Jefferson (lookingforgrace) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-06-26 12:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, jefferson (the mad hatter), zelda |
Who: Jefferson and Zelda
When: 6/23
Where: Jefferson's shop
What: Getting some presents!
Rating/Warnings: G
Status: Complete
Jefferson had been at the store since 8am, putting the finishing touches on things before starting to have the racks stacked by the shop assistants who’d elected to stay after Lulu had left. There were two of them in today, so he’d run a calculated risk: he’d agreed to an appointment before The Mirror was technically open. But this girl was apparently a minor celebrity, and if there was something he could do to boost the store’s image, so much the better. They’d agreed on early afternoon for the appointment, so hopefully she’d be on time.
Zelda was punctual. She had a boyfriend, a best friend, a bodyguard and a brother to shop for. And she'd heard that this shop was good--at least, from what little googling she'd done. She came in, bright eyed and bushy tailed, pulling her overly large sunglasses up into her hair. "Hello?" She asked the first person she saw. "I have an appointment with Jefferson?"
He saw the door open, and the shopgirl directing a short blonde (well, shorter than him) over his way. “You must be Zelda.” Jefferson said, as she got close, setting aside a pile of fabric. “It’s nice to meet you. I’d ask you to pardon the mess, but I did warn you.” He smiled a little, hoping she did too.
Zelda was fairly short, that was true. But she was bright-eyed, and the energy oozing off of her was bubbly. At the words coming from Jefferson, she grinned a bit wider, then waved her hand a bit in the air--as if to wave off his words. “Don’t worry about it. The artistic types are always a little disorganized at first. Not messy, just... controlled chaos.” She gave him a smile. “I can’t wait to see your designs. I have a lot of shopping to do.”
Jefferson laughed. “That’s a very apt way of putting it, at least for now.” He gestured toward the racks near his workspace. “I’m excited to help, though. What I would suggest first is to look through the racks so you have a sense of my style, and then if you want some custom pieces, we can discuss it.”
Zelda took a look around when Jefferson gestured. She found that even though things weren't perfect yet, she was already getting a feel for the place. And it felt stylish. Just what she liked. And, well, expected for a place that was selling hot fashions.
"That sounds good. I'll take a look." She gave him a bright smile, then moved over to the racks. He could go about his business, too, for a few minutes while she looked at the cuts, felt the fabrics, lifted the weights of the jackets and things. She was pretty knowledgeable about the current trends, and was fairly excited when she saw how amazing all of his work was. She picked out a few things and started to mix and match a little, putting together outfits. Jack and Kol she could pretty much guess the sizes. But Link? That was another story. She might have to drag him in and have him fitted.
Jefferson did back off to let her look around a bit, though he never strayed too far. He saw her puttering around, and he smiled in something approaching relief when she held up pieces he was proud of. This lady clearly knew her stuff and knew what would look good. He never liked correcting customers, especially younger people.
Zelda had four outfits all picked out. Pants, shirts, jackets, accessories. She finally turned back to Jefferson, and flagged him down. Hopefully she wasn’t interrupting too much, she knew that he had a lot of things to do to get ready for the store’s official opening. A warm smile was on her features as she spoke. “I’ve put a few things together here, but I need some input. What do you think? Also, if I’ve got the sizes off a bit, can the guys come in here and exchange? Do you do alterations on site?”
Jefferson came over when she raised a hand, still smiling himself. “We will do alterations,” he replied to her last question. “Probably not in the first week or so that we’re open, but after that, yes, they’ll be done here. I don’t exchange altered merchandise - if it’s just trouser hems or something, that’s all right, but after something’s been taken in or let out in the waist, for example, it’s very difficult to fix it again.”
As for input, he started to look over the things she’d set aside. “Could you tell me a bit about the gentlemen you’re shopping for? In a vacuum, I think you’ve picked very well, but different things will produce different effects on different people, of course. For example.” He indicated a pile where she’d chosen a Euro cut jacket made from dark brown wool. “That jacket’s cut will make someone look taller, as it’s designed to taper. If it’s for a man who’s already quite tall, a standard or American cut might be a better bet.”
Zelda looked at him as if his words confused her. "Exchange?" She asked. "You mean like, return?" She almost never returned merchandise. She didn't need to. It was more of a hassle than simply purchasing whatever she wanted. "I don't think that will even be a thought."
She turned to the stack and gave a nod. "This is the outfit I picked out for my boyfriend. He's a farmer, so I don't see him in a lot of clothes besides his work duds." She said, running her hand over the fabric. "He's not too tall. But he's not Napoleon, either."
