All right! Today it’s the ladies’ turn!
Again, the feel I’m going for is loose, flowing, and open. Check below for the details on popular Aremite women’s fashion
For a bit of trivia, most of the poses above were based on women’s fashion websites. I can’t imagine what my parents would think if they looked at my browser history and saw me researching ladies’ fashions.
You’ll notice a few trends across the ladies above. They all wear a scarf, a skirt, and most of them have a loose blouse that exposes the navel. The sleeves mark some of the biggest differences in women’s fashion beyond colors. I’ll go down some of the details.
Scarves!
As you can see, all the ladies have scarves. These are as important in women’s outfits as sashes are for men. Rare is the Aremite woman who goes in public without her scarf. Most scarves are made of light, breathable material to keep women from getting too warm. Even a loosely worn heavy scarf can insulate well, and Aremites like to keep the air flowing. Most scarves are a solid color, but dual-color scarves on a gradient pattern are growing in popularity. Many women wear strings of colored glass beads on their scarves, though this is not pictured above.
Unlike men, women of noble status typically do not wear two scarves. This is a matter of comfort more than anything, as wearing two scarves tends to be more restrictive and hot than two sashes. Noblewomen sometimes enhance their scarves with more beads and decorations than commoners.
Blouses and Sleeves
The body of women’s blouses is usually pretty uniform. Most are worn loose around the shoulders and are clasped or buttoned at the breast level, then tucked into the skirt. Sleeve design varies widely from one blouse to the next. Some women wear simple bell sleeves that widen as they reach the wrist. Other women prefer simpler designs. Bared shoulders are a popular fashion among wealthier women, and some wear multicolored sleeves or sleeves with fashionable gaps in the elbows. Though women don’t wear as many sleeves as men, the intricacy of sleeve design is often a good indicator of a woman’s wealth or status.
In the above picture, ladies #3, 6, 7, and 11 would be considered higher-class based on their sleeves.
Skirts
Aremite women prefer skirts to pants. Skirts come in a variety of styles and colors, but most are about knee-length. Many of the skirt designs are based on the appearance of flowers. Many tailors and seamstresses keep small personal gardens to inspire their sewing. Lately, a blend of Takhari-style sarong and traditional Aremite skirts have become a fad among younger women.
As you can see, some of the skirts flare out. Others are designed to resemble petals. Still others are simpler designs. Some skirts are multi-colored, while others are a single solid color. The use of colors is a matter of personal preference or fashion.
Jewelry (Not pictured)
As mentioned above, women tend to wear glass jewelry on their scarves. Many wear brooches or clasps on their blouses, and some wear pendants. They tend not to wear the smaller, surfer-style necklaces that men wear, mostly because their scarves cover the space where that kind of jewelry would be seen.
Most Aremite women wear strands of beads in their hair to complement their outfits. These beads are usually small, often too small to be seen from a distance, but they add a bit of color and glimmer to their hair. Since most women don’t “do” their hair, they use clipped-on or tied-on bead strings in lieu of hair-styling.
Aremite women typically do not wear piercings. Some Aremites that spend extended time in Takhar or Musia occasionally pierce their ears, but this is rare.
Sandals
Aremite women love sandals. Aremite men’s sandals come in a few styles, but Aremite women’s sandals come in a variety of styles, designs, and even colors. Most are made from different kinds of leather, but they are frequently decorated with beads and glass jewelry or designs worked into the leather. Most sandal clasps are made from glass, similar to brooches, and many sandals have large glass beads on strings to decorate the feet (see lady #3 above).
Wedge-style high-heels are popular, especially among the current generation of younger women. They eschew the sharper heel fashions of Musian women. Wedge heels appeal more to the Aremite aesthetic preferences for roundedness and smooth contours.
Colors
Like Aremite men, women like jewel tones and bright, cheerful colors. Their color choices run the whole spectrum, and women are more likely to avoid browns and tans than men. Purple and pink are seen more often among women than men.
Some women enjoy wearing their family colors. Other women prefer to wear what looks good. Most noblewomen wear a glass pendant or necklace of some kind that shows their family symbol, crest, or colors. These pendants are designed to hang in the space between the scarf and the breast-line. Women that hold office, position, or rank wear scarf colors associated with their office.
Gallery
Coming Next
I’m not sure what I’ll have for the next post. I’m considering architecture concepts, armor/military design concepts, possibly some kind of uniform design idea for other offices. Is there something in particular you’d like to see about Aremshah culture? Or would you like to see some figure notes and fashion designs for other cultures? I’d love to hear what you’re looking to see next. I have four more races to develop, after all!
There will be no update on December 27th. I may post a sketch or doodle up, but I’ll be too busy this upcoming Christmas weekend to prepare drawings in advance. After this Friday, the next update will happen on December 30th.