Courtly fashion is something most, if not all nobles must adhere to. It is rare that one finds themself never at court - for it is there that much takes place. Looking good, and adhering to the dressing rules present, are a must. As such I shall be addressing those in turn; leaving none with the excuse of being uneducated.
- Women are to be dressed in accordance to their husband's or father's position. Finer garments, such as those decorated with gems, fine embroidery, buttons and pearls are reserved for those amongst the higher nobility.
- A woman must endeavor to cover a proper amount of her arm. Should shoulders be present and on display, elbow length gloves must be worn. Should shoulders be covered and put away, sleeves must end at least the length of a lady's index finger from her wrist.
- Women's gowns must not show any flesh below the fingertips. The edge of the gown is to be no higher than a hand's length above the ground.
- Necklines must cover at the very least three fourths of the bosom, with the lowest portion reaching no lower than an index finger's length from the collarbones. Tulle and mesh panelling does not count towards the amount of coverage.
- Sleeves and necklines must be in the appropriate styles.
- A woman must style her hair in some manner, else she is subject to being described as a 'Betthoer', or someone with bedhead. A lady should strive to wear it fashionably, which typically consists of an up-do of some sort. Accessories are encouraged.
- A man must wear clothing no shorter than the knee.
- A man is allowed to display his bare chest from the diaphragm and upwards. The torso beneath must be fully covered.
- A man must cover the majority of at least one arm.
- Should two women arrive wearing the same gown, the lesser must endeavor to change as quickly and as discreetly as possible.
- A woman should not deceive the court by wearing false hair pieces or wigs, and should instead strive to utilize what she has been blessed with. The only exception are women above the age of forty, or past the prime for betrothal and marriage.
Fine decorations are limited based on the actual position of either you, or your husband, depending on your sexe. As a rule of thumb, if you are the highest of either title or prestige within the room, your clothing should be of equal status, concerning decoration and embellishment. Decorations that make 'noise' are considered to be for commoners, to gain attention from the male sexe. Any woman or man found wearing jangling coins, bells, or other noise shall be subject to the rules that apply to commoners and whores.
Tassels, Fringes, & Feathers: Fairly self explanatory. Tassels are dangling ornaments created by laying string in a parallel fashion, and fastening them at one end. They are typically used in place of finer embellishments. Easily fashionable and fairly low cost resource wise, they are an easy add-on. Fringes are essentially tassels, but taken a step further. Crafted from either spare fabric or string, they utilize tassels in a sort of lining for a garment. The actual fringe is fastened or sewn to the edge of the garment, adding some extra length and detail. Feathers, much like tassels, are easy to find, and easy to use. Some cultures, such as the Highland Ceardians, utilize dyed feathers within their hairstyles. Depending on the rarity of the bird the feather originates from, they may be categorized for a higher class, though not many of the general peerage are able to spot the difference between the feather of a raven or a crow.
Embroidery: A rather simple skill, turned into a highly sought after commodity. Young girls are often taught to place their stitches accordingly, spelling anything from their name to phrases in Ithanian. Embroidery, when done by a skilled hand, can be anything but simple, or boring. Using various threads and yarns produces this art, and the quality can range greatly. Some threads are woven with finely spun strands of precious metals, such as gold or silver, to produce a shining and glittering effect. Depending on the level of complexity and material used, embroidery is suitable for lower to higher class nobility.
Buttons & Beads: Fashioned from a variety of materials, buttons and beads are easily transferable from one garment to the next. Artisans and craftsmen often sell these by the pound, as they're rather inexpensive to create. They're used either as a utility; to close a garment, or to simply embellish it. When fashioned from precious metals the price increases drastically. Designs and small scenes are sometimes etched into the faces of buttons, whereas glass beads can be sewn in a form of embroidery to detail patterns.
Pearls & Precious Metals: Weight and size are everything, when it comes to pearls and precious metals. The bigger and heavier the gem, the more it is worth. Clean cut gems are also worth more - the more faces, the more beautiful. Various types of pearls exist, depending on where they are found. Rare minerals and gemstones such as starris, amberite, and charroc are extravagant displays of wealth, whereas carnelian, solacrox, and topaz are safer, more obtainable gemstones for both the common man and lower class nobility.
