Charlotte's shop was small, with various fabrics piled up to the ceiling, covering two entire walls. One side displayed her finished garments, and the front of the shop had large glass windows that let in plenty of natural light for sewing.
Inside, there was a wide, long oak table where Charlotte and her apprentices sat cross-legged to work. This arrangement was practical for larger garments, as it allowed them to work together and kept the fabrics off the dusty floor. This comfortable seating style even earned the name "seamstress style."
Today was supposed to be a relaxing day. Charlotte was sitting at the table, adjusting a dress when suddenly, a regular customer arrived.
"You mean," Charlotte asked in disbelief, "you're looking for… red and green fabrics?" She hesitated, stopping her needle and thread.
This was indeed a very rare color combination to request.
She took the customer's card and looked at it with confusion. It depicted a dress in light red and dark green, paired with matching green soft hat, brown strappy low-heeled shoes, a handbag with delicate light red embroidery, and a flower in her hair, giving a graceful yet lively vibe.
Unlike the illustrations in magazines, which often had an artistic quality that made them feel more like paintings than real-life outfits, this card felt more realistic. The line work and colors felt more lifelike, and the girl in the picture directly engaged with the viewer, making it feel as though she was sharing some unspoken connection with them. It made one feel as if they could truly relate to her, not just admire the image from afar.
The dress design was simple and practical, and Charlotte could easily imagine herself wearing it—perhaps as a morning dress or a leisurely walking dress. The dark green was practical because it didn't get dirty easily, and the matching hat wouldn't be too difficult to make. However, finding the exact shade of light red fabric was another matter.
"Light red fabric is hard to find exactly like this," Charlotte said, studying the card carefully, "but dark green is a very popular choice right now."
The customer hesitated and asked, "Would it look bad if I chose a different red?"
"I think the effect might be slightly off," Charlotte replied fairly. When it came to color matching, even a slight difference in shade could result in a completely different effect when worn.
The customer decided to go away and think about it.
Soon, at least two more customers came, each holding a similar card. They weren't there to commission a custom-made dress, but rather, they wanted to replicate the style of the dress on the card. Some only wanted to modify the collar or the trim color, which weren't complicated tasks, and could be done at home. They were just there to pick out the fabrics.
"By the way," Charlotte couldn't help but ask, "where did that card come from? To be honest, I've had several customers bring it to me already."
"Oh, it's part of the paper doll set that *Ladies' Monthly* magazine launched," the customer explained, feeling that the long explanation might be a bit too much. "You can buy it in any bookstore if you ask for 'Helen Paper Dolls,' but…"
She seemed a bit hesitant about pushing Charlotte too much and continued, "There are twelve cards in total, and they're randomly included in the paper doll set. If you're just interested in the cards, you can go to the 'second-hand exchange area' and buy ones that others don't want. The more common ones are cheaper, only a penny."
As for the less common ones, she didn't mention the price, perhaps out of concern that it would shock Charlotte.
Despite the complicated way of acquiring the cards, Charlotte decided to visit the bookstore. After all, if something was influencing her customers' fashion preferences, as a seamstress, she should get her hands on it as soon as possible.
Before she could catch her breath, a new customer walked in.
This customer also had a card and wanted to order a white dress.
Charlotte took the card, confused, and examined it. It was a simple white dress with a normal cut, but the distinctive feature was the sleeves. The long sleeves, almost covering the hands, were tied into puffed "bubble sleeves," like lotus root segments, held together with ribbons.
"It looks very elegant," Charlotte commented. "I think you could even make it at home yourself."
The skill required wasn't particularly high.
"But I don't have the full-size dress pattern," the customer lamented. "I really wish it came with some cutting and sizing references."
A clothing pattern provided detailed cutting instructions, sewing steps, and methods. If it was a full-size pattern, readers could even customize it based on their own measurements and preferences. Without it, the seamstress had to rely on their experience and skills to design and cut the garment. For women with little experience, having a pattern made the process much easier.
Charlotte shrugged. "Of course, I'll design it for you, but it'll take until next month. It seems like everyone wants a new dress right now, and work is piling up."
"That's unfortunate," the customer sighed, looking disappointed. "Why doesn't it come with a dress pattern?"
"Yeah, why can't we include a dress pattern in the magazine?" Mrs. Orchart, the editor of *Ladies' Monthly*, was discussing this very issue with two colleagues. "Nearby seamstresses are complaining about the extra work, even though it's mostly simple stuff."
"I think we could include a full-size pattern in the magazine," Lucy agreed, adding, "I'd love to make a Helen dress too, but I'm not as experienced as those seamstresses. I think there's demand for it."
*Ladies' Monthly* had 32 pages in total. If they were to add the Helen dress pattern, they would either have to remove some content or increase the magazine's costs.
"We can consider it," Mrs. Orchart said, holding a letter and showing a thoughtful expression. "This letter brings up some suggestions."
"Every day we get letters with suggestions," the male editor said, annoyed, feeling his core work was being interrupted. "What's so special about this letter?"
Mrs. Orchart pressed her lips together. "It's from the author of *Helen*."
Lucy and the male editor straightened up, their expressions becoming more serious. "Perhaps we should take her opinions seriously."
After all, someone who could double the magazine's sales would certainly receive more attention.
"She's absolutely right," Mrs. Orchart said, flipping through the letter with a furrowed brow. "For example, the reader profile…"
A reader profile, as the name suggests, was a detailed description of the target audience. Elena felt that *Ladies' Monthly* had been a bit vague on this matter. On the one hand, it had literary details that appealed to the upper class, while on the other, it also published household tips like how to clean expensive fabrics. This mixture of content might not satisfy either the upper class or the middle class.
With the growing middle class, the magazine should focus more on the needs of middle-class women to achieve a broader influence.
Mrs. Orchart and *Ladies' Monthly* had already been doing well. They had ditched the overly serious novels that focused on moral lessons and instead released more popular serialized novels with female protagonists. They also included everyday recipes with reference prices for ingredients.
Perhaps they could add a column on practical medical knowledge. Elena remembered her past illness, when there were many simple tips that could have alleviated her pain. Unfortunately, her mother didn't know them, and by the time she was on her deathbed, she had no choice but to turn to religion.
In an era of limited medical knowledge, Elena suggested that the editors consult a few medical students instead of relying on pharmacists, who mostly knew traditional remedies like bloodletting, purging, and "venting."
Medical school had minimal entry requirements, and there was no clinical training. But at least they had studied anatomy—even if they had to dig up bodies or hire "body snatchers" to obtain them.
They could also include some fashion-related tips. Elena finally revealed her intentions, throwing out several concepts that would later become fashion maxims: "If your whole outfit is dark, you can balance it with a bright-colored handbag or shoes." "When it's hot, try printed fabrics." "If you're not good at handling colors, don't wear more than three colors at once."
These sparkling little fashion laws left the three editors speechless.
"Incredible," Lucy stared at the list of seemingly simple tips. "Who's the real editor here? I feel like I need to go home and open my wardrobe to try these out. I feel powerful now!"