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xyzzysqrlLast time on SS:FF, basically this happened and also we experimented with a perfectly normal dollhouse.
Today on Style Savvy: Fashion Forward, the first thing that happens is I spend $1600 on clothes for the shop. Since no one really expressed a preference and I didn't have much of one either, I just pointed randomly at various clothing from various brands and went "Yes, that. Also that. And that." I'll worry about how they fit into an outfit when customers start wanting me to put together more complicated outfits. Still, $1600.
Let's back up, actually, and take a hard look at some numbers. I promise the math will be gentle. We're buying direct from the brands in question here, if not wholesale then direct-from-manufacturer. Wholesale isn't ALWAYS the cheapest price in the real world, but picking stuff up right from the manufacturer can cut out a lot of markup. For example, say we look at one item from each brand:
A "Basic Jacket" from Basic U for $8.
An "I Love Me" T-shirt from April Bonbon for $17.40.
A "Lacy Puff-Sleeve Knitted Top" from Marzipan Sky for $20.40
And... oh, let's see, "Draped Balloon Shorts" from AZ-USA for $27.80.
When Ozma trots those back to the shop... er. We put the example on delay for a moment because first we get a rallying speech from Sophie, which unlocks the ability to head to the city center (we'll try that later) and a new Fashion Witch power: TRY IT ON!
With Ozma's powerful fashion magic in effect, we can sell to customers as we have been by asking them to "Take a Look", which gives them veto power before they even get in the changing room, or use the incantation "TRY IT ON!" to encourage them to take the outfit sight-unseen behind the curtain and dress up before taking a look in the shop mirrors. While "Take a Look" is the safe bet and we can retry if we get something wrong, "TRY IT ON!" can inspire customers to buy outfits they would never purchase if they were allowed to embrace doubt... but if they hate what we gave them after trying it on!, that customer is walking straight out the door.
It's all a question of how sure you are that your outfit satisfies tastes. In the end though the ultimate power is in the hands of the customer. You can't force your tastes on anyone, which honestly is for the best. My favorite part, though? If you TRY IT ON! and they agree, they'll not only leave the shop wearing your selected outfit, but their NPC model will be dressed like that every time you see them. A nice reminder that you helped make a difference, or as Sophie puts it...
Now, where were we... ah, yes. Remember those prices? Now that we're back in the shop, the Aura of Markup kicks in. So...
A "Basic Jacket" from Basic U for $8? No, that's $39.99.
An "I Love Me" T-shirt from April Bonbon for $17.40? No, that's $58.
A "Lacy Puff-Sleeve Knitted Top" from Marzipan Sky for $20.40? No, that's $68.
"Draped Balloon Shorts" from AZ-USA for $27.80? Why don't you give me $92.40 for it?
Store mark-up is a powerful force in the retail universe. Please shop carefully. Thus concludes the lesson.
No sooner am I settled in and sending clothed people out the door than Laurie stops in to tell me I singlehandedly spent so much at the Exhibition Hall that a new brand is planning to move into town.
For some reason ... oh hell I can't even pretend. Laurie has little interest in doing her curation job and, like every other employer in the city, has decided to leave it up to Ozma. My choices are "Sophisticated feminine style", "Active but comfy sports style", and "Edgy punk-rock style." Shall we bring in lines from Ann Taylor (expensive upscale clothing), Foot Locker (outfits you can MOVE in), or Hot Topic (OW THE EDGE)?
Because of the markup effect I just detailed, the sophisticated clothing would make us the most money, and the punkwear would be the most FUN for me... but I think about what Sophie said. Let's make people happy with clothes? What about Laurie? She runs EVERYWHERE. She's a jogger. Let's use our choice to please her. Let's bring sportswear to town.
Laurie is indeed pretty pumped, and dashes off to make the arrangements, so I duck out of the shop again to check up on that. Indeed, we've unlocked a new brand: Streetflow.
