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SARP Fashion by culture: What inspires you?

OsakanOne

Retired Member
Character Specific
What characters, aesthetics, things you've seen and such influence how your characters are dressed? Real fashion, videogames, animu, photographs, figures in history, nations, time periods, whatever fits...

Feel free to list as many as you want for the characters your passionate about.

Now let's get specific (After your characters, of course :3)

Those of you who know your nation!

I'm interested to see how opinions differ and contrast between individuals within a given nation, as well as the FM's, so we can all get a sense of eachother within ourselves.

Nepleslia
I get the rockin' GI Joe thing. Can I see some examples of what you consider "Yes, this truly is Nepleslian"? Caps from movies, comics, even games. Do your guys wear armour plate or powersuits casually -- kinda like Mass Effect -- or are you more... Man with No Name meets Firefly?

Or somewhere in the middle, maybe?

Lorath
Since THE Matriarchy is a matriarchy (opposite of a patriarchy, meaning women are the dominant gender), does this mean the MALE fashion would be sexed and skimpy and the FEMALE uniforms would represent an aesthetic of power?

Or are there other forces at play?

Yamatai
Tight is right. But how tight? And what fabrics, cuts and shapes do you think matter? Feel free to go digging into examples of real fashion. And how have your uniforms evolved? I know you guys get the most art but where does that come from?
 
First I want to say that Yamatai's and Nepleslia's fashion will be very inter-linked seeing as they were one nation back in what? YE27? Of course I can see planets with major nepleslian population go and wear more... ruggedy clothes. Something that keeps together no matter what happens.

Even body armour, leather jackets, heavy coats. That kind of stuff. Now it is clear that both factions wear stuff like jeans and other casual wear we have today.

What would be clearly distinctive of Yamatai would be of course body-suits and then japanese clothing. Kimono's, gi's, Hakama's stuff like that.

Now for Lorath. Well Lorath are bit of a hard case in my opnion. They would clearly adapt some clothing from Nepleslia and even Yamatai by now. Distrust is one thing, but fashion companies love to make money. With clothing new is often good. So I see Lorath wear a lot of clothing that you would see on Nep.

As for their own thing I have to say that I imagine that they would wear little to nothing on upper chest. Wings are cool and what not, but putting wings through holes in the back is annoying. Why when you can just wear nothing on upper chest? ANd seeing how Lorath are casual about nudity? Male, female, does not matter. Upper chest naked is fine in my opinion. DocTomoe might say something else though.

Now the more shy girls can carry just a sash or something where wings would be no problem. As then I think Lorath would go all out with nice pants, shorts and skirts. As that is something that is not in a way of anything. Oh and hats. I like to imagine every Lorath wears a hat, cap or something. Simply because in my opnion they upper chest is often empty.

Now for military, they wear shirts and coats because simply they must look like they mean bussiness and they go often into bad enviroments and needs protection.

For Gartagen it is simple. Ira stated it many times. Garts wear just enough to hide the umnentionables and tits and that is it.

Abwehran seem to like very conservative clothing for Surfacers. I like to imagine them clothing in a way of 1920s. Suits, shirts, tighter pants and dresses for ladies. For nightwalkers? Anything goes, I imagine them sometime going even naked as they are very free society. But once again that is just my imaginations. Matt might say otherwise.

Cannot say much about Iroma, since I never experienced their society.

For Elysians? Toga's are a wing. Very wavy clothing, often back-less because off wings. They are much more conservative so I imagine their ladies won't be walking around topless.
 
As for the Garts: They come from a warm world. So their opinion of clothing is very Greek and spartan. How ever they do have fashion. High fashion for them takes the form of finery. The Gartagens like fine metals and jewelry, and with growing contact they are enjoying the finery of other species as well.

Tattoos are another form of fashion. The other thing to consider is that their economy is backed, so it is not uncommon for Gartagens to "Wear their money"
 
Honestly, Abwehran fashion hasn't been broached upon yet.

Thank you for giving me yet another thing to ponder upon.

However, the Surfacers are more free than Nightwalkers really. They have "community centers" for that reason. However, I don't necessarily believe either sub-species is "conservative" enough to warrant 1920's attire.

