The most striking piece was how much bigger he was than her.

He moved his hands again, bringing them to her waist, then the sides of her breasts, then over them on top of the dress. He gave them a gentle squeeze, working a moan out of her throat. He kneaded her softly, then reached into the soft fabric, pulling her tits out over the top of the dress. He rolled her nipples in his fingers, making her shudder and arch in his grip.

“God you’re so beautiful,” he murmured in her ear, watching her eyelids squeeze shut at all of the sensations, “I thought about you like this, all sweet and pliant under my touch.”

“Shit, N-Nikita.” She panted, coming down to fully sit in his lap and grasp at his arms. She could feel his bulge growing in his nice new suit pants, and whimpered at the feeling.

“Do you like that? When I touch you like that?” He egged on, wanting to hear her say it.

“Ah.. yes, yes I love it.” She sighed out.

He shifted one arm over to play with her nipples and hold her up while his other hand reached for the hem of her dress, slowly pulling it up till he could see her panties. He almost died at the sight. He could see how spun up she had gotten just from kissing and touching her.

“Shit, look at you.” He said, cupping her pussy with his massive hand, “all wet from a few touches.”

“Only for you.” she admitted, letting him take control of the whole situation. She leaned her head back onto his shoulder and gazed at the ceiling.

He reached into her panties, letting his fingers graze over her wet lips, before slowly pulling her panties down and off. He grabbed her by the waist and shifted her back so she was fully seated, throwing her legs over the outsides of his. She was fully exposed to the mirror, and all of his ministrations were on display. He ran two fingers through her wetness before sinking them into her pussy, agonizingly slow. He began to make a come here motion, letting his thumb circle her clit. The sound of her arousal filled the room, and she couldn’t help the moans that tumbled out of her mouth as Nikita dragged his fingers over her sensitive walls.

She worked her hand into his hair behind her, the other coming to cover his as he worked on her. He placed kisses on her temple and neck as he slowly worked more sounds out of her, her movement working him up underneath his suit pants. Every sigh and gasp in his ear, every time her grip tightened on his hair, every grind of her hips against him, was heaven. Every inch of her was perfect for him, and he got to watch it all unravel right in front of him.

“God I’m s-so close, please!” She gasped, her pussy tightening around him.

“Go ahead baby, take what you need.” He encouraged, “cum all over my fingers.”

His words were like magic. She came all around him, her legs clamping down around his and her fingers tightening in his hair. He kept gently moving his fingers inside her, the waves of delicious pleasure washing over her. His eyes never dropped from the mirror.

Once her orgasm ebbed, she grabbed his wrist and moved his hand away from her oversensitive bundle. He brought his soaking fingers to his mouth, sucking her juices off of his fingers with an ‘mmm’. She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm, letting herself catch her breath while she tasted her essence on him.

She was very, very aware of his hard dick pressing against her; with every shift he would groan. His hands found her waist again, gently lifting her out of her seat so there was enough room for him to unzip his pants and bring them down just enough for his cock to spring free. She started to turn and sink down on her knees but he stopped her, pulling her back up.

“Maybe later, I wanna be inside you.” He stated bluntly.

“What about your suit?” She asked, running her hands along the fabric, “you haven’t even worn it out yet.”

“I’ll take it to the dry cleaners if we make that much of a mess. All I’m worried about is you.” He said giving her hand a kiss. “Where do you want to be baby?”

“Right here, I liked how we were.” She admitted, climbing back onto his lap with her legs bent on either side of him, facing the mirror.

She was spread open and on display for them again, this time his cock was painfully hard resting against her back. He took her hips in his hand, pulling her up while she grabbed a hold of him, giving him a couple of pumps before lining him up with her. She took it slow, settling down inch by inch. She sank down till she was fully seated in his lap, being practically split open. She moaned out a breath, giving them both a moment to adjust to the feeling.

For Nikita, it felt like coming home. She was so tight and warm and all enveloping. He wanted to stay that way forever, close to her with the perfect view. He let a hand ghost over her stomach, a touch that ended up feeling comforting to her.

“You ok?” He asked in her ear, laying a kiss on it.

“Y-yeah, you’re just really big.” She admitted, making him chuckle. “Feels so good..”

“Good, baby.” He reassured.

After another moment, she pulled up, then sat back down, starting a deep slow pace. She put her head back on his shoulder, letting pretty moans tumble out just like before. Nikita’s hands were everywhere, her stomach, thighs, tits, waist, all of her. Every nerve in his body was on fire. He looked at the scene before him in the mirror, watching himself disappear into her tight heat. He had never seen something so hot, it was a miracle he was even able to utter a word in English.

“Fuck, baby, look how pretty you are.” He whispered, bringing his hand into her hair again, “watch with me.”

She looked up, as mesmerized by the two of them as he was, “s-shit, you’re taking me so well, baby. Keep fucking me like that.” He mumbled, watching her bite down on her lip.

She watched him slide into her, feeling him deep inside while she took him at her own pace. She watched her tits bounce as his hands came up to meet them, rubbing her nipples to add some more sensation. Her thighs began to burn and her legs were shaking, both from the stimulation and the effort. She was trying her best to keep pace, but she was losing rhythm.

“Nikita.. please.” She asked, grabbing his hands and sliding them down to her hips, where he squeezed.

“Oh, do you want some help baby?” He whispered, earning a nod from her, “that’s ok baby, relax and I’ll help.”

He began lifting her and setting her back down, keeping his hands firmly planted on her hips as he guided her body. He set a slightly faster pace, one that would keep winding them up without hurting her. Their moans were getting louder and higher, and he could feel her pussy squeezing around him.

“Oh fuck Nikita I’m so close! Keep going!” She moaned out, one hand coming to play with her puffy clit.

“That’s it baby, feel good for me, cum all over me”. He rambled, his breath growing ragged as he felt his orgasm approaching, “I wanna see you come all over my cock, make a mess.”

The last few strokes with her pussy basically holding him in a vice pushed him over the edge; he came deep inside her with a loud moan. the feeling of him unraveling sent her into her very own. Her orgasm practically ignited her whole body, her vision exploding with stars. He kept the pace up, even if she wasn’t using any strength anymore. The waves kept crashing over her, high pitched whimpers escaping her. She kept rubbing her clit, teetering on the edge of overstimulated until Nikita set her down on his cock, letting her hips go. He ghosted his hand over her waist again, laying little comforting kisses on all of the skin he could reach. The comedown was slow, like floating feathers in the air. The only sounds left were their breathing and the gentle pattering of the rain outside. The sun had set not too long ago, so the room was dark except for the halo lights around his mirror.

“Fuck baby, that was the hottest thing I have ever seen.” He painted, “…you ok?”

“..yeah, t-that was amazing.” She said, turning her head to capture his lips in a soft, tired kiss.

“I didn’t hurt you did I?” He asked, and she shook her head no, but not before nikita’s eyebrows rose in realization, “shit, we didn’t use protection-“

“It’s ok Nikita, I’m on birth control and I’m clean, I trust you…” she said, and a small shift in their position made her wince. Her hips and thighs were beginning to ache with soreness from the open position, “as much as I like feeling full, I really need to move.”

“Of course, let me help.” He obliged, grabbing her hips one more time, sliding her off his cock so she was able to close her legs in front of him, “what would you say to a quick shower, then relaxing in bed?”

“Mm, I could be persuaded.” She giggled, letting him finally stand up.

His lap was a wet, creamy mess of both of them, but it wasn’t so bad that he would be shunned from every dry cleaner in Vancouver. He would just wash off the incriminating stuff and wet his new suit pants a little and say he accidentally dropped them during the rain storm. They both made their way to the massive bathroom, pulling off their clothes. The shower they took was strangely the most wholesome part of the night, both of them taking turns washing each other while they had soft conversation. They gave each other sweet kisses, and laughed at the couple of hickeys that adorned the both of them.

Nikita shut off the water and reached for his fluffiest towel, wrapping it around her with a kiss on her nose. They dried off, him finding a stretched out old shirt for her to wear for the rest of the evening, while he picked new boxers and an old tee as well. He picked up her panties and handed them to her, then leaned up over the bed to crack the window, the soft sound of rain and the cool breeze wafting through. He reached down bringing his comforter and sheets down the bed and sprawled out on top. She joined him on the other side. She snuggled up to his chest and he began tracing soft patterns on her back, his other hand falling to the ditch of her knee as she crossed her leg over his lap. A loud growl erupted from his stomach, and they both laughed. They accidentally skipped dinner all together.

“You wore me out, you minx.” He joked, earning a slap to the chest, “want to order in?”

“Sounds delicious!” She exclaimed, Nikita fishing for his phone on the table beside him, “hey, Nikita?”

“Yes baby?” He responded, looking away from the online menu to her.

“Thank you, for being so amazing,” she muttered, “for being there for me and taking care of me, I guess.”

“Oh, baby,” he said, leaning down for a chaste kiss, “you’re the amazing one, I’ve been dying to ask you out since you fixed the seam on my jacket,”

“Really? That long huh?” She teased, and he laughed along with her.

“As long as it took to make you mine.” He admitted, her heart fluttering at his words.

“Does that mean you’re officially asking me out Mr. Zadorov?” She giggled, making his cheeks turn red with blush.

“And if I was, would you say yes?” He whispered.

“One hundred times over.”

<><><><>

[thimbledoll]

The Dressing Doll

The Warlock's room was a disaster, every inch of it littered in skirts, petticoats, socks, and other accoutrement as he searched for the right combination of items for his doll. Satin mused to herself that it looked as though a lace elemental had made the room its nest.

After what seemed an eternity, Alistair finally emerged from the mountain of clothes with his prize in hand. "I knew I had it somewhere… This one just matches the blouse too well to not wear it, especially with the cardigan and tights," the Warlock said, holding the skirt aloft.

