Who Wore It Best? | Star Ocean: The Second Story’s Makeover Quest

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Jillian

My replay of Star Ocean: The Second Story continues this week, and I’ve just made it to the Lacour continent. This means taking a roundabout trip through the port city of Clik in an attempt to charter a ship and, while waiting for that ship to board, being shown around town by a young rich kid named Ketil.

Ketil’s idea of fun is stealing your wallet and then dressing you up in ridiculous outfits for his own amusement.

At this point in the game, you can only have three characters–Claude, Rena, and Celine–and Ketil selects a different outfit for each depending on whom you choose to humiliate.

This is, so far as I can remember, the only time in the game we see any characters wearing different clothing. So let’s compare Ketil’s fashion picks and decide if anyone can be considered the winner.

(Note: our not-so-great images were taken during our PSX playthrough. If you’d like to see this scene in action, there’s a great YouTube video of all three scenarios.)

Claude

For Claude, Ketil appears to have picked the top half of a clown suit and a pair of black bikini bottoms. The purple top isn’t a terrible choice with Claude’s blonde hair and fair complexion, but the oversized yellow buttons and complete lack of pants scream “a five year old dressed me today.” He also appears to have some layered slouch socks which, while at least providing some warmth to his lower half, turn the ensemble into bargain bin workout instructor. Not appropriate for saving the world or leaving the house.

Rena

From a distance, Rena’s ensemble appears to be a simple white mage robe with blue detailing to match her hair. Upon closer inspection, however, the main portion is definitely a jumpsuit with flared bell bottom pants. Thanks to the controlled v-neck, it’s slightly more John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever than 1970s Elvis, but the line of separation is razor thin. This outfit at least looks wearable, if not a blast from the past of a planet Rena has never even heard of.

Celine

I’m suspicious that Celine’s outfit isn’t made of actual clothes, but the receipt tape from the store’s cash register. This appears to just be a long piece of string that Celine has wrapped around herself in Eve fig leaf fashion, although there’s about five feet of leftover string trailing the ground like a pet snake. This is somewhat fitting, as Celine is the most sexily dressed character normally, with her Heraldic crest tattoo peeking out from her upper inner thigh. But this ribbon bikini is even less practical than Claude’s pantsless disaster, threatening to fall off in the slightest breeze and trip her if she takes a single step.

Winner: Rena

Honestly, this is the only outfit that could actually withstand the world-spanning adventure our crew is on. Fashion-wise, it at least has some basis in history, even if it’s ’70s jumpsuit history. The real lesson here is: never let a kid with a blue rattail dress you.

One Item Makeover Extended | Samurai Warriors’ Koshosho

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Joey

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Samurai Warriors is a hack-and-slash game set in Japan’s Sengoku Era. The era is filled with historical figures and the latest game features 55 characters that are based on them. Now, obviously, many of them have been stylistically modernized and exaggerated to fit in a game world with insane action.

For example, the historical Nobunaga Oda was depicted in paintings like this:

The Samurai Warriors version is depicted like this:

He also flies around while attacking things with his darkness-infused sword.

So obviously, historical accuracy is not high on the developer’s priority list. However, the appearances of the characters themselves, while bold and stylized, had a cohesive and of-its-time look to them. That all changed with Samurai Warriors 4 and its new character, Koshōshō.

Now I don’t have a huge problem with the outfit itself, since there are more offensive things elsewhere in the series. The problem is the hair.

Magic swords and capes and flying? Sure.

Combination perm(?) and dye job? Immersion lost.

No other characters in the series have hair as impossible as hers. She looks ridiculous by herself, but she looks even more outlandish when compared to the rest of the cast. Note: The guy with the giant fan is wearing a wig.

Thankfully, it looks like she has a DLC outfit that tames her improbable curls but doesn’t fix her improbable dye job:

So my one item makeover would be to go the extra mile and change her hair color to a more natural tone so that she doesn’t look quite so out of place in a game filled with traditional Japanese people:

Who Wore It Best? | Bravely Default Arcanist

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Final Fashionista

Bravely Default Arcanist

Erin

Are they wearing fox tails? Is he shooting spider webs from that wrist? What is on her head? So many questions. I hate his hat and onesie. She looks ridiculous too, but ladies win because…no onesie.

Jillian

WHAT. I can’t see anything on her except those ridiculous ponytails, so gents win because I can at least comment on his clothing. Which is terrible, and for some reason a cross between a paladin, fox, witch, and toddler, but THOSE PONYTAILS.