Again, it's something else I need to ponder and flesh out.
 
Lorath Fashion - An Explanation

Lorath fashion is a diverse subject, largely able to be defined by caste and by social position. Gender meanwhile does play a role, but one which is largely locked into the customs and religious ideals of the Lorath as species.

An Overview

Generally, in all castes aside from the Occhestian and New Tur'listia, the female stands as a dominant force within both domestic and professional settings. Fyunnen glamorize the female form while paying little credit to the male form. Lmanel are known to give a mutual recognition to the traits of both men and women, however, style often tends to favor the female in regard to craftsmanship, elaboration, and quality. Within the Occhestian and New Tur'listia culture however, a modesty is established amongst both men and women, however, men within the caste often are seen with more decoration to their traditional garb. Universally, it should be noted, that an incorporation of some form of 'neck covering', such as a scarf, collar, or choker is worn, since the neck is considered to be an area of intimacy.

Fyunnen Style

Within the Fyunnen caste, the traditional style largely leans in the direction of utility, while accentuating the concepts of maternity amongst females. Skirts and slacks are designed with a cut which accentuates the features of the hips and thighs, in a display kin to the accentuation of the shoulders as seen in cultures with a patriarchal structure. While the cuts of these garments are designed to accentuate, and fit well to the form, function also remains essential; pockets for example must remain large enough for practical use, while skirts must be designed to incorporate a pocket, and also must be cut to prevent restriction of movement. Skirts which are snug to the point of preventing ease of movement, or which ride up with ease, are considered garments suited for women which are attempting to 'bait' a mate, or, are suitable for women which are seen as distinctively dominant. This can easily be compared to occasions in which males of other cultures wear pants which accentuate features beneath the belt, or shirts which fit snug.

Cuts of jackets, shirts, and blouses are designed to accentuate the features of the female as well, even amongst the more muscularly robust Fyunnen females, an emphasis is placed upon a presentation of feminine contour, such as drawing more attention to the contour of the neck and shoulder, as opposed to drawing attention to the sheer width of the shoulder. Often, shirts, blouses, jackets, and other attire designed to cover the upper body are designed to provide support to the bust, while not producing 'lift'. Most garments produce a 'sports bra' like effect in regard to support. Civilian Fyunnen females are often known to avoid any 'compression' of their bust through garments, desiring to display the genuine size of their bust. Fyunnen in military service however do wear garments which compress, for the sake of reducing movement and decreasing their target profile.

A key feature of all Fyunnen female attire is that they are crafted to remain 'rugged'. Delicate attire is rarely worn, if ever. Pants, even if cut to fit close to the skin, are comprised of durable materials such as thick leather, hard canvas, and durable polymers. Leggings, stockings, mesh garments, and other such damage prone attire are distinctively out of fashion amongst Fyunnen females.

Fyunnen male fashion focuses upon modesty. Pants are cut to remain loose, with wide legs, and baggy hips. Shirts are designed to minimize the accentuation of masculine features, drawing attention away from the arms, pectoral muscles, and abdominal muscles, with cuts that produce an almost 'flowing' or 'puffy' appearance. A cultural root of these features can largely be traced to the impracticality of such garments in regard to day-to-day out of the house functions, with such garments having a tendency to catch or snag upon objects and obstacles, while also providing little to no protection from the elements. Notably, most traditional male attire within Fyunnen culture lacks pockets.

A modern fashion trend within the Fyunnen culture has aimed at a degree of restrictive clothing, which emphasizes the male domestic role. Pants and shorts have been introduced which have been cut in a manner which is restrictive within the inseam of the garment, producing a distinctive discomfort during long striding motions of the legs, and other distinctive exerting movements. This cut also serves to accentuate the features beneath the garment. Due to the tightness of the recent fashion, a kilt-like exterior garment has also come into fashion, for modesty purposes.

A notable miss interpretation which has been common is that 'girlish' features are encouraged amongst submissive Fyunnen males, this however goes against the glamorization of the female form as a sign of power. In truth, males which strive to appear feminine, are seen as attempting to emulate an appearance of dominance within society. This can largely be compared to when Nepleslian females dress in male attire in an attempt to seem more competent or equal to their male peers.

