Suited For Success

Suited For Success is the fourteenth episode of the first season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. In this episode, Rarity wants to make dresses for her friends for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala, but has trouble satisfying all their requests. The title of the episode is a play on "dressed for success"; the word 'suited' here both refers to the original phrase, as well as the meaning of 'being appropriate'.

Production and development
The fourth Evolution of a Scene video states that the original title of this episode was "Dress for Failure", a more immediate reference to dress for success. Lauren Faust later confirmed this fact on Twitter. The ninth MLP scenes season 1 video features a shot of Sea Swirl, Lemon Hearts, "Cloud Kicker", Merry May, and Minuette at the beginning of the first fashion show, which isn't included in the final version of the episode. The episode was #4 in the We Heart Ponies Fan Favorite Mare-a-thon, in the leadup to Hearts and Hooves Day.

Arranging for a fashion show
The episode begins with a shot of the Carousel Boutique, which cuts to Rarity levitating a dress illustration and telling Opalescence about her "stunning new gown" for the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot. She begins sewing it and makes Opal involuntarily help her.

There's a knock on the door and Twilight Sparkle and Applejack enter, interrupting Rarity's concentration, but she suppresses her irritation and asks if she can help them. Twilight asks her to fix a button on her dress for the Gala; it is one of the dresses Rarity puts on Twilight in the first episode, and one of the dresses Rarity throws behind a curtain in the park in Green Isn't Your Color.

Rarity insists on making Twilight a new dress instead, and then offers to spruce up Applejack's "work duds" as well. Rainbow Dash comes crashing into the room from above and knocks over some mannequins. Rarity exclaims, "I-de-a!" in a sing-song voice and offers to make Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy dresses for the Gala too, and then hold a fashion show with their new dresses. Applejack questions whether Rarity can handle the workload, but Rarity laughs at the idea. The scene cross-fades to the musical number, Art of the Dress, which is a direct homage to Stephen Sondheim's song Putting It Together from the musical Sunday In the Park With George.

Rarity's designs
The musical number shows Rarity making the dresses for her friends. She sings "Art of the Dress" and describes the concept behind each dress while she makes them. After the musical number, Rarity leads her friends into the boutique with eyes closed, then shows them their new outfits. She proudly describes how each dress matches the pony it's for, and asks "aren't they all amazing?" The ponies stand awkwardly in silence, then struggle for words; Applejack notes "they sure are... something", Twilight agrees "Yes, something!", Pinkie Pie says "I love something. Something's my favorite" with an awkward smile, and Fluttershy sadly says "It's... nice." Pinkie Pie's line echoes the line "I love smiling. Smiling's my favorite." from the film Elf. Rarity presses the ponies for their honest opinion, and they all agree that the dresses aren't what they had in mind. Rainbow Dash says, "Mine is just not as cool as I was imagining." Rarity overcomes the disparaging reception and resolves to re-do the dresses: "I want you to think they're absolutely perfect." After the ponies leave, Rarity wonders aloud, "What have I gotten myself into?"

The dresses
The Gala dresses designed by Rarity appear again in several episodes. They are worn for the Gala in The Best Night Ever, and feature briefly in the background in Green Isn't Your Color and A Bird in the Hoof.

Dress revisions
Fluttershy enters the boutique and Rarity shows her her new new gown. The scene cross-fades to Fluttershy in front of a mirror wearing the dress, and she tries to placate Rarity by saying she loves it, but Rarity doesn't buy it and pressures Fluttershy into telling her what she really thinks. Fluttershy goes off into a stream of intricate complaints about the sewing and the fabric, which leaves Rarity with her jaw dropped. Fluttershy uses several terms originating in French: Toile is a cheap cloth used by designers to test a pattern; Prêt-à-porter refers to "ready to wear" clothing, while haute couture refers to custom-made clothing.

The scene cross-fades into a reprise of Rarity's Dressmaking Song, where each pony gives their input about the dress Rarity sews them. Rarity repeats the lyrics "Art of the Dress", though frustrated and exhausted this time. Twilight requests technically accurate constellations; Pinkie Pie requests lollipops, balloons, candy, and streamers; Fluttershy requests French haute couture; Applejack requests galoshes; and Rainbow Dash gives the vague request "it needs to be about 20% cooler." At the conclusion of the song, Rarity tells Opal that these are the ugliest dresses she's ever made. To make matters worse, she has no time left to make her own dress.

