inventrix has a post on Imperial robes here. Also check out her tumblr for sketches.

Head Coverings:

I *like* head coverings. But I can’t imagine the faith of the Callennan as I’ve been thinking of it having a head-covering modesty thing going on.
On the other hand, the North of Reiassan is *cold*

This is the picture that got me thinking in the direction of head coverings
http://www.colourbox.com/image/pink-school-uniform-image-2787086

This is richer and prettier
http://www.colourbox.com/image/attractiv-young-girl-fashion-portrait-clouse-up-with-magnetic-red-image-1940420

Massively rich head covering http://cdn9.wn.com/pd/47/75/e86ecff41aa13dffb079f0335a3a_grande.jpg

I can see this comign from something designed for warmth:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring

I can see this style of hate coming into fashion easily: http://veneroida.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Stylish-Head-Covering-For-Cancer-Patients.jpg
It sort of echoes theshape of the Russian fur hat: http://www.bigfurhats.com/servlet/the-754/Russian-Hat.–Fur/Detail

And, for something a bit different, I really like the third one down here – http://off-thebeatentrack.blogspot.com/2009/05/art-of-african-headwraps.html
and here – http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TZBVJrG6muk/SRRv7l6bY9I/AAAAAAAABds/aCIsq8GRE0Y/s1600-h/gele.jpg
and here http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-tie-a-Nigerian-Gele-using-Aso-oke/

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/344719.html. You can comment here or there.

To describe the fashion of Reiassan, I need to describe, quickly, the history of the two people of that continent.

The primary race, called the Callennan (or Callanthe, before I started conlanging and realized they didn’t have a -th) … ((some of their history is listed here)) … started as goat-people and, over centuries, slowly some of them ended up joining, as a culturally oppressed minority, the people who we know as the Bitrani, on the east coast of the continent I’m calling Homeland.

A group of Bitrani and some Callennan colonized the continent known as Reiassan and, some 50-100 years into this colonization, a shifting climate made the trip between the two continents no longer feasible, rendering the Reiassani independent of the empire back home.

500 years of war bring us to the era of Rin & Girey.
Another 1000 years of completely uncharted brings us to the Steam-Callenia era.

And now what little I know about the Callennan fashion. First, historically.

Okay! So they started out, the proto-goat-people
((This is a good time to note that their goats are pony-sized and riding animals))
wearing essentially felted wool short-shorts and vest.

The person woman who figured out linen undergarments is a cultural hero.

I figure being stranded on another continent put back their sartorial development a bit as they spent a century or so just trying to survive in a suddenly-cold world.

I have some early notes on clothing here.

In the Rin/Girey era, men and women alike wear:
a qitari, a tunic-like shirt buttoned to one side with a short mandarin collar. The side the shirt is buttoned on as well as the material and embroidery on this layer indicate status and wealth
This shirt goes to mid-hip and has flared sleeves just past the elbow

Under that, a similar shirt, slightly longer in hem and with fitted sleeves to the wrist. Wrist and hem are elaborately decorated in embroidery, ribbon, beading… depending on the region.

(more layers may be placed between these for ceremonial purposes or in winter

Under that, a knitted tube of goat wool from underarm to hip – essentially, an undershirt.

Under that, women bind their breasts.

On the lower half, men and women alike will wear flowing pants, split skirts, or skirts, also in at least two layers. Soft-soled boots and gloves or mittens complete the outfit; I haven’t figured out headwear yet.

And then, steam era:

Okay! So, if Rin-and-Girey era is Roman-era technology (Mid-Rome), Steam-Callennan is, well, Steamy. Fashion probably has a wider range from farmer to princess.

Farmer probably wear much what their ancestors wore.

[note: must figure out when the Homeland continent rediscovered Reiassan, or vise-versa]

High fashion, then: keeping the layered look, the love of bright colors, and the asymmetry, probably still a riding culture for many people, although carriages exist. If I think about this, I end up thinking of something Loli, which isn’t quite what I’m looking for.

Side track: The Callennan ideal body type is broad-shouldered, medium-hipped, with high, medium breasts (not huge, that is) one women and long dark hair on both. Men are expected to be broad-chested and not heavy/fat.

What I’m picturing: A very fitted wastcoat/bodice as a top layer, with the same side buttoning, but a dipped down neckline, coming up to high, folded-over collars. This would come down to the hips.

Under that, much as in earlier times, a shirt with flared sleeves over either an undershirt somehow done elaborately or several more flared bells and then and undershirt (or one middle layer with ruffles) and flared pants or skirts in several layers, over firmer boots, possibly in dyed leather.

The small corner of culturally-Bitrani people wear duller colors, maybe a lot of white, since they’re still more Southern, in less layers.

ETA: Climate
The capital, Lannamer, is like… a bit colder than Toronto. Coastal, but protected, but north-cold. The far South is a bit like the Carolinas. And in Steam-Era they do have some sort of indoor heating.

EETA: Etc.

Right-buttoned indicates skilled, left-buttoning indicates unskilled.
Curly hair is considered exotic the way red hair is in modern US.

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