Ignite

Reality's Not Gentle When It Punches You in the Face

"So I'm thinking of making the dress a really deep black- and having the sash here be a nice shade of light blue. Not really sky, but not leading to turquoise either. More like a color in between those two. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah." Alessandro nodded. "What type of fabric are you thinking of using?"

"Felt for the dress itself since it's a winter piece. I'm not too sure about the sash though. I don't really want to do the same fabric for that if I'm being honest."

"...Maybe you could do a silk or satin sash? It'll really make the blue pop because of the sheen. Since it's going to be around the waist, I think it'd be an eye catching piece that'd accentuate the outfit as a whole."

"Hm..." The female employee rubbed at her chin. "How would you feel about a matching layer underneath? Like, if I added in a leg slit to reveal the bright blue that's hiding beneath the black?"

"That sounds nice. Sure, why not. If you want, maybe make the skirt of the dress interchangeable. It'd save us money on fabric while also giving the buyer a chance to do a lot with the outfit."

"It'd also give us an opportunity to make a skirt collection for it too." She beamed in excitement. "I like the way you think, Mr. Bale."

"That's what I'm here for." He offered a warm grin. "Let me know what the product looks like when it gets on the mannequin. I'll talk to Stephan about extra shipments after that. If that's all though, I'm going to head back up to my office."

"It is. Thanks for coming down, sir."

"Always a pleasure to help."

Alessandro offered one more nod before tapping the woman's desk. He exited the room with a confident stature.

Thick carpet muffled the sound of soft footfalls. Ringing telephones, sketching utensils, and employees talking filled up the space of a lively clothing department. Some newer people stiffened at the sight of the big boss, but he offered quick winks for reassurance. Other more senior members of the faculty greeted him with excited waves. They were reciprocated with equally cheerful ones.

A friendly greeting was given to a janitor when both men walked into the elevator. After finding out they were going to the same floor, Alessandro moved back to give the other man some space.

A bright yellow cart was used to house all of the cleaning equipment. It smelled of pleasant lavender—most likely a fragrance choice for an air freshener or floor cleaner. Brooms of differing sizes stood tall in their slots. The lone mop dripped slightly against its handle. Alessandro offered a clean napkin to the janitor, so his hands wouldn't get wet when it was time to use the tool.

The man pushed the cart out of the elevator as they got to their designated floor. They shook hands before parting ways. The janitor moved to the right with Alessandro continuing forward. 

Now that carpet had switched to hard tile, his footfalls gave away his incoming presence. Stephan was alerted, the man typing away at his computer.

It was nice to see him in a more relaxed type of outfit.

With it being casual Friday, a lot of people were wearing more comfortable clothing. Alessandro was no stranger to the event since he normally wore less formal attire as well. He still wore his Oxfords; but instead of dress pants and a button-up to match, he was wearing black slacks with a dark green crewneck sweater.

Stephan, albeit unplanned, mirrored the look to an extent. He was wearing a blue crewneck; and since he was standing at his desk, it revealed a pair of dark blue jeans.

The choice of outfit really shed light on just how young Stephan actually was. Without his tie, dress shirt, and matching pants, he seemed a lot less mature. Not in the way that he worked, but in the way that he carried himself. A change in wardrobe painted the man in a different light.