...And holy crap, they're Jet Set Radio. Lots of neon and bright patterns, blended with clothing you can bounce around the house, basketball court, or just take to the streets in. Strap on rollerblades and tune into some tunes, you're gonna get fit and funky. I cannot wait to stock their stuff, but I really should blow through some of the existing stock first. Back out to the street and to the shop I head.
Geez, wow! When you really NAIL a "TRY IT ON!" the game lets you KNOW. This feels so rewarding. That girl with the red hair is Holly, and she invites us around to Primrose Park after work to check out the flowers and hang out. That sounds like a great time!
We're already making new friends... and I don't mean that mockingly. Every character we serve gets a short profile of their interests, and repeat customers have a shimmery star icon next to them. The better you take care of your customers, the more inclined they are to put their faith in you when it comes to critical fashion choices.
Before long the game stops and refocuses on a particular customer in a kind of cutscene mode, and we meet Kirsty, another friend of Sophie's.
So we've also unlocked the ability to sink hundreds of dollars into buying tiny replica furniture which will become real furniture by not-entirely-understood means. It turns out Sophie decided what our Chalet room REALLY needed was some wallpaper, so she had some comissioned and it's ready to pick up any time we feel like trotting by Kirsty's shop. Honestly at this point "I got bored and decided to impulse-buy custom doll wallpaper" feels like a normal sane thing to happen, so Ozma drops out to pick that up.
...maybe? Are you a kitsune? Are YOU doing this to that poor dollhouse? Kirsty mostly just wanted to see if Ozma actually, y'know. NOTICED. She's delighted that the furniture she makes can take on a sort of second life (no, that's a different game) in the dollhouse and Chalet. "My creations are pretty popular around town." Kirsty continues. "I even make miniature posters based on photos people have taken on their phones."
Because of course you do, Kirsty. At least YOU actually work at your job and I don't have to figure out how to turn a lathe or something using the 3DS stylus. Custom posters are $500, miniature furniture runs $50 to at least $500 at a glance. Ozma grins a big frozen grin and nopes on out of there. Maybe AFTER we've struck diamond on the sales front. Back to the store for a bit.
Ma'am, this is as spotted as I can help you get given my current stock. Also you appear to have become a Jojo's Bizarre Adventure character. I cannot make you more awesome than you already are.
Instantly after this, another girl walks in to tell me she saw that leopard print hat her friend was wearing and she wants something animal-print too. At least it's not actual animal. Have you ever dyed a leopard bright purple and tried to get it to stay on your head? I have, they're heavier than they look. Unfortunately I actively botch the sale on this one by suggesting heavy fake-leopard-fur-lined boots. After a disbelieving stare, the customer informs me that it's the middle of August and her legs would melt off.
That... is actually a valid point. I'm sorry!
Clearly it's time to reconnect with the season and get out of the shop for a bit. First we head back to the apartment to slip on something a bit lighter and better suited to the season.
A sun hat, to ... uh, protect from sun, some light outerwear with a nice peach-y shade and some simple shorts, knee socks, and basic pumps. We're not gonna win any contests in this but we do at least look like we're dressed for the season now. Then it's out to the street to wander a while. First to Primrose Park, where we find Holly again...
...and she's delighted to show us around the gardens. Not only that, she wants to pose for a photo in front of the rose gardens, as she's so thrilled with the outfit we selected for her. Doing a job she loves in clothing she's comfortable in makes the day seem bright.
Holly invites us on back to the garden any time we feel like it. She'll save some tea for us.
We also tromp out to Station Square, which was tragically destroyed 18 years ago when Sonic fought Perfect Chaos. Happily they've rebuilt since then and the place looks really nice. There isn't much to actually DO out there right now though, so it's off to Caprice Chalet to experiment with changing the wallpaper and flooring. Out at the Chalet, Sophie introduces us to yet another friend: Evie. Evie is also from "outside the town"... wait, what does that mean exactly? Are you a ... I don't even know what the term would be ... do you have a bigger version of you out there too, Evie?