The fashion show
Rarity presents the dresses to her friends, and they all happily proclaim they're exactly what they asked for. Spike arrives at the door, panting, and excitedly reports that he happened to mention Rarity's fashion show to Hoity Toity, which Twilight identifies as "the bigwig fashion hotshot in Canterlot", and that Hoity Toity is coming to Ponyville from Canterlot to see Rarity's work. Rarity shrinks in horror at the thought that Hoity Toity will see the dresses her friends helped design.

At the fashion show, Rarity peeks from behind the curtain and spots Hoity Toity. Hoity Toity bears a strong resemblance to Karl Lagerfeld, head designer and creative director for the Chanel fashion house. Rarity breathes heavily and tells herself to relax, and that her friends like the outfits and so will Hoity Toity. She shrieks in panic when the lights dim, before realizing it means the show is starting. The show's DJ, DJ Pon-3, puts on a record, and Spike narrates the show. He announces the "breathtaking designs of Ponyville's very own... Rarity." The ponies step onto the catwalk in their dresses and come to stand on a rotating platform. The crowd responds negatively, and Rarity's friends realize they overdid the dresses' design. Hoity Toity declares the dresses "amateurish", "a piled-on mishmash of everything but the kitchen sink" (with a kitchen sink being pushed out of view by Rarity), "a travesty", "the ugliest things [he's] ever seen", "horrors", and "wasting [his] valuable time." Spike, still excited for Rarity, asks her to come out and take a bow. She walks out with her eyes lowered, and the scene fades to the whispers of the crowd and the awkward smiles of Rarity's friends on stage.

In Hoity Toity's review of the dresses, his remark "everything but the kitchen sink" is an idiom meaning a lot of different things, most of which are unnecessary.

The dresses
The final appearance of Pinkie Pie's dress doesn't match her requests of Rarity: while Rarity is uneasy at Pinkie Pie's request for lollipops, lollipops end up on the final dress to be worn by Pinkie Pie and on the first dress she designed, but they do not appear on the dress that Pinkie Pie helps design. Despite Pinkie Pie strong-arming Rarity into putting streamers on her dress, they too do not appear on it.

The headdress for Rainbow Dash's second dress resembles the shape of the helmet of the comic book character "The Rocketeer".

The drama
The next scene begins with Rarity's friends at her door. Pinkie Pie knocks and asks "Rarity, you okay in there? You haven't come out for days." Rarity goes on a dramatic monolog:

"I'm never coming out! I can't show my face in Ponyville ever again! I used to be somepony... I used to be respected... I made dresses - beautiful, beautiful dresses! But now, everypony is laughing at me! I'm nothing but a laughing stock!"

- Rarity

Twilight tries to coax her out, but she replies "Leave me alone! I vant to be alone" with an Eastern European accent, echoing the famous phrase associated with Greta Garbo. The ponies try to figure out what to do, and Twilight spies Rarity's unfinished dress through the keyhole.

The scene fades to Rarity in her room in front of a mirror in a robe and slippers, contemplating exile. She says "Where would I go? And what would I pack?", echoing the line from the 1939 classic film Gone With The Wind, "Where shall I go? What shall I do?" said by the character Scarlett O'Hara. Rarity's contemplations are interrupted by Opal's mewling. She searches for the origin of the noise out the window, and sees Opal distressed and shivering, stuck on a tree branch. She shouts "Mommy's coming!" Rarity runs out to rescue her, and finds Rainbow Dash next to Opal, and chides her for stranding Opal on the tree. Dash points her attention to the dress that Rarity's friends finished for her, "thanks to Fluttershy's freaky knowledge of sewing", according to Applejack. Rarity says she doesn't like it, she loves it. Fluttershy notes that they "just followed [her] brilliant design", and the ponies apologize for rejecting Rarity's original designs. Rarity forgives them, but still goes on a dramatic outburst about her career being ruined. Fortunately, Hoity Toity agrees to attend the revised fashion show at Rarity's boutique.