In the one tiny corner of the room not covered in clothing, the doll stood by as her Warlock navigated the mess he had made, the mess she would have to clean up later. When at last he had cleared the obstacle course, he held it out for her to step into.

Slipping her stockinged feet into the skirt, she had to admit, it really did pull the whole outfit together, especially once a petticoat was added. Moving to the hallway mirror to better see his handiwork, she saw reflected the picture of pseudo-Victorian fashion he so enjoyed.

The puff of her skirt and her blouse's sleeves combined with the tapered waist the skirt cut an incredibly elegant figure. The red and white pinstripe of the skirt drew out the matching whites of her blouse and stockings and the reds of her shoes, cardigan, and hat.

It was a gorgeous outfit heavily contrasted by her Warlock's own appearance. Dressed in jeans and a worn-out, hooded sweatshirt, his scraggly beard and hair that hadn't seen a barber's sheers in a decade created a clear picture of a man who cared nothing for his own appearance.

"As always, this doll must thank you for your assistance, sir. She truly has no eye for these sorts of things," Satin said.

"It's… it's nothing. I find this entertaining, you know that."

"And yet you apply none of these skills to your own fashion, sir. You own more clothes for your doll than you do for even yourself. It begs the question, why…?"

Alistair sighed, exasperated. "We've been over this. A. That isn't 'begging the question' and B… if I'm going to have a doll to assist me around here all day, then she may as well be one I enjoy looking at. After all, that is the Purpose I Made you with, is it not?"

Satin could feel in her core that something about what he'd said wasn't quite right. It was close, but as always, it didn't resonate at quite the right frequency with her being. It gnawed at her. Something indiscernible pushed her to try a different tack this time.

"If this doll could ask a small imposition, would sir humor her today?" she asked.

Alistair was taken aback. Satin never really asked for things. Not since the very day of her Making could he recall such a thing. It seemed the least he could do for her, given circumstances.

"Alright, so be it. As long as it doesn't distract from my day's work too much. What is it you want?" he answered, trepidatiously.

"Please play dress-up with this doll, sir."

"We just got you dressed, doll."

"No, sir. This doll asks that you join her in dressing up."

"Oh…" Alistair paused before thinking aloud. "I don't really own anything that would go with what you're wearing… My wardrobe's more built for comfort than it is looks…"

"There are plenty of clothes here for you, sir," Satin replied, indicating the remains of his search.

"What? Nonononono. Those are yours. Besides, they'd never fit," he protested.

"Sir, this doll has seen her design specifications. Our body proportions are identical. They'll fit just fine."

The Warlock's air of confidence and bravado wavered as he countered, "They-they're women's clothes, in case you haven't noticed."

"You yourself, sir, have told this doll that part of being a Warlock is rejecting the impositions society puts upon you. Why hold on to this one?"

One by one, Satin dismantled Alistair's arguments as adeptly as he could dismantle her, until the only defense he was left with was staring at the floor, stuttering, "Then… then they wouldn't suit me…"

"This doll begs to differ. Come, let this doll figure it out, sir."

Taking her Warlock by the hand, she led him back to the bedroom, to a spot atop the bed which she quickly cleared off. Once seated, Alistair nervously fidgeted, wringing his hands over and over. Muttering to himself, he mused, "A Warlock showing fear before his doll… Pathetic…"

Satin chose to pretend she hadn't heard him, turning to the task she'd set herself. Looking at the options before her, the doll couldn't even begin to figure out how her Warlock did it every day, turning all the varied options into a complete assemblage that complemented itself.

Still, something drove her forward. She didn't need the best outfit. Perfect coordination wasn't required here. There was some other quality she was looking for, something she could identify as she picked various pieces from the piles. Some stockings here. A shirt there. This skirt or tha—no, it was definitely that one. Somehow she could tell which ones were right. She could feel them, feel them resonate in a way nothing quite had before.

All the items gathered, she brought them over to her Warlock. He'd apparently taken to covering his face to try and hide his feelings. His fear. His embarrassment. His shame. Still, there was work to do.

One by one, she removed each piece of uncared for clothing from Alistair. He offered no protest, moving as needed to assist, but hiding his expression all the while. Satin was slow, careful, deliberate. It was a delicate process, as she peeled back layer after layer of armor. Reduced to his drawers, Satin could build him back up. In a mirror of their daily routine, she helped him into each article of clothing she'd picked for him. Slipping his feet into the tights. Buttoning his blouse. Lacing his shoes. Until Alistair no longer stood before her.

Placing her hands atop his shoulders, she walked him out to the full length mirror in the hall. Speaking to him for the first time since he'd wordlessly agreed to her request, Satin said, "It's done. Please, sir, take a look."

Slowly, he lowered his hands. There, in the mirror, he finally saw it.

He swished to the left and so did his reflection. He turned his foot out and so did his reflection. He spun around in his skirt and so did his reflection. He smiled like never before and so did his reflection. Finally, he cracked—and so did his reflection.

Tears streamed from his eyes as he cried out, "Why? Why? Why?! Why isn't this enough?! Why doesn't it work?! I look like a joke. I look ridiculous. I look like… I look… I look hideous… No one would ever… I could never… It doesn't work… It was supposed to work…

"This hair." Crack. "This beard." Crack. "This fucking face!" Crack. With each outburst, the crack in the mirror spidered and spread. "They. Don't. Work! They don't fucking work! They're wrong! It's wrong! It's all fucking wrong! It was supposed to work!" CRACK.

He broke. He bawled. He cried out the bloody, primal scream of a person whose very spirit was being torn in two. It was all Satin could do to hold herself together against the Magicks he cursed into being as she held on to him, crumpling together to the floor.

When at last he'd caught his breath, he continued, "Why do I want this to work? Why do I need this to work? Why am I the problem? Why isn't this enough? Why…? Why…? Why do I finally see me…? Why does that make me feel so sick, but so…?"

Satin could not say where the right words came from, but without hesitation she responded, "It's ok. No matter what you are you. No matter what you made this doll. No matter what this doll is here. We'll… we'll find the answers, si—We'll find the answers. Together."

So they lay upon the floor, the doll consoling her Maker, as the world, the pretense, and the mirror shattered before them.

End 🧵

(Old story reposted from Twitter)

[marchtooctober]

This fic happens after they everyone gets back inside. I was supposed to post this after chapter 90's release but I was busy with my internship so I couldn't finish it in time. A longer note will follow at the bottom of fic. Thanks and happy reading!! 💕

Clothes to Wear for Another Decade

The Forgers have been helping their new neighbors, the Authens, unpack their luggage and arrange their belongings. Loid moved and opened the boxes while Yor dusted the shelves and cleaned all over the dirty nooks. Bond lazily lied after the tiring adventure of a walk. Anya and Mr. Authens are engaged in a more or less coherent chat about housewares and zoology.

“Should we open this up?” Yor asked, carrying a massive trunk with no difficulty.

“As for that one… I can't remember what's inside. Can you please open it?” Mrs. Authen said, trying to recall its content.

“Okay.”

Yor did as requested and clothes of unfamiliar style and colors emerged. Dresses with puffed sleeves and capes, pleated skirts, wide-legged pants, vests, flat caps, suspenders, pinstripe suits, knitted tops and many more. Mrs. Authen's expression turned bright as she grabbed some.

“It's our old clothes! Now I remember! It would be a shame to leave them behind so we had to bring some of them.” She delightfully said.

Anya and Mr. Authen joined them in rummaging through the colorful pile. 

“How nice to see these again. Look at that! It's my Sunday favorite, and this one too from one of our dates.” Mr. Authen held up some oddly paired baggy trousers and sweaters.

“I used to wear these for parties.” Mrs. Authen took her flapper dresses with elaborate patterns.

Anya held up several items out of curiosity.

“Will Becky approve these long thingies?” She thought out loud.

Mrs. Authen smiled and turned to Yor and Loid.

“Come and choose anything you'd like to try!"

"But we still have to-" Yor started.

"Don't be shy, dear! Here, this. Try this. And this one, that one too! Your mister can surely take care of himself, isn't that right?" The woman turned to Yor and Loid.

Suddenly, they were too stunned to speak. As if it was their first time to be identified as husband and wife.

"Uhm…"

"Oh? Aren't you two wedded?"

"Uh- Y-Yes, ma'am! We're already married. Last year. Anya is my child with my late wife who passed away." Loid was so taken aback by the question that it caused him to stutter.

"Is that so, dear? But what a nice family, you all are."

"Well… Thank you, ma'am."

Mrs. Authen continued searching through the folded items until she got her hands on a large fabric. She unfolded it and showed a set of baggy top with and pleated skirt. Underneath is another set of plain shirt with suspenders and wide-legged pants. The colors have already faded a little but the fabrics are barely damaged.

"I think these will look good on both of you."

"But we can't-" Loid started but the old lady spoke again.

"Please, It'll be very nice to see you wear our clothes just this once. Won't you grant this old woman's favor?"

They became fidgety and couldn't stare at anyone at all.

"O-Okay… We will try them on." Yor said shyly.

To shield himself from embarrassment and scrutinizing gazes, he took the clothes and went into one of the rooms to get changed. Yor did the same and went to another room. It did not take long before they both stepped out.

"My, my, it really suits you!" Barbara said in delight.

"Really, they do. Just like us when we were younger." Her husband added.

“Mama and Papa look like people from old movies.”

Loid and Yor could not help but blush in embarrassment and smile awkwardly. It simply felt different. Because they are donning the old couple's clothes.

“How do they fit?” Mrs. Authen asked.

“It fits just right. But I was scared that I might damage the skirt so I had to adjust it a little.” Yor said, scanning the clothes for damage.”

“And you?”

