1) I love the opening line. Rose is in a stressful situation (a job interview) and the request to strip is jarring. The reader is immediately riveted to find out what will happen next. Further, the line invites a ton of questions. For example, does Rose’s body actually matter in her job (modeling) or doesn’t it (accounting)? The request is understandble if the former, outrageous if the latter.
2) Naming a character is hard, and it also legitimizes a character. Ms. Galway shrewdly avoids making us focus on the tailor by giving her a nickname. In one move, she characterizes both Rose and Snowball, and avoids having to come up with a real name for a character on whom we probably don’t need to focus.
3) The first page is a rush. Look how fast the scene moves. The reader, like Rose, is a little disoriented. The author zips through a situation that confuses the protagonist, allowing us to share the feeling.