Joey

Disagree! Those extreme ponytails are amazing. I wish my hair could do that. So bombastic. Meanwhile I don’t even know what’s happening with his headgear. He looks ready to farm some rice, not to Arcanist. And I agree with Erin, onesies=auto-lose. Ladies.

Winner: Ladies

Let’s Talk About | League of Legends’ Bard

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Final Fashionista

Riot just introduced their latest addition to the League of Legends character roster: Bard, the “Wandering Caretaker.” Trying out our newest article format, “Let’s Talk About,” Jillian and Joey have a chat about Bard’s appearance and judge him on mostly superficial merits.

Jillian: Obvious first thought: descendant of No Face from Spirited Away.

Joey: Haha, okay, honestly I had a hard time figuring out how Bard even worked as a thing.

Jillian: Like, “What am I physically looking at here?”

Joey: Yes, exactly. If the thing that I think is his face is actually his face
It’s super small compared to the rest of his body.

Jillian: The gold thing appears to be his face, and you’re totally right.
In the main artwork it looks like he’s actually just a giant Santa wig that someone taped a mask onto.

Joey: Agreed. He’s just a mess of fur/hair. With some accessories.

Jillian: What’s up with his legs/feet? Are those drills?
Or one of those cups that retracts in on itself? Do his legs double as a hydration tool?

Joey: Whatever they are, they seem like they would be more difficult than stilettos to walk in.
Although based on these images he might just fly around, so he can choose painful footwear
Oh wait, scratch that last, I saw the video and he definitely stumbles around
Although it looks like every step is agony.

Jillian: He floats and stumbles: so pretty standard for a stiletto-wearer.

Joey: I’m not sure how I feel about the rings on his horn thing
Feels a little counter-culture
I wonder if he got them when he was a rebellious teen bard

Jillian: What’s hanging off the rings? Those gold things–good luck charms?
It’s an awkward mix of teenage mistakes and mystic ritual.
He’s also got bells attached to the end of his ponytail. I imagine he’s very jangly.

Joey: Agreed. He seems to make a lot of noise in those videos. As expected of a bard I guess?
But where’s his lute?
I thought those were mandatory.

Jillian: Huh, I didn’t even think about that.
Maybe that giant blue orb thing is some sort of instrument?
Although it’s definitely not lute-like; he seems to blow into it sometimes.
I think we need to talk about his clothes, although I’m trying to figure out what his clothes actually are.

Joey: This picture seems to have better angles.

Joey: Sidenote: the picture on the bottom left looks like he’s getting off of Air Force One and saluting the crowd.

Jillian: Haha, maybe it’s Clinton hiding under all that hair. With a blue orb saxophone.
I just don’t really get a “bard” vibe from this getup. Metallic blue shirt with rope-sized stitching and a full-body red apron is more “blacksmith” to me.
Maybe I’m too used to Edward-type waif bards, but this guy in general is way too beefy.

Joey: I dunno, his hobo look makes me feel sorry for him. Maybe it’s a tactic to get more tips?

Jillian: But he’s obviously doing okay for himself: that mane is way too thick and luxurious to not have been conditioned recently.

Joey: Good point. He could make some extra cash doing endorsements and maybe buy some actual clothes instead of an apron and some wristbands.

Jillian: Actually, looking closely at the presidential salute picture, I think those wristbands are covering up barrels that he’s using as gauntlets.

Jillian: How big IS this guy?

Joey: Maybe they are mini barrels?

Jillian: Like the barrel o’ monkeys game?
Now I’m just wondering what this guy did with all those monkeys.

Joey: Maybe his mane is made of monkeys he killed? If that’s so, I might have to get him.

I Never Noticed | Precis from Star Ocean: The Second Story

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Jillian

Video game art and costumes are surprisingly intricate (enough so that we can have an entire blog dedicated to them), meaning we often miss little details on our first or even fifth playthrough. “I Never Noticed” will point out some of these details for specific characters as we become aware of them.

The very first “I Never Noticed” should actually go to Yuna from Final Fantasy X-2, whose rattail was only recognized after Erin pointed it out to us in one of our many “Who Wore It Best?” entries. However, since we’ve talked about her at length recently, Yuna gets a reprieve this week.

I started another playthrough of Star Ocean: The Second Story a few days ago, and upon plotting out my character picks (you can only recruit eight of the eleven characters and some are either/or options) noticed a few new things about Precis.