Lmanel Fashion

If traditional Lmanel fashion can be described in two words, the words would often be 'Rugged' and 'Rustic'. Amongst both males and females, attire is designed for practical function in most cases, both domestic and professional. Long skirts that are comprised of leather or strong polymer material are common, pleated skirts of wool or synthetic polymer knee-length or greater are also common. However, trousers are more commonly worn than skirts amongst men and women, and are usually comprised of thick canvas, leather, or durable polymers. Shirts, jackets, and blouses are usually comprised of cottons, wool, leather, and synthetic polymers, layered for the purpose of increased durability, while carefully measured and cut to ensure full range of motion.

Traditionalists within the Lmanel caste, often are known to wear leather attire, and the pelts and hides of various animals, as either a display of physical prowess, or a display of communing with the naturalist aspects of the caste, due to this representation, it is considered a fashion faux pas to wear a hide or pelt that was not personally acquired from the animal which it came from. As an extension of tradition, during ceremonial procedures, attire is often minimized. Loincloths are actually a common-place feature of attire within a religious ceremonial setting of the Lmanel, often worn along with a mantle comprised of animal hide, while outside of ceremony, woven dresses of thick loose fitting material are often worn amongst the traditionalists.

A noteworthy feature of Lmanel traditional attire is an accentuation of natural features of both male and female wearers, providing focus on the strength of the arms, legs, and torso. Ample busts are accented, as are strong hips. Accented features are often also linked to the animal in which an individual looks to for spiritual guidance, most especially amongst those which have attained the capability to alter their physical form. Due to the diversity of the animals in which a Lorath can look to for guidance, the presentation of such attire is immensely diverse.

Occhestian and New Tur'listian Fashion

An oddity within Lorath culture, the once Occhestian, and now known as New Tur'listian caste of the Lorath places a value upon the masculine. Within Lorath culture, the masculine aspect is often concealed behind loose garb, thus, such garments have become standard amongst both the men and women of the caste, showing an equality in presentation, while embellishments upon the attire worn by males is intended to establish an air of authority or entitlement. Often, such features are seen by females outside of the caste as 'Gaudy' or 'Flamboyant', and are considered examples of the excess and waste which male Lorath are prone to indulge in.

Traditional male garb amongst the Occhestian and New Tur'listia has a focus upon flowing robes, often designed to build up the appearance of the chest and shoulders in regard to girth, with the intent of making the male form look stronger than it is. Pants are often of a loose fitting cut, or robes are worn over loose fitting leggings. Often, these features of clothing are embellished with elaborate embroidery, small stones, and even painted patterns in some cases. Despite these features which 'trump up' the male appearance, the Lorath culture as a whole views these features as a sign of impulsiveness and whimsy, and often, the New Tur'listia, the loyalists to the Matriarchy, view these features as a sign of humility in comparison to the practical appearance of their female peers in other castes. Often, religious scholars amongst the Lorath are seen wearing very elaborate attire, embellished in golden threads, gems, and intricate embroidery, with very delicate features.

Outside of the traditional fashion, and most often seen amongst the Occhestians in proper, as well as the very successful males within the New Tur'listia, is a design focused on the practical. Slacks, cotton shirts with collars and conformal sleeves are very common. Pockets are placed upon both the left and right of the chest on most formal shirts worn amongst the successful of the caste, and as a sign of utmost practicality, metallic clasps and buckles are often reserved for attire which is worn by the most nontraditional of New Tur'listians, and the most radical of Occhestians.

Amongst the females of the caste, dress is distinctively similar, even in regard to the radical attire of the non-traditional. What stands as distinctively different is the absence of embellishments in regard to the traditional dress of robes, while the non-traditional utilitarian attire worn amongst the most successful and radical of the caste are often seen with boyish cuts, drawing away from the feminine features of the individual, as a sign of the female having a less dominant role within the Occhestian and New Tur'listian caste.

