Preview: Embroidered Elven Robes

Due to the nature of the embroiderers and them reluctant to take on any orders that don't involve fewer than a dozen garments, we have been experimenting with designs and have come up with this elven ensemble, drawing quite strongly on elven aesthetic of the Lord of the Rings films. Though as said before, there's something very oriental about the garments and it came easily to people who were accustomed to making tangzhuang.

The whole outfit doesn't really fit me. It's a couple of inches too wide in the shoulders and hangs more than a little oddly. The wide sash (maroon faux silk with a silver white embroidered design) makes the whole thing neater than it really should. The sash is just pinned to me in the photos (being on the large side) but there are snap buttons.

The elven coat is a dark green wool (very much the same lovely medium weight wool as that of the tail coats), though we've also done a couple in a much lighter fabric, a faux silk. It's fully lined in green faux silk and the buttons are small, round and in gunmetal grey, fitting into tiny little satin loops. The stretch velvet robe is unlined (and really quite rough). We've more made it to show the effect of a complete outfit than selling large numbers of them.

And yes, these are indeed more blurry photos. I'm having some problems with the camera battery and long story short, it might be a little while before we're seeing really good photos on the blog again. But hopefully we'll sort this out.

Also, if you have any commissions, I do recommend sending them in the next week or so. The official deadline is the February the 3rd, after that it's very unlikely we'll be able to do any custom work.

If you're interested in our Elven designs, do have a look on the items we have in stock on the Character Kit website. These embroidered coats (sash included) are likely to cost something in the region of £95-115, depending on how the maths works out at the moment. Unfortunately due to how the extra surcharge on single item orders with the embroiderers, custom versions would likely cost about £15 more than the standard.

More photos of the embroidered elven robes under the cut.

Preview: Borrowed Wuxia Costumes in the Studio

This was more or less an exercise in vanity and cosplay. I had the opportunity to dress up as Xiaolongnü, elegant, indifferent and hard-as-nails heroine of Jin Yong's Return of the Condor. I also got to play around with most of their costume rack (which included many other fascinating costumes not appearing in these photos).

There isn't a terribly big market for wuxia, much as I've been using many of the elements in designing elven costumes. It's just not a genre that necessarily translates to live roleplay very well, though the Designer and I do have some notes and plans (nothing concrete). That all said, I did enjoy playing around with giant sleeves and flowing robes. We should have more of that, just generally.

What was rather amazing about the experience was watching the stylist do my hair: it's not a wig. She swiftly and efficiently built the whole coiffure out of my hair, additional braids, other extensions and, of course, various hair ornaments.

Due to these being studio photos done by a professional photographer, they have been tinkered with, that isn't actually a bamboo forest (unlike with the scholar and red robes shoots at the Durham Botanical Gardens, which is odd to think I was actually in China this time) and there is an utterly excessive amount of make-up on me. 

I suspect I'll write more on the actual characters being portrayed in the individual posts, though I can't say I'm not a little embarrassed at comparing myself to characters famous for if not defined by their beauty (the photo on the right being an impression of Yang Guifei). But as said, this is largely an exercise in vanity, and if we ever do end up running that wuxia live roleplay system, I suppose we've got some publicity shots on file.

Also, if you're seized by a sudden desire to own a larp-safe Chinese Jian, Character Kit offer an excellently weighted 38" one for £50.

Preview: Cavalry Armour, Elizabeth I, Elves and a Reversible Steampunk coat

This is, of course, not a replica of the armour worn by Cate Blanchett in the film, Elizabeth: the Golden Age as Queen Elizabeth. Or in, fact, anything close to it. It's more a coincidence from that fact that the Proprietor is trying to sell off a plate armour prototype and we happened to have a conveniently red-haired model for the shoot. The armour is just worn over some of the other kit we were photographing that day and we'd be the first to admit that the black trousers, though nondescript, don't exactly add to the look, but I think overall, considering it was a theme we just stumbled into as the Designer noticed we had all the basic components, it went pretty well.

We're back at the ruined chapel and using the same rose window. I'm only a little guilty, as we still have some rather solid shots and we did manage to try a few new angles.

As mentioned above, the cavalry armour is available on Character Kit for £110.00. Also pictured is the beautifully detailed Mysdanael Short Sword and the ever popular Fey Dagger.

For photos of the Cavalier, the Cad and the Cut-throat of the nominally named  under the cut.

Prototye: Blue Chiton

Chiton made of a thick blue linen, unsurprisingly designed with Profound Decision's larp system Odyssey in mind. Worn here with beaded sandals and belted in with suede thonging. Thoroughly Greek.

This didn't begin as a blue chiton. It was originally beige until the Designer noticed a very subtle beige-on-beige fleur-de-lys pattern in the fabric that was completely invisible unless held to bright sunlight. It was printed so after some deliberation, we dyed it bright "ocean blue" (or so the packet calls it) along with a once white shirt (a red scarf snuck into the laundry).

The buttons are decorative, simply sewn to points where the cloth has been sewn together. They bear a rather nice abstract knot-beast design.

This a lot more basic and significantly less cloth than the giant red and black chiton. The Mercenary was essentially playing around with just how cheap she could make simple chitons.

The blue chiton is available from Character Kit for £15.

More photos of the blue chiton under the cut.

Odyssey Concept Sketches: Greek

Here are some of the Costume Mercenary's sketches of costumes for Profound Decision's Odyssey, set in a fantasy version of the classical world. The first event takes place five years after Alexander the Great has tried and failed to conquer heaven.

We're starting with the Greeks, which are in part, have some of the more dull costumes. It was where I began and also where practicing drawing many women in long flowing robes (or chiton, wikipedia offers a nice little diagram as to how to construct one) and sandals.

I imagine the lady to the right to be an Oracle of Poseidon, the god of consequences as well as the sea. She's also wearing sleeves, which are more or less long arm-coverings "tied or laced around the forearm, wrist and hand... possibly with a hole for the thumb."*

The idea of garments depicting mythical scenes is a common one in epic poetry. In Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica, for example, Hypsipyle gives Jason an elaborately embroidered purple cloak depicting many mythological scenes. Helen is found in her room,


"...weaving a large cloth, a double purple cloak,
creating pictures of the many battle scenes
between horse-taming Trojans and bronze-clad Achaeans,
wars they suffered for her sake at the hands of Ares."

The Iliad, Book Three: Paris, Menelaus, Helen, translated by Ian Johnston

Part of me is still convinced that the depiction of heroic deeds on garments is more of a literary device than it was a physical reality, but the temptation to draw such a garment was enough for me to make the attempt. The Designer and I spoke briefly of attempting to create such a garment through the use of batik (rather than embroidery, which would take forever) but are undecided if it would entirely be worth the effort.

The scorning of traditional Greco-Roman colour scheme of white, white and more white is more due to an inability to paint in white than any conscious design choice. To be honest, even James Laver's really very outdated Costume and Fashion: A Concise History* recognises the fallacy of using white marble statues as one's sole source of historical costuming, so I really don't think there's any excuse.

I have drawn some men, some Greek men at that and I'll post them in due course.


--

* Herbert Norris, Ancient European Costume and Fashion (1999); much of the inspiration for these costumes come from him as well.

* Laver's book is still on fashion students' reading lists everywhere and I've been reading it. I'll post a full review up at some point. I'm not sure being written in the 1970s is a valid excuse for quite all the errors it contains, especially since it has allegedly since been revised and updated.

The Elven Robes Once More

Yet another airing of the elven wardrobe. This time, bow in hand, showing the slightly more martial possibilities (compared to the last, more demure photos), I suppose. In terms of garments, there's not much new on display except for the prototype elven tunic. The tone is, admittedly, quite different and hopefully shows a little bit the versatility of the garments. The lady elf pictured is wearing the prototype elven tunic, an elven robe and in some of the shots, a Forest Cloak. Better discussion of the garments are on their individual pages, so I won't speak exhaustively about them here. I suppose the question posed is: How well does it all work together?

These photos were taken just outside Ha Wong Yi Au Village in Tai Po, where there stands this rather regal banyan tree. Loretta, wonderful as always, is behind the camera and throughout these photos is her stern reminder: Stop smiling. Elves don't smile.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's one of those remarks that triggers quite the opposite.


As said in the preview, the bow held is one I bought in a streetside costume stall several years ago (on Hong Kong's famous "Steps" Street - or by its proper name, Pottinger Street). Due to it not being designed to be pulled back, it's really rather heavy. Or perhaps I'm just that wussy.

What do you think? Does it all work together as an outfit? Are the colours toning? Ranger, elf or silly oriental bint in an green cloak?

More photos of it all under the cut.

The Forest Cloak is availiable at Character Kit for £75. The Elven Robes are available in two colours, gold and green, also at Character Kit for £75. The Mercenary is also happy to take on orders for variations on such themes on similar prices. Do email her with your suggestions and requests.

In other news: I'm back in cold, cold England now, with a suitcase full of kit so hopefully in the next week or so, Character Kit should be seeing an update and the kit will finally be seen resting on manly shoulders (as per original intentions and less seeming narcissism). We have a number of exciting new things to show (as well as peddle in due course) as well as a handful of prototypes (including a padded arming jacket in purple).

The Costume Mercenary will be dragging part of her wares to the Unconventional Market. Her exciting adventure of frame-construction, train-catching and luggage-hauling may well be chronicled here.

Link I envy: Far far more beautiful photography and costumes than myself.

Prototype: Elven Tunic

Yet another blurry photo.

This is the Elven Tunic, and to be honest, I'm not sure it turned out quite right. In the balance of Elven to Chinese, I suspect this one went a little too much in the latter's direction. As often observed before, a lot of Elven clothing (such as in Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Lord of the Rings) draws from oriental, and specifically Chinese design elements.

The tunic is made of a cream linen silk (the fabric is paradoxically soft and with a rough grain) and lined with a dark brown linen. The leaf-shaped buttons are hewn from coconut. The garment is trimmed with thin leather braiding. The slits at the side are also decorated with the leaf-shaped buttons.

What do you make of it, dear reader? Not elven enough? Coconut totally not an elven material? Elves shouldn't wear anything with an obvious grain?

Here is a close up of the collar and the buttons.

I suspect the garment will work quite well with the elven robes and cloak, when worn as some sort of (dare I use the word?) "deluxe" elven ensemble. As long as the colours tone, which isn't necessarily likely since creams and yellows are capable of clashing. Perhaps we could have some photos of it all together next to a wall tree at some point. Perhaps we could even find a conveniently located specimen of the males species to model it on.

So... what improvements would you suggest?

Updated to Add: The Elven Tunic has been since used in a number of photoshoots, though usually not as the centrepiece. It can be seen worn under the Elven Coat/Robe in The Elven Robes Once More and again but on a man here. It can also be seen under the laced gambeson in Still Life with Sleeves.