Effie claps her hands once, sharply, the sound echoing through the apartment you’ve been temporarily assigned in the Capitol.

“Right,” she says, already circling you like a stylist with a vision. “We are not sending you out there looking like last season’s catastrophe.”

You blink. “Good morning to you too.”

“It is a good morning,” Effie replies, affronted that you’d suggest otherwise. “The newest Capitol trends debuted last night, and I stayed up until three reviewing footage. Do you know how exhausting it is to keep up with fashion and public morale?”

She stops in front of you and tilts your chin up with one perfectly manicured finger. Her eyes, rimmed in shimmering lavender today, scan your outfit with concern.

“Textures are in,” she announces. “Layers upon layers. Feathers are back, tastefully, mind you, paired with structured silhouettes. Metallics are making a statement, but not desperation. And asymmetry? Oh, asymmetry is simply everything.”

You open your mouth, then close it as she whisks away, already rifling through garment bags.

“Now,” Effie continues, voice floating from the closet, “tributes like you must strike a balance. Trend-aware, but not trend-obsessed. Relatable, but aspirational. You can not look like you’re trying too hard. The Capitol sniffs that out.”

She emerges holding an outfit that looks like it might weigh more than you do.

“This,” she says reverently, “is cutting-edge.”

It’s a jacket - if it can be called that - woven with soft, color-shifting fabric that glimmers as it moves. One shoulder is bare, the other adorned with a sculpted accent that resembles stylized knives.

You stare. “Is it... safe?”

Effie gasps. “Safe? Darling, fashion isn’t meant to be safe. It’s meant to be discussed.”

She helps you into it anyway, tugging and adjusting with practised efficiency. Her hands pause now and then, gentler than strictly necessary.

“There,” she says, stepping back. “See? You look like someone who's going to survive something terrible and come out influential.”

You glance at your reflection. She’s right, irritatingly so. The outfit feels powerful. Intentional. Capitol-perfect.

Effie beams, clearly pleased. “Accessories are minimal this cycle. One statement piece only. Too many, and you look insecure.”