During the formal tea ceremony. In order to blend in, she'll have to commission a kosode, a traditional tea-drinking garment. She'll first need to free up a shipment of silk from the pirates who seized it, then bring it back to a seamstress in Sakai.

As she sets to work, the seamstress notes that Naoe has retrieved two different colors of silk: a more traditional, reserved, red Chinese silk, and a bolder, daring, black Portuguese silk. You, the player, must decide which color she ultimately wears to the tea ceremony without really knowing how it'll be received by the guests. In case you're not certain, here's what happens when you choose one color over the other, and what it means for the rest of AC Shadows' main campaign.

What Happens If You Choose Black Silk?

Pros & Cons Of Black Silk

If you choose the black silk kosode, Naoe will return a day later to pick up her tea ceremony garments, then head to Imai's house when ready. Her host doesn't comment on her fashion choices, but two of the three guests do. First, Otama insults Naoe's taste in clothing, chiding her for failing to catch up to the local fashion sense, and ultimately dismissing her as a country bumpkin who has no place in the big city.

Later, Naoe meets Wakasa, another of the tea party's guests, who compliments her kosode. Depending on the dialogue options you choose with her, Wakasa will likely recognize Naoe as a fellow enterprising woman, and they become fast friends. You'll then have to perform all the tea party rituals accurately, before being presented with the option to confront either Wakasa or Otama as Naoe's father's murderer.

Beyond the commentary from your fellow attendees, though, there's not much affected by Naoe's choice to wear the black silk kosode. She will, however, keep the garment, and wear it again at certain points in the story - although the choice is a lot less pivotal then.

What Happens If You Choose Red Silk?

Pros & Cons Of Red Silk

If you wear the red silk kosode instead, much of the same will happen: Otama is rude, Wakasa is coyly friendly, no one else really notices. Ultimately, this seems to come down to an aesthetic choice - would you rather have a red kosode or a black one? Naoe will keep it after the tea ceremony, and even wear it again during certain cutscenes when she's relaxing at the Hideout, so choose whichever one you think you'd like better visually.

You'll be presented with virtually the same options either way: the guests will be more impressed if you choose the right things to say, and the host will be more impressed if you conduct yourself appropriately during the actual making and serving of the tea.

You Should Choose Black Silk

(But It Doesn't Really Matter)

Ultimately, your choice of silk for Naoe's kosode doesn't really matter. The same thing happens either way. You'll still have the same options regarding how to conduct yourself, and whom to confront at the end of the party. And you'll get the same result either way.

Personally, I chose the black silk because it made more sense for Naoe's character, and aligned with some of the themes presented earlier in the questline. When you meet Imai Sokyu's son and discuss business for the very first time, he expresses a belief that one must be bold in order to build a successful enterprise, a statement with which Naoe agrees. The black silk kosode just seemed the bolder choice, while red silk is explicitly described as traditional.

The black silk is also of Portuguese origin; at this point in the timeline, Portuguese traders are still a relatively uncommon (and somewhat controversial) sight in Japan. And, black just makes more sense for a shinobi, though you could also argue that red looks better on an assassin.

Still, you can choose the red silk if you think it'd look nicer, or if you'd rather play it safe. Ultimately, just choose whichever color you'd rather get a new set of threads in. Most of the time, Naoe will be dressed in her more practical shinobi gear; it's very rare that her chosen kosode shows up. And even when it does, it scarcely makes a difference to the gameplay and story of Assassin's Creed Shadows.