Eldritch Costume

About the clothes and ornaments of the Eldritch. Because of the conservative nature of the Eldritch culture, fashion has changed very little since colonization of the world. Most of the differences involve materials, given the change in world and eventually the opening of limited trade with the Alliance.

Special Fabrics

Meander

Meander was developed in the latter part of Jerisa's reign: a high nap fabric like velvet with channels left naked in it, in patterns specific to different designers. These channels are then stitched with a contrasting thread color, almost invariably metallic. It reached its heyday in the middle of Maraesa's reign and has since been in decline as meander-weavers have died. Since the creation of meander is a laborious process, it has run out of people to produce it, and those few who do take much longer to create it without the workshops of apprentices and craftspeople to take on the secondary phase of creation.

(Meander pattern styles are passed down along families, and are related to the original experience of the Eldritch settlers in their ships, when using the slides: they saw patterns that didn't exist during transit, and those inspired the abstract designs that would later become regularized by specific families.)

Hair Styles

Because of the limited genetic pool, Eldritch hair is very similar in texture from individual to individual, and identical in color. It's all straight, relatively coarse, and pale. There is the occasional individual with a slight wave, but they are surpassingly rare. It has not yet been fashionable to dye the hair any bright color, though there have been occasional "wash" fads where someone tinted their hair with a translucent shade of some light color, like pink or gold.

Male

Noblemen among the Eldritch are expected never to cut their hair once they've reached adulthood, and fashion has always dictated they wear it loose. The occasional ornament is allowed to keep it out of the face (ferronieres, dangles, narrow braids, circlets, etc). Modern noblemen often choose a length and keep their hair trimmed there, but it is invariably below the ribcage.

Commoners tend to ignore this rule and cut their hair above the ribcage, though it's rare to see it above the chin.

Braids

Hair jewels are typically worn before the ears by unmarried men and behind them when married.

Female

Women among the Eldritch are expected to have their hair bound, either in braids or buns or a combination of the two. Hair can be covered for decorative purposes (by a caul or crespine), and is usually threaded through with ribbons, flowers, or jewelry. Length is variable but usually below the waist.

Jewelry

• Hair dangles here
• Signet rings
• House medallions
• Amulets rampant