Dressing down, mode of dress in the British Paradise Islands

from The Essential Paradise, series sourcebook

from doc. 5.09

==== Dressing down is the practice of shedding or doing without extraneous clothing, in the British Paradise Islands, as featured in the Two Paradises fiction/fantasy realm devised by author Jonnie Comet. ====

Rationale
The practice is commonly done for relief from the heat, especially during the hot season (December- February) and, especially amongst people of secondary-school ages, during school-recess season (June-September). Often it is meant playfully, as in the interests of making some daring fashion statement, particularly amongst girls, such as at doe parties. At a given private party one may observe others dancing and socialising in brief exercise gear, swimsuits or even lingerie.

Dressing down is a popular form of celebration during Festival and during market days.

The term is generally not used for partially disrobing for sunning or bathing at a beach or pool.

Appearances in stories
The practice occurs often in stories in both the Paradise One and Paradise Two domains, most commonly manifested as the appearance of a teenaged girl wearing only knickers, as for private attire. In Drizzly Dawn, Amy Cavaliere falls into a secret trap in Camelot Palace and must swim out into the rear gardens, ultimately having a tour of the canal system in the rain, wearing only the shirt and cotton underpants in which she slept. In All In The Game, Lady Susie enters the game of Strategy in mere lingerie pants.

Within Paradise Two, dressing down is often seen as a precursor to complete disrobing and sometimes physical and sexual involvement, even though the implied purpose of dressing down is not necessarily to elevate the arousal of those perceiving the one (typically a girl) so scantily attired.

In Serendipity, Gwendolyn Dahl finds herself hiking over the interior of Eden Island emptyhanded and with only a pair of brief (and damp) knickers to wear. Though, according to the plot, her predicament is not a voluntarily-accepted one, the situation of a nubile heroine appearing in, and interacting with others whilst dressed in, such brief or revealing attire achieves the same literary ends (and may apply as fan service).