“The shirt fits me but the pants seem a little bit short for me.” Loid replied while adjusting the suspenders.

Mr. And Mrs. Authen couldn't help but pour compliments and tell them stories of old, the memories that were stitched on the clothes.

"Oh dear… you look so good in our dress. Why don't you keep it?" Mrs. Authen suddenly asked.

"Hm-?! Keep?! But we can't accept this ma'am…" Yor immediately said in surprise.

"I think so too, Mrs. Authen. We think your family should be the one wearing these. I believe they'll treasure it more dearly." Loid added.

"Could it be that you don't want it because it doesn't suit your taste? Then we can just go to the tailor for something nice." Mr Authen said.

"N-No, sir! We assure you, it's not! We simply think that we don't deserve your beloved items." Loid reasoned with a smile.

He started worrying that they offended the couple for rejecting but he was surprised when Mrs. Authen took his hand.

"You know, son," The old lady started as she also took Yor's hand and placed it with Loid's.

The physical touch that was shared did nothing as much as what the rest of Mrs. Authen's words did to them.

"These clothes gave us good memories for a long time. I hope that they'll do the same for you too."

Loid and Yor only smiled. It was only in an instant but their gazes crossed. Their countenance showed half-torn cheerfulness. If anything, the words caused a sudden pang of bitterness to Loid.

Loid doesn't know what's in Yor's mind but for him, they are unworthy of such a pure gesture. It wasn't only because they are not a real couple. They are simply bound by the benefits of a fake relationship with no lasting commitment on his end. It's unspoken but he knows it very well.

Good clothes for good memories.

The uncertainty of the future was enough to keep them from accepting such prized possession. Loid knew that the Forger family would not last long enough for such clothes to be worn a dozen times.

▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎

I hope you enjoyed this little fic of mine. Actuallyyy,, this is pretty much a by-product of my rainy day fic that i posted some time ago. That fic was supposed to be longer because Loid and Yor were supposed to be taken in by an old couple that runs a boutique shop for vintage items (their old items). And because Loid and Yor are rain-drenched, the old couple will give them clothes.

But since there were still no elderly couple in the manga back then and of course with my laziness and distaste for carelessly naming my OCs, I cut off the said fic as i have posted. You can go ahead and read it if you're interested 🥰🥰.

So ever since i posted that fic, I've been waiting for old characters to be introduced in the manga and finally chapter 90 came. We now have Mr. and Mrs. Authen!!! 🤩🤩🤩 I'm so glad that i put this fic off until the right time comes. And now I'm sharing this with you.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. if you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Paul Newman style is the blueprint for timeless menswear. He wasn’t just a movie star; he was a cultural icon whose wardrobe choices perfectly captured his effortless charisma. From the silver screen to candid street moments, Newman’s fashion embodied a blend of rugged masculinity and refined elegance. Whether he was donning a slim gray suit in The Hustler or pairing a chambray work shirt with khakis in Cool Hand Luke, Newman had a look that always exuded a sense of ease and authenticity. He was the kind of man who didn’t chase trends—he set them, often without even trying. What makes Paul Newman style so enduring is its accessibility. His wardrobe was built around everyday staples—white T-shirts, denim jackets, and well-tailored suits—that every man can relate to. Yet, he elevated these pieces through impeccable fit and subtle details, like a classic pair of aviator sunglasses or a perfectly chosen watch. His approach to fashion was less about flash and more about creating a signature look that felt distinctly his own. It’s a lesson that resonates just as much today, in a world where timeless style often outlasts fleeting trends. The Man Behind the Style Paul Newman in Venice, 1963” by Jared Enos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Paul Newman lived from January 26, 1925, to September 26, 2008, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy in film and fashion. His most iconic film roles shaped men’s style for decades to come: In Cool Hand Luke (1967), Newman played Luke Jackson, a prisoner in a Florida chain gang who refuses to submit to the system. His prison uniform of chambray work shirts and denim became an unlikely style inspiration, influencing workwear fashion for decades. As Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Newman brought Western wear into modern fashion. His character’s combination of frontier clothing with a sophisticated twist – from wool vests to leather jackets – influenced how men incorporated Western elements into their everyday wardrobe. Playing Henry Gondorff in The Sting (1973), Newman embodied 1930s sophistication as a con man taking down a crime boss. The film’s influence can be seen in the renewed popularity of pinstripe suits, fedoras, and pocket watches, elements that continue to influence formal menswear. Paul Newman’s fashion sense wasn’t about following trends; it was about mastering the basics and adding a personal twist. His wardrobe choices showcased a deep understanding of balance—pairing simplicity with subtle statements, functionality with flair. At its core, Newman’s style resonated because it felt authentic. He dressed like himself, not a version of someone he thought he should be. TL;DR: Key Takeaways from Paul Newman Style Studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Paul Newman style is the epitome of timeless cool, blending simplicity, sophistication, and a hint of rebellion. It’s a masterclass in how to elevate everyday essentials into iconic statements. By focusing on fit, quality, and subtle details, Newman crafted a wardrobe that feels just as relevant today as it did decades ago. Paul Newman fashion wasn’t about flash or extravagance but about letting the clothes serve as a canvas for his undeniable confidence and charisma. Simplicity with Personality: Newman’s wardrobe relied on high-quality basics like white tees, slim-fit jeans, and Oxford shirts. These pieces were understated yet versatile, forming the backbone of his effortless style. Balance is Key: He skillfully paired casual staples with more formal elements, like a perfectly tailored blazer or sleek leather loafers, creating outfits that were both approachable and refined. Details Matter: Signature pieces like his Rolex Daytona watch and timeless aviator sunglasses brought individuality to his looks, proving that accessories can transform even the simplest outfits. Fit First: Newman’s style prioritized tailoring and fit, ensuring that every piece—from his suits to his denim—enhanced his frame. Pro Tip: Start by perfecting your wardrobe basics, but don’t overlook the importance of fit and accessories. These details are what elevate good style to iconic status. Wardrobe Essentials “Paul Newman 1925-2008” by twm1340 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Paul Newman style was built on a foundation of timeless pieces, proving that less truly is more when it comes to cultivating a classic wardrobe. His choices emphasized quality, fit, and versatility, allowing him to move effortlessly from casual streetwear to polished ensembles without missing a beat. In a way, Paul Newman street style was Paul Newman casual style. These staples remain just as relevant today, and with the right approach, they can easily become the backbone of any modern man’s wardrobe. Key Pieces White T-Shirt Why It’s Essential: Newman transformed the basic white T-shirt into an icon of effortless cool, showcasing how a well-fitted tee can be both understated and impactful. Visual Example: Think of his simple, rugged look in Cool Hand Luke—a fitted white T-shirt paired with jeans. Modern Option: A high-quality cotton crewneck like the Sunspel Classic T-Shirt offers a contemporary take on this timeless essential. Pair it with dark denim or chinos for a clean, casual look. Slim-fit Jeans Why It’s Essential: A good pair of jeans anchors any casual outfit, and Newman’s preference for slim, straight-leg styles highlighted his ability to keep things sleek and polished. Visual Example: Off-screen, Newman was often spotted in mid-wash jeans cuffed at the ankle for a relaxed vibe. Modern Option: Look for slim-fit jeans like the Levi’s 511 or Rag & Bone Fit 2 in a medium or dark wash for a versatile, everyday staple. Button-down Oxford Shirt Why It’s Essential: Newman’s love for clean, crisp button-downs added a touch of refinement to his casual style. These shirts balanced his rugged denim looks and complemented tailored outfits. Visual Example: His polished yet relaxed Oxford shirt moments in The Hustler paired with slim trousers are legendary. Modern Option: The Brooks Brothers Regent Fit Oxford Shirt or Everlane’s Slim Fit Oxford offers a contemporary nod to Newman’s classic aesthetic. Denim Jacket Why It’s Essential: The denim jacket was a Newman favorite, blending ruggedness with versatility. Worn over a T-shirt or paired with chinos, it added texture and depth to his casual outfits. Visual Example: Off-screen photos frequently show Newman in a well-worn denim jacket, exuding a relaxed, approachable cool. Modern Option: Try the Levi’s Trucker Jacket for an authentic and versatile option that works across seasons. Tailored Suit Why It’s Essential: Newman’s suits were a study in perfect tailoring, often in neutral tones that allowed his natural charisma to shine. Visual Example: In The Hustler, Newman’s slim gray suit paired with a white shirt and skinny tie remains an enduring example of classic tailoring. Modern Option: A slim-fit suit like the SuitSupply Havana Suit or J.Crew Ludlow Suit captures the sharp, tailored look that Newman mastered. How to Wear Them Today Unknown author, dedicated to Bettmann Archive, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Building a wardrobe inspired by Paul Newman requires understanding of both the core pieces and their modern interpretations. His influence on men’s fashion stems from his ability to make simple, well-chosen items look extraordinary through careful attention to fit, quality, and styling. Newman’s approach to dressing demonstrated that a curated selection of versatile pieces could work harder than an extensive wardrobe of trend-focused items. His lasting impact on menswear shows how timeless style transcends decades, with his signature combinations remaining as relevant today as they were during his heyday. These wardrobe staples offer endless versatility for creating modern interpretations of Newman’s iconic style. Here’s a comprehensive guide to wearing each piece: Casual Looks White T-Shirt Combinations: Pair with dark slim jeans and minimalist sneakers for an everyday casual look Layer under a denim jacket with chinos and boots for a rugged weekend outfit Tuck into high-waisted trousers with loafers for a refined casual approach Wear under a blazer with dark jeans for smart-casual occasions Business and Formal Wear Suit Styling: Choose slim-fit gray or navy suit for versatility Keep shirts crisp and white for maximum impact Add personality through subtle texture in ties and pocket squares Ensure proper tailoring for a modern silhouette Smart Casual Integration: Mix suit separates with casual pieces Pair blazer with dark jeans and dress boots Use Oxford shirts as a bridge between casual and formal Seasonal Adaptations Spring/Summer: Lightweight fabrics in classic cuts Roll sleeves on Oxford shirts Switch to lighter wash denim Incorporate linen pieces Fall/Winter: Layer pieces strategically Add textured knits Choose heavier denim weights Incorporate wool and tweed Signature Accessories MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Style icons often have signature accessories that become inseparable from their image, and Paul Newman’s carefully chosen pieces defined an era of masculine elegance. His most iconic accessories weren’t just fashionable statements – they were functional items that enhanced his natural charisma and became deeply connected to his legacy. From his trademark sunglasses to his legendary Rolex Daytona watch, Newman’s accessories demonstrated his understanding that true style lies in selecting timeless pieces that complement rather than overshadow the wearer. Key Accessories Paul Newman Sunglasses What Makes Them Unique: Newman’s aviator and square-framed sunglasses added effortless cool to every outfit Visual Example: Classic aviators in Harper Modern Option: Ray-Ban Aviator Classic or Persol frames in neutral tones Rolex Daytona Watch What Makes It Unique: The Paul Newman Daytona epitomizes understated luxury Modern Option: Minimalist chronographs from Seiko or Tag Heuer Leather Belt What Makes It Unique: Simple leather belts that blend seamlessly with outfits Modern Option: Quality leather belts from Anderson’s or Filson with clean buckle designs Grooming and Presentation U.S. Navy photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Paul Newman’s polished yet natural grooming routine embodied elegant simplicity. His approach balanced sophistication with effortless style, influencing decades of men’s grooming trends with his emphasis on looking well-maintained without appearing overly manicured. Hairstyle  The iconic tousled look that Newman perfected remains highly influential today. Modern products can help achieve this timeless style with the right combination of hold and natural movement. His signature hairstyle featured a medium length cut with textured layers that allowed for versatile styling – equally appropriate whether casually disheveled or neatly combed for formal occasions. To recreate this adaptable look, contemporary products offer various options: SlideBaxter of CaliforniaClay Pomade SlideSlideAmerican CrewForming Cream SlideR+CoAircraft Pomade Mousse Skincare  SlideSlideKiehl'sUltra Facial Cleanser SlideJack BlackDouble-Duty Face Moisturizer SlideLab SeriesDaily Moisture Defense Lotion SlideSlideSlideClinique For MenAnti-Age Eye Cream SlideBrickellRestoring Eye Cream A consistent skincare routine forms the foundation of a polished appearance, much like Newman maintained. His naturally clear complexion was enhanced by proper skin maintenance and protection, particularly during his racing career when exposed to the elements. Today’s products offer excellent options for maintaining healthy, vibrant skin while addressing modern environmental concerns: Fragrance  SlideSlide Selecting the right scent is crucial for completing a sophisticated presence, as Newman understood well. His preference for subtle, clean fragrances emphasized his natural charisma without overwhelming it. Modern fragrances that capture his essence focus on clean, masculine notes while maintaining contemporary relevance: Fresh citrus scents featuring bergamot, lemon, and grapefruit top notes create an energetic, clean impression. For a fresh citrus profile that captures his clean-cut essence, Acqua di Parma’s Colonia features bright Italian citrus notes while maintaining an elegant character. Classic woody fragrances with cedar, sandalwood, and vetiver provide timeless sophistication. The timeless woody sophistication he favored finds expression in Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver, which masterfully balances cedar and vetiver notes for a polished yet natural effect. Cultivating Timeless Style & Presence 20th Century Fox, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The art of refined personal presentation combines thoughtfully selected clothing with meticulous grooming, as exemplified by Paul Newman’s enduring influence. Today, this comprehensive approach begins with investing in quality wardrobe basics made from natural materials. Precise fit remains the cornerstone of polished appearance, requiring exact measurements and a skilled tailor’s expertise. George Clooney exemplifies this attention to detail, particularly visible in his Armani and Brioni suits that maintain ideal proportions. Grooming plays an equally crucial role in the overall presentation. A consistent skincare routine using targeted products helps maintain a healthy appearance. For hair care, premium products elp achieve that natural yet polished look favored by contemporary style icons like Ryan Gosling. The result of this comprehensive approach is an authentic style that evolves naturally while maintaining consistent sophistication. Brad Pitt demonstrates this in his casual wear choices, and Daniel Craig shows how attention to both clothing and grooming creates a complete presentation. Conclusion Paul Newman’s style philosophy emphasizes authenticity, quality, and understated elegance. His influence continues through generations, from Steve McQueen to Ryan Gosling, resonating with everyday fashion enthusiasts. His approach wasn’t about specific pieces but about wearing them with natural confidence and grace. In today’s fast-paced fashion world, Newman’s style reminds us that true elegance is timeless. Quality basics, proper fit, and consistent personal style triumph over fleeting trends. His looks exemplified authenticity and attention to detail—qualities that remain relevant today. Source link