Evie is a boutique manager herself back where she's from, and she's decorated her room at the Chalet to look just like the store she runs back home. What's more, the person she got the miniatures to do it from? Elaine, Ozma's grandmother. "If you invite a lot of people to decorate rooms in this chalet... something interesting may happen." is what Elaine told her.
This kicks off an absolutely ADORABLE animated sequence I cannot screenshot but wish I could, where it cycles through Sophie's fever-dream idea. She labels it "MY PLAN", all drawn in crayon. DAY 1 involves selling clothes, with big beams of LOVE radiating outward. Day 2 is hair styling, foofing up smiling faces. And so on, and so on, until the townspeople dance in the streets and love fills the air.
We can now collect other people's room cards via wireless and the Internet, is the take-away. Multiplayer of a sort! I doubt anyone will actually streetpass me, but hey. The option is there. I take a minute to fill out my profile anyway before trotting back to the shop. On the way, though...
We can now access the local rock venue, and oh by the way it's WAY more energetic at night according to Keisha here. She also has a vested interest in seeing more people wear rockin' outfits, so I suppose I'll keep an eye out for that punk rock brand that might be coming to town later. Finally, FINALLY we get back to the shop, where I'm ready for some uninterrupted sales-time to recoup some of that restocking cash...
...okay sure or this could happen. Arabella and her brother Tarquin ... is Tarquin a REAL NAME? Are you in the Long Patrol? ...No, but given those glasses and that bowtie you've probably read it. I sell Arabella here some bold shoes... well, I sell her brother some bold shoes for her, because she has him so deep under her thumb she's getting a callus... and she lets me (and him) know that they're moving to the city to open a beautician's shop. (Tarquin: "What?") She makes a gracious gift to Ozma of a make-up set, and informs her that she'll be expecting patronage soon.
So... I guess that's... that's our goal for next time.
This game ain't never gonna get normal, is it?
Today on Style Savvy: Fashion Forward, the first thing that happens is I spend $1600 on clothes for the shop. Since no one really expressed a preference and I didn't have much of one either, I just pointed randomly at various clothing from various brands and went "Yes, that. Also that. And that." I'll worry about how they fit into an outfit when customers start wanting me to put together more complicated outfits. Still, $1600.
Let's back up, actually, and take a hard look at some numbers. I promise the math will be gentle. We're buying direct from the brands in question here, if not wholesale then direct-from-manufacturer. Wholesale isn't ALWAYS the cheapest price in the real world, but picking stuff up right from the manufacturer can cut out a lot of markup. For example, say we look at one item from each brand:
A "Basic Jacket" from Basic U for $8.
An "I Love Me" T-shirt from April Bonbon for $17.40.
A "Lacy Puff-Sleeve Knitted Top" from Marzipan Sky for $20.40
And... oh, let's see, "Draped Balloon Shorts" from AZ-USA for $27.80.
When Ozma trots those back to the shop... er. We put the example on delay for a moment because first we get a rallying speech from Sophie, which unlocks the ability to head to the city center (we'll try that later) and a new Fashion Witch power: TRY IT ON!
With Ozma's powerful fashion magic in effect, we can sell to customers as we have been by asking them to "Take a Look", which gives them veto power before they even get in the changing room, or use the incantation "TRY IT ON!" to encourage them to take the outfit sight-unseen behind the curtain and dress up before taking a look in the shop mirrors. While "Take a Look" is the safe bet and we can retry if we get something wrong, "TRY IT ON!" can inspire customers to buy outfits they would never purchase if they were allowed to embrace doubt... but if they hate what we gave them after trying it on!, that customer is walking straight out the door.
