Make A Dragon Wanna Retire Man

[Octavia Lytton]

90°F/32°C | Friday 12th June, 1885
Outfit

Having to dress fashionably meant she had few simple and light dresses, which was proving to be a bit of a pain. Octavia had meant to be finishing a design that morning, but the atelier was far too hot for her to even consider focusing on such a menial task, and so she’d spent an hour or so debating how to cool herself down and how close she was to dying of heat exhaustion alternately, until a solution had finally clicked with her. After attempting her idea on her own clothes and immediately finding some relief, she’d braved the atelier again (the seamstresses would cope in the heat, she was sure, for they were more hardy) to quickly write up an elegant sign and charm a few samples of fabric- some light cotton for petticoats, brushed cotton and muslins and chiffons for the rest of the dress- before hitting the main shop.

The heat and humidity was barely less oppressive in there, with the shop filled with several small groups of customers milling about, admiring fabric displays, the fashion plates they’d produced or waiting for a fitting whilst being advised by one of the workers. Octavia found a small display of photographs of happy customers in their dresses, moving the images to a nearby shelf so she could arrange her work on the table and to put of the sign;

’Self cooling fabrics; perfect for summer’

Satisfied with her work, Octavia turned to the nearest unattended customers. “How can I help you?” She asked brightly, feeling a lot less lethargic now her skirts at least weren’t trapping hot air around her legs.

[Ruth Tatting]

The petite mother-of-six was at the House of Lytton for a very simple reason: in order to scope out the competition. Of course, the House of Lytton was on Diagon Alley and her own shop in Hogsmeade, but there were also an unamusing number of young ladies using the new designer for their gowns for the coming season. Certainly, Ruth was sure, they could not be more than a fad. If that was not the case, Twilfit & Tatting's might be in for some hard times, and Ruth was not going to let her business languish in the shade of one run and owned by a man.

"I was just looking around," Ruth said lightly. There was no way that she was going to buy anything here, obviously, but she did want to see what they had. "Perhaps you could show me some of what the newest materials are?"

  

[Octavia Lytton]

Octavia couldn’t help but think she knew the woman, but she couldn’t put her finger on it at that moment, so gave a bright smile.

“Of course!” She replied. “For ballgowns, aerophane is proving very popular.” Thank heavens with magic the silk worms were able to produce enough for it not to be akin to wearing a dress of spun glass in terms of cost, and fragility. “Day dresses, tulle is also very much in demand, as are the finer cottons. We also carry several fabrics imbued with spells of my own creation.”

[Ruth Tatting]

Well, that was something they didn't have, and Ruth frowned slightly. Neither she nor Esther, nor anyone in their employ, made their own spells.

"Very nice," Ruth said, taking comfort in the fact that their fabric choice was similar. "What thread count cotton is your finest?"

  

[Octavia Lytton]

“The cotton duck goes up to 400 count, the British cotton to 600, and the Egyptian to 800 in the standard, though we have contacts to provide us with up to a thousand when the demand arrises.” Octavia reeled off with a smile. Say what you liked, but Octavia knew her fabrics.