Chapter 42 Making New Clothes and Getting a Perm
The Lou family has five wives, and they need to make a lot of new clothes every year.
Everyone was excited about getting new clothes, not just Old Madam Lou, but all the ladies flocked to the clothing store.
Good clothes are all made to order. First, the measurements are taken, and then the style is determined. Each cheongsam is hand-sewn by a tailor, and the production time for one garment can range from a few days to several months.
Whether to choose a long or short cheongsam, where to raise the hem, how big the slit should be, whether to choose a patterned or plain fabric, what kind of lace to add—everything has its own rules, and even the styles of frog buttons are available in dozens of designs.
The clothing store's shelves were piled high with fabrics of all colors, and the ladies were selecting fabrics that suited their tastes, loving each and every one of them.
The eldest wife held up a piece of dark green silk embroidered with lotus patterns and examined it. She led the old lady to a mirror taller than a person and held it up to the old lady's body, asking, "Mom, what do you think of this fabric?"
The dark green silk made her look incredibly elegant and also made her skin appear fairer.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Old Madam Lou's lips curled into a serious smile.
The material is beautiful.
Just thinking about what this good material would turn into made her a little uneasy.
In recent years, fashion trends in Haicheng have been heavily influenced by Western styles. Traditional old-fashioned jackets and skirts are no longer popular, and shop windows mostly display Western-style dresses or fitted cheongsams. There are also several posters of a movie star next to them.
The woman in the magazine had delicate eyebrows and a small mouth, and was charming and beautiful. She was dressed in the latest fashions. In just a short while, several people came in and asked for the same clothes as the celebrity in the magazine.
Old Madam Lou looked around.
The mannequins in the clothing store displayed several beautiful finished cheongsams, with sleeves short enough to reach the arms, slits at the hem, and cuts that hugged the curves of the body, highlighting the slender figure.
Those clothes would be fine on young ladies, but what about an old lady like her?
"Showing your chest and arms bare, what kind of behavior is that?" Old Madam Lou frowned and said, "Let's forget about it."
The person has already arrived at the clothing store, how can we let it go?
The first wife smiled and said, "These can all be adjusted. Whatever you want, we can change it."
“Yes, madam,” the first concubine chimed in. “The cheongsam was originally an improved version of the old-style jacket and skirt, the kind of clothes we often wear. With a few modifications, it becomes both fashionable and dignified. Go and see for yourself on the street; in Haicheng, most people your age wear this style. It’s very popular.”
"The old lady takes good care of herself; she looks stunning in these clothes!"
Mao Mao also came to the clothing store with the ladies. At this moment, she was dazzled by the beautiful fabrics and dresses in the whole store.
The second concubine led Mao Mao over and asked, "Mao Mao, do you think Grandma looks good in this?"
Mao Mao's eyes sparkled: "Grandma is beautiful!"
Old Madam Lou pursed her lips and said nothing more.
She couldn't wear something so form-fitting, so she asked the tailor to make the sleeves longer and the waist wider, preferably with straight lines. As for the pattern, Old Madam Lou had her own preferences. Just as the First Concubine had said, the cheongsam was an improvement on the old-style jacket and skirt, and many of its elements were the same.
The first wife said, "Make a few outfits for everyday wear, and a few formal dresses for banquets."
After taking the measurements, Madam Lou pointed to the well-behaved Mao Mao beside her and said to the tailor, "Use the extra fabric to make a few more outfits for that little baby."
Mao Mao looked up with delight on her chubby little face: "Mao Mao has one too?"
"Of course, you'll be included." The first wife took her small hand. "What kind do you want? How about we make a little cheongsam too?"
Mao Mao exclaimed happily, "I want to be just like all the moms!"
The first wife beamed with joy: "Great, Mao Mao will wear the same clothes as the mothers."
The old tailor's eyes narrowed with a smile behind his glasses. "So this is a matching set for the whole family? I'll make one for each of the ladies, based on their choices?"
Each wife had several new outfits made. If all of them were made as a set, it would cost six times the price. This meant that Mao Mao would have to wear different outfits every day for more than half a month.
Before the First Madam could even speak, Old Madam Lou decisively declared, "Do it all!"
The Lou family isn't short of money for clothes.
No matter who is wronged, their little lucky star should not be wronged.
Mao Mao said sweetly, "Thank you, Grandma!"
"Use the best materials," said Madam Lou magnanimously. "Don't think that just because you're making clothes for a child, you can use inferior materials to appease me."
"Don't worry, ma'am, we'll use the best quality for safekeeping."