[donmorphy12]

Discovering the Elegance of Custom Suits Dallas

In the heart of Texas, where style meets Southern charm, Dallas stands out as a beacon for fashion enthusiasts. Among the many clothing choices out there, custom suits Dallas have become a must-have for anyone looking for style and uniqueness. The rise of custom tailoring has transformed the way men approach their wardrobes, providing a unique opportunity to express personal style and achieve a flawless fit.

The Allure of Custom Suits

What sets custom suits apart from off-the-rack options? The answer lies in the details. A custom suit is more than just a piece of clothing; it's a representation of the wearer's personality and preferences. From fabric selection to cut and design, every aspect of a custom suit is tailored to fit the client's specifications. This level of personalization not only ensures a perfect fit but also elevates the overall aesthetic, making a striking impression.

In Dallas, where professional appearances often hold significant weight, having a custom suit can make all the difference. Whether you’re attending a business meeting, a wedding, or a formal event, a tailored suit not only enhances your confidence but also communicates a sense of sophistication and attention to detail.

The Custom Suit Process

Getting a custom suit starts with a consultation.Savvy tailors in Dallas understand that every client is unique and takes the time to learn about your style preferences, lifestyle, and specific needs. During this initial meeting, you will discuss various elements such as fabric choice, colour, and the overall silhouette of the suit.

Fabric Selection: The fabric is one of the most critical aspects of your suit. Whether you prefer luxurious wool, lightweight linen, or breathable cotton, the right fabric will ensure that your suit is comfortable for any occasion. Dallas tailors often provide a wide range of options, from classic patterns like pinstripes and checks to more modern, vibrant prints.

Measurements: Once the fabric is selected, precise measurements are taken to ensure an impeccable fit. Tailors pay attention to every detail, measuring not only the chest and waist but also the shoulder width, arm length, and leg inseam. This attention to detail results in a suit that feels like a second skin.

Design Elements: Custom suits allow for creativity and personalization. Clients can choose from various lapel styles, pocket designs, and button options. Want a unique lining or personalized monogram? This is the perfect opportunity to make your suit truly your own.

Why Choose Custom Suits in Dallas?

Quality Craftsmanship: Dallas is home to skilled artisans who take pride in their work. Custom suits are often handcrafted using traditional tailoring techniques, ensuring durability and quality.

Perfect Fit: Off-the-rack suits often require alterations, which can lead to additional costs and inconsistencies. Custom suits eliminate this hassle by providing a fit tailored specifically to your body.

Endless Options: The variety of fabrics, colours, and styles available in Dallas means that you can create a suit that reflects your personality. Whether you want a timeless classic or a bold, modern design, the possibilities are endless.

Confidence Boost: Wearing a suit that fits perfectly and looks amazing can significantly boost your confidence. You'll walk into any room feeling your best, ready to make an impression.

Caring for Your Custom Suit

Choosing to invest in a custom suit is only the first step. To maintain its elegance, proper care is essential. Here are a few tips:

Dry Clean Only When Necessary: Too much dry cleaning can hurt the fabric. Instead, use a soft brush and a steamer to get rid of wrinkles and keep your suit looking good.

Store Correctly: Use a good suit hanger to keep the shoulders in shape. Put your suit in a breathable garment bag to keep it safe from dust.

Change Up Your Suits: If you have several suits, wear them in turns to prevent any one suit from getting too worn out.

Conclusion

A custom suit in Dallas is more than just clothing; it's an investment in your personal brand. With its unique blend of craftsmanship, quality, and personal touch, a tailored suit can set you apart from the crowd. So, whether you're dressing for success in your career or making a statement at an event, consider embracing the elegance and individuality that comes with custom suits. Visit a local Dallas tailor today and embark on your journey to sartorial excellence.

[countlessrealities]

@nerdynanny sent:

Niffty has made Rick a gift-- for a man as EVIL as he was, he'd be a walking target in Cannibal Town. So Niffty had spent all night making him a proper suit to wear on their adventure shopping for certain ingredients. It was pinstriped, but in Rick's color-- complimenting his complexion and eye color.

Its also posed, waiting for him, in his room-- on a mannequin that eerily resembles him.

Saying that Rick is surprised to find such a fine gift waiting for him would be an understatement. He is vaguely aware that his outfit doesn't fit the fashion of that dimension, but it's not a problem in his eyes. He is a living human in Hell. He's bound to attract attention, no matter what he's wearing.

As it turns out, however, a certain someone must disagree with his assessment. Strongly enough to make him a tailored suit to wear. Of course, he has no doubts about whom this is from.

Callous fingers brush the fabric as he examines the cloth up close, taking in the perfect cut and the neat stitching. He has seen Niffty at work a few times, so he knows how talented she is, but this is a whole new level of impressive.

"...Remarkable."