Modern Attire

With the advancement into space, Lorath attire has taken a shift away from a degree of tradition. Lorath Self Defense Force uniforms stand as a universal symbol; with features that are designed to accent both the aspects of the male and the female. Outfits worn by modernists tend to over sexualize the female form due to a desire to 'fit in' amongst outsiders, while males are seen to be wearing slightly more practical attire due to a need for productivity. Despite these changes, what remains constant largely can be seen in the subtle details; a garishly fancy watch on a male, a practical pair of shoes on a female wearing a form-hugging dress which may leave little to the imagination. These little features remain as a distinctive acknowledgement to tradition, tradition which remains strongly present when a Lorath is not attempting to 'dress up' to fit into the interstellar fashion scene.
 
ShotJon said:
First I want to say that Yamatai's and Nepleslia's fashion will be very inter-linked seeing as they were one nation back in what? YE27?

I think it's worth noting that a single government doesn't necessarily mean a single culture. History is littered with examples of empires that fractured largely because their cultures were so varied (Persia, Carolingian Empire, Yugoslavia, Austria-Hungary, British Empire, etc.).

I'm not an expert on SARP lore by any means, but from what I understand about Nepleslian and Yamataian values, the two cultures are very very different and have only a little in common, regardless of common government at one point in time.

Just my humble opinion. :)
 
That's true. Yamatai has always been a diverse nation. It's also a very young nation that is still building a national identity. Yamatai being a monoculture is a common misconception and to be honest I'm still filling in some of the void left by Nepleslia leaving us, because they were a major part of who we were.
 
I think most of what we see from Yamatai through Wes' current portrayal of Hanako fashion-wise is a very modern, cosmopolitan facet of Yamatai. "In Yamatai, tight is right" is likely much more about Hanako's tastes and based on the latest trends. It's apparently more or less an undecided 'modern' melting pot of what came before - which goes from sharp business suits to stylish citygirl evening outfits when going out to a club.

Another lean is what I call "yamato traditional", which more or less represent the more formal fashion favoring clothing such as kimonos, hakamas, yukatas and such. The japanese influence is strong, but not exclusive, as it has a strong enough oriental theme to include bits of korean and chinese fashion as well (i.e.: the cheongsam). Another cousin to yamato fashion could be the elven one, which is supposedly more flowing when formal, greater leans toward covering garments such as hooded capes to better bear with time in the outdoors, and intricate handmade embroidery.

Yamatai has an european/western take on clothing which comes from the nordic ethnicity - which I refer to as "norfolk" - that likely has the most in common with rugged Nepleslian fashion. Norfolk fashion seems to have been depicted as simple, hardy and better suited for harsher weather/manual labor. Simple sturdiness is likely even more so considering troll garb (especially on accont of size).

Then, Yamatai has its own military fashion... which seems ambivalent in between futuristic bodysuits and retro japan military uniforms.
 
Here's some images that strike me as fashionable in Yamatai:

afc05.deviantart.net_fs70_f_2013_097_6_8_kitsune_by_adriandadich_d60sa0d.jpg


Cute dresses:

afc00.deviantart.net_fs71_f_2013_102_8_f_marshmallow_fullbody_by_meago_d61gyij.png

afc06.deviantart.net_fs71_f_2012_273_2_d_mint_and_chocolate_ice_cream_fullbody_by_meago_d5gd7mo.png


Oriental tops with skirts or short shorts:

hk_street_fighter_x_tekken___china_cosplay_13_by_leekenwah-d5s3lac.jpg


afc00.deviantart.net_fs71_f_2010_102_c_3_Kinmoku_Fashion___Inner_Senshi_by_YoukaiYume.jpg

Bodysuits:

afc08.deviantart.net_fs70_i_2011_117_c_a_soo_and_tenti___coloured_by_gormstar_d3f0vqd.png

Kimono:

afc02.deviantart.net_fs71_f_2011_242_8_b_8ba179f5a5b0bfaa942e8d510a69b04f_d48chh7.jpg

afc03.deviantart.net_fs71_i_2011_025_4_6_commission___saionji_shizuyo_by_utenasama_d3811xv.jpg