The old tailor, holding a measuring tape, squatted down in front of Mao Mao: "Come on, Miss Lou, raise your hand."
Mao Mao obediently raised her little hand high, asking the old tailor to take her measurements. She was incredibly well-behaved; she raised her hand when asked, lifted her foot when asked, and spun around in a big circle when asked to turn around.
The old tailor wrote down all the measurements, and when he reached her round little belly, he loosened the measuring tape a bit: "Hmm, the waist needs to be a little looser." He quickly jotted it down.
Mao Mao looked completely innocent, blinking her eyes repeatedly.
Oh, the baby only ate a little bit.
It's baby fat, not chubby!
After taking the measurements, the second concubine waved from a short distance away: "Mao Mao, come here and help Third Mama take a look too."
"I'm here!"
Mao Mao ran over with her short legs.
Over there, the third concubine was also instructing Xia Xiaoxiang.
The third concubine had always disliked her, but today she was unusually kind and gentle.
“…This color is too old-fashioned. You’re so young, you should wear something brighter and more vibrant. It will make you look better. Why dress so maturely?” The third concubine picked and chose: “And this pattern, it’s not fashionable in Haicheng these days. If you wear it out, people will think you’re old-fashioned.”
Xia Xiaoxiang hesitated: "I'm afraid I'll look too young and not mature enough, after all, I'm not a little girl anymore."
The third concubine rolled her eyes at her: "You're only in your twenties. Many young ladies of this age are still studying abroad. If you don't dress up and look pretty when you're young, why do you want to turn into an old cucumber and try to look younger?"
Xia Xiaoxiang nodded repeatedly and quickly wrote it down.
The third wife was the most fashion-savvy woman in the Lou family, with unique insights into clothing and makeup.
The third concubine pulled out another piece of lace fabric: "And this, French lace. Although silk and brocade are mostly used for making cheongsams, these foreign fabrics are also very distinctive. A movie star wore a lace cheongsam before, and it became a trend. I have one."
Xia Xiaoxiang nodded: "I remember, it was white, and it made you look like a butterfly when you wore it."
The third concubine glanced at her, and Xia Xiaoxiang pursed her lips, feeling a little embarrassed.
The third concubine's gaze fell on her mouth again.
"I've wanted to tell you this for a while now. This lipstick color is too old-fashioned. It doesn't look good on you." The third concubine snorted. "I buy fashion magazines every month, like 'Liangyou' and 'Linglong.' They teach women how to dress and do makeup. Take a look and learn from what they teach."
"You really want to lend it to me?" Xia Xiaoxiang asked in surprise.
“I’ve already read those magazines. I’ll throw them away anyway, even if you don’t read them.” The third concubine continued, pulling at the lace fabric, “…This lace fabric is openwork. If you’re embarrassed to wear it, you can just trim a border around the hem. It will look nice.”
Xia Xiaoxiang: "Okay, I want to make one like this!"
Soon, the ladies had all decided on the new clothes they wanted to wear.
When they came out of the clothing store, Xia Xiaoxiang was already arm in arm with the third concubine, as if they had become best friends and had endless things to talk about.
Watching their retreating figures as they walked ahead, the second concubine wondered, "How come their relationship has suddenly become so good?"
"What else could it be?" The first concubine gestured with her chin toward the little dumpling walking beside Old Madam Lou: "Of course it's because of Mao Mao."
For the beauty-loving third concubine, not dressing up would be like taking half her life!
Now that Mao Mao was here, Old Madam Lou relented and stopped restricting the ladies' clothing and appearance. This was a huge help to Third Aunt, making her happier than if she had won the lottery. She was grateful to Mao Mao, and naturally, she extended that gratitude to Mao Mao's mother as well.
After getting my clothes made, I went to the hair salon.
Old Mrs. Lou: "At my age, why would I get a perm?"
The First Madam said to Old Madam Lou, "Hair salons not only perm hair, but also dye it. They can dye gray hair black, which can make people look much younger."
Xia Xiaoxiang glanced at the third concubine and said, "I want to get an aesthesia perm."
The "Aistou" hairstyle involves perming the hair into an "S" shape, creating a charming and alluring look that is extremely popular in Haicheng. It's done with a Western-style electric iron and won't deform no matter how many times you wash it.
It only costs tens of yuan to perm your hair, something Xia Xiaoxiang could never have imagined before.
Mao Mao raised her little hand, eager to try, and said expectantly, "Mao Mao wants one too!"
The ladies burst into laughter: "You're so young, getting a perm? You're way too young!"
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