Jefferson held up the coat, deciding to ignore the confusion. “You have an eye for color,” he said, noting the trousers and shirt that she’d picked. “Is he very fair? Colors like these will make a man with a dark complexion look darker, but a middling or fair person will look nice.” He smiled. “And in the interests of full disclosure, most of the pieces you’ve chosen for your boyfriend here are off the rack, but the jacket was my design, with the tiny vent at the back. Vents on a suit jacket can make it look ill-fitting; I prefer the no-vent design. It’s more retro and more photogenic.”
"Yes, he's fair." Zelda nodded. "Well, perhaps I'll have to commission you to make the same jacket without the vent, then?" She asked, sounding hopeful. Money was absolutely no object. And she didn't have any time constraints, either. She just wanted some of his amazing clothes for the amazing men in her life. "Though, I'm not sure how many photos he's going to have taken of him. Except maybe at my birthday in September."
She paused. "Now this is for my bodyguard, Jack. He wears plenty of black while on the job. I figure this shirt would move if he needed to, but still looks professional."
“I would be pleased to make the jacket with no vent; it’s just my personal opinion that it looks better. But some do prefer the vents, so we can do either.” Jefferson smiled. “It doesn’t matter how many photos the jacket’s in; as long as he likes it and it’s comfortable.”
He turned toward the next pile, nodding instantly at the shirt. “I agree, miss. Most of the men’s shirts I’ve ordered in here are either linen or very light cotton; California is too blessed hot for anything heavier. And those fabrics have the added plus of being able to move, by themselves or under a jacket.”
Zelda nodded. She wasn’t sure if she preferred the vent or not. But still, she trusted Jefferson’s judgement. And she wanted something that would be comfortable for Link. “If he doesn’t like it, I’ll have him bring it back. And he can choose something else.” She said. “Before we do any alterations, of course.” Not that she would expect him to take these things back. she was just planning on buying whatever Link wanted for him.
She was very pleased that he agreed with her. She was pretty proud of the outfit she’d put together for Jack. She turned to the next. “And I collected these for another good friend of mine, Kol. Something with a bit more attitude, a splash of color, but not too much.”
Jefferson sifted through the pile. “A man who’d wear these colors together is very sure of himself, and I don’t say that to be rude.” He chuckled a little. “It’s a classic combination, just eye-catching. It should work nicely, if he’s that sort of man. Overall, you have very good taste, miss.”
“Good. Kol is very sure of himself.” Zelda said, giving a grin as she turned from Jefferson back down to the outfit she’d picked out for him. “Wonderful! Oh, thank you. I like to think so,” she said, thanking him for what she considered to be a great compliment. She motioned to the outfits. “Do you have boxes? I’d love to wrap these up as presents, and slip your business card inside. If anything doesn’t fit well, then my friends can come find you for alterations. And you send me the bill?” She dug into her purse for a credit card.
“We do have boxes, yes.” It was one of the first things he’d seen to - new labels, new boxes, everything. “I can certainly do that for the two gentlemen, and then were you wanting that third jacket custom made, without the vent? Or would you prefer the one here with the little one in back?”
"Oh, yes. Yes, that would be good. Can you hold the rest of the things for when it's ready?" She handed over the credit card to pay for everything. Money was no object, she didn't even glance at the tags.
“Happy to, miss. The jacket shouldn’t take more than a week. Five days if I push it.” Jefferson smiled, though he was beginning to be curious about something. “I’m glad you came in. If you don’t mind my asking, have you been in films lately? Your face is quite familiar.”
“You don’t need to push it,” Zelda said, shaking her head a little. She let him do the transaction, charging whatever on her credit card. A little smile broke out across her features. “I’ve been doing some interviews, I just finished filming my first in early June.” She beamed at being recognized, though. Of course, with her father being as rich and famous as he was, Zelda had been over the tabloids for a lot of her life.
“Ah. That’s very good! I have a memory for faces, so sometimes I think my eyes are playing tricks on me.” Jefferson smiled as he rang up the items. He went under the counter for a second, coming up with three grey boxes with navy ribbons. “I’ll set these aside, and give you a call when I’ve completed the jacket, or if there’s any question. I certainly hope your friends enjoy what you’ve chosen - if they have your taste, I think they will.”
“I’m sure they’re going to love it.” Zelda put her credit card away into her purse, then waited while he wrapped up the two boxes she was going to take home today. The third would wait for the jacket. “And if they need any alterations, I’ll send them straight in here to see you.” She was really excited to see what Jack and Kol thought of their presents.
“Good.” He offered a hand. “It’s been a pleasure, miss. Hopefully we’ll see you in here again - I do ladies’ clothes as well.”
Zelda reached forward and shook his hand. "It's been a pleasure for me, too, truly." She said, giving him a bright smile. "And you can call me Zelda. I'm going to come back and buy out your summer dresses, for sure." She added, then picked up the boxes to head out of the shop.