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The Fashion of Alessa - Guest Post

This content was originally posted on kindreddreamheart.blogspot.com as part of the Shudder Blog Tour in 2013.


As you might imagine for any post-apocalyptic society, style isn’t always at the top of the list for the characters of the Stitch Trilogy. But the main character, Alessa, does get a chance to play with fashion at least while she’s on one of Paragon’s infamous dramas (where she believes herself to be a college student), and with the basic “looks” in her closet for life in Paragon and beyond. Below, check out three styles you might find Alessa rocking at various points throughout the Stitch Trilogy.


On the Drama: Casual College Chic


Not much for dresses or sparkle, well-fitted jeans, a basic tee (in green, to complement her eyes!), and fab leather boots are Alessa’s go-to for a hot sorority party.




Related Excerpt from Stitch:


Alessa laughed and shook her head. “I honestly don’t know what to wear. I have nothing!” She motioned at the pile on her bed.


Janie held up the first few shirts off the top of the heap and eyed them critically. “I see what you mean.” Tossing the shirts back into the pile, she blurted, “Hold on a minute,” and dashed from the room.


A moment later, Janie returned carrying an emerald green v-neck tee in a smooth thin cotton. “I know it’s just a t-shirt, but the fit is really nice and since we have similar coloring, I think it would work on you. Actually, with your eyes, the color might just be perfect. Try it on.” She tossed the shirt in Alessa’s direction.


Alessa caught it and peeled off the sequined number. Once she slipped the t-shirt over her head, she knew at once that Janie, as usual, had been right. The shirt’s slinky knit clung to her body in all the right places and the color more than complemented her eyes, which were glowing like gems. Alessa was pleased with the overall effect – even though she’d put quite a bit of time into getting ready this evening, with such understated clothes and simple makeup she looked effortlessly beautiful. This must be how Lizzie Green felt all the time.


“Hot.” Janie, apparently, was pleased too. “This Nikhil doesn’t know what he has coming.”



In Paragon: Dystopian Conformity


Citizens in Alessa’s colony are given standard-issue gray jumpsuits, so in her day-to-day, she doesn’t have much of a choice about what she wears. But hey, at least it’s comfortable! And with a little tailoring, she might even be able to get it to look like options 2 and 3 below (as you can see from the excerpt below, Lizzie managed to make it work).



Related Excerpt from Shudder:


It’d been a running joke between Isaac and Joe about where Lizzie found her tailor, as the colony’s standard issue jumpsuits had always seemed to somehow miraculously cling to her body in all the right places, in a way that – to a younger Isaac’s chagrin – it certainly did not on the compound’s other women. She was quite the sight at the rebel meetings, her eyes lined with dark kohl and never a hair out of place. And much to Joe’s satisfaction, her lips always seemed extra pouty whenever her attention was turned in his direction.



Outside Paragon: Utilitarian Flair


Beyond the walls of the Paragon compound, Alessa has a lot more freedom to experiment with style and find pieces that suit her tastes. However, her selections are limited by whatever she can scavenge in her plague-ravaged world, and while she’d secretly love to snag a pair of killer designer heels, they’re not exactly practical for surviving winter weather or outrunning bloodthirsty creatures. So instead, Alessa usually settles on a more functional approach: cargo pants, a warm jacket, rugged boots, and a sturdy bag to stash her gear in (you never know when you’re going to come across food out there!). The good news is that price is no object in a world where money no longer exists – so Alessa is free to “borrow” whatever luxe pieces she can find on her journeys!


Related Excerpt from Shudder:


At the moment, Alessa was intently wedging energy bars into every available crevice of her pack, her lips drawn tight below a deeply furrowed brow. The tension was practically radiating off her. Something was wrong.


“So…” Isaac began tentatively, “You almost ready to head out?”


She didn’t even look up. “Yeah,” she grunted. “Just. Let me. Get. The rest of these. In here.”

“Babe.” Isaac knelt next to her chair and reached for her hand. “I think you have enough granola bars.”

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