Playing a game with graphics as beautiful as FFXIV can be hard on the wallet when its cash shop offers exclusive glamour sets. I’ve personally always found it challenging as a Lalafell when debating whether or not to buy an outfit. Let’s face it – the Mog Station pictures don’t really focus on how an attire looks on a Lalafell.

However, when I first laid eyes on the Eastern Socialite’s Attire, I had it in my cart within the same minute. There’s something hypnotically stunning about that intricate embroidery and oriental design. Not to mention that it’s very authentic to the cheong sums wealthy socialites would have worn in Shanghai.

The Eastern Socialite’s Outfit Set (females only) comprises of:

Head: Eastern Socialite’s Hat
Chest: Eastern Socialite’s Cheongsam
Hands: Eastern Socialite’s Gloves
Legs: Eastern Socialite’s Skirt
Shoes: Eastern Socialite’s Shoes

Unlike some of the Mog Station outfits before it, there are no set bonuses that provide stats for characters under level 30. It’s a non-issue to me, since all my glamour pieces go straight into the glamour dresser. Plus, those stats were pretty insignificant to begin with.

So how does it work on a Lalafell?

First off, my favourite item out of the five is the dress. I think it is just gorgeous. As a Lalafell with a child-like physique, the silhouette is definitely not as sexy as it would be on the taller races. However, it’s very classy and pretty unique. I would say that this is the most overtly Chinese dress we have in the game, and it’s nice that it’s pretty authentic. I love the little details speckled throughout the dress that give it enough interest without appearing overly styled or caricature-like.

I’m not as excited by the other four pieces, but I can appreciate how they’re well designed. The hat, in particular, is a very interesting take on a bowler hat speckled with red cherry blossoms and a falling sprig of white blooms. I do like the fact that it doesn’t change the appearance of hairstyles. However, it’s so stylized that I haven’t really been using it much outside of the outfit as a whole.

The gloves I like well enough. I do enjoy the little button details that are quite unique to this model. However, Lalafells have little hands, so I don’t really find much value in this particular pair. It’s nice to have, but it’s more of an afterthought for me.

If anything, the thing that bothers me the most is how the skirt functions within the full outfit. The slit in the skirt is pretty much as high as the slit in the dress, which means that it doesn’t provide much coverage at all. Now, I get how this would be desirable if you were going for a sultry vibe on a tall race. Personally though, I don’t enjoy it when I show that much skin as a Lalafell.

I actually like the boots a lot, and I think I’ve used it the most in other outfits. If Lalafells have tiny hands, we have even tinier feet. However, I really like this as a pair of ankle boots with a well defined heel and an interesting floral applique.

Wearing the Outfit

I tend to not wear outfits as a full set because I like adding some personal touches. However, the Eastern Socialite set works so well as a cohesive whole that I tend to make only small modifications in my daily glamour.

Outfit 1 – Eastern meets Faire

This is my personal go-to when I decide that I want to glamour myself as a little Eastern Socialite Lady. The only change I made was to swap out the Eastern Socialite Skirt for the Faire Kohakama from the Eastern Faire-goer’s Attire (Moonfire Faire event, also available on Mog Station). None of the pieces are dyed.

I will admit that this changes the vibes of the outfit a little to make it more cute than sultry. However, as a little lady, I kinda like that effect.

Outfit 2 – Swim Wear

And we finally get to see the skirt! At this length, I actually found it really cute as a swimsuit cover-up. It adds a pretty eastern touch to the Endless Summer Top from the Endless Summer Outfit (another Moonfire Faire set, also available retrospectively from the good ol’ Mog Station). I finished the look with the White Cherry Blossom Corsage and Moonfire Sandals, both available through crafting or on the Market Board.

In Conclusion

I do like this outfit very much, and am quite happy that I purchased it. Out of the 5 items, I’ve used each of them in various glamour outfits from time to time. I wouldn’t consider any of them essential items, but if you enjoy the oriental aesthetic, this would definitely be a satisfactory purchase if you had the coin to spare.