Hair:

afc09.deviantart.net_fs71_f_2011_043_6_7_asian_girl_by_agnidevi_d39f67i.jpg

afc09.deviantart.net_fs70_f_2012_354_b_a_mushroom_by_meago_d5om5ml.png

afc02.deviantart.net_fs71_f_2011_190_8_7_curtal_by_ilikeyoursensitivity_d3li337.jpg

ath05.deviantart.net_fs71_PRE_f_2011_202_6_5_conduit_by_ilikeyoursensitivity_d414nug.jpg

ath08.deviantart.net_fs71_PRE_f_2010_353_4_4_ruptured_by_ilikeyoursensitivity_d35785k.jpg


Lots of accessories:

afc06.deviantart.net_fs71_i_2012_237_a_d_josy_by_dirkloechel_d4wzim0.jpg

Robots:

afc09.deviantart.net_fs71_f_2012_183_7_b_gynoids_by_mancomb_seepwood_d55nrp8.jpg

afc00.deviantart.net_fs70_f_2013_091_8_9_cat_by_lagunaya_d60279n.jpg
 
Wes said:
That's true. Yamatai has always been a diverse nation. It's also a very young nation that is still building a national identity. Yamatai being a monoculture is a common misconception and to be honest I'm still filling in some of the void left by Nepleslia leaving us, because they were a major part of who we were.

Nepleslia also has a large amount of differing cultures that it's hard to actually put a pin on what could be considered a "main fashion trend." People from hot and arid Delsauria will have different styles of dress than citizens from wet and wild Rok'Veru.

Although it is a common misconception that Nepleslia is full of try-hards in long trenchcoats and fedoras. But I'm actually alright with this kind of assumption, as it's technically not all that wrong or far off.
 
I imagine the look and feel of the ISC Phoenix to be as though it was drawn by an American artist like Jack Kirby or Stan Ditko, but the character designs are by the same guys who did Gurren Lagaan or JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Dave Gibbons is also a possibility. A good example of what I mean can be seen in F-Zero X. Just look at the character biographies and the Japanese cover art. Wonderful!
 
When it came to the Vekimen, I didn't originally intend for them to be naked all the time. I actually did that as an afterthought because of how Asexual they look. They come from a warm planet and are warm blooded. Insulation would actually do them no good. At least not for casual wear. Unless it was heated clothing of course, but even wasn't practical enough for a face who built everything to be warm enough for them.

So the I thought "What about making them look primitive?" so very minimalistic clothing, which I won't post here because I am SURE I won't find anything safe for work. Loin cloths, collar scarves, fancy things dangling off their horns. I actually mention some of this stuff, as the Vekimen once had an affinity for wearing fancy trinkets. Richer families in a clan would have broaches, and bands, and other such things that would identify ther clan and family. The VDTF eventually turned around and maintained that idea for the Officers so that they could be immediately identified. All other Vekimen have carvings into their horn because their hors are considered dead already. They don't regenerate and are an anomaly to even the Vekimen, but they utilize the unchanging space for their identification. They deal with things in a rather primitive manner, despite being really smart, but haven't met anyone else to earn some kind of civility. They just fought each other for thousands of years so I wanted to make that apparent.

The only clothes they have are specifically for dangerous situations where their scales just aren't enough to protect them.
 
The NDC is currently in something of a cultural transformation, so some elements of its fashion are all over the place.

At its original core, I think a lot of the faction's fashion draws from simple styles that 'just work' - if you look at a lot of the art that people have gotten of their characters, it's often things like cargo pants with a black tank top. Especially early in the faction's history (and its pretty young, still), I suspect a lot of what people were wearing were things that might make sense to a modern cowboy or blue collar worker. This still holds true in the frontier territories, whether they're on the faction's capital world, Sirris VI, or trying to set themselves up on a new world.

I do like to think that asymmetric ponchos or rough cloaks are a thing. Even over futuristic clothing, something about a poncho just immediately says 'you're in the frontier now' to me. Similarly, I think a lot of people wear belts with lots of little pouches on them for the convenience of it.

xiaochen-li-.jpg

Moving into the cities, I think that we start to see where clothes become an intersection of utility and expression. Much like the more frontier-sy locales, I think most people wear whatever gets the job done - and then pick one or two accessories on top of that to add their own touch to it. Bodysuits with a jacket are probably a very common thing and are certainly a thing in the military. On Sirris VI, in particular, I think large jackets or overcoats are a continuing trend from when the rain itself could wreak havoc on unprotected nanites.

