Note: Additional information and fashion options are explored tangentially in the other entries in the Fashion in the Flanaess series. The first two entries - Flan and Suel - have uploaded to CF and await display.
FASHION in the FLANAESS:
The Gran March
By Glenn Vincent Dammerung (aka GVDammerung), with the able assistance of S. Katherine ("Katie") Dammerung (aka SKDammerung)
Introduction
Fashion in the Gran March reflects the history of that land - strongly dominated by the Suel at the highest levels of society, with a Flan peasantry and an Oeridian middle and lower noble class. It is thus not possible to speak of fashion in the Gran March as purely a function of a particular racial group. Instead, it is necessary to look to a particular part or level of society.
The Upper Classes:
The upper classes of the Gran March adopt a style strongly reminiscent of the Suel of Keoland. This should not be surprising for the Gran March was created as a bulwark for the Keosh Duchy of Dorlin. Even while subsequent history has seen the Gran March establish its own identity, its ties and debt to Keoland are ingrained. The upper classes reflect this, adopting a Keosh, or Suel style. Common garments among the upper classes of the Gran March include the following:
Female Wardrobe:
Chiton - A Chiton is a basic ankle length dress. It is a loose wrap of cloth without drapery. Sleeves may be long or short.
Kolpos - A girdle or belt, the Kolpos is used to pull up the Chiton from the ground as necessary.
Stola - A Stola is a female toga. It is worn with a Chiton and provides greater warmth but also presents a more elaborate appearance, if desired.
Sandals - Sandals are worn with the Chiton.
Male Wardrobe:
Tunica - The Tunica is the basic article of male dress. It is typically white, short sleeved and falls just below the waist. It may be worn by itself or, more usually, under a Toga.
Tunica Talaris - The Tunica Talaris has long sleeves and a skirt that falls to the ankle. The Talaris is generally worn with a Toga.
Toga - A Toga is a wrapped an draped garment that is loose fitting and falls to near the ankle. It is typically white.
Pallium - A Pallium is a draped cloak of intermediate length. Worn by men and women, it is the standard Suel cloak. The effect of the cloak is not only practical but accentuates the look of a man’s toga or a woman’s Chiton.
Cothurnus - A Cothurnus is a calf high laced boot.
The Middle and Lower Noble Classes
The middle and lower noble classes have been highly influenced by Oeridian fashions, particularly those of Veluna and Furyondy, the Western Aerdi style. Many of these fashions have made their way south via Bissel. While the upper classes maintained a tradition in the mode of Keoland and its Suel heritage, the middle and lower noble classes were more free to experiment. It is not uncommon, then, for the middle and lower noble classes to dress in the Keosh fashion on high court occasions but to otherwise adopt a Furyondian or Velunese fashion. Common garments among the middle and lower noble classes of the Gran March include the following:
Female Wardrobe:
Cote - The Cote is a proto-gown with the body and skirt cut as a single unit, with no train.
Sur-Cote - The Sur-Cote is a sleeveless proto-gown with extremely deep arm openings, usually to the waist. The Sur-Cote is made of heavier material and may be worn over the Cote, exposing and contrasting with it.
Fieltro - A Fieltro is a hooded riding cape. The hood is stiffened to stand away from the face.
Footmantle - A Footmantle is an outer skirt worn when riding to keep skirts clean.
Botews - Botews are patterned silk boots. In the Gran March, they may have hard leather soles stitched in for outdoor wear or may be cut down for indoor wear, almost like slippers.
Coif - A Coif is a metal hair net, usually made of gold or silver with small gems where strands of the netting cross.
Dorelet - A Dorelet is a woman’s hairnet, ornamented with jewels, but smaller than a Coif. It is more of a skull cap.
Camail - Initially a military headpiece of chain mail, the Camail is now a longer version of the Coif, draping to the shoulders and, possibly the neck.
Male Wardrobe:
Kirtle - A mens undergarment falling to the waist or knee.
Jupon - A Jupon is a close fitting, long sleeved shirt-coat. The sleeves are not usually slashed or puffed but are closely fitted. A Jupon may be thought of as a light proto-doublet. A Jupon is worn with hose.
Gambeson (Marcher) - A Gambeson of the type worn in the Gran March is a sleeveless leather or quilted fabric tunic that falls to the knees. It is often highly ornate. It may be worn with a Jupon. The Gambeson was originally a military garment that has been adapted for general wear.
Journade - A short, circular jacket with large full sleeves, which may or may not be slit. It is worn specifically for riding and is a fashionable garment.
Huque - A flowing, calf-length outer-garment, the Huque is slashed below the waist, front, back and sides. It is fur-trimmed and is a fashionable garment.
Haute-de-Chausons - These leggings are virtually breeches but more fitted to the leg.
Heuse - Heuse are mid-length boots, fastened with buttons, buckles or straps.
Copotain - A Copotain is a high hat with a conical rounded crown and a medium sized brim turned up at the sides and back.
The Peasant Classes:
The peasant classes in the Gran March have adopted the nearly universal peasant garb of the Southern Flan. The clothing is simple, durable and functional. Occasionally, peasant garb will be worn by any of the other classes when traveling. However, on such occasions, the garments will be made of finer material and the wearer will doubtless wear other pieces of clothing more usually associated with his or her estate. Common garments among the peasant classes of the Gran March include the following:
Brooc - Made of course cloth or more rarely chewed or hammered hide, these are the breeches worn by peasant men.
Skirt, peasant - Made of patterned material or cheaply and thinly dyed, the peasant Skirt is full and gathered at the waist.
Blouse, peasant - A simple pulled-over upper body garment with sleeves, the peasant Blouse is unadorned when worn by men and embroidered at the cuffs and collar when worn by women.
Brogans - Brogans are the rough leather shoes worn by peasants. They may be waterproofed with animal resins if such are available.
Cagoule - The Cagoule is a cloth, or more rarely fur, semi-circular cape with an attached hood. This garment is almost solely responsible for a peasant’s survival in winter and generally a most prized possession. It is, however, a year round garment.
Bratt - More well-to-do peasants may own a Bratt, a lined cape, in addition to a Cagoule.
Note on Women’s Active Fashion:
Women whose lives are primarily sedentary will adhere to the fashions as defined above in most cases. Women whose lives see them traveling frequently or undertaking explorations or the like will tend to augment traditional female fashions with items of male attire. A cote is hardly appropriate when climbing, caving or engaged in battle. In such cases, male attire, suitably modified, may be worn or, in less extreme cases, traditional female attire may overlay a serviceable set of male breeches or hose, in which case a cote, for example, might be split at the sides to ease movement when necessary. When in the field, so to speak, Marchers are entirely pragmatic when it comes to fashion, with function predominating over form. It is necessary, then, when considering female fashion to distinguish between traditional garb and more “adventurous” wear. The latter would never, however, be appropriately worn in proper society but only when required by circumstances. _________________ GVD
Hey GVD, can you send your text over to Yabusama, we need to post it to the site, and we hopefully have all the raw material up on the site soon and begin the tidying up effort.
I have already been in contact with GVD and he has kindly given me the go ahead for adding his article to the site _________________ The only Good hobbit is a well-done hobbit.
I would love to see you draw these up. Though the project is on a hiatus until either I learn to program the website (unlikely) or I find someone to help (hopefully soon) or Yabusama returns (?!?!), there has been a great deal of time by a great many people put into these articles and many many more that are to be posted.
The thing that is holding this up is that we wanted to post them to the Gran March site at the same time, and that has not come to fruition.
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