It's all a question of how sure you are that your outfit satisfies tastes. In the end though the ultimate power is in the hands of the customer. You can't force your tastes on anyone, which honestly is for the best. My favorite part, though? If you TRY IT ON! and they agree, they'll not only leave the shop wearing your selected outfit, but their NPC model will be dressed like that every time you see them. A nice reminder that you helped make a difference, or as Sophie puts it...
Now, where were we... ah, yes. Remember those prices? Now that we're back in the shop, the Aura of Markup kicks in. So...
A "Basic Jacket" from Basic U for $8? No, that's $39.99.
An "I Love Me" T-shirt from April Bonbon for $17.40? No, that's $58.
A "Lacy Puff-Sleeve Knitted Top" from Marzipan Sky for $20.40? No, that's $68.
"Draped Balloon Shorts" from AZ-USA for $27.80? Why don't you give me $92.40 for it?
Store mark-up is a powerful force in the retail universe. Please shop carefully. Thus concludes the lesson.
No sooner am I settled in and sending clothed people out the door than Laurie stops in to tell me I singlehandedly spent so much at the Exhibition Hall that a new brand is planning to move into town.
For some reason ... oh hell I can't even pretend. Laurie has little interest in doing her curation job and, like every other employer in the city, has decided to leave it up to Ozma. My choices are "Sophisticated feminine style", "Active but comfy sports style", and "Edgy punk-rock style." Shall we bring in lines from Ann Taylor (expensive upscale clothing), Foot Locker (outfits you can MOVE in), or Hot Topic (OW THE EDGE)?
Because of the markup effect I just detailed, the sophisticated clothing would make us the most money, and the punkwear would be the most FUN for me... but I think about what Sophie said. Let's make people happy with clothes? What about Laurie? She runs EVERYWHERE. She's a jogger. Let's use our choice to please her. Let's bring sportswear to town.
Laurie is indeed pretty pumped, and dashes off to make the arrangements, so I duck out of the shop again to check up on that. Indeed, we've unlocked a new brand: Streetflow.
...And holy crap, they're Jet Set Radio. Lots of neon and bright patterns, blended with clothing you can bounce around the house, basketball court, or just take to the streets in. Strap on rollerblades and tune into some tunes, you're gonna get fit and funky. I cannot wait to stock their stuff, but I really should blow through some of the existing stock first. Back out to the street and to the shop I head.
Geez, wow! When you really NAIL a "TRY IT ON!" the game lets you KNOW. This feels so rewarding. That girl with the red hair is Holly, and she invites us around to Primrose Park after work to check out the flowers and hang out. That sounds like a great time!
We're already making new friends... and I don't mean that mockingly. Every character we serve gets a short profile of their interests, and repeat customers have a shimmery star icon next to them. The better you take care of your customers, the more inclined they are to put their faith in you when it comes to critical fashion choices.
Before long the game stops and refocuses on a particular customer in a kind of cutscene mode, and we meet Kirsty, another friend of Sophie's.
So we've also unlocked the ability to sink hundreds of dollars into buying tiny replica furniture which will become real furniture by not-entirely-understood means. It turns out Sophie decided what our Chalet room REALLY needed was some wallpaper, so she had some comissioned and it's ready to pick up any time we feel like trotting by Kirsty's shop. Honestly at this point "I got bored and decided to impulse-buy custom doll wallpaper" feels like a normal sane thing to happen, so Ozma drops out to pick that up.
...maybe? Are you a kitsune? Are YOU doing this to that poor dollhouse? Kirsty mostly just wanted to see if Ozma actually, y'know. NOTICED. She's delighted that the furniture she makes can take on a sort of second life (no, that's a different game) in the dollhouse and Chalet. "My creations are pretty popular around town." Kirsty continues. "I even make miniature posters based on photos people have taken on their phones."
Because of course you do, Kirsty. At least YOU actually work at your job and I don't have to figure out how to turn a lathe or something using the 3DS stylus. Custom posters are $500, miniature furniture runs $50 to at least $500 at a glance. Ozma grins a big frozen grin and nopes on out of there. Maybe AFTER we've struck diamond on the sales front. Back to the store for a bit.
Ma'am, this is as spotted as I can help you get given my current stock. Also you appear to have become a Jojo's Bizarre Adventure character. I cannot make you more awesome than you already are.
Instantly after this, another girl walks in to tell me she saw that leopard print hat her friend was wearing and she wants something animal-print too. At least it's not actual animal. Have you ever dyed a leopard bright purple and tried to get it to stay on your head? I have, they're heavier than they look. Unfortunately I actively botch the sale on this one by suggesting heavy fake-leopard-fur-lined boots. After a disbelieving stare, the customer informs me that it's the middle of August and her legs would melt off.
That... is actually a valid point. I'm sorry!
Clearly it's time to reconnect with the season and get out of the shop for a bit. First we head back to the apartment to slip on something a bit lighter and better suited to the season.
A sun hat, to ... uh, protect from sun, some light outerwear with a nice peach-y shade and some simple shorts, knee socks, and basic pumps. We're not gonna win any contests in this but we do at least look like we're dressed for the season now. Then it's out to the street to wander a while. First to Primrose Park, where we find Holly again...
...and she's delighted to show us around the gardens. Not only that, she wants to pose for a photo in front of the rose gardens, as she's so thrilled with the outfit we selected for her. Doing a job she loves in clothing she's comfortable in makes the day seem bright.
Holly invites us on back to the garden any time we feel like it. She'll save some tea for us.
We also tromp out to Station Square, which was tragically destroyed 18 years ago when Sonic fought Perfect Chaos. Happily they've rebuilt since then and the place looks really nice. There isn't much to actually DO out there right now though, so it's off to Caprice Chalet to experiment with changing the wallpaper and flooring. Out at the Chalet, Sophie introduces us to yet another friend: Evie. Evie is also from "outside the town"... wait, what does that mean exactly? Are you a ... I don't even know what the term would be ... do you have a bigger version of you out there too, Evie?
Evie is a boutique manager herself back where she's from, and she's decorated her room at the Chalet to look just like the store she runs back home. What's more, the person she got the miniatures to do it from? Elaine, Ozma's grandmother. "If you invite a lot of people to decorate rooms in this chalet... something interesting may happen." is what Elaine told her.
This kicks off an absolutely ADORABLE animated sequence I cannot screenshot but wish I could, where it cycles through Sophie's fever-dream idea. She labels it "MY PLAN", all drawn in crayon. DAY 1 involves selling clothes, with big beams of LOVE radiating outward. Day 2 is hair styling, foofing up smiling faces. And so on, and so on, until the townspeople dance in the streets and love fills the air.
We can now collect other people's room cards via wireless and the Internet, is the take-away. Multiplayer of a sort! I doubt anyone will actually streetpass me, but hey. The option is there. I take a minute to fill out my profile anyway before trotting back to the shop. On the way, though...
We can now access the local rock venue, and oh by the way it's WAY more energetic at night according to Keisha here. She also has a vested interest in seeing more people wear rockin' outfits, so I suppose I'll keep an eye out for that punk rock brand that might be coming to town later. Finally, FINALLY we get back to the shop, where I'm ready for some uninterrupted sales-time to recoup some of that restocking cash...
...okay sure or this could happen. Arabella and her brother Tarquin ... is Tarquin a REAL NAME? Are you in the Long Patrol? ...No, but given those glasses and that bowtie you've probably read it. I sell Arabella here some bold shoes... well, I sell her brother some bold shoes for her, because she has him so deep under her thumb she's getting a callus... and she lets me (and him) know that they're moving to the city to open a beautician's shop. (Tarquin: "What?") She makes a gracious gift to Ozma of a make-up set, and informs her that she'll be expecting patronage soon.
So... I guess that's... that's our goal for next time.
This game ain't never gonna get normal, is it?
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