DnlheZcU0AIjxnj.jpgc63c7c3580ac0a910c168bbdaddce3cf.jpgEULMlPwVAAA_Tjf.jpg
9f9381c0525637238998ab3914c1f34d.jpg
1613959314772.png

It's a little out of date, but I made this a while back as an NDC fashion mood board: https://imgur.com/a/f8QsweM

In recent days, the faction has been leaning more heavily into its aristocratic side and establishing actual nobility. Some of this is a continuing trend of personalization as parts of the faction become less focused on 'just getting to the next day' and are sufficiently prosperous that less practical clothing begins to make sense. Also, while the citizens of the NDC still deeply care about each person's merit, that's no longer so focused on manual labor or combat.

There's an intentional (IC and OOC) push to start leveraging old-style fashions using modern materials among the new noble class and those aspiring to be in their orbits.

ce06acd0f9c8f1bbf4a5a567fc626722.jpgDxBkifOVsAEZStN.jpg

I had a cool piece of art where this robot's suit had a galaxy image on it; I think that the NDC's nobility is likely looking into smart fabrics that can change colors, patterns, etc, for a possible Ganketsuo vibe.

Gankutsuou2.jpg

Someone pointed out that with the emphasis on the faction's usual blacks and reds, pale skin tones, and the aristocratic fashion style, that the NDC is starting to look like it's run by vampires. I will not confirm or deny any such allegations.

You can see more here: https://imgur.com/a/30WqMG2

We've also done a lot of work on the look of members of the faction's military recently. The first bit of work was on the new bodysuit, the Mithril:

mithril.png

The first version was done in photoshop in sort've a sprite-style. I didn't have a tablet at the time so I was doing it all with a mouse. It went through a LOT of iterations with a lot of feedback from the NDC's players, so huge thank you to everyone who contributed their thoughts to the Mithril and the other art to follow. The suit has gone through a few small revisions since then. Here's the next version:

mithril-new.png1613958875047.png

The overall design is still the same, but some of the paneling has changed. I was working on a paintover to get some more angles and poses:

mithril-drawover.png
(original art references an anniemeiproject.tumblr.com link, which is defunct. Great artist, whoever they are)

The only real change between the last version and this one is the removal of the red lines on the tops of the shoes and the general shape of the shoe. The original art's shoes look a bit more functional than my design, so I've started to migrate things in that direction. The Mithril is for the military, after all.

The latest art of the Mithril actually comes from a comm that Morrs got done. I did some minor touch ups on it for 'accuracy', but a huge thanks to him for getting the commission done.

finalblonde01_2.png

Next up was the design we put together for the Knight's uniform. Knights are a new thing in the NDC - not exactly a rank, not exactly an occupation, but more of a prestige thing. There aren't many of them, but we hope to have a handful in the future. Accordingly, they need to have a degree of presence and power in their look. I shared a handful of images in the NDC's discord and one or two really resonated. Using those as a starting point, I put this together:

knight.png

The idea is that all of this is worn over a custom Mithril, so even a normal human doesn't notice the extra weight too much. Their look is as much statement as it is anything else. The armor bits were added to draw a stronger knightly-parallel. Knights all carry an Arming Sword, so including that was important.

The last look we've been working on was the Officer's uniform. This started much the same as the Knight and Mithril, but I followed a more deliberate process when putting it together. We had a lot of differing opinions on what worked best for Officers - other than 'a long coat and tall collar. and a tie would be cool!', a lot of the specifics weren't aligned. We knew we wanted to go for something along the lines of classic space anime captains and 1300-1700 military uniforms to continue the faction's overall shift into something more aristocratic.

I did something like a survey where I shared bits and pieces of different arts and asked for feedback. One of the images I used was this:

ndc-officer-board.png

After a decent number of iterations, we landed on the current final look here:

officer.png

Morrs has, once again, done us a solid by getting a commission of a character in the new uniform. I think it came out great, just like the Mithril's:

finalsilver01_1.png

The NDC is probably looser than the other major militaries in the setting, so I think its common for knights and officers to just wear their coat and/or hat over their Mithril and call it a day.

I've also done moodboards for..

And that's that! Hope this was a fun read. :)
 
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