Furs: Fur is used both for utility and for fashion. In the colder seasons it is wonderful for keeping the heat in, and many utilize it for garment interiors. It is also used as status symbol, where the lower and higher nobility alike seek out the rarest of furs and have garments commissioned utilizing fair fur. Despite there being an abundance of animals in Aloria, furs do not always follow the same pattern. Common furs include those of the squirrel, elven longear, anglian beaver, red fur fox, and the Anglian weasel. Less common furs include those of the Ithanian minque, Calemberger white ferret, and the Calemberger white fox.
Undergarments should not be shown at court. They are exactly that - something to remain below. While necessary for the fabrication of an outfit, they are not necessary for gaining prestige or high standing. It is recommended to wear those crafted from linen or cotton, as they are able to breathe easily, and will result in less exertion throughout the day. The only exception to this is 'slashing', which features a cut or 'slash' in the overgarments, revealing the linen or cotton beneath. This is to be done in moderation, and tactfully.
Chauses: A form of leggings, often referred to as stockings, pantaloons, or hose. Worn around the legs and feet, often used in the outfits of knights beneath the many layers.
Chemise, Camise, Kamise: A typical undergarment, made from linen. Worn by both sexes, both for day and night.
Corset: A close fitting body garment, a laced bodice. Utilized to ensure the form and figure of a woman is to society's expectations, ensures clothing fits as intended.
Shift: A body garment typically worn for night and sleeping, made from a washable material such as linen or cotton. Worn by both sexes, loosefitting and lengthy.
Men should strive to wear clothing based both on its practicality, but also its appearance. Military oriented clothing should be saved for the battlefield, not the political scene. It is recommended that men sport their house colours, or colours of the house they serve, as long as there is a strong presence of black. Complimentary colours are also suggested, shades and hues that match their appearance.
Breches, Breeches: Traditional male garment covering the loins, tights, and to the ankles. Made of a thicker fabric than chauses.
Culot, Culotte: Ithanian styled breeches, typically shorter in length, and much tighter.
Doublet: A double lined garment, typically quilted and stuffed with cotton or waste material. Sported by men, closefitting body garment worn around the torso. Can be sleeveless or made with.
Fichtàn: Similar to the Kiltach, the Fichtàn is a pleated skirt or petticoat falling to the knees of Eriunin origin, which is worn across the body and adorned with a Claíomhchrios, a type of embellished belt.
Gambeson: A militaristic tunic, made of leather or thick cloth. Unlike the doublet, the length varies, and often covers much of the thighs. Worn beneath a habergeon.
Gonelle, Gonne: A long tunic, typically sported by knights.
Habergeon, Haubergeon: A sleeveless coat or jacket made from mail or scale armour, worn atop a doublet or gambeson.
Heuze, Houseaux: Tall, leather thick soled boots, sometimes open toed, varying from half-leg to half-thigh length.
Houve, Hoove, Huve: The cap worn beneath a helmet, made from thick, quilted fabric.
Jerkin: A sleeveless jacket or waistcoat, typically worn beneath a gambeson or doublet.
Kiltach: A skirt or petticoat reaching from waist to knee, typically made from tartan cloth. Worn only by men, championed by Highland Ceardians.
Tabard: A sleeveless outer garment typically worn for jousting events, much like a tunic
Women must strive to present themselves as fashionably as possible. Colours are entirely dependent on the season and current trends, which fluctuate often. Ithanian and Leutz-Vixe tastes are typically valued at court, trumped only by Imperial style, whereas other fashions are valued for practicality, not beauty and status. Women should do their best to exude a pleasant aura, if only by their appearance alone.
Barbet, Barbette: The piece of cloth falling to cover the chest, neck, and bosom of the female wearer, again, typically worn by those of religious sects, 'barbe' from the Ithanian word for 'beard'.
Caul, Caulle, Kall, Snood: A close fitting cap, often created as a 'net' of sorts for the hair. Typically adorned generously with gems, pearls, and/or glass.
Coif: A close fitting cap, used for covering the top, back, and sides of the head. Typically made from linen and tied at the chin, used during both the day and the night.
