Rika's Reception is a story bringing us gently out of the anxiety of the previous trilogy, and towards a happy event for the Lœngbærrow family. It starts with clothes, of course. Rika is presented in a silk dress that closely resembles a cheongsam dress of Chinese culture. Marion is in Salwar Kameez, an outfit of Indian origin that, when made in silk and satin, is a very glamorous choice for formal maternity wear. Both are adventurous choices for Gallifrey. Anyone who is familiar with the Doctor Who stories set on Gallifrey knows that heavily embroidered gowns in heavy fabric like velvet are the usual female style. Many of the outfits look positively Elizabethan. Introducing the silk-satin Cheongsam and the Salwar Kameez in light silk is a bold initiative. But why the heck not? Almost everything we’ve seen of Gallifrey is in formal situations in or around the Panopticon. But I can’t really imagine either the men or women dress that way EVERY day.

Apart from fashion and the formal announcement of Rika and Remonte’s betrothal, the subject of the story is babies. The fact that Marion is expecting a girl evokes some old-fashioned ideas about male heirs from everyone. But there is also the curious idea that I originally introduced back in the New Lords of Time stories – Time Lords giving their non-Time Lord wives regular injections of blood to keep their strength up. Aineytta, who knows all there is to know about folk medicine, introduces this idea, and, of course, Kristoph is more than willing to do that.

The fact that Lord Arpexia is out of favour with the de Lœngbærrow family is duly noted, by the way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheongsam
http://asianorientalclothes.com/Asian-Oriental-Chinese-Dress.html