He will need to get her a token of his appreciation. Perhaps he will buy something for her during their outing later that day. And then he'll make her something, once he gets his hands on the right raw materials.

For now, he'll swap outfits, so he can return the mannequin. Something tells him that the maid would want it back to keep for herself.

[kingjain]

The Black Phone Unisex T-Shirt The Black Phone Movie Ethan Hawke Shirt

The Black Phone Unisex T-Shirt is a stylish and trendy garment inspired by the highly anticipated movie, "The Black Phone." This shirt showcases a design that features the movie title in bold, eye-catching fonts, along with the image of the talented actor Ethan Hawke, who stars in the film. This t-shirt is suitable for both men and women, making it a perfect choice for anyone who appreciates quality fashion and wants to show their love for this upcoming thriller. The Black Phone Unisex T-Shirt is not just a clothing item; it is a statement piece that allows fans of the movie to proudly display their admiration for the film. This shirt serves as a unique and memorable gift for both men and women who are excited about the release of "The Black Phone." Whether it's for a birthday, special occasion, or simply as a surprise present, this t-shirt is sure to delight any fan of the movie. Made with high-quality materials, the Black Phone Unisex T-Shirt ensures both comfort and durability. Crafted from soft, breathable fabric, this t-shirt will keep you cool and comfortable throughout the day. It is perfect for casual outings, movie nights, or simply lounging around the house. The unisex design allows for a relaxed fit, making it suitable for a wide range of body types. The versatile nature of this shirt makes it a great addition to anyone's wardrobe. It can easily be paired with jeans, shorts, or even a skirt for a chic and effortless look. The black color of the shirt compliments a variety of styles and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. With its trendy design and comfortable fit, this t-shirt is a must-have for any fan of Ethan Hawke or "The Black Phone." In addition to its stylish appearance, the Black Phone Unisex T-Shirt also serves as a conversation starter. When wearing this shirt, you are likely to encounter fellow movie enthusiasts who share your excitement for "The Black Phone." It provides an opportunity to connect and bond with others who appreciate the work of Ethan Hawke and the thrilling storyline of this captivating film. Overall, the Black Phone Unisex T-Shirt is a perfect gift for everyone. Its fashionable design, comfortable fit, and association with the highly anticipated movie make it an ideal choice for fans of all ages and genders. Whether you're buying it for yourself or as a present for a loved one, this t-shirt is sure to become a cherished item that represents one's love for both Ethan Hawke and the cinematic experience that is "The Black Phone."

Get it here : The Black Phone Unisex T-Shirt The Black Phone Movie Ethan Hawke Shirt

Home Page : tshirtslowprice.com

Related : https://kingjain.tumblr.com/post/722424311220142080/tinker-bell-white-pinstripe-baseball-jersey

[giftsforus]

Buffalo Bills Jack Skellington Halloween Blue Background 3D Hoodie All Over Print

The Buffalo Bills Jack Skellington Halloween Blue Background 3D Hoodie All Over Print is the perfect gift for both men and women who are fans of the Buffalo Bills and Jack Skellington. This hoodie combines the excitement of the NFL season with the spooky vibes of Halloween, making it a unique and stylish piece of clothing that can be worn by everyone. The hoodie features a blue background with a Halloween-themed print all over it. The design includes images of Jack Skellington, the iconic character from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas," in a Buffalo Bills jersey. The combination of the Halloween elements with the team's logo and colors creates a visually striking and eye-catching design. The hoodie is made from high-quality materials, ensuring comfort and durability. It has a soft and cozy feel, making it perfect for those chilly fall nights or for wearing to a Halloween party. The 3D print adds a unique and modern touch to the hoodie, making it stand out from other traditional team merchandise. One of the great things about this hoodie is that it can be worn by both men and women. The design is unisex, allowing anyone to show off their love for the Buffalo Bills and their Halloween spirit. It is available in a variety of sizes, ensuring a perfect fit for everyone. Whether you are going to a Buffalo Bills game, a Halloween party, or simply want to express your love for the team and the spooky season, this hoodie is a great choice. It can be paired with jeans or leggings for a casual and sporty look, or dressed up with accessories for a more trendy and fashionable outfit. In addition to being a fashionable choice, this hoodie also makes for a great gift. Whether you are shopping for a Buffalo Bills fan, someone who loves Halloween, or both, this hoodie is sure to be a hit. It is a unique and thoughtful present that allows the recipient to show off their team spirit and love for Halloween all at once. In conclusion, the Buffalo Bills Jack Skellington Halloween Blue Background 3D Hoodie All Over Print is a trendy and stylish piece of clothing that is suitable for both men and women. Its unique design combines the excitement of the NFL season with the spookiness of Halloween, making it a great gift for anyone who loves the Buffalo Bills and Jack Skellington. With its high-quality materials and comfortable fit, this hoodie is sure to be a favorite among sports fans and Halloween enthusiasts alike.

Get it here : Buffalo Bills Jack Skellington Halloween Blue Background 3D Hoodie All Over Print

Home Page : tshirtslowprice.com

Related : https://giftsforus.tumblr.com/post/722008440612978688/chipmunks-chip-dale-all-over-print-pinstripe

[bestshirtcanbuy]

The Black Phone Movie Unisex T-Shirt The Black Phone 2022 Shirt

The Black Phone Movie Unisex T-Shirt is a perfect gift for movie enthusiasts and fans of horror films. Inspired by the upcoming 2022 movie "The Black Phone," this shirt is designed for both men and women, making it a versatile option for anyone. As horror movies continue to captivate audiences, it's no surprise that movie-related merchandise is in high demand. The Black Phone Movie Unisex T-Shirt allows fans to showcase their love for this exciting upcoming film in a fashionable and stylish way. The shirt features a unique design that captures the essence of the movie, making it an eye-catching and attention-grabbing piece of clothing. When it comes to gifting, it can be challenging to find something that is suitable for everyone. However, The Black Phone Movie Unisex T-Shirt is a versatile choice that can be appreciated by both men and women. Whether the recipient is a fan of horror movies or simply loves collecting movie memorabilia, this shirt is sure to make a great impression. In addition to its versatile appeal, this t-shirt offers comfort and quality. It is made from high-quality materials that ensure durability and softness, making it suitable for everyday wear. The unisex design allows for a relaxed and comfortable fit for anyone who wears it, ensuring that it will become a favorite go-to shirt for casual outings or movie nights. The Black Phone Movie Unisex T-Shirt is not only a gift for movie lovers but also an opportunity to support and promote the film. Wearing this shirt creates exposure and generates excitement about the upcoming movie, leading to greater anticipation and a larger fan following. Furthermore, this shirt can serve as a conversation starter, allowing fans to connect with fellow movie enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity to engage in discussions about the movie, share theories, and exchange recommendations for other horror films. It can also be seen as a form of camaraderie amongst fans, creating a sense of community and belonging. In conclusion, The Black Phone Movie Unisex T-Shirt is a versatile and stylish gift option for both men and women. Its unique design captures the essence of the upcoming movie, making it an attention-grabbing and fashionable piece of clothing. With its comfortable fit and high-quality materials, it ensures both comfort and durability. Additionally, this shirt not only shows support for the film but also fosters connections amongst movie enthusiasts. Whether as a birthday present, holiday gift, or a personal treat, The Black Phone Movie Unisex T-Shirt is sure to please any fan of horror films and captivate all who see it.

Get it here : The Black Phone Movie Unisex T-Shirt The Black Phone 2022 Shirt

Home Page : tshirtslowprice.com

Related : https://bestshirtcanbuy.tumblr.com/post/722415492332208129/winnie-the-pooh-white-pinstripe-baseball-jersey

[lamodacustomtailors]

Elevating Elegance: The Journey to the Best Custom Suits in NYC

   In the bustling heart of New York City, where fashion meets urban allure, a remarkable sartorial revolution is quietly taking place. The quest for the Best Custom Suits NYC is a journey steeped in tradition, craftsmanship, and a profound appreciation for the art of tailoring. we will delve into the world of bespoke men's fashion, exploring the reasons why NYC has emerged as a global hub for custom suits and uncovering the secrets behind crafting the perfect custom suit.

The Legacy of NYC Tailoring: A Timeless Tradition

The tradition of tailoring in New York City is deeply rooted in its history. As the city grew and evolved, so did its fashion industry. The New York tailoring scene has been a melting pot of innovation and tradition. It is a place where old-world craftsmanship meets modern sensibilities. New York City tailors have earned a reputation for their attention to detail, precision, and a commitment to creating timeless garments.

A Sartorial Journey Through the City

A sartorial journey through the boroughs of New York City offers a remarkable array of options for those seeking custom suits. From the iconic suit-makers of Midtown Manhattan to the hidden gems in Brooklyn and Queens, there's a tailor to suit every style and budget.

The Making of a Custom Suit: A Masterpiece in the Works

Creating a custom suit is a labor of love, with multiple steps that culminate in a work of art. It begins with the client's vision and the tailor's expertise. Here is a breakdown of the process:

Consultation and Measurements

The journey begins with a consultation. Tailors in NYC are known for their ability to understand a client's style preferences, body type, and lifestyle. Precise measurements are taken, ensuring that the suit will be a perfect fit.

Fabric Selection

The choice of fabric is a critical decision. NYC tailors offer a vast array of materials, from the finest wool to luxurious silk blends. The client can touch, feel, and choose the fabric that best suits their style and comfort.

Design and Styling

Custom suits are all about individuality. The design stage allows clients to choose lapel styles, pocket details, button types, and other personalized elements. Whether it's a classic pinstripe or a bold windowpane pattern, the possibilities are endless.

Crafting the Garment

This is where the magic truly happens. Expert tailors meticulously cut the chosen fabric and sew it together with painstaking precision. Each detail is carefully considered, from the lining to the buttons, ensuring the suit is a true masterpiece.