Fillet: A band of ribbon, string, or a small amount of cloth used to bind hair, or simply for decoration, a band tied around the head.
Gown: A loose fitting piece of cloth worn upon the entire body, typically for everyday wear.
Mafors: A long, narrow, over the shoulder veil worn by women.
Mitre: A gold circlet worn atop the head, typically sported by married women.
Rondel: Crescent, circular, or halo shaped headdress for women.
Shilyastis: A woman's headdress adorned with various gemstones and crystals, set atop a white scarf identically adorned. They typically come in three varieties; one for religious mass, one for everyday wear, and an extra ornamental one for official events.
Wimple: A woman's neck and head covering, typically made from plain cloth; cotton or linen.
Much like the various articles of clothing that exist, so too do the styles of sleeves and necklines; some of which are deemed acceptable by the court, and those that are not. Common and acceptable sleeves include the leg of mutton, peasant, bishop, angel, long lantern, juliet, and the virago. Common and acceptable necklines are the square, high neck, illusion, scoop, cowl, and the queen Juliana.
Leg of Mutton: A full length sleeve, featuring a rather bulbous and puffy shoulder area, that tapers down into a fitted cuff. It resembles its name - a leg of mutton. There are no bands or other decorations, and it is often regarded as the staple of sleeves.
Peasant: The peasant sleeve is much like the leg of mutton, where the only difference is the tapering at the cuff. The peasant sleeve has no tapering, and is full and puffy throughout its length, ending only with a fitted band for a cuff around the wrist.
Bishop: A full length sleeve, much the opposite of a leg of mutton. The shoulder area is narrow and fitted, but gradually becomes more bulbous and puffy as it nears the cuff, which is typically fitted in shape.
Imperial: The imperial sleeve is another staple, very plain and common. There is no cuff or other tapering of the end of the sleeve, instead allowing the fabric to simply fall towards the ground. The length of these sleeves varies, some fall the length of a hand, others to the ground.
Long Lantern: The long lantern sleeve is much like the bishop, where the only difference is the shape and size of the puffy 'lantern' bit. It is wider and fuller, stopping only with a small band around the wrist, which brings the fabric in.
Juliet: Named for a fashion pioneer, this sleeve features a lantern esque shoulder, and a fitted sleeve. The lantern ends abruptly, often with a band secured around the transition. The rest of the sleeve is rather form fitting, and has no cuff.
Virago: Greatly disputed as to whether this fashion hails from the Ithanians or the Dressolini, the virago sleeve is comprised of a peasant sleeve, and many bands. The bands are sewn around the sleeve with the same amount of space between, forming what looks to be a 'sausage' shape. The sleeve puffs out where it is not constricted by these bands.
Square: The square neckline is fairly self explanatory. The name is, however, somewhat incorrect - the shape is that of a rectangle, not a square. The space is cut so that it resembles the rigid sides of the shape, and the corners can either be sharp and angled, or somewhat curved. This neckline is often accompanied with an embroidered or fashionable hem.
High Neck: The high neckline is exactly that - ridiculously high. It features a neckline cut off above the collarbones, around the middle of the actual neck. It is typically adorned with a necklace made from lace or ribbon, to accentuate the illusion of a smaller neck.
Illusion: An illusion neckline is comprised of almost any neckline, with a panel of mesh or tulle covering from the actual neckline to the area of a high neck, thus creating the illusion of a high neck.
Scoop: The scoop neckline is much like the square. Instead of having it in the shape of a square, the neckline follows the path of a semicircle, with the head at the center point.
Cowl: The cowl neckline is essentially a scoop, adorned with a panel of mesh or tulle. It differentiates from the illusion, however, because it does not rise to the neck - instead it follows the curve of the scoop, extending the neckline only by several inches.
Queen Juliana: The queen Juliana neckline is considered rare and unusual, much like herself. It features what originally might have been a high neck, with a shaped cut-out. The actual shape of this blank space is identical to that of the tip of a quill; rectangular, but the tip is replaced with two semi-circles. The sides of the neckline ascend to the neck, and cover the shoulders.
Clothing worn by both sexes. Can be decorated and embellished depending on prestige and marital status.
