I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 193 Fashion and I Will Destroy All Obstacles!
To some extent, everyone experiences existential anxiety, wondering what kind of person they are and what makes them special or remarkable compared to others. Figuring this out is incredibly difficult, and in the end, people often find themselves standing in a terrifying void.

This anxiety can often be simplified to various things, such as: if I have a higher social status than you, then I am more noble than you; if I have more money than you, then I am equally noble. In many cases, this perception needs to be reinforced by various external things.

For example, in Paris, France in 1845, if I didn't dress well and extravagantly, how would others know that I was a noble nobleman and you were a lowly peasant?
Therefore, to some extent, clothing is also a political symbol, just as during the French Revolution, nobles referred to urban commoners as trouserless men.

The reason for this nickname is that at the time, it was fashionable for typical Parisian aristocratic men to wear tight-fitting breeches, white stockings below the knee, and high-heeled shoes. From a modern perspective, this style was somewhat reminiscent of a young woman from the south.
Ordinary people, due to economic reasons, needed to wear long trousers and no culottes, hence the name "culottes-less men".

Originally a derogatory term used by nobles to refer to commoners, it soon became synonymous with revolutionaries, as radical revolutionaries, such as the Jacobins, seemed to be adopting Italian working-class clothing—a jacket-like garment called "Carmangnol"—along with trousers called "Pondenlon," in order to demonstrate their stance.

In order to oppose the revolutionaries, fashionable men in the royalists deliberately wore clothing that was the opposite of what the revolutionaries wore.

After the French Revolution, social ideas changed rapidly. After all, the French Revolution shook the monarchy and the aristocracy. The new society also brought new problems, namely, what kind of clothing and style would be the trend of the new century.
In general, 19th-century France was largely guided by the so-called "British taste" style of dress. Therefore, in 1845, the basic structure of men's clothing was a combination of frock and pantalon. The frock was somewhat similar to a long trench coat, but the silhouette of the garment emphasized an extremely thin waist, so the waist had to be cinched very tightly and the hem of the coat had to cover the buttocks.

The pantalon was basically a fitted and straight pair of trousers, which, when paired with the flavac on the upper body, created an inverted triangle shape for men's clothing. Some men of this period, in pursuit of a more upright and sleek upper body, also wore corsets like women, leading to numerous satirical drawings created to mock these individuals.

Olivier, an old tailor in a working-class neighborhood in Paris, has made countless garments like these.

Generally speaking, in Paris, only truly respectable gentlemen would wear such clothes that are all style and no practicality. However, many young people in Paris are often vain, and even if they may never reach that social class, they are still willing to save money for a long time and then grit their teeth to have such a suit made for them, hoping to wear it on a suitable occasion someday.

Of course, even if they saved up money for a very long time, it would be completely impossible to find tailors who catered exclusively to wealthy gentlemen. So they had no choice but to settle for ordinary tailors to make them relatively inexpensive but decent clothes.

Among these ordinary tailors, old Olivier belonged to the group with the best craftsmanship.

While ordinary tailors of this period were still struggling at the bottom of society, with most barely making ends meet, old Olivier was in a better position. He successfully opened a small shop and took on an apprentice thanks to his skills and hard work year after year.

However, the old Olivier family's life did not get better, simply because he had a kind heart that was better than his skills. When faced with families in particularly bad circumstances, he would often choose to lend money to them on credit. When young people asked him to make a nice outfit, he would kindly advise them to restrain their vanity without deliberately raising the price of his clothes.

While he got along well with everyone, he also treated his apprentice poorly. He treated this young man from a poor background in Paris like his own family, eating the same things his family ate.

But his treatment of his apprentice plunged his family into a desperate situation. The apprentice seemed to have picked up some bad habits outside, which led him to steal all of old Olivier's money when he was desperate, not even letting go of the dowry that old Olivier had painstakingly saved for his daughter.

Although old Olivier was still able to make ends meet thanks to his skills, it was hard to say what the future would hold for his family without their savings.

However, just recently, seemingly through someone's recommendation and introduction, old Olivier received a very lucrative order, so much so that he had to remind the other party, "Sir, with a little more money, you could easily find a master tailor whose skills are far superior to mine."

In the end, however, this exceptionally valuable order still fell to old Olivier, and as if to prevent him from having any concerns, the other party even paid old Olivier a deposit in advance.

And so, old Olivier was completely relieved and began searching for the best fabrics he could find to serve the gentleman with utmost care. It is worth mentioning that although the payment was generous, the requirements for this order were indeed somewhat peculiar to old Olivier.

The reason this gentleman asked him to make something different was not the respectable clothing currently popular in French society, but rather a new type of clothing with many modifications.

The gentleman seemed afraid that he wouldn't understand, so he even drew a somewhat crooked picture for him. Fortunately, old Olivier was experienced, and even though the picture was a bit hard to decipher, he still understood what the gentleman meant.

Speaking of which, this gentleman seems to be Russian. Could it be that he wants me to make traditional clothing from their country?

Although there are some speculations, the most important thing is definitely to seize the time and get to work.

Not long after, he finally made the clothes according to the gentleman's measurements, and today is the day for the inspection.

Just as old Olivier was feeling very uneasy, the gentleman finally came out of his humble walk-in closet. As soon as the gentleman came out, the thin girl who had been peeking at him suddenly felt her eyes light up.

