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“Don’t I have pants that I could wear for riding?” Hedy askedwithout thinking. “Can’t a tailor make a pair of pants in three days?”
Dechio took a small step back, looking quite embarrassed. “You... plan to wear men’s pants?”
The term “men’s pants” sounded somewhat harsh.
Hedy set down her quill and directly told him what kind of clothing she needed.
She arrived in America in her early twenties and settled there for the rest of her life.
As she grew and aged, the name of another woman blossomed across Europe and America, becoming immortal—
Gabrielle Chanel.
She redefined the world’s perception of women’s fashion.
Before Chanel opened her store in the Cambon district, women had been dressing in a beautifully ornate and lavish manner for centuries.
They needed elaborate, decorated hats, skirts in bright colors, and, because of them, walked slowly.
But Chanel chose to give them the same freedom as men.
The seemingly dull and serious black became classic and rich in her designs, and women finally had pants—light, flexible, and dignified enough for them to wear.
This design seems perfectly natural to modern people, but in the old days, it was like a storm.
Despite the countless attacks and slanders, more and more women wore trousers and even shorts out on the streets, becoming freer and more independent.
And what she practiced was consistent with her own words: "The elegance of clothing is the freedom of action."
This legendary woman was quite similar to Hedy.
Rather than the great designs she created, people preferred to gossip about her past as a mistress, her ugly connection with espionage, and all the dark, disgraceful topics that could proveher fallibility.
Hedy suddenly found herself reminiscing about her Chanel No. 5.
“Riding attire—would you like one made for you as well?!” Dechio’s shocked expression was as if he had seen her take the crown from the Pope’s hands. “I—I'll get it done right away.”
This request was quite absurd, but she had already reached an unparalleled position. Even though the tailor might grumble and shake his head, an entire outfit was delivered the next day.
Leonardo happened to walk in with a radio report just as she was trying on her new attire. He immediately noticed her new look.
It was clean, sharp, and had a kind of neutral elegance.
The tailored trousers accentuated her leg shape, and the waistcoat and jacket could rival any gentleman's attire.
Simple, elegant, and perfectly fitted.
He realized what she was aiming for and gave an admiring sigh. “You were missing a piece like this.”
“I’m also missing a good horse,” Hedy said, adjusting her cufflinks, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “I hope that when future historians write about me, they’ll say ‘It was she who freed women from the absurdity of riding sideways.’”
“You will,” Leonardo said, stepping back a bit to admire her tall and graceful figure. “Maybe I should paint a portrait of you now.”
“I would be delighted.”
On April 15th, people were astonished to discover that among the nobles on this hunting expedition, their queen was also present—dressed in men's clothing!
Her long, jet-black hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and she wore a sleek, lightweight riding outfit, openly riding with her legs spread apart like a man!