First, she’s surprisingly short for no obvious reason. In the image above, you can see Precis (front row, left, brunette ponytail) is not only the shortest character, but she’s awkwardly smaller than everyone else. Although she’s the youngest girl, Leon–who is standing next to her–is four years younger at twelve, yet he stands a full head taller than her. She’s smaller than everyone else in battle as well, although not to such a bizarrely noticeable degree (especially when her mechanical arms are out and adding to her height).

More fashion-specific, I never noticed that Precis has two apparent wounds as part of her outfit: her right elbow features a band-aid cross while her left knee has a giant hole in the fabric of her tights. This is a fitting choice for the explosive, somewhat accident-prone inventor. She’s the only character with injuries incorporated into her outfit: even the perpetually unlucky Ashton is scrape-free (besides the two dragons fused to his back).

She also has a wheel on the side of each boot. While this makes sense for her mechanically-inclined personality and tactics, these don’t seem to actually come into play in-game: she’s no faster than the other characters and still walks normally instead of wheeling around. This makes the wheels more of a stylistic choice, as well as possibly the first documented use of Heelys, which were patented in 2000 (two years after Star Ocean: The Second Story was released).

Precis’s final “I Never Noticed” item is the control for her in-game weapon, the mechanical hands. She’s using a PlayStation controller and, specifically, the DualShock version. If you look closely, you can tell she is actually holding a controller in battle as well. Cleverly, for the PSP remake of Star Ocean: The Second Story–titled Second Evolution—Precis is using a PSP as her controller instead of the DualShock.

Tales of Summer | Round 1: Tales of Hearts vs. Tales of the Abyss

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Final Fashionista

It may not be swimsuit season yet, but we’re already dreaming of warmer and skimpier days to come. To insulate our brains from the worst part of winter (post-holidays, still cold), we’ve decided to focus on a swimwear tournament. Who better to make up the challengers than the costume- and beach-loving casts of the Tales series?

Our bracket consists of eight Tales games: Tales of Hearts, Tales of the Abyss, Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Xillia, Tales of Xillia 2, Tales of Graces F, and Tales of Zestiria.

Our first match-up is Tales of Hearts vs. Tales of the Abyss.

Tales of Hearts

First image, characters left to right: Beryl, Gall, Kohaku, Hisui, Kor
Second image, characters left to right: Kohaku, Ines, Beryl

Tales of the Abyss

First image, characters left to right: Guy, Jade, Anise, Luke, Natalia, Tear
Second image, characters left to right: Guy, Luke, Anise, Natalia, Tear

Additional images for Tales of the Abyss:
Luke
Guy
Natalia
Tear

Joey

First, a disclaimer. I think the Tales of the Abyss outfits are technically used for a hot spring, so Jade wearing a bathrobe isn’t totally inappropriate. But most of the other outfits seem more beach-ready than spa-ready. The girls, and Guy in particular, seem to be ready for a dip in some sort of body of water. Unfortunately they’re kind of plain.

I also don’t approve of the head towel on Luke. Head towels are never appropriate.

Meanwhile, the Tales of Hearts crew seems to be more on point with the summer selections. The only thing that is appalling to me is the straw hat on Beryl. Just wear some sunscreen like everyone else.

My vote goes to Tales of Hearts.

Jillian

I like all of the Abyss crew’s outfits with two major exceptions. First, the positive standout here is Natalia: her usual outfit is so stuffy and dull that it’s nice to see her loosened up and relaxed. Her swimsuit has a gypsy dancer vibe and I love her hair tucked up under the scarf. Plus, that girl is built! Look at her muscular back!

Jade pulls off the robe well: he’s what, 30?, which is “crazy old” in Tales standards, so a robe and slippies are appropriate for his age. Anise’s summer dress and shorts look super comfortable and breezy. Luke is pretty forgettable: unlike Joey, I can forgive the head towel since it’s probably just a cooling-off mechanism.

The real issues here are Guy and Tear. I don’t know why Guy is wearing half of a diving suit. It’s like he pre-shrunk it to show off his abs. Tear’s got some sort of crazy failed chastity belt strapped around her waist and thighs. Seriously, what IS that thing? A frilled bottom or simple sarong would have been much better. Like what Ines is wearing, which brings us to the Tales of Hearts crew.

I haven’t played Tales of Hearts, so I don’t know what these people usually look like. Kor seems like he’d fit in in a Kingdom Hearts game. I like his hooded jacket since, hey, it can get chilly at the beach, but am curious what those pieces of flair are. One looks like a Hatsune Miku button, which is adorable.

