Advertising Supplement/Fine Apparel/Feingold's

Feingold's Fine Tailoring

Type: Fine custom apparel

Locations: Mort Central

Description: Tucked away among the myriad shops of Mort Central is a small, unobtrusive storefront. There is no gaudy marquee announcing the shop. Simple gold scripts on the window advertises “Feingold's Fine Tailoring.” This unassuming shop produces some of the finest clothing on the planet. Apprentices at Feingold's have gone on to work for Arducci and some of the most prestigious designers on New Paris.

Anyone working at Feingold's is trained under the careful and exacting eye of Martin Feingold. He required all his apprentices to work with him one on one for no less than six months before he will even consider letting them work unsupervised. Even once they are past the apprentice stage, employees will never directly make a garment; employees are only permitted to do measurements and simple alterations. Feingold creates all the garments himself. All employees know the old man's strange job terms. When an apprentice feels they can make a garment to Feingold's standards, they are free to do so at their own expense. Feingold will then inspect the garment carefully. If it meets his strict requirements for quality and aesthetics, the apprentice is fired on the spot. This may seem strange, but it is the highest compliment Feingold can give. He has nothing more to teach at that point. Many fashion designers would kill to be able to say they were fired by Feingold on their resumes.

So how can a shop that only has one master tailor stay in business in Mort Central? Uncompromising quality. Customers know that when they walk into Feingold's, they will not be purchasing anything off the rack. The entire outfit will be custom made from the finest materials the World of Progress has to offer. Even accessories like ties and socks will be made to order. Feingold even keeps a jeweler on retainer to one-off cufflinks, tie pins and other accessories as needed. A shoemaker is also available if needed.

Feingold's operates on an appointment only basis. On entering the shop, the door will be locked and the curtains drawn. The customer will be offered a selection of imported coffees and teas to enjoy while they are measured. The customer then explains what it is they are looking for. Feingold then provides a quick sketch to verify the vision. Materials are discussed, but generally people let Feingold decide the details. Price is never discussed. If you have to inquire about price, you certainly can not afford to wear a Feingold garment. Depending on the garment and the customer, the order can take anywhere from a day to a month. On the average, a man's suit will take about a week. Elaborate ball dresses can take much longer. For those who really need to know prices, a man's ensemble (suit, shirt, tie, pocket square, socks) will cost in the area of 3500-5000 credits. An elaborate formal dress can run easily over 10,000c depending on the materials.

While the idea of a suit of clothing that costs more than a suit of Dogeybone is a little off-putting, one needs to keep certain things in mind. First, the item will be one of a kind and made by hand from the finest materials the World of Progress has to offer. Second, Feingold clothing is guaranteed forever. Once purchased, the customer may return for unlimited alterations. In the impossible event that an item is defective or wears out, Feingold will provide a replacement free of charge. Third, he's been doing this for 213 years. Being Mr. Slayer's personal tailor has its advantages.

Advertising Supplement/Clothing Lines/Überware

Type: Combat capable clothing

Locations: Mort Central, Uptown

Description: Überware is MAL's newest entry in the growing line of combat capable fashion. Überware answers the concerns voiced by a number of Operatives. The current line of armored clothing has one glaring weakness: little to no protection against blunt force trauma. Sure, that shirt stopped the 10mm round from penetrating your chest, but now you're doubled over with a cracked rib and the wind knocked out of you. You are hors d'combat my friend.
Überware solves this problem by taking Velkra fabric and interweaving it with a mesh of microscopic sensors. These sensors are capable of near instantaneous reading of sudden localized changes in air pressure caused by incoming projectiles and other objects. The sensors then send a small electric charge to the material, which causes it to harden for a fraction of a second.* This hardening drastically reduces blunt force and, in the case of CAF rounds, virtually eliminates it. The battery to power the system is hidden in a discreet pocket in the clothing and provides approximately 500 hours of operation, depending on the amount of use.
The trade off for this level of covert protection is that Überware is expensive even by KAV or Arducci standards. On the upside, Überware clothing is mix and match, allowing the wearer to choose the exact look and have it slotted into a single battery/control unit.
Styles for this season are what Orientan designer Jonas Dulang calls “Downtown Chic.” Look for heavy denim pants with over-sized legs and long sleeve crew shirts with the trademark “Fear Me” logo on the back. Also in the lineup are over-sized hooded sweatshirts which hold the battery/control unit with room to spare for cell phone, IV system and your favorite handgun. Colors will match the streets with grays, browns, blacks and blues contrasted with Überware's signature fluorescent trademarks.

*Note that extremely high velocity rounds may not provide the sensors adequate time to react. Überware or its controlling agencies takes no responsibility for the failure of Überware products to respond to these types of weapons/attacks.