The Long and the Short of It

Vincien says, "Good morning all."
Vincien walks to stand behind an arboreal linden wood lectern.
Vincien clears his throat.
Vincien taps a large blackboard.
Vincien says, "Welcome indeed, to FashionCon 5119."
Vincien exclaims, "Thank you to the lovely Lady Rohese for inviting me here today!"
Vincien says, "As the blackboard says, my name is Vincien Chase and I am the resident lecturer for Elanthian Elegance."
Vincien gazes thoughtfully at a large blackboard.
Vincien jokes, "Although you may call me Lylia if you wish."
Vincien winks.
Vincien exclaims, "I can't guarantee that I'll answer!"
Vincien exclaims, "I'm going to ask you to gather close so you can all hear me ... no sitting at the back and dozing off!"

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "As this is effectively an IC lecture, I'll be avoiding OOC references but will try to emphasise useful verbs by using capital letters and when I refer to other sources, I'll whisper the website links to the group." (URLs have been replaced with actual links)

Vincien says, "So, my first lecture this weekend is called, "The Long and the Short of It"."
Vincien says, "Someone once said that, "Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.""
Vincien says, "I'm sure all of you here today are interested in being "stylish" so I'm going to discuss how we can get the most from our time with a tailor or dressmaker to ensure that even the most complicated alteration is handled as simply and effectively as possible."
Vincien says, "We are fortunate in Elanthia to have access to skilled artisans such as seamstresses, jewelers, and cobblers, and it is important that we understand their requirements when commissioning work."
Vincien says, "I won't be going through the rudiments of ALTER work in detail as there are readily available resources to cover those."
Vincien says, "I shall however make reference to them from time-to-time so feel free to take notes and do some background reading at a later date."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "The ALTER (verb) provides a comprehensive in-game guide to the general alterations rules."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "It is a useful source of reference, along with the GS Wiki's alteration page at Alteration."

Vincien says, "The three main things to bear in mind when requesting alteration work from a merchant are to be prepared, to be concise, and to be creative."
(Vincien taps on his fingers one by one.)
Vincien repeats, "Prepared, concise and creative."
Vincien says, "Preparation is the key."
Vincien says, "In order to ensure a smooth transaction, it is imperative that you have an idea of the alteration you'd like to make and do your homework beforehand to avoid disappointment."
Vincien says, "Whilst it's not necessary, in many cases, to have finalised the finer details, it is helpful to have a pretty firm idea in your mind of what you envisage the desired outcome to be."
Vincien says, "A lot of merchants are happy to engage in conversation with you about the detailed aspects of your design, especially those of a SHOWier nature but, like most artists, they tend to work better with inspiration and input."
Vincien says, "The item you wish to work on cannot be fundamentally changed but it is possible to make improvements to its appearance."
Vincien says, "For example, silver necklaces can be crafted into eahnor chokers with the clever application of the right materials."
Vincien says, "They cannot however be made into bracelets or earrings without the proper tools and most merchants don't tend to carry those tools around with them."
Vincien shakes his head.

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "There are particular pieces out there that can morph between wearable locations and some merchants might be willing to work on them, but they are not very common."

Vincien says, "Also, don't expect the merchant to have access to rare materials when working outside of their workshops; it is therefore common courtesy to provide them at the time of commissioning."
Vincien leans against an arboreal linden wood lectern.
Vincien says, "The rarer woods such as illthorn and lasimor would need to be supplied, as well as metals such as veil iron or stones such as bleakstone."
Vincien says, "Likewise, gowns can be adjusted into tunics, bodices, blouses or shirts, and vice versa with skillful tailoring, but not into longcoats or cloaks."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "The ANALYZE and INSPECT verbs provide useful information about the functionality of items: where they can be worn and the basic material they are made from."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "Again, there are morphing versions available with various "side" options that can be worked on by merchants. For example, one "side" could be a longcoat but when TURNed, will reveal a second "side" which could be a backpack, and a third "side" which could be a satchel etc."

Vincien says, "Courtesy also extends to the amount of time you should take when working with a merchant - especially if you are not the only customer awaiting the service."
Vincien says, "As I mentioned earlier, preparation and respecting the principles of alteration work can facilitate this."
Naamit nods in agreement.
Razanetika adopts an agreeable expression.
Vincien says, "When it comes to clothing, there are a wealth of styles and fabrics to choose from, in a rainbow of colors, the choice of which can make a huge difference to an outfit."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "The DEFINE verb is helpful when it comes to learning more about specific racial or cultural peculiarities such as paeline, atanikas, and geldaralads."