The other fashion show
Hoity Toity declares "take two", Spike closes the curtains, and Rarity puts up a magic light show, which begins with a brief musical sound-alike segment for Also sprach Zarathustra. Stylized animated backdrops accompany each dress presentation, and Hoity Toity expresses his amazement at the designs, calling them "simply magnificent", "brilliant", "spectacular", and "absolutely amazing." He demands that the pony responsible show themselves, and claps at the conclusion of the show. Rarity thanks him, and the scene cross-fades to Twilight dictating her friendship report to Spike. In Twilight's report, she says "never look a gift horse in the mouth", which is an idiom that means don't be negative or ungrateful of a gift. Hoity Toity walks over to Rarity and congratulates her for her impressive fashion debut and requests a dozen of each dress "by next Tuesday." Rarity laughs nervously with a tic in her eye, and the scene cuts to black.

Quotes

 * Rarity: [sing-song voice] I-dea! I'll make you an outfit for the Gala, too, Rainbow Dash.
 * Rainbow Dash: Outfit for the what now?


 * Applejack: So all you have to do is make a different, stunning, original, amazing outfit for one, two, three, four, five... plus yourself, six ponies? And lickety split?
 * Rarity: Oh, Applejack. You make it sound as if it's going to be hard.


 * Rarity: These are your new outfits. What do you think of your old duds now, Applejack? Pretty swanky, are they not? And Twilight! I made this dress for you and I designed each outfit theme to perfectly reflect each pony's unique personality. Oh, it took me forever to get the colors right on this one, Rainbow Dash, but I did it. Oh, and it turned out beautiful, don't you think? Ooh, and I know you are going to love yours, Fluttershy. It just sings spring! And Pinkie Pie, look! Pink! Your favorite! Aren't they all amazing?
 * Twilight Sparkle: Wow... They're...
 * Rainbow Dash: Yeah, they're...
 * Applejack: They sure are... sumth'n.
 * Twilight Sparkle: Yes! Something.
 * Pinkie Pie: I love something! Something is my favorite!
 * Fluttershy: It's... nice.


 * Rarity: Tell me, tell me, tell-me-tell-me-tell-me!
 * Fluttershy: All right. Since you really wanna know... *inhales* The armscye's tight, the middy collar doesn't go with the shawl lapel, the hems are clearly machine-stitched, the pleats are uneven, the fabric looks like toile, you used a backstitch here when it clearly called for a topstitch or maybe a traditional blanket stitch, and the overall design is reminiscent of prêt-à-porter and not true French haute couture. [pauses] But, uh... you know... um, whatever you want to do is fine.


 * Pinkie Pie: More balloons! Oh no, that's too many balloons. More candy! Oh, less candy. Oh wait, I know. Streamers!
 * Rarity: Streamers?
 * Pinkie Pie: Whose dress is this?
 * Rarity: Streamers it is.


 * Rainbow Dash: What?
 * Rarity: Aren't you going to tell me to change something too?
 * Rainbow Dash: No, I just want my dress to be cool.
 * Rarity: Do you not like the color?
 * Rainbow Dash: The color's fine, just make it look cooler.
 * Rarity: Do you not like the shape?
 * Rainbow Dash: The shape's fine, just make the whole thing you know, cooler... It needs to be about 20% cooler.


 * Rarity: Leave me alone! I want to be alone! I want to wallow in... whatever it is that ponies are supposed to wallow in! ...Do ponies wallow in pity?... Oh, listen to me! I don't even know what I'm supposed to wallow in! I'm so pathetiiic!


 * Rarity: Exile... I guess, technically, I'd have to move away to live in exile. Where would I go? And what would I pack? Oh, it's going to take me forever to do all of that packing. What are you supposed to pack when you go into exile? Are you supposed to pack warm?


 * Pinkie Pie: We all finished your dress for you!
 * Applejack: Thanks to Fluttershy's freaky knowledge of sewin'.
 * Fluttershy: Do you like it?
 * Rarity: Like it? Like it?!
 * Fluttershy: Uh-oh. She doesn't like it.
 * Rarity: No, I don't like it.
 * Other ponies: Aw.
 * Rarity: I love it!