anecdote: rules of fashion

Whether we realize it or not, we live in a rule-based society.  There are social norms that everyone is expected to play by.  Video games rarely leave the realms of war or fantasy — places where we can invent our own norms — mostly due to our legacy of creators being misfits and outcasts.  If we want to create games that are meaningful (or even recognizable) to a larger audience then we need to take inspiration from areas of society that we (developers) might not be personally comfortable or even familiar with: politics, religion, science, or today’s anecdote, fashion.

The next artist meetup is tomorrow and you feel totally unprepared.  If you ever want to get your own gallery showing you’ll need to make a strong impression with the patrons.

And so you find yourself in the downtown fashion district, hunting for color and style.

The bored teenager at the register fails to acknowledge your presence as you enter the store.  Judging by her choice in music that you hear coming from her headphones she couldn’t help you anyways, unless maybe you wanted to pivot to the goth scene.

Slipping back into the endless rows of clothing racks, your heart sinks;  With a nearly infinite number of options and combinations, how will you ever decide what to wear?

Sensing your despair, another employee approaches.  “Do you need some help finding something?”

You take note of her trendy haircut, her snappy blouse, her cute shoes —
x “No thanks.”
x “What are the hot colors this season?”
–> “Yes! I’m looking for…”