In April, Musichetta, Claudine, and I drew up a shopping list of what I should have if I were to give the impression of being a young lady from a family of some means. Sitting in the Musain, I used it as an opportunity for Gavroche to practise writing somewhat unfamiliar words. I already had three chemises, two pairs of woolen stockings and one pair of silk, the day dress and pelisse that Enjolras had presented me with, and two petticoats, as well as the somewhat old-fashioned dancing shoes and the bonnet we had bought last year.
The fact that we wouldn't be staying with the Enjolras family for very long meant that I wouldn't have to worry about acquiring a complete wardrobe, but the nature of events meant that I was likely to require an evening dress and possibly a dinner dress, as well as a couple of day dresses, and they wouldn't come cheap.
"More to the point, they won't fit overly well with your current stays," Musichetta pointed out.
"What's wrong with my stays?"
"Nothing - I'm sure they're more than comfortable, and you've kept them in good repair, but the fashions at the moment lend themselves to more curves - I think you'll want a corset, instead."
I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. I'd seen the newer corsets in some shop windows - they were long, fitting from the bust down over the hip, flaring over the curves with gores, and I wondered how different they'd feel to my shorter, far more simply shaped set of stays. All the fashionable corsets I'd see were back lacing too - impossible to get into or out of without help.
"The new fashions will fit much better with a corset underneath. And you'll need the rest of the fashionable undergarments - a corded petticoat, a tucked petticoat, sleeve plumpers..."
At this, Gavroche laughed.
"Sleeve plumpers?"
"How else do you think the most fashionable ladies' arms get that shape?" Musichetta asked him.
He shrugged.
"Never thought about it before. Not like I'm worrying about their sleeves when I'm up close to them."
"No, I'd imagine their pockets hold more interest," Claudine remarked dryly.
"What are they made of? Cushions?"
"Sometimes, yes - they're stuffed with feathers or cork. Other times they're held out with whalebone hoops."
"So, we need a corset, a corded petticoat, a tucked petticoat, and a pair of sleeve plumpers?" I asked.
"Possibly. Depending on the dresses, we might be able to get away without stuffing your arms."
"I'd rather avoid it if at all possible. Big skirts are going to be bad enough when it comes to avoiding knocking anything over, without having to worry about how wide my arms are as well!"
The final list, written in pen, in Gavroche's best handwriting (though somewhat smudged and blotted here and there) was split into three sections:
NEED:
Corset
Corded petticoat
Tucked petticoat
1 day dress
1 evening dress
GOOD TO HAVE:
2 more chemises
1 spare day dress
1 fashionable bonnet
1 cap
1 cloak for travelling
Set of handkerchiefs
Fashionable boots
Fashionable evening shoes
IF POSSIBLE:
1 dinner dress
Pelerine
Paletot
Day gloves
Evening gloves
Hair pieces
"That's going to add up to at least 200 francs," Claudine said, looking over the list.
YOU ARE READING
Lisette
Fanfiction"Don't put your trust in revolutions. They always come round again. That's why they're called revolutions. People die, and nothing changes." - Terry Pratchett, Night Watch A retelling of part of Les Miserables, from about 1828-1832. Élise was born i...
