Draft:The League look and feel

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Overview

Flamboyant, rich, urbane, ambitious, loyal, resplendent, flourish.

The League is urban. Influences come from the Italian city states, the Hanseatic league, and Prague, as well as classic fantasy cities. This is a nation ruled by powerful guilds, and while there are poor people the cities are well maintained, not a shambolic chaos. The League is rich, and citizens try to display their wealth in what they wear. It is opulent but not ostentatious, a purposeful show of wealth and power. Costume focuses on the top half, with fitted doublets or high-waisted dresses partnered with full sleeves and tight trousers. Fussy and ornamental, league clothing uses slashes and tied on items to show off colour and fabric.

League costume should reflect a city lifestyle, avoiding farming or agricultural costume. Clothes tend to be designed without regard for physical labour.

Costume should say something about the character, reflecting their status, wealth, and aspirations in what they wear. Clothing is a popular topic of conversation and can be used to influence perceptions of characters. In general, leaguish citizens try to make things look more expensive than they are.

Costume Fundamentals

League Clothing is made up of a loose shirt, with tight trousers and a doublet, or a tight-bodiced gown.

Hat: While not ubiquitous, Hats are popular in the league. League Hats tend to be for show rather than practicality. Floppy cloth berets and early-tudor style bonnet hats are popular. Small caps over the hair are a good way to keep hair out of the face and show off small amounts of fancy trim and fabric. Net snoods are popular with long hair. For costume on a budget, a floppy cloth beret is a great way to make a shirt and leggings into an iconically leaguish look.

Full Shirt: A light undershirt or chemise is the ideal baselayer. These can have a low neckline, and are often made to complement the neckline of a doublet or gown. A drawstring neck can give a variety of necklines in one shirt. Off the shelf shirts in large sizes can be effective, and ideal chemises can be also be found to buy. Turned down collars are to be avoided if possible, as they tend to look too modern when worn with a doublet. A modern peasant shirt might also work.

Tight Trousers Joined hose are the historical option, and modern thick leggings or tight trousers will also work. For the modern options, covering visible belt loops or an elasticated waist will improve the look. The trousers should fit in with the rest of the outfit, but tend not to be a focal point.

Doublet: Making one from scratch makes a nice challenge for a beginner costumer, and can scale in difficulty to something incredibly complex. They can also be bought off-the-shelf from a variety of retailers. Look for doublets that stop at the natural waist, or have gathered skirts, rather than ones with tassets (flaps of cloth) or that go below the waist. The ideal waistline is straight, not pointed at the front. While there is a fashion of low necklines, high ones are also seen. Square necklines can look very good on this layer. Sleeves for doublets tend to be heavily slashed or segmented to show the undershirt or lining, and are often tied or laced in at the shoulders.

Dress: Gowns are tight bodiced, and tend to be high waisted, with waistlines fashionably worn under the bust, and almost never below the natural waist. A range of necklines are fashionable, from plain round ones, to square ones, to a deep V. Skirts are gathered or pleated into waistlines. The waistline is straight, not pointed at the front. As with doublets, sleeves on Gowns are often lashed or segmented to show the layer underneath.