Amice, Aumusse, Amusse: A simple headdress, typically adorned by members of religious sects. It features a flat hood, typically falling to the shoulders, made of or adorned with a grey fur (rabbit, squirrel, etc.).
Belt, Cingulum, Girdle: A piece of woven fabric encircling the midsection or waist of the wearer, typically used to cover a portion of the outfit, or support another.
Cape: A rather short piece of fabric, meant to cover the shoulders and back, with a tie at the neck. Shorter than a cloak, without sleeves.
Cloak, Cloke, Chape: A loose outer garment, typically without sleeves, meant for protection and warmth. Longer than a cape.
Robe: A long, loosefitting piece of clothing worn from the neck to the ankles, a gown, worn by both sexes.
Jewelry is yet another facet of expression when it comes to court fashion. Crafted from almost any metal, gem, and crystal, these pieces of art are worn and put on display for all of court to see. Gold jewelry is often not comprised solely of gold - instead it is crafted of wood, wax, or a lesser metal, only to be plated with a sheet of impure gold. The only surefire way of testing whether the material is pure or not is to melt it - the gold with the most impurities melts and is malleable at a cooler temperature than its whole counterpart.
Due to its main export, Ithania is the lead in the jewelry industry. To obtain hand-made, artisanal products is considered something of a feat. Wealth can and should be displayed by the amount of jewelry worn, but one must do so with tact. One may sport a necklace, earrings, and an extra accessory - whether this is a bracelet, brooch, or some sort of headdress is entirely up to the wearer. As a general rule of thumb, there should be one piece considered the 'statement'. Should the headdress be exquisite and draw more attention that necessary, such as the Gaiola de cabeça, the jewelry must be muted and rather simple. If the necklace is adorned with many gems and crystals, the bracelet and earrings must be plain and without too much noise.
Neutrals are without a doubt the safest option. They match most, if not all outfits. Gold and silver are timeless. It is frowned upon, however, to mix the two. If a gown contains gold detailing, you must not wear jewelry made from silver. Should you wish to match a piece of jewelry to an outfit, it is suggested that the hue and colour are similar.
Geared mainly towards women, hairstyles are excellent ways to express the amount of wealth and prestige one has garnered. For a woman to wear her hair down is considered childish, and for those younger than courting age. A tasteful tresse falling to frame the face, however, is acceptable.
Chignon: A chignon is a hairstyle achieved by pinning the hair into a knot at the nape of the neck or the back of the head, secured in place by some sort of pin or other hair accessory. The term is derived from the Ithanian words 'chignon du cou', which translates to nape of the neck.
Cornettes: Although rarely seen, this too is an option for those of higher class. This hairstyle features hair that is plaited or braided into 'horns' on either side of the head. The excess hair is plaited, and often covered with a veil of some sort.
Crown Braids: A traditional hairstyle featuring a long braid, wrapped around the head of the wearer. This look is achieved by bringing back the hair into a tight braid, which is then wrapped and pinned around the head to achieve the look of a mock crown. For those with shorter hair, Ithanian braids are also an option.
Fallera: The fallera hairstyle is influenced greatly by the extravagance of the Dressonlini. It features two buns on either side of the head, spiralled to perfection. Two braids of the remaining hair are then wrapped and pinned to the back of the head, twisted into different patterns depending on the wearer. One might include various bands of precious metals, and hairclips embellished with gemstones.
Ithanian Braids: These braids are typically featured on women with medium length hair. These braids mimic the crown hairstyle. Instead of one long braid, however, the hair is sectioned off from the part, and pulled into a braid strand by strand, effectively attaching it to the head. It is a rather simple style, utilized by those with not much time. As with the fallera, one might accessorize with gemstones and precious metals.
Ithanian Twist: The Ithanian twist is rather similar to the chignon. Instead of pulling the hair to the nape of the neck, however, the hair is brought to the top of the head. It is then curled in upon itself, secured with a pin or accessory of some sort. It is rather plain and easy to create.
Ramshorns: Ramshorns, much like the fallera, feature two buns spiralled in on themselves, and pinned to the sides of the head. This style typically features a middle part, and is reminiscent on the horns of a ram, thus the name.
Emmeline Ravenstad,
Imperial Courtier.
Imperial Courtier.
Last edited:
