A thought about Gen and his clothes...

[katyhasclogs.livejournal.com]

*is gradually de-lurking*

I've not really thought about it until now, but Gen's really quite dapper, isn't he?

There's the 'playing up with his embroidery and lace trim', and of course the canary yellow clothes and the despair at not having a belt that matches, lol.  But isn't there also mention in QoA of the pattern on the cuff of his hook matching his outfit?

Add to that comments along the lines of (and I'm paraphrasing here) 'Ambiades' cloak was so last season', and 'Eddis shouldn't wear floaty dresses - they don't suit her figure', the fact that he gives Attolia a pair of Ruby earrings that exactly match her headband and the way he showers Sophos with fancy clothes, well, I'm left with the impression that Gen really likes his fashion... ;)

Comments

[puppeteergirl.livejournal.com]

Haha! Yes he does care about appearance. He also constantly bugs Eddis about her clothes. He kind of has a "I dress like this because I CAN" attitude.

[katyhasclogs.livejournal.com]

Lol, yes. And then there's his preening about his hair. 'I like to tie it up all pretty. Don't you think it makes me look aristocratic? If only I had a comb...'

[drashizu.livejournal.com]

LOL

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

He's a Fancy Boy (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Fancy+Boy). :)

[katyhasclogs.livejournal.com]

LOL. That is so Gen.

To quote your link,

A sloppily-dressed man sees an elegantly-dressed man walk past.
Sloppy man Sophos, sarcastically: "Hey, fancy boy! Nice clothes!"
Fancy boy Gen: "Oh please, you wish you looked this good."

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[zumie-ashlen.livejournal.com]

Gen is totally anal about clothing. He probably redesigned the army's uniforms to be more aesthetically pleasing. Costis was used as a model. There may have been a runway show, and lessons teaching Costis to swing his hips as he walked.

[katyhasclogs.livejournal.com]

Gods yes!

And now we know the real reason for the throwing of inkpots on the wedding night - Gen intimated that the Queen's guard didn't have the legs for their short tunics.

I would pay good money to see Costis sashay down a runway. Just saying.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

I would pay good money to see Costis sashay down anything. Poor Costis.

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

The REAL reason Gen refused to join the army when his father wanted him to: The Uniforms.

[zumie-ashlen.livejournal.com]

Oh gods, yes. Those grass stains just don't come out, you know, never mind the blood.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

*icoherant laughing at all of this*

[pigrescuer.livejournal.com]

This was Gen's plan for Costis! It's all clear now...

[dannybailey.livejournal.com]

Omg, he is the Scarlet Pimpernel.

;)

[charismitaine.livejournal.com]

I WAS THINKING THIS VERY THING!

Now the song from the musical is stuck in my head.

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

That was one of my favorite parts of ACoK
even though Sounis and Attolis weren't on "speaking" terms, I just loved how Gen sent Sophos all those fancy clothes, and Sophos is like Well, I know he picked this one out, oh, Gen..

And his gold dusted boats =]

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

I mean boots!

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

haha, boats!

And the gold dusted hair that Ion gave Sophos at the end! (That whole thing with the clothes he gave Sophos and Eddis for their lil reunion. I mean really! Transparent cloth on the shirt so you can see Sopho's manly muscles! But Eddis's knotted tunic sounds pretty...)

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Just commenting to say I'm not looking, la la la. ;)

(I'm still waiting for the library to call me and tell me I can have the book. I'm the first one on the list, so it's only a matter of how long it takes them to receive it and catalog it!)

It's probably just as well -- I'm too busy to let myself get pulled into a new book right now, anyway. I've actually been rereading snippets of Curse of Chalion for the last week or so, because I know that I can just read two pages, until the water boils or whatever, and then stop.

[katyhasclogs.livejournal.com]

Fear not, my post is incredibly trivial and can wait. ;)

I've actually been rereading snippets of Curse of Chalion for the last week or so, because I know that I can just read two pages, until the water boils or whatever, and then stop.

Can you? I can't, lol, it just sucks me right in every time.

[teenareena.livejournal.com]

Happen to chance upon your comment on Curse of Chalion.
I love that book! No, I love Lois McMaster Bujold!

[drashizu.livejournal.com]

Attolia describes Eugenides as "exquisitely tailored" in KoA when she's comparing his outfit to Relius's, and mentions that he frequently recommends that she expand her wardrobe. So he's even giving his wife fashion advice.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

Dear, the Hephestia look is so old-fashioned. I think you're really ready to move up a notch.

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

Ok, y'all are too funny for words. But just a question: this whole business of metrosexual!Gen kinda took off after the choppy bit, right? I mean, before he was all up in Eddis' business about her clothes, yes. But for himself, didn't he opt for clean, tailored, workable stuff? So nicely elegant but not exactly showy. That's the impression I got. I am bad, I can't quote, but someone here can surely either back me up or slap me down, right? He didn't like being conspicuous, so he never would have opted for the crap, er, colorful stuff he wears now. I thought he did that actually to misdirect people sometimes. Like, I'm a fancy boy and I don't have a brain in my head or a razor sharp hook that I can gut you with up my lovely trailing bell sleeves.

[drashizu.livejournal.com]

Also, in TT, he remarks that his tunic had "started out life a cheerful yellow that I'd thought was dashing" (paraphrase from memory). It was part of what struck me the first time I read the book, since it was really early on and it made me stop and think, Really? He's the kind of person who looks good in yellow? That's cool.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

Your icon is scaring me. In a good way.

... IS THAT A SCAR ON HIS CHEEK???

[drashizu.livejournal.com]

Yes! I added it. I hope Jude Law doesn't mind that I disfigured him to make him a better Eugenides. (Even though he's too old, he's still Gen in the movies in my head...)

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Also - in ACoK he's slipping out to a pub (where apparently he goes regularly, and isn't known, and doesn't wear fancy clothes). So, by wearing the fancy stuff, he gets people used to "Oh, that must be the king in his fancy clothes," so that when he's *not* wearing them they don't recognize him.

[amolegere.livejournal.com]

I ADORE Gen and his clothes! I have a friend who is just like him, always noticing people's shoes, or if they have new earrings. He's so much like Gen in that way that I have to laugh every time I think about it! I need to get him to read these books so he can share in the joke.

[(Anonymous)]

Clothes tell you a lot about a person. Gen knows this and observes the hell out of other people's outfits. His outfits once he becomes king are misleadingly gaudy and foppish, giving those who might be watching him a bit of the wrong impression.