Powder and Patch (originally titled The Transformation of Philip Jettan) is a 1923 novel by Georgette Heyer (originally published using the pen name Stella Martin).
Philip Jettan is rejected by his true love Cleone for not being foppish enough. He decides to become what she wants him to be, but when they meet again Cleone discovers she preferred the original Philip.
The novel is available (under its original title) on Gutenberg
.
Contains examples of:
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Cleone and Sir Maurice want Philip to learn to dress well and get some social graces. He does, but he is hurt that they forced him into it, so he can't resist acting like an affected fop when he returns.
- Duel to the Death: Philip fights three duels over the course of the book, though they are not to the death.
- Gay Paree: Eighteenth-century version.
- Giftedly Bad: In-universe, Philip's French friends insist he is this as a poet (though the one example of his poetry that we see is not bad at all).
- Gratuitous French: Quite a lot.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Fashionable: Cleone feels this way toward Philip (and Sir Maurice agrees with her).
- Makeover Montage: Philip gets one (in text).
- Poirot Speak: From numerous French characters.
- Redundant Romance Attempt: Invoked. Philip pretends to have become a foppish flirt because he wants to see whether Cleone will tell him she liked him better before.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Subverted as here it is the man who is condemned for being provincial and in need of acquiring some town polish. Used to comedic effect, as he cleans up very nicely, which leads to the Be Careful What You Wish For.
- Took a Level in Badass: Philip becomes an expert fencer along with his other accomplishments.