Undoubtedly, this outfit is very different from the styles currently popular in France. It is not so formal and tight that it is completely unsuitable for everyday wear. Instead, it features a simple collared, fitted, short top and straight-leg trousers that look crisp and neat without being too tight.

Such clothing, while not hindering daily activities, undoubtedly retains a certain level of decorum, making one look exceptionally elegant. Especially on this gentleman, it seems to exude a completely unique feel.

Following the gaze of the girl who was peeking, the first thing she saw was the young man's gentle yet sharp face, followed by his muscular physique, his particularly attractive new clothes, and a pair of black leather shoes.

Then came the attire often seen on respectable Parisians today: a top hat made of black silk, dark leather gloves, and a silver pocket watch.

Of course, there was also a walking stick that looked to be of ordinary material, and somewhere out of sight, there seemed to be a line of text engraved on it:
I will crush all obstacles!

Just as the young woman's gaze lingered on the foreign gentleman, his companion couldn't resist any longer. He stepped forward, grabbed the gentleman's arm, and shouted:
"Mikhail, you actually know something about fashion?! This outfit you redesigned looks really good, I want one too!" "I know a tiny bit."

Seeing that Turgenev couldn't help but shout out, Mikhail, who had seemed rather deep-seated just moments before, finally came to his senses and held up two fingers, saying, "Just this little bit."

"This is more than just a little bit! At first I really thought you were messing around, but now it looks really good!"

When Turgenev couldn't resist reaching out to touch Mikhail's clothes, Mikhail quickly pushed him away, then looked at the equally shocked old Olivier, and sincerely said, "Thanks to your superb skills, otherwise I think it would have been difficult to achieve such a good result."

This is certainly the truth. In reality, Mikhail had almost no knowledge of so-called fashion, not to mention that the so-called fashion of later generations has disappeared to who knows where. But in any case, Mikhail had at least seen a suit.

Because of this impression, and because the fashionable clothes of the French respectable people at that time were really a torment to wear, Mikhail came to France and tried them on. He felt that the clothes were almost squeezing his stomach. So, on a whim, Mikhail tried to find a tailor to modify some things according to his ideas.

As it turned out, old Olivier's tailoring skills were indeed superb, and he basically fulfilled Mikhail's vision, resulting in a very good fit.

Mikhail's trip to Paris was not intended to be entirely in accordance with Parisian customs and traditions. Respect was certainly necessary, but if I came to Paris just to become an ordinary Parisian, wouldn't my trip have been in vain?

Sometimes, being unconventional can bring far more fame than sticking to the rules.

Therefore, a modified set of clothes like this can certainly be worn on certain occasions.

If it really does generate some buzz, Mikhail could open a tailor shop in Paris. As for how far he could go, it's hard to say for now.

While Mikhail was thinking about these things, old Olivier, in response to Mikhail's gratitude, quickly bowed and said, "Respected sir, this is all thanks to your brilliant idea! Otherwise, I would never have thought of such an improvement."

"This task could not have been completed without you."

Mikhail smiled and shook his head. As he handed over the remaining amount, he thought for a moment and then said, "Please keep this a secret for now. I'm planning to do something new in a while, so please give me some time."

"Of course, it's an honor."

As old Olivier nodded repeatedly, he suddenly looked at the money in his hand and exclaimed in surprise, "Sir, you've given me too much!"

"This is what your skill deserves."

Of course, honesty and kindness are also important.

After silently adding this sentence in his mind, Mikhail pushed the money the old man handed him back and quickly led Turgenev out of the shop. Although Turgenev was still talking, Mikhail had already pulled him in a certain direction.

On the way to the bank, perhaps because Mikhail's clothes were both familiar and somewhat unusual, people kept turning around to look at him. Some well-dressed Parisian men were so engrossed in looking at him that they accidentally stepped in a pile of horse manure.

But even as he was about to unleash a torrent of curses in anger, he couldn't stop thinking about a certain outfit he'd never seen before. Had a new trend emerged in Paris, and was he already out of touch?
Thinking of this, he hurriedly tried to find out the latest fashion trends in Paris from his friends.

Of course, not everyone liked the outfit. When Mikhail and his companion finally arrived at the bank, the doorman paused for a moment when he saw Mikhail, then quickly reached out to stop him, saying, "Excuse me, sir, you cannot go in."

Where did this out-of-towner come from? Trying to come to one of the best places in Paris dressed in fake, respectable clothes?!

I will never let someone like that in!

Before Mikhail could say anything, the person who had been in charge of receiving him last time seemed to have been waiting in the lobby for a long time. After seeing Mikhail being stopped outside from afar, this man, who seemed to be in the role of manager, hurriedly came over.

Even though he was surprised by Mikhail's attire, when he thought of the large sum of money Mikhail had in the bank, he quickly pushed the doorman aside and said warmly, "I'm so sorry, sir! Please come with me. As for the person who stopped you, I will definitely give you an explanation."

"No need, this is his job, there's nothing to criticize."

After seeing the manager quickly agree, Mikhail picked up his cane and followed the manager toward a room.

It's worth mentioning that Mikhail acquired the cane not to show off his status, but simply to indulge in some cosplay. As for the inscription on the cane, it's, of course, a tribute to our beloved Balzac, and also reflects, to some extent, the purpose of Mikhail's trip:

I will destroy all obstacles!
(End of this chapter)