The Prince and the Dressmaker

“After all, Paris is the city of love.”

In evoking the whimsical and well-known aphorism of Paris, Wang highlights the fairytale quality of the story to come and foreshadows the eventual romance between Frances and Sebastian.

“You know what, just make it ghastly. Make me look like the devil’s wench.”

Sophia’s disinterest in finding a socially acceptable husband lays the groundwork for the novel’s subversion of traditional gender norms and celebration of Gender Expansive Self-Expression Through Fashion. The strength of the phrase “devil’s wench” evokes the 19th-century society perspective that viewed any deviation from traditional norms as indecent or even sinful.

“The client is not the one who wears the dress. THE CLIENT IS THE ONE WHO PAYS.”

The tailor’s assertion evidences a perspective that prioritizes profit over innovation in fashion design. In the context of Lady Sophia (a minor under the control of her mother) it also highlights a traditional power dynamic in which a parent’s wishes supersede that of their children.