“Decide what you want people to look at,” said Casandra Sazerac, as she held two dresses up before her class. One bore a beautiful, intricate floral pattern. One was red, with a bold, white stripe down its front.

“Do you want people to look at your dress? Get lost in its many contrasts and shapes? Wear patterns.” A slide: a vixen in an expensive dress, rich with complex embroidery, lace, and frills. She seemed buried within its excess, a mere afterthought.

“Do you want people to look at you? Get lost in your curves, your shapes, your eyes? Wear colors.” Another slide: the same vixen in the red-and-white dress, her shape a bold statement, made bolder by the one broad contrast. It seemed a low-cut setting for the beauty of her chest, neck, and face.

“Contrast; the eye seeks it. In shape, in detail, in color, in shadow and light. Use these to your advantage; draw the eye where you want it to linger, make the parts where you have to do more work to look like a glamorous vision of lust and prosperity feel boring by their lack of obvious contrast.”

— uncredited recording, probably from a class on wardrobe selection. Date on tape: 19/2017.