Despised

Hugo was serious.

In the early 1990s, men's suits were more focused on fabric and overall feeling. Even the most traditional bespoke suits were tailored to fit each individual man's body and left some space for movement, rather than being cut too tight. This was the popular trend at the time. If someone were to wear a suit in 2014 that emphasized body shape and lines, they would likely be considered old-fashioned and not trendy.

In fact, not just suits, but clothing in the 21st century was all about being well-fitted—not tight, but rather highlighting the body's best features and presenting the beauty of body lines in a bold and direct way. This applied to T-shirts, shirts, jeans and pants, jackets, and more.

Therefore, when Hugo put on this suit, he truly felt like he had a bucket on his body, reminiscent of a child trying on his father's suit. The thick shoulder pads, straight waistline, and loose hem were just too comical.

"That's definitely not the case," the sales clerk hastily explained after being shocked by Hugo's remark. She gestured slightly to Hugo and then used her hands to measure his broad shoulders. "You see, the lines here are very smooth, perfectly showcasing your shoulder line. Of course, if you don't like it, we can reduce the shoulder pads a bit." Modern suits always have shoulder pads. The popular trend of shoulder-pad-less casual suits with a youthful vibe was not yet widespread. Compared to shoulder-pad-less suits, people still preferred jackets or leather jackets.

Then, the sales clerk smoothed down Hugo's back line and said, "If you button up here, the waistline will show, highlighting the inverted triangle shape of your body." Today's suits actually had waistlines, especially French designs, which always had an infinite pursuit of the waistline, but due to the long hem, the waistline was not highlighted and always appeared somewhat bulky.

Hugo watched as the sales clerk explained in detail, raising his eyebrows slightly. He felt that his aesthetic viewpoint was still out of place here, but what could he do? It was 1992 and this was the custom here, and he had to get used to it. But Hugo always believed in one thing: clothes are dead, people are alive. The same piece of clothing can show different styles on different people; that's the truth.

Hugo felt that this suit still looked a bit bulky on him and was not satisfying, so he shifted his gaze from the dressing mirror in front of him and continued to walk around the Armani store, hoping to find other styles.

Although men's suits may seem similar on the surface, in fact, suits are a highly refined style. From the shoulder line to the collar, from the sleeves to the buttons, from the cut to the materials, there are countless details to consider. Any change in one aspect can make the suit reflect different levels of delicacy. This is especially true for bespoke suits, which have strict requirements.

Hugo found it difficult to discern the differences with just his eyes, but he began to focus on the lines and tailoring from the shoulder to the waist and down to the hem, hoping to find a satisfactory style.

After spending some time, Hugo saw a black suit at the far right of the clothing rack. Although it was also black, the cut of this suit was noticeably more attractive. The shoulder line had a more vintage style reminiscent of the 1920s, and the design of the three buttons seemed overly formal, but the waist was noticeably narrower, and the hem had a beautiful curve. Hugo could imagine that it would look great when worn, reminding him of the style in the movie "The Great Gatsby" from 2013.

"I want to try this suit on." Hugo turned around and smiled at the salesperson.

Joseph followed behind Hugo and saw the suit. He took it off the rack and looked at it from top to bottom, but ultimately shook his head. "I don't see any difference." Joseph was a bit slow in this regard.

In fact, Hugo didn't know much either. He just picked based on his future aesthetic and intuition. "I don't know what the difference is either. I'll just try it on and see," Hugo laughed and said to the salesperson. "I hope this suit isn't the same design as the one I'm wearing now." If so, that would be embarrassing.

The salesperson hesitated, and her smile froze on her face. It seemed that there was something difficult to explain, but she explained seriously, "No, these two suits are not the same design. The cut of the shoulder line, waistline, and hem of the suit you're wearing now is more rounded, and this suit is a three-piece suit with a vest inside. The overall vintage effect is more prominent. But..."

Hugo didn't hear the "but" from the salesperson and turned to Joseph, "Would it be too much to wear a three-piece suit to the premiere? Generally, it's more appropriate to wear a three-piece suit to an awards ceremony. This is just a premiere, and it's not even for my own work."

Joseph didn't think too much, "Just try it on first and see the effect. Even if it's not for the premiere, for some formal occasions like auditions or meeting with high-level executives in the future, it's necessary to have some formal clothing." Today, they were here for soft investment anyway.

"Excuse me, sir, excuse me..." The salesperson made an effort to interrupt Joseph and Hugo's conversation with a polite tone, finally catching the attention of both men. However, her embarrassed expression became more apparent. "Sir, this outfit is out of stock."

"What about the one I'm holding?" Hugo found this situation ridiculous. All the clothes in the Armani store were sold out? This was unbelievable. If a piece of clothing was sold out in a certain size, Armani would definitely take that style off the shelves and prepare for the next season's promotion. But it was only halfway through March, and there was still a long way to go before summer. Spring had just begun, and the salesperson said that there was no stock left. This was naturally unbelievable.

Joseph, standing next to him, also looked puzzled and looked at the salesperson. The salesperson was instantly embarrassed, standing there somewhat at a loss and thinking about how to respond to Hugo's question. "This is the last outfit in the store at the moment, and we don't have your size temporarily." The salesperson pondered for a long time and ultimately chose to answer this way.

This situation was immediately reported up the chain, and the manager of the Armani branch quickly walked over. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. My name is Frank Gana. How can I assist you?" It was evident that this person, Frank, was of a higher rank than the previous salesperson. His warm smile was very cordial but not intentional in seeking connections. His sincere gaze, clasped hands, and slightly forward-leaning body all demonstrated his sincerity, making it easy to dispel any sense of rejection.

"I would like to try on this outfit, but I was told that it was out of stock," Hugo said, feeling a little disappointed. He came out shopping happily but was causing unpleasantness, which was unnecessary. Actually, Hugo didn't necessarily have to have this outfit; he just couldn't accept the salesperson's ridiculous explanation. Therefore, facing Frank's smile, Hugo didn't push too hard, just calmly stated the facts, expressing his helplessness.

Frank reached out his hands and looked at the label of the outfit, then nodded slightly. "Mr. Lancaster, the situation is like this. This outfit is our new product for spring, so naturally, there is still stock available."

This sentence made Hugo and Joseph look at the salesperson at the same time. Hugo was just curious why the salesperson suddenly lied, but Joseph's sharp gaze made the salesperson panic and look away.

"However, we will not sell this outfit today." Although Frank's words were polite and filled with deep apologies, the content of his statement still drew surprised looks from Hugo and Joseph. "Mr. Richard Gere has already reserved this outfit to wear to the movie premiere. To avoid any clash, we will temporarily not sell this outfit. If you are truly satisfied with it, we can arrange for it to be delivered to your door next Monday."

Hugo and Joseph looked at each other in confusion. This was actually a special service offered by top brands for celebrities, mainly to showcase their uniqueness. In theory, after Richard Gere reserved this outfit, the store staff should have put it away and hung it out again after the premiere. But for some reason, the outfit was still on the shelf today and caught Hugo's eye, leading to the current situation.

"Um... can't we at least try it on?" Joseph asked politely with a light cough. He didn't want Hugo and Richard to clash at the premiere, that would be a disaster. But he still felt a bit awkward, so he asked cautiously. The response he received was a hesitant smile from Frank. After a moment of hesitation, Joseph continued, "I think this outfit would look better on Hugo. Why can't he wear it to the premiere instead?"

"We still trust Richard more," Frank replied with a polite smile. But at this moment, his smile seemed a bit ironic, as if to say, "Who are you, Hugo Lancaster? How can you compare to Richard Gere? Even if you have good taste in clothes, in real life, appearance is not the most important thing. Compared to Richard, Hugo is far from his level."

Before Joseph could respond, Frank continued, "Please cooperate with our work. I apologize for any inconvenience we have caused you." This seemed to mean, "Don't be stubborn, it's better to be sensible."

Obviously, Hugo and Joseph were both being looked down upon.