Fittings and Adjustments

Multiple fittings are conducted to ensure that the suit fits perfectly. Any necessary adjustments are made, guaranteeing that the final product is an embodiment of elegance and comfort.

Final Presentation

The moment of truth arrives when the client is presented with their custom suit. It's not just of clothing; it's a piece of art that reflects their unique style and personality.

The Role of Technology in Custom Tailoring

While custom tailoring is steeped in tradition, technology has also played a pivotal role in its evolution. Tailors in NYC have embraced digital tools and 3D body scanning to achieve unprecedented levels of precision in measurements. These innovations have made the process more efficient and have further elevated the quality of custom suits.

The Global Appeal of NYC Custom Suits

While New York City is the epicenter of the custom tailoring world, its influence extends far beyond the city limits. People from around the globe seek out NYC tailors for their unparalleled expertise. The city's reputation for sophistication and timeless style has made it a global destination for bespoke men's fashion.

Conclusion: 

In the realm of men's fashion, the journey to find the Best Custom Suits NYC is a quest for sartorial excellence. It's an art form that combines tradition and innovation, personalization and precision, and timeless style with modern sensibilities. The appeal of custom suits goes beyond mere clothing; it's a statement of individuality, quality, and elegance. As long as the heart of New York City continues to beat with sartorial passion, the quest for the perfect custom suit will remain an essential part of the city's rich tapestry. So, whether you're a New Yorker or a visitor, explore the world of custom suits in NYC, and experience the journey of creating your very own masterpiece of elegance.

Visit: https://www.lamodacustomtailor.com/custom-suits-pants-dresses.php

Contact: +1 718-805-6600

 Source link-

[anatomieblogs]

6 Fall Fashion Trends to Keep on Your Travel Wardrobe Radar

Summer is over, and it's time to refresh your luxury travel wardrobe for fall. Autumn's crisp temperatures call for cozy accessories (think boots and scarves), rich colors and textures, and layering! Oh, what a difference a good safari jacket makes for an already amazing outfit! Draw inspiration from these six fall fashion trends below to upgrade your travel clothing collection and get ready to wander the world in style.

Prep Is Back In the age of stealth wealth and quiet luxury, it's only natural that prep and its classic stylings would come back into fashion. Some argue it never left. Sportswear and the accompanying activities are especially popular, as are tailored tweeds, classic cable knit sweaters, and timeless pieces like loafers. Now is the perfect time to stock up on a tailored skinny cargo pant and white button-up shirts. Look for classic details that provide a structured, form-fitting silhouette. Prep is about finding classic, seasonless pieces that fit like a glove, giving you a polished, put-together look. Dark and Dramatic Moody fashion is in for autumn, so don't be afraid to tap into the dark side of your closet. Opt for high-contrast palettes like rich black travel pants and a crisp white button-up shirt with feminine Mary Janes. Try a pair of black skinny cargo pants in a snake print, a black puffer jacket, and combat boots for an edgier look. Radiant Red One trend that took over the spring and summer was Barbiecore. Bright pink made a big comeback, and while it's not on the way out, it will likely shift to red for fall. Deep red, burgundy, and maroon shades have always held a place in fall fashion, but you may opt for a lighter and brighter red this year. This doesn't mean you must dress in all red, but incorporate pops of color into your wardrobe, like a red safari jacket or travel pants. Nice and Neutral For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, which applies to fashion, too. While Barbiecore brought us hot pink for summer and red is in for fall, so are neutrals. Embrace the latest wearable neutrals for fall, including chocolates and creams, greys, dark greens, and classic black and white. The best part about neutrals is they go with everything and provide endless mixing and matching for countless outfit combinations. Investing in neutral pants for travel in navy, beige, and black will ensure you never run out of things to wear, whether you're traveling, working, or running errands. Flourishing Fashion While florals for spring are common, they also work perfectly for fall. While there may not be any blooming flowers for a few months, your wardrobe can blossom into something special. Artistic florals include floral embroidery in a subdued color palette and bright floral prints and patterns. Much like the red-hot trend, this doesn't mean you have to grow your entire wardrobe from the garden, but incorporating a couple of petal pieces, like a vest or blouse, is a fun way to spruce up your daily look. Office Space Even if you don't have an office job, you might like to dress like you do. This fall's mood is workplace wardrobe staples like blazers, button-up shirts, and crisply tailored travel pants. Keep your style even sharper by adding pinstriped pencil skirts and tailored pieces that nip at the waist and elongate your silhouette. This borrowed-from-the-boardroom style is a bonus if you work in an office and need some business wardrobe inspiration. About Anatomie Anatamie knows travel clothing. Established by Kate and Shawn Boyer in 2006, this luxury travel clothing brand fuses stylish European sensibility with impeccable tailoring, performance, and comfort. All of Anatomie’s apparel is perfect for travel work and daily life, from their skinny cargo pants to safari jackets. Anatomie pieces are crafted from their signature lightweight performance material that won’t fade, shrink, or wrinkle—and best yet, no ironing or dry cleaning is required! Each piece is backed by a lifetime guarantee, so you can confidently wear Anatomie on any and every adventure. Step off the jet looking polished and put together with stylish, luxury travel apparel designed for adventure seekers and savvy travelers who expect the best from their travel wardrobe. Refresh your travel wardrobe with the latest fall fashions from Anatomie, available at https://anatomie.com/ Original Source: https://bit.ly/45cnjvc

[drconstellation]

Additional Angel Colours - Shades of White and Brown

I'm adding this as a reblog because I've maxed out the image limit on the original post and I wanted to add some thoughts about the Metatron's costume and the different shades of white and brown that other angels wear. As it turns out, most of what we see them wearing when its not pure white or the silver-gray of the Archangels is actually classed as shades of white.

So Aziraphale could still be said to be wearing shades of white, the same as Muriel, while Sandalphon is just pushing a little into the shades of brown. The latter may have more relevance when we include the S2S6 Metatron into the mix, as he is unlike any of the other angels.

It's not just the colour of the Metatron's clothes, but the fit of them as well. The first thing you notice is the dark taupe of his coat. The coat is also oversized for his frame. Look back above at the image where Aziraphale is meeting the Archangels - all their coats are cut to fit their respective bodies neatly. The silver-gray Archangels all have a tight fit, hugging the body. Sandalphon's and Aziraphale's are looser, but not by much. The Metatron's coat looks like you could almost hide another person in there!

Also, his coat is not black, it definitely a dark brown. His tie is also a very dark brown, with Heaven-blue four-petaled flowers on it - not dice, as I saw someone say. His off-white shirt has dark pinstripes on it. His coat lapels point downwards, indicating he is aligned with the chaos of Hell (but then, so is Aziraphale,) and he is bearded. Angels are not supposed to have facial hair - he didn't have any in S1. There is a lot that doesn't sit right here, and doesn't fit in with any of the other angels we have seen so far. If he's trying to make himself a replacement for Crowley, as some have suggested, I don't think he's doing a very good job of it - almost the opposite, in fact.

The blocking for the Metatron is also interesting. He starts off on his own, in the centre of shot, when he first enters the book shop. Then he moves to the left, which is the "good" side, while he has the chin-wag with Aziraphale. But by the time the decision has to be made, to head back into the book shop to tell Crowley "the news," and then even more ominously, when Aziraphale enters the lift to Heaven, he is hovering always on the right side of shot, the "bad" side.

Brown is not a colour that has a lot of symbology around it. Some people would say brown is not a colour at all. Others would say it is a colour of security. I feel in GO it reflects the angels direct involvement with Earth. Both Aziraphale and Sandalphon have had Earthly experience, and the Metatron implies that he has, too, in "his time."

Perhaps I'll just leave you with the thought that taupe is the french word for "mole."

All The Colours of the GO Rainbow

I'm writing this meta about colours in the Good Omens AU in preparation for some future metas I'm planning, where colour will be important. And yes, I'm going to use "colour" as the spelling, as I'm an Australian and I use the UK English as my usual go-to version of English (that is what I was taught at school,) even though I am finding myself flicking between US and UK English here on Tumblr, leaving out u's here and there and putting in z's where I would normally put s's.

I also think its worth having another discussion about it as there are some colours I've have seen discussed here and there, but not at length, and some not at all that I think are important, and I just want to bring them all to one place.

I'm also going to be referring to @cobragardens excellent meta The Colors of Crowley quite a bit in this meta at various points, so you might want to pause and go read that first, then come back.

BLACK

Most people's initial reaction would be to class black as a colour of Hell. Crowley wears a lot of black, and usually a hidden accent of red (aaand something else. I'll discuss that at the end.) But the other demons are actually quite colourful when you get them into the light. They may tend towards the darker shades but there is quite a range of colours seen. Dagon, for example, is a very dark blue, as their avatar is a marine fish. Normally blue is associated with Heaven in GO. But this fits better if we think of black as being the colour of shadow, where the light does not reach, and the place of hidden things, of mystery

And it's worth noting that Aziraphale wears some black when he is trying to perform a magic show. He also wears white and gold at the same time but normally he does not wear these colours, unless he is performing human magic (see S1E1, Warlock's 11th birthday party, and the 1941 minisode S2E4) This should be striking enough for you to sit up and take note. You could say when Aziraphale dons black it is an expression of his act of "mysteriosity."

RED

Again, red is not necessarily a demonic colour, although we tend to associate it with demons, as Lord Beelzebub and Lord Dagon both wear red sashes as a mark of their rank in Hell. Think of it more as the colour of passion and romance in GO. Ooh, got you there! Makes you wonder what Shax is really up to (I know some of you have.) Perhaps they are just passionate about doing their job, or climbing their way to the top of the demonic ranking ladder?

Edit: After writing up a couple of other metas and some more reading maybe a better description is "devotional passion." Shax is devoted to climbing the power ladder in Hell (her red is usually a darker shade of red than Crowley's,) and the Red Team in the paintball fight at Tadfield Manor in S1E2 is devoted to following the rules of Management. Crowley is devoted to Aziraphale, of course.

Special mention to the 1941 minisode in S2E4 that is just soaked in red, everywhere you turn: in the sparks flying off the burning buildings as the sparks of love begin to fly, the inside of the book shop where Crowley encourages Aziraphale to think like a professional, the magic shop where danger and chaos lurks in every corner but magic is Aziraphale's personal passion, and the Windmill Theater where he finally gets to perform his magic passion on the stage. Several ops see this as a special memory of Aziraphale's so he colours it with the red of romance. We've got big hopes of seeing a third part to 1941 in S3.

GOLD

Gold is one the colours of Heaven. Nearly all the angels have some form of gold on them at some point. A gold ring, gold embroidery on their clothes, a golden brooch, gold on their face, Aziraphale's gold watch fob (he has a ring, too). We also see multiple golden lions in various places, which appear to have a connection to Heaven and Jesus. (I'm still planning to write a meta on the lions in the future, but I've got to find them all first! They keep turning up in surprising places...) The lions have a royal connection, one of two royal mentions in this meta, in that they represent the connection Jesus has to the Royal house of Judah, and are a symbol of his return in the Second Coming.

YELLOW

Yellow in GO is probably the hardest colour to interpret. We see a lot of it, because Aziraphale is so fond of it, being the colour of Crowley's eyes. The walls of the book shop are painted yellow, he gives Jimbriel a yellow feather duster to use and he turns the Bentley yellow on the trip up to Edinburgh, much to Crowley's disgust. (To be fair, Crowley's Mayfair flat in S1 was colour-coded to Aziraphale's eyes in return, in greys and subtle blues, but that's another discussion.)

But I think the important thing to emphasis here is that yellow is NOT the same as gold, and we shouldn't blend the two colours together.

While some point out that yellow can be seen as an imperial or royal colour, as it is the colour of the Sun, when you put this colour in context in the GO AU, it more clearly points to being the colour of fear, as Cobragarden's explains in The Colours of Crowley. I would expand on their words, and say that is why Crowley doesn't wear his sunglasses in front of Jimbriel when looking after him in the book shop - its a measure of how afraid he is that the the real Gabriel might reappear at any moment. And back in S1 when Crowley is trying to work out how to escape the burning Odegra sigil he inadvertently created Hastur appears in the front seat of the Bentley in pursuit of him and reaches out to remove his sunglasses. The shock on Crowley's face in the moment is palpable, because he realises he's in the shit unless he thinks quickly - which he bravely does!

GREEN

Green is the colour of Hell. Its the colour of the light that struggles to reach its dim crowded halls in the basement of the building that houses the Ineffable Bureaucracy, making it look like an overgrown, suffocating swamp of decay. It's the colour Furfur wears on his embroidered stag sash (but some of this might also be green from envy...) Its the colour of the fog outside the bookshop during the siege of the eldritch ball, to tell us where the demons have come from.

The only variation from this relates to ... Aziraphale.

Veridian/Teal/Aquamarine

This is a special section to discuss the blue-green hues that Aziraphale wears. Heaven mixed with Hell. He is one unique angel. The first sight of these colours is in 1601, when we find out that the Arrangement first proposed by Crowley in 537 is now in full swing, where he has some teal strips in his Elizabethan costume.

While I'm told its traditional to have a darker colour on the back panel of waistcoats, it's notable that the back of Aziraphale's waistcoat is a distinctly dark viridian green. Why not dark blue? Or a shade of brown to go with the other shades of brown and beige the angels tend to wear? But what's the meta-writer's motto in GO? There are no accidents...

He also wears a pale aquamarine shirt in the present day. (wearecrowley has posted a nice set of GIFs that highlight it here) No white for him since 1941 at least, although his 1821 shirt also looks green to me, but its hard to tell in the dim candlelight of night time Edinburgh (unless he is performing magic, then he is in white, gold, and mysterious black or being discorporated, then he is colourless white - back to his "native" state.) The cape he wears in the 1941 minisode is also a fascinating colour. I am having trouble pinning down exactly what it would be called - Teal? A darker aquamarine? It's certainly part of his colour palette, and still indicating a Heaven-Hell mix. A "dark horse" indeed!

[Edit: So i saw someone describe Heaven and Hell as Lawfulness and Chaos, and I thought that was a perfect fit for Aziraphale here with his blue-greens. Remember Crowley described him as "unpredictable" to Nina? Yeah...]

BLUE

Blue is a signal of Heaven, the colour of the sky, and a colour traditionally associated with the archangels Gabriel and Michael. We see it in a number of places, in both S1 and S2, where it is used with deliberate care.

The blue paint on the back of Aziraphale's coat when he gets hit by a paintball at Tadfield Manor in S1E2.

The colour of Newt's car, Dick Turpin.

The colour of the walls of the coffee shop in S2, which is the same as the take-away cups, such as the one the Metatron offers to Aziraphale.

The colour of the gecko Jemima asks to be turned into in the Job minisode.

The colour of the suit Jimbriel wears at the eldritch ball, and the glorious ostrich feather jacket he dons when he exits the book shop to give himself up to the demons.

PURPLE

Purple has long been the colour of royalty, since ancient days. This was for good reason - there was only one natural source of the rich purple dye. That came from a small marine snail that was found on the coast of modern day Lebanon, near Tyre, and they held the monopoly on this trade for centuries. Only kings and emperor's could afford to have cloth dyed in this colour, known as Tyrian purple. It wasn't until the first synthetic purple dye was created in 1856 that the common man could afford to wear it as well.

In Good Omens we see Gabriel, the Prince of Heaven, wearing this colour in his ties, and also showing it in his irises in both S1 and S2. But only when he is Gabriel, not as Jim.

[Edit: So I only just found out that the colour he wears is lilac and is modeled after Elizabeth Taylor's famous eyes. But hey, she was a queen of the screen - movie royalty! And you still need to explain all the other purple below.]

There are a couple of other places we see it used. One is when angel Crowley starts up his nebula. The plume of miracle energy emanating from the book shop after the 25 lazurii miracle is also this colour.

Archangel Saraqael's chair is purple when she is on Earth. And Saraqael and Muriel both have purple in their tartan when in Heaven.

WHITE

White is the colour of the angels. It is the colour of Aziraphale's wings and the colour of his robes during ancient times from the Beginning up to Rome. Once the Arrangement starts, the white starts to be replaced with other colours, and the shades of teal and other blue-greens start to appear.

By the present day he has virtually lost all trace of white, except for his hair. He then only appears in all white when discorporated.

Muriel turns up in a conspicuously bright white police uniform on Earth, and the other angels all have some form of white on them.

Crowley sometimes has small accents of white as well. They can be easily missed, such as the white shirt cuff protruding from his sleek black Elizabethan costume in 1601. Remember they are discussing the Arrangement here - so they are both showing signs of taking on each other's colours at this point. On the other hand, I know quite a few people have commented on the white in his 1941 garb, on his tie, and his pocket handkerchief (and remember, he wears a grey shirt, not black, because he doesn't want to be mistaken for a black-shirted fascist during the war years.)

SILVER/GRAY

There are two colours I keep seeing that I'm going to group together as one, and that is silver and gray.

The senior archangels are notably dressed in what I've seen described as dove-gray, but an article on the costumes calls it pearl-gray, and it was meant to look a bit shimmery. I sometimes refer to this group of angels as the Archangels with the capital A, or the seraphim, the closest angels to God. This includes Gabriel, our current Prince of Heaven, Michael, Uriel. And I'm going to include Crowley in his trademark Tactical Turtleneck master spy disguise when he infiltrated Heaven with Muriel in S2E6. Hey, he could have worn white!

So where does this colour come from?

I've spent a bit of time banging on in the past about "traditional colours" of the archangels, in particular Gabriel and Michael's being blue, and the missing Raphael's being green. Part of the problem is, though, if you go looking online for who's colour is whose, you get a big variation in answers. Michael nearly always comes out with being associated with blue, and Raphael with green, so no problem there, but all the other traditionally named seraphim seem to get other colours put against them. For Gabriel, though, a commonly associated colour does appear to be white or silver.

Now my guess would be that sparkly silver would be too naff a look for the angels. I mean, look at what Crowley manifests as a blending-in "bees" disguise, a slightly shiny grayish suit, which kind of mocks the other Archangels (and you're overdoing the gold hints there a bit, Crowley) but it is curiously the same style as Saraqael's garb, and they did supposedly work together on the Horsehead Nebula. Hmmm. The Archangel's pearl-gray suits look very corporate and business-like, echoing a large soul-crushing business entity.

But this is not the only time Crowley wears this upper echelon colour; he has quite a habit of wearing it, particularly once the Arrangement kicks in.

The problem is, he nearly always wears near-solid black (unless he is trying not to get killed, like in 1793 Paris - Cobragarden's meta on the context why here - or 1941 London - see above,) so it stands out. I find this a far more interesting than the red accents, and should note that we don't always see it on him; its not there in 1967, for example.

One colour that is noticeably missing in the full GO rainbow is orange. We don't get it handed to us on a plate as much as the other colours do. Perhaps one exception is the sign for The Resurrectionist pub in Edinburgh, where Jesus is wearing an orange robe under a blue cloth.

So now we have run through all the colours, it can be interesting to look at them in combination.

Bonus points for noticing the white mugs for the S2 coffee shop (six-shots of espresso,) to go with the blue take-away cups. The shop is blue-white-gold themed. Truly meant to be a place where Heaven is obtainable on Earth! It also kind of reminds me of the sky - blue sky overhead, white clouds, and a golden Sun shining down (from the brass lamps.)

The book shop also has a combination of colours - predominately red and yellow. Yellow for fear, and red for passion and romance. Ouch, what a combination!

Aziraphales's white, gold and black combination for performing magic also has me intrigued. It's not just the black, but so much golden colour in the form of a golden vest. And we get it both times in both 1941 and 2019. An angel from Heaven trying to hide what he really is.

For further meta reading on colour in GO try the following:

If you haven't read it yet, do go and read Cobragardens The Colours of Crowley, Red and Yellow can hurt a fellow: Colour Symbolism in 1941 Part 1 and Part 2 as it makes the colours more character specific, whereas I've tried to give the colours a more over-arching theme here.

And for the importance of the yellow colour Vavavoom! which is used on the book shop walls, (and matches Crowley's eyes) see Vidavalors post on The Vavoom: Or, when the show's hinting Crowley & Aziraphale first kissed

[wifelinkmtg]

Who’s Hot in New Capenna

Okay! Streets of New Capenna was set in a glitzy 1920s Fritz Lang-style metropolis ruled by a bunch of different criminal syndicates. Its major contribution to Magic is that it introduced jazz to the multiverse, and was otherwise a substandard draft set anchored to, presumably, a story? I’m almost positive there was a story, but I’ve never spoken to anyone who knows what it was. They juice angels to make drugs? Vivien shows up, because where is Ms. Park Ranger more at home than Industrialized Urban Environments? Urabrask is also here?

Anyway the frequent badness of Magic story is tempered by the fact that we mostly encounter it in isolated pieces of cardboard with killer fucking art and are free to derive better ideas about story and characters and setting than you would get if you actually read the story, most of the time. It’s also tempered by the fact that girls!

AND HOW! WE’VE GOT GIRLS IN ALL YOUR FAVORITE JAZZ AGE LOOKS! GIRLS IN SUSPENDERS? YOU BET! WAISTCOATS? DIME A DOZEN, PAL! YOU WANT KISS CURLS? WE COULDN’T FIT MORE POMADE IN THESE COIFS IF WE TRIED! HOW ABOUT ARM MUSCULATURE? BUDDY, WHY DON’T YOU JUST TAKE A PEEK FOR YOURSELF?

Night Clubber (art by Joshua Raphael)

Ask me how I know Moustache here is from Queens. Go on, ask me.

Cause if he was from Brooklyn, he could dodge ‘er!

But seriously, folks: arms like fuckin tree trunks here. That is delectable. And just because you’re heading out for a night of swinging baseball bats at the heads of tourists with expensive wristwatches doesn’t mean you don’t dress to the nines, or at least the eights! Or like realistically maybe just the sevens - the pinstripe trousers are great, the lip color’s great, and I adore the extreme sleevelessness, but it’s clear her clothes have seen better days - which is maybe why she’s out here with the bat.

Also, baseball is canon in the MtG multiverse now! That’s fun. Maybe the Gatewatch could put together a company team, if any of them are left at the end of the current storyline. “Take Me Out to the Holodeck” but it’s our favorite surviving planeswalkers against, like, Freyalise’s supremacist elves. Chandra struggling to swing a bat without immolating it. Kaya getting into an argument with the umpire about whether ghosting through an opposing baseman holding the ball counts as being tagged out. Garruk-as-Worf yelling DEATH TO THE OPPOSITION. This bit was about a specific episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; I really appreciate you reading my horny Magic blog, and I am not going to be respectful of your time.

Dapper Shieldmate (art by Greg Opalinski)

Okay, on a strict practicality level, having a plate mail waistcoat that leaves your neck and sternum covered only by a starched collar and a tie is basically just a chainmail bikini for lesbians. I can imagine Beige Sonja here thinking “well, I’ve got pauldrons on my pinstripe suit, for safety, but I’m worried I don’t look like enough of a dyke, so I’m going to make sure to roll my sleeves up,” because that’s the sort of thought process that often guides my sartorial choices as well. I also love the “I don’t particularly care about my appearance” messy hair on top combined with the “I really actually desperately care” glossy waves on the side. She’s trying way too hard, and honestly, that’s hot.

Glamorous Outlaw (art by Maria Zolotukhina)

Okay, there’s trying too hard, and there’s “I rented a panther for a date” trying too hard.

Venom Connoisseur (art by Marta Nael)

This isn’t a subtle piece of card art, but sometimes it’s enough to get your tits most of the way out and slap a python on em. Convincing someone to shake a hand with at least two venomous snakes coiled around it probably requires a substantial distraction, so: this cleavage is actually tactical, did you know?

Psionic Snoop (art by Marcela Medeiros)

I’m not going to lead with “oh, you’re psychic? can you tell what i’m thinking?” because I’m sure she’s heard that a hundred times from a hundred different slimeballs, but also she definitely knows it was my first thought, which is pretty embarrassing. Actually it is probably a bad idea for me to try and sleep with any kind of telepath unless she’d be remarkably tolerant of the sort of anxious inner monologue where I can’t ask a pretty barista’s name without first getting sidetracked into a long thought process involving Martin Buber and the alienation of capitalism, culminating in not asking her name and coming back another day, by which point it turns out she’s moving to Colorado and I’ve missed my shot, and all I got out of the whole thing was pretty good music recommendations (Khruangbin, in point of fact.) Hm. What were we talking about?

Jetmir’s Fixer (art by John Thacker)

Rakish, flamboyant, good with explosives: the cat’s hot, sorry.

Caldaia Strongarm (art by Randy Vargas)

Ma’am. Your arms.

Jaxis, the Troublemaker (art by Zoltan Boros)

Look I’m just a simple, honest lesbian, you know? End of the day, I want what we all want: a ripped, sweaty woman in suspenders with the world’s most utterly contemptuous sneer, the kind of sneer that stomps all the way down your spine with cleats, the kind of sneer that’ll slam you against a wall, spit in your face, and leave you bruised for a month. Yes, it has been entirely too long since someone beat the hell out of me, thank you for asking!

NEXT TIME WE GO BACK TO DOMINARIA FOR SOME DISAPPOINTING ITERATIONS OF HOT CHARACTERS, AND AN INTERDIMENSIONAL DOMINATRIX SLIPS INTO SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE: A MULTI-STORY STRAP-ON.

We’re almost caught up, folks. New Phyrexia is very, very soon.

[kaetor]

[ID: a drawing of five DGS characters drawn front facing, in a simple, lineless style. Their faces are minimalist to show off the clothes they're wearing. The first character is Ryunosuke, wearing an outfit similar to his official DLC outfit. Instead of a double breasted coat, his blue coat is open at the front, and goes down to his mid thighs in the back, and his waist in the front. It's designed after a 1900s morning coat. Under the coat, he's wearing a warm gray waistcoat, a red tie, white shirt, and pinstriped pants that are a similar color to his jacket, but lighter. Karuma is attached to a belt at his waist, and he's wearing Sholmes style goggles on his head. The second character is Susato. She's wearing a dress modeled after her DLC outfit, but with many large changes made. It's in 1890s-1900s style, with a white, ruffly shirt on top and a floor length, A-line burgundy skirt. Over her shirt is a jacket, the same color of her skirt. It comes down to mid-chest, and has long sleeves that are puffed at the top.  The sleeves are just short enough to show the ruffles at the ends of her shirt sleeves under them.The coat is trimmed in black, with heart shaped buttons down the front and on the sleeve cuffs. At the base of each puffed part of her sleeves is a bit of tan detailing. The third character is Herlock Sholmes. Sholmes is wearing an open caped greatcoat, reminiscencent of Sherlock Holmes's stereotypical dress. It's the same tan as his original coat, and has a double layered cape that goes down to a bit above his wrist, and a bit below his biceps. The coat itself goes down to his mid calves. The coat has the same flower like symbols on its shoulders as Sholmes's original coat. Under the coat he is wearing a pink waistcoat, trimmed with gold, over a white shirt and dark purple cravat. He's wearing gray pinstriped pants, and two belts (one across his chest and one around his waist) to hold various supplies. On his head is his deerstalker cap and goggles. After Sholmes is Iris Wilson. Iris is wearing a white and brown skirt. The shirt long sleeves that are puffed at the top, and a high collar. There is a V shape going from her shoulders to chest, in ribbon, and the inside part of the v is filled with lines and ruffles. There are buttons going from her collar to the end of the V and at her sleeve cuffs. Her skirt is A-Line, a dark, warm gray, and goes down to her knees. It has ruffles at the bottom, and dark horizontal stripes. She's wearing a belt, with various chemical supplies on it, and dark black tights and boots. Her hair is tied up in two buns, with single ringlets coming down from each one. She's also wearing some goggles on her head. The last character is Barok van Zieks. He's wearing clothing in the style of the 1800s-1810s. He's wearing a dark, almost black, blue jacket, that cuts off in the front at the waist and slopes down into squared tails at the back. It has a very high collar, with the top part of the lapels standing straight up, and the bottom lying flat against his chest. The coat is trimmed with gold, double breasted, and has small gold epaulets at the shoulders. Under the coat he is wearing light tan tightly fitted pants, white gloves, and a dark purple cravat. The collar of his shirt is standing high enough to reach his chin, and you can see a little bit of his waistcoat collar standing up from between the jacket and his cravat. He's wearing black boots with gold lining the tops, and a sword hanging off of a belt at his waist. /End ID]

hello tumblr i already posted some of these on my sideblog but here they are all finished and with an id! some of the dgs outfits redesigned to be a little bit more historically accurate, not because i dislike the dgs designs in general but more because 1800s-1910s historical fashion is my Thing so i needed to take this opportunity. please ask me things about these designs i wanna talk about them i want to talk about historical fashion