I assume Hisui is an almost-bad-guy who bullies Kor. He’s even pointing gun-fingers at him in this picture. I don’t think this guy was informed they’d be going to the beach: he’s just unbuttoned a dress shirt and rolled up his hipster teal pants. That gold bangle is also a rust hazard. I like the swimsuit on the dead-eyed girl, Kohaku. Those are pretty massive bikini bows, but it works since the rest of the suit is so simple. I wish the pink flower in her hair was some other color since she’s got a purple color scheme going on clothes-wise.

The bearded guy, Gall…is this really an outfit? He’s just wrapped in bandages. He’s probably under doctor’s orders not to get those wet, so this is not proper beach attire. Beryl is cute, I like her pink/green/white color scheme and frilly skirt. The hat is acceptable–hey, she’s super pale and probably burns easily–but it’s a bit too Miss Chiquita Banana for me.

Ines is tied with Natalia for my favorite outfit: I love her simple black bikini that’s been trimmed with pink. Then the colorful sarong on top provides an optional pop with that same pink and some added teal. Only downside are her shoes, which look like gladiator heels and are going to be a pain for beach-wandering.

It’s a tough call since so many of the Hearts crew aren’t really beach-ready, but I hate Tear and Guy’s outfits enough to award this one to Tales of Hearts.

Erin

I’m not sure I know what exactly I’ve walked in on in these two scenes. Tales of Hearts reminds me of the cast of S Club 7 getting ready to crank up the hijinks. Tales of the Abyss…looks like someone’s hungover mom (Jade) (Jade is a man?) promised her (his) kid, Anise, a pool party that will never happen. But she invited all her friends already! How embarrassing.

This group is a mess, with the exception of Anise, whose little outfit has cute detailing and age appropriate coverage. Tear’s outfit reminds me of Leeloo’s bandagey getup from The Fifth Element. Luke is ready for the beach, but no one is ready for his stupid bandana.

I’m glad the first picture makes it clear that Natalia’s headpiece is NOT attached to her wrap top, because it certainly looks that way in her standalone picture. The idea of that sounds so stupid that it makes me chuckle.

Guy’s crop top and long biker shorts is the worst outfit out of this group, but is not outdone by Gall’s creepy getup. If this was SNL circa the late 1990s, Gall would be played by Will Ferrell.

I like Hisui’s breezy beachwear and how Kor is prepared to fight foes on land and by sea (goggles around his neck). Beryl, Kohaku, and Ines have some nice suits on but that hat of Beryl’s is a little too Strawberry Shortcake for me.

Despite Gall’s grossness, I’m going to award this one to Tales of Hearts.

Winner: Tales of Hearts

Who Wore It Best? | Final Fantasy X-2 Psychic

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Final Fashionista

Final Fantasy X-2 Psychic

Joey

What is Paine’s obsession with pants!? I might be terribly misinformed, but if my memories of wearing big t-shirts as pajamas are correct, skirts/dresses are way more comfy. Meanwhile, Yuna and Rikku take full advantage of skirts being socially acceptable for girls. I like Yuna’s a bit more because of the darker colors and knee-high socks.

	1st	2nd	3rd
Scores	Yuna	Rikku	Paine

Erin

Oh my god, Paine. You look like one of my grandmother’s housecoats. Rikku looks really cute in her ruffled blouse and pleated skirt, but Yuna really takes things over the top. She looks awesome! Like a fiesty Mary Poppins-type. The knee socks and boots might be my favorite footwear combo of all of them.

	1st	2nd	3rd
Scores	Yuna	Rikku	Paine

Jillian

I assumed this class was “Geordi La Forge” at first glance, but Psychic, okay. These are probably the best trio of outfits we’ve seen, besides the ridiculous hand orbs and eye gear. Rikku’s school girl style has a hint of pirate and that skirt looks designed for dancin’. Paine is a bit bland in so much white, but the ribbed detailing, ring pockets, and fuchsia lining keep her from blending into the background. Yuna is the clear winner, though, with a gorgeous royal blue fitted dress, striking bow tie, and absolutely badass boots that make even fuchsia kneesocks and laces look good.

	1st	2nd	3rd
Scores	Yuna	Rikku	Paine

Winner: Yuna

Joey

Downgrade. I’ve never been a fan of Carebears, which this skin is an obvious homage to. Annie herself is a bit mundane. I feel like the hearts are placed in odd positions as well; they should be complimenting the ensemble, not dominating it. It’s not terrible, but I find Panda Annie more appealing. Possibly due to my love of pandas.

Jillian

Downgrade, ugh, ugh, ugh. This is just oozing dead-eyed-creepy-murder-doll. Way too many hearts as Joey pointed out, and way too many ruffles. She has ruffles on ruffles on ruffles. Panda Annie is a bit puffy for my tastes, but I love her panda-shaped hair and not-soulless-eyes. The panda, however, is horrifying and confusing: what’s with the straps on his head? Is he part football? Slight preference for Care Bear, major preference for Panda Annie.

Wardrobe Review | Project Diva F 2nd

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Final Fashionista

Some characters have way too many items of clothing in their wardrobe and could use a little anytime-Spring cleaning. In Wardrobe Review, we’ll dive into a character’s closet and pick what should stay and what needs to go, What Not To Wear trash bin style.

First up to bat: Miku Hatsune of SEGA’s most recent entry in its Project Diva series, and singer of the original Nyan Cat song.

As you can see in the video below, Project Diva is a rhythm game with music videos playing in the background featuring different Vocaloids. Each Vocaloid has an impressive variety of “modules,” or outfits, to equip, but Miku herself has the most with a whopping 73 different modules. Jillian and I lay out our favorites and least favorites below.

Joey’s Picks: To Keep

Noble

I realized that I really don’t care for Miku’s default hairstyle. My three selections all reign in her absurdly long pigtails. Of the three, Noble is far and away my favorite. I love both uses of ribbons, the color selection, and especially the hairstyle. Simply gorgeous top to bottom. Too bad it takes a while to unlock since you get it for beating one of the last songs in the game on Hard, because I probably would have always just used this one.

Little Red

I’ve always been a sucker for red hooded outfits so the Little Red was a shoe-in. I really enjoy the floral patterns on the dress and the matching ribbons on her back and neck combined with the mini ribbons . I’m also a big fan of the yellow stitches on red fabric. Lastly, while I usually despise head accessories, the random cat(dog?) with the crazed expression is too cute to hate on.

Violet Butterfly

Violet Butterfly just looks classy to me. It’s a bit risqué but not completely over the top, so I think it works. It’s also one of the few outfits that seems to match my mental image of a “Diva.” As mentioned before, the shorter hair does wonders for me, and I enjoy the diamond motif.

Joey’s Picks: To Trash

Marionette

Marionette is obviously a costume to fit in with a carnival-themed music video, but it still just looks atrocious to me. Maybe in Circus Performer Land (AKA Katy Perry Land) the polka dot sleeves, yellow balls on shoes, and striped baggy pink pants would fly, but not in the real world. Or whatever world it is that Miku lives in. It’s a short step away from full clown. You never go full clown. There’s also a variation that doesn’t include the mask that is slightly less offensive, but they’re both difficult to look at.

Urban Pop

Urban Pop took all the worst things about the ’90s and put them in one outfit. We shouldn’t be seeing those colors on clothes in 2014. I still shudder to think that I owned shoes like those. Thankfully, I never sunk so low as to have pants with writing on them. Doesn’t calling yourself a diva negate your divaness? It’s like trying to say you’re breezy by saying “I’m breezy.” (Why yes, I have been watching Friends on Netflix.)

Puffy Pastels

I can’t quite pinpoint what I dislike about Puffy Pastels. It looks like something you’d want to wear to sleep, but also looks strangely uncomfortable. It’s a weird mix of loose and tight that seems like a chore to sleep in. The top half looks like something a grandma might wear to bed whereas the bottom half looks like something a baby might wear to bed.

Jillian’s Picks: To Keep

Ichi-no-Sakura Blossom

The weird thing is, I was going to give Joey a hard time about picking Violet Butterfly because “whoa, purple!” but I’ve done the same thing. I guess the muted grayish-purple on Ichi-no-Sakura Blossom is much easier on the eyes and less cartoony to me. Also, since she’s wearing a uniform, it makes more sense for the entire thing to be one color. I love the long, winglike sleeves, the flower detailing, the cute variation on the schoolgirl look, and even the weird cross between boots and geta. Looks classic, feels modern.

Memoria

Memoria is a such a normal look for a girl who has half a dozen variations on cat costumes. This is like a “real person” outfit, but still anime-cute. I love her hair in sky blue with pigtails, which matches her blocked spring colors nicely. Those boots look insanely comfortable and functional. The shawl is borderline dowdy, but is saved by the light pink color, three-quarters sleeves, and asymmetrical cut. The gloves and purple tights keep this from being too safe–again, purple!–but after seeing some of the nonsense (ahem, see “least favorites” below) this girl wears, I’m enjoying something a bit neutral.

Magician

Joey and I share a bit of suckerdom for Magician outfits, and this one is a class act all the way. It’s perfectly tailored to show off Miku’s figure without falling into “slutty assistant” territory. The thigh high boots give her legs for days, the ruffle shirt under two-button vest produces a very confident air, and the hot pink stripe on the top hat provides a hint of flash without devolving into circus ringmaster. She just seems so sure of herself in this outfit that I expect her to coyly say, “Are you watching closely?” Yes, yes I am.

Jillian’s Picks: To Trash

Linkage

She looks like the board game Simon. Is she supposed to be the board game Simon? I might hate Linkage less on a darker background where she doesn’t just blend in like a white moth, but really, that’s probably not true. If she’s not some playable human variation of the bop-it-twist-it-pull-it game, then she’s a really low-budget mo-cap suit. Even Miku looks confused why this thing is on her body. And she has the same giant button-cymbals on her head and butt? Really, why?

Hello, Good Night

This is the most confusing outfit I’ve ever seen. First, she has puzzle-boxes magically floating around her pigtails. Second, there’s some kind of rainbow lightning bolt shooting across her in a messy, drunkenly-painted zigzag. Third, I’m pretty sure she’s wearing a nurse’s cap for no apparent reason. If Puffy Pastels is a chore to sleep in, Joey, then Hello, Good Night is a Saw-style sleep murder-trap.

Heart Hunter

I’ve never seen a devil outfit successfully pulled off. I still haven’t.

And Sash has Made All the Difference: A Lesson from Covet Fashion

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Jillian

I’ve been accidentally hooked on iOS game Covet Fashion for the past week. Despite writing on a site solely dedicated to games and fashion, I’d never really explored the most obvious intersection of the two and played a “dress-up game.”

Okay, that’s a lie: I played the America’s Next Top Model game for about a day straight, but gave up after it kept forcing me to wear the same pair of shorts to every go-see. The human body, and its shorts, have limits.

Covet Fashion has held my attention longer thanks to a steady supply of new and varied clothes that you not only have relatively easy access to, but can try on at any time. The game is basically a never-ending “Who Wore It Best?” competition between paper dolls where you create a themed look, (e.g. “cheerleader” or “gothic bride,”) and then submit it for player voting.

During voting, players are shown player-created looks in pairs and pick whose they prefer for the given theme: the winner gets a few points while the loser loses the same amount. This continues until the end of the voting period, when everyone receives their final score and any associated prizes (more clothes).

Anyway, while voting and being voted on is a nice vindication for your obviously brilliant fashion eye, the real point of this game is playing dress up. You have a crazy amount of items to choose from in almost every category imaginable: dresses, tops, skirts, leggings, sweaters, bags, jewelry, socks, you name it. Although you can only wear items you “own” after purchasing with in-game currency, you are free to try on items without buying them. This is how I came to discover my love of sashes.

Having played only a week, my wardrobe is still fairly barebones. A few dresses, an unnecessary amount of bags, a single pair of shorts (again, dammit!).

I was struggling with variation: I used the same dress for “celebrity birthday party,” “dinner at Michelin Star,” “lunch in Napa Valley,” and “top designer party.” It was getting tired.

Then, upon pulling out my over-worn white dress for “Heron goddess,” I tried something crazy: a light blue sash. All of the sashes are from past seasons, which means they cost rare diamonds instead of readily-available cash.

Despite the price, as soon as I saw that sash in action, I couldn’t bring myself to remove it.

The sash made all the difference. It was like a new dress. It provided color, shine, a focal point, and a really defined waistline.

I started using the sash for everything. “Wisteria ball”? Sash! “Pastel delight”? Sash! “Butterfly fete”? Sash, sash, sash!

It turns out, people don’t like the sash. Wisteria ball: 3 stars. Pastel delight: 3 stars. Butterfly fete: voting is still out, but I have a guess what it’ll be. Point taken: if I want to succeed in this world, I need to ditch the sash.

But the sash has become almost a signature item for me now. It’s my Covet Fashion personal style. Is that worth sacrificing to win a pink sweater?

Is it still fashion if I just do exactly what everyone else is doing?

I say no.

Even if it must stand alone, the sash lives on.