Vincien says, "If you simply wish to jazz up a plain item, you could always consider using dye."
Vincien adds, "Most towns in Elanthia have an establishment that will dye them for you at minimal cost or you could seek out the services of an alchemist for more unusual attributes like glowing or sparkling hues."
Vincien removes a dark-stained oak needlework case from his belt.
Vincien carefully places a dark-stained oak needlework case on the floor.
Vincien says, "One has only to visit Maellyn's delightful haberdashery in the Solhaven South Market to see a display of materials available to the novice designer."
Vincien taps a dark-stained oak needlework case.
Vincien says, "I happen to have some samples with me."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "I would suggest checking out the inventory of the shop in Solhaven if you'd like to see a basic list of fabrics."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "Also check out the dye tent in your town for an idea of the range of colors available or refer to Dye and Dyer's tent."

Vincien says, "Merchants - whether at a festival or visiting a town - have access to a larger range of both fabrics and dyes, so it's always worth learning more about both at a phrontistery or library for inspiration."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "Some useful websites worth looking at are Wikipedia Colors or Phrontistery Colors for help with color options."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "And Phrontistery Fabrics or Rosalie Fabrics for lesser known fabrics."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "Be aware though, that not all merchants will agree to use them."

Vincien says, "Minor embellishments can be made with trimmings like embroidery, lace, fur, and feathers or the addition of fastenings such as buttons and buckles."
Vincien says, "Again, bear in the mind the rarity of the material being requested for such adornments, and be prepared to provide it should you be asked."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "Some players own alteration boxes or wands that can add simple embellishments like gems, shells and skins to your short base description items."

Vincien says, "There are boxes available that can turn gems, and some flora, into different types of jewelry."
Vincien says, "There will be a demonstration of this in both of the workshops later."
Vincien says, "Consider the detail of the work involved and its appearance to an onlooker when you draw attention to it with a TAP."
Vincien taps an open-necked ebon silk shirt with ovular onyx buttons that he is wearing.
Vincien says, "For example."
Vincien says, "If the work is likely to be of an intricate nature then an initial glance at your item should be intriguing enough to encourage closer inspection."
Vincien says, "Ask yourself what you wish to convey when you LOOK closely at your item or SHOW it to others."

(OOC) Vincien's player whispers to the group, "The ALTER verb explains the description terms e.g. base, tap, short, long, show etc. in more detail. They can seem somewhat confusing at first but practice makes perfect!"

Vincien says, "Personally, I'm partial to the philosophy of "less is always more.""
Vincien adds, "Elegance is to be found in elimination balanced with creativity, which comes from study, practice, and a little imagination."
Vincien amusedly says, "Whilst you may wish to embroider the scene of a wolf howling at the full moon, with owls and bats filling the starry night sky across the back of your cloak, you must consider how all these embellishments will look from a distance."
Vincien says, "A design this elaborate requires closer inspection to appreciate its intricacy and, as such, will require some thought on how best to present it."
Vincien removes an alum-banded dark ivory pocket watch from in his grey bourde coat.
Vincien glances at an alum-banded dark ivory pocket watch in his hand.
Vincien nods slowly.
Vincien put an alum-banded dark ivory pocket watch in his grey bourde coat.
Vincien says, "Alas, time prohibits me from covering creative expression such as this in depth this morning as we are running out of time."
Vincien says, "I'll draw this lecture to a close but leave you with this thought ..."
Vincien exclaims, "Fashion is art and you are the canvas!"
(Vincien knocks on the linden wood lectern with enthusiasm.)
Vincien says, "Don't be afraid to be creative and express yourself."
Vincien says, "We have only managed to cover the basics of how to go about that this morning but do not be dismayed! This is the first in a series of lectures that I hope to deliver over the next few days."
Vincien says, "In those lectures, we shall explore the art of accessorising, unravel some of the mysteries of Joola's clothing line and Veola's millinery, and delve into the inspiration of nature."
Vincien concludes, "For now though, I'd like to thank you all for coming and I hope that you will enjoy the rest of FashionCon."
Vincien adds, "You are all welcome to stay for the workshop and don't forget to get your copy of Elanthian Vogue!"
Vincien points at a neat stack of glossy booklets.