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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#145: It's Called Fashion, Look it Up

I never remember the Met Gala’s existence until social media is suddenly flooded with otherworldly outfits. The corsets, beads, and historical dresses of the Met Gala might feel a little insignificant given the state of the world right now, but it’s nonetheless a good opportunity for some fashion escapism.

So, in honor of the world’s biggest costume party, let’s think about clothes, identities, façades, and self-expression. Where does your mind go?

This week's prompts

Write a story where a particular piece of clothing appears three times.

Nonfiction – 59 stories

Write about a character who wakes up in someone else’s clothes — or utterly weird apparel they don’t recognize as their own.

Science Fiction – 38 stories

Set your story at a global fashion event — or a carnival ball.

High School – 20 stories

Think of an item of clothing from your childhood, and write a story inspired by that.

Nonfiction – 28 stories

Write about a character who decides to give themselves, or someone else, a fashion makeover.

Fluff – 20 stories

Stories

“ "My coat of many colors".” by Fortunatus Eze

Submitted to Contest #145

CW: Mention of death.To nobody specifically:Ok! ok! ok!Enough of this...She calls it all fashionAnd I call it a clowns costume.I think I will need some audiences to judge this case.Question: What's that one thing you had rather prefer to choose all by yourself as a little kid ( say yours )?Answer: For me.. it was my clothings.I believe a majority will agree with me on this.In my attic...I find this piece of colored coat in a box. Mom had insisted i wear this coat to her friend's party in the city.I remember vividly.Had I gotten the guts at t...

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“Just a pair of flip flops” by Hannah Cooper

Submitted to Contest #145

I looked down at my bright pink flipflops as the water laps over my toes. In the distance I can hear my brother and dad talking about different types of fish. The sound of their fishing poles being cast out onto the lake. My younger sister playing in the water in-front of me. I couldn't have been older than ten years old.Dad always took us to the lake during the summer. Our weekends with him were free of electronics and full of bonfires. Roasting marshmallows and camping in the RV on hot summer nights. At that age you never think about the f...

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“The Sly Fox” by Rama Shaar

Submitted to Contest #145

I wonder if things had been different if I had said no almost thirty-five years ago. Growing up, my mom had a closet full of clothes. The usual–dresses, blouses, dress trousers– but this story isn’t about that. We were not interested in those. What we were interested in were the things she’d exiled to a far, forgotten corner at the bottom of her closet. We would wait for her to go to brunch or something, leaving David in charge so that we could raid it. There were so many beautiful things we never saw her in. We took turns using the Hippie...

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“Hats” by SUNI NELSON

Submitted to Contest #145

HATS In the movie “You’ve Got Mail” Meg Ryan once said that hats were “always a mistake”, maybe she did add ….almost. I have to disagree with that. Whole heartedly. Hats can be anything from a statement, to the whole story. Some of the most important men in my life, my Dad and brothers, have never been seen …awake…at least, without their hats. I...

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“Makeover” by Sachi B

Submitted to Contest #145

“I want to become a model.” “You want to become a model?” “Yes.” “Do you own a mirror?” “Yes…” “Have you ever used it?” A miffed look. “What? I’m being practical.” “I look great, George.” “Sure. If you say so.” A deep sigh. “Well, what should I do?” “Don’t look like you do. You won’t be able to get anywhere the way you look right now. You must understand, Kiran, that in this industry, hard work is not the key to success. Looks are. You need a makeover. Take your specs off.” “Maybe I should. I wouldn’t be able to see...

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“Bathtub Shine” by Nevaeh Ryn

Submitted to Contest #145

Note: This story contains mentions of race and violence. Harlem, 1926 I looked dazzling. My heavily made-up face and short finger-curls made me glamorous and chic, the cosmetics catapulting my looks from plain to striking. “Sienna, you’re up,” Iva, the manager of the dancers, told me as I applied my scarlet lipstick, the final touch for the effect I wanted. A full-figured, dark-skinned woman, Iva hailed from Charleston. For some reason, she refused to cut or straighten her long, course hair, and instead opted for styles from the previou...

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“A Widow's Kiss” by Jacquelyn Naylor

Submitted to Contest #145

"Do you like it? It's so cute, and it's like $5 on Etsy! I have to give you the store name sometime!" Avery's smile glinted in the candlelight as she let me hold the tiny pendant. It looked like a spider was wrapped around the cork of a bottle, a dark red liquid swirling around to catch the light. The liquid almost seemed like a witch's potion, a glittery substance reflecting the orange light in my face. "Does it come in other colors?" I asked. She looked a little upset at the thought, but the smile was back in a moment. God, I could get los...

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“Leave when you're ready” by Jesper Jee

Submitted to Contest #145

Andy Weier was sick of it all. Sitting by his piano in his small apartment, he loathed everything about himself. Through the window the sun was sliced thinly through the blinds, illuminating the dust in the air; like smoke pillars from a village where they burned their dead all at once. Andy Weier had been trying to write a song about it. Andy Weier sucked at writing songs.With all ten ﬁngers splayed out on the keys of his Roland FP-30X, he invisioned someone with the gravitas and weight of Leonard Cohen singing this upcoming epic; nothing s...

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“Not Today, Not Tomorrow, But Someday” by Muna Moo

Submitted to Contest #145

“Write a story where a particular piece of clothing appears three times”. Every day of the week except for Monday was a day I could feel happy about. I don’t know what I ever did to Friday to deserve it, after that I started hating it. It was a Friday that she called me. I remembered her hyperventilating, she couldn’t say it so she had to get a nurse to do it. Then the nurse said quietly, in a whisper, “Hello, this a nurse from Krópavogur Hospital. I am very sorry for you to hear this-”, she paused for a while and I’d like to thank...

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“The Case of Andrew Scribner” by Olivia Snead

Submitted to Contest #145

The Andrew Scribner Case By, O. S. Snead Monday, April 19 Edgar Nikephoros Huntinger, private investigator, had current cases solved, so he was in good spirits. He dressed for a casual morning in short-sleeved white and blue checked shirt, and black jeans, and went down to breakfast. After cleaning the dishes, he went into his office, sat down, and thought. I wish I had an exciting case unusual to my portfolio, for once. Huntinger yawned. The telephone rang. “Hu...

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“Lost or Found” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #145

Susan sat across from Gavin, her date from Plenty of Fish. The waiter poured their wine. Gavin spoke at length and with authority on many topics. Having little knowledge and fewer opinions, she took him at his word. ‘How did I agree to meet?’ Tuning in, she realized he’d begun another chapter on the Speed Dating event he attended. “You’ve been to one, right?” She nodded. “They’re amusing if you like feeding frenzies. But like in poker, if you don’t know who the mark is…” “It’s probably you…” He laughed, not knowing she meant herself. She ...

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“Better Luck Next Time” by Michelle Sholund

Submitted to Contest #145

Trying to get his bearings and figure out what happened the night before, Austin, thirty-three, looked down at himself and mumbled, "Um, where's my pants and why am I wearing a lacy, red, push up bra?” Realizing he is in a strangers car, Austin looked over to the woman in the driver’s seat and asked, "and who are you?" "My name is Olivia. I found you passed out outside of this here Starbucks when it was about to open. Since the dress code is a bit more 'no shirt, no shoes, no service', I figured you’d be a bit safer in my car...

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“New Clothes, Old Me” by Cassidy Lewis

Submitted to Contest #145

They say you see stars, and he did.But not the cartoon ones that spin around in a perfect halo. More like misshapen chunks of rock, clunking around his field of vision. Eventually they eroded away but the headache did not.It was like someone with a pickaxe was intent on splitting his skull, and with each blow, he winced.Around him was dimly lit, and for that he was thankful. Any brighter and he would have been blinded by the migraine. Any darker, it would have been impossible to make out where he was. Not that he knew where he was exactly - ...

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“WEARING THE GUY IN THE PICTURE” by William Snesrud

Submitted to Contest #145

By William Snesrud Somebody was softly kicking my feet as if trying to get my attention. “Hey old man, you need to get up and move before they come through and haul you off again.” As I slowly opened one eye at a time, I realized I was no longer in my comfy recliner but instead on a hard surface with the sun glaring down on me causing issues with focusing as I opened my eyes. Yep, something was vastly different than my tv room at home. I seemed to be laying on something rather hard and much uncomfortable as I looked up into the brigh...

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“Yummy Brownies and That Night” by Debra Koffski

Submitted to Contest #145

I woke up late, which is odd for me because even on weekends my body wouldn't let me sleep past seven. I suppose it was because of school. I got in this weird habit of wanting to be there on time. So, anyway I dragged my behind out of bed at ten and headed for the shower. I was still feeling groggy which is also different for me. I headed for my bathroom and turned on the light, and what the heck! I was dressed in a princess dress! I scrambled my brain for answers and couldn't find any. The last thing I remember was leaving work and goin...

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$250

Prize money

165

Contest entries

96

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 13, 2022 EST

Won by Avery Mossop 🏆

Title: The Overalls

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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