A Dork Named Adrien, Day 4 - Fashion
For @seasonofthegeek Adrien Appreciation Week challenge
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Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
BTW in France, they call their tuxedos as smoking same with other European countries but I'll stick with the American English term instead to avoid further confusions.
This chapter is about Adrien and his male classmates, 'coz canon failed to focus on their tight friendship. Also, lots of fashion tips for men…and bad puns.
Slight S2 spoilers.
"You need a what?"
"A fashion guru, man. A fashion guru. One who knows about fashion," Nino told him casually "You're a fashion model so you're very much familiar with suits."
"Nino, I do Haute Couture. It's not similar with Prêt-à-Porter."
"Who cares? They're both articles of clothing anyway." Kim interjected but was nudged by Max.
"Prêt-à-Porter is a high quality, factory made fashion that is only available pre-seasonally, catering to climate and economic changes. Haute Couture, on the other hand, is a high-quality custom-fit piece made for a specific client and is regulated by a French law."
Markov settled himself on his bespectacled master's shoulder and added "Haute Couture houses are committed to present collections twice a year of at least thirty-five pieces of – "
"Will you two just stop explaining irrelevant things?" the jock scowled much to their chagrin "It's not helpful."
"Hey!"
"Can we just drop those fancy names and simply call Prêt-à-Porter as 'ready-to-wear' while Haute Couture as 'high-end fashion'?" Nathanael offered, which earned a nod from Ivan.
"I'm a bit confused. I don't understand why you all want my advice," said Adrien who was scratching the side of his chin "Why can't you just approach Marinette? She's an aspiring fashion designer and she knows all about tailored suits."
"No way we will ask Marinette about this," his best friend shook his head with a grimace "Even if Marinette kept this as a secret, Alya will still be able to pull the information out of her mouth. Alya can even interrogate a mute and they will tell her everything. You have no idea how scary she is."
"I'm pretty much aware of her cape-abilities."
"I'm going to let your pun slide, Agreste. Don't make me strangle you."
"Once Alya knows this," Ivan interrupted their banters "No way she will never share it with the girls, especially to Mylene."
"Or to Chloe," Nathanael added.
"Okay, I think I get what you mean," the blond model chuckled "Who doesn't want to dress to impress their girl? Am I right, Nino?"
"Shut up, you filthy rich brat."
"I don't need to dress to impress," Kim patted his chest proudly "Because Ondine is already proud of me – OUCH! Max, what was that for?!"
"Nobody wants to know your icky love story," the bespectacled boy sneered as he unrolled the magazine that he used to hit his friend's head "It's not helpful."
The boys' raucous laughs erupted when Kim's cheeks turned into an overripe tomato.
Mayor Bourgeoise made an announcement that his beloved daughter will be celebrating her birthday party in Le Gran Paris, and since it was a black-tie event, it was expected that there will be some famous celebrities, politicians and the press attendees there.
Despite the glitz and glamour, Chloe extended the invitation to her 'peasant' classmates. And of course, the class wholeheartedly accepted it.
"We better not screw this up," said Nino who was forced to slouch on the car seat as Ivan's large arm occupied almost half of the backrest "Not only for our girlfriends' sanity but also for our dignity. I bet there will be reporters there that could capture our mess and ruin our future."
"C'mon man, live a life! Yolo guys, Yolo!" answered by Kim who was sitting on the opposite side "Nobody cares if we'll do something funny there."
"No Kim, Nino's right," Nathanael defended glumly "Unlike you who has a scholarship grant, us here have to avoid any controversial issues that could reach to our prospect schools and lead them to cancel our application. Universities are quite sensitive to mass media nowadays."
Kim grumbled incoherently then slumped in his seat.
"This is a nice change of pace after our horrendous Bac," Ivan commented as he stared at the windows.
Nino groaned while cradling his head "Please don't remind me about that."
Adrien was supposed to be commuting with his friends, but when they learned about Gorilla's presence, they pleaded him to take them for a ride in his limousine.
He couldn't say no to their loud whines.
Now the six boys and a floating miniature robot – plus an undisclosed kwami in the pocket – were all cramped at the passenger's seat.
The ride to Haussmann-Saint-Lazare-Opéra was quite short. Considered as the commercial heart of Parisian shopping, this urban center is a home to major department stores and cheap deals, especially on men's clothing.
"According to the data that I have gathered last night, Manteau et Cravate sells the cheapest yet high-quality tuxedos in town," Max said as he swiped something on his phone. "They also have tux rentals too."
"I don't think I'll have another chance to wear a tuxedo after Chloe's party," Ivan mumbled, with eyes skimming on the store displays that they've passed. "As this is just a one-time event."
"You can still wear a tux on some formal occasions like weddings or anniversaries," their jock classmate supplied "We never know, Chloe might invite us again next year."
"Hmm, you might be right."
"Maman said that the jacket might not fit me after a year or two." Nathanael told them "So I'll just rent a tuxedo instead."
"So rent we shall do," said Nino, pushing the store's glass door open.
Shopping with male friends is way different than Chloe's, Adrien bemused as he observed the ruckus that was happening inside the shop. For his childhood friend, shopping means hopping from one store to another, multiple dress fittings and carrying several tote bags as they marched to another boutique.
Nino and the gang, however, prefer to stay at one place that could cater all of their needs. No window shoppings, catalog viewings, dress fittings or side trips like cafe and restaurants.
He never realized that hanging out with a group of boys for shopping was pretty straight-forward until now.
It was quite refreshing.
"What the hell is the difference between tuxedos and suits?" Kim complained as he rummaged the jackets that were hung neatly on the display racks "They all look the same!"
"Tuxedos have satins while suits don't," the blond model explained, "There are few exceptions to the rule though, but I think you'll find it sew-fisticated."
He guffawed when someone socked him with a pair of rolled socks. Thankfully, they were unused.
"Hey, Adrien," Nathanael called his attention behind the shelves "Which of these bow ties do you think would match on my dress shirt?"
"Bow ties?!" the jock reacted "Ew, that's for oldies! Why can't we use long neckties?"
"That depends on your jacket and shirt collar, Kim," reasoned Adrien. "Though most tuxes are best suited with bow ties."
"I hope you did not say that to deliver a pun," he deadpanned.
"Hey, all of my puns are intended."
This time, it was Nino who socked him with a belt.
Ivan emerged in front of them, holding two pieces of black garments "Adrien, waistcoat or cummerbund?"
"For you?"
His huge classmate nodded.
When he showed him a double-breasted coat, he answered: "Waistcoat would be tear-riffic on your attire."
Ivan made a non-committal hum as he left for a dress fitting.
"Can I use suspenders?" Max asked, showing him his single-buttoned jacket with silver lapels. "What colors should I use?"
"You can," Adrien answered, "But suspenders should never be visible and must be hidden completely beneath the waist covering and jacket, so it denim matter if it's a black or white."
Kim hastily shoved some lapel accessories on his face "Hey, I want a flower like what I saw on the ads! Can I use a flower on my jacket, Adrien?"
"Y – You mean Boutonnière? Of course," was his cringe reply after removing an artificial petal from his mouth "Just stick to a single flower, preferably red or white."
"Can I use yellow?"
Adrien gave him an impassive look for a moment before he sighed defeatedly. He turned his head around and noticed Nino on the other side of the room with a blanked expression.
"Hey dude, are you okay there?" he asked, tapping his best friend's shoulder lightly.
The DJ groaned inwardly "I'm having troubles on selecting tux here, man. They're all the same shade of black yet I'm not sure if any of these will compliment my skin complexion."
"I know what you mean," said the blond as he began to examine the tuxedo sets on the racks "You can wear a dark jacket and trouser to play safe, but if you're asking for my opinion, I'd prefer if you wear an off-black one. Like this."
Nino eyed the articles that he pulled out from the hanger "Are you sure about this, dude?"
"I'm a fashion guru, remember?" his friend announced proudly then flashed him a lopsided grin "I'm well Versaced in this area."
"I have no idea what Marinette sees in you," he retorted dryly.
The blond crossed his arms as if offended, "There Armani things that Marinette sew in me. And if she knows about this, I bet she would be very Prada me."
"Adrien, no."
Before the boys left the shop, Adrien reminded them of their shoes.
"Does that mean I can't wear my sneakers?!"
"No, Kim. You can't," the blond retorted with a straight face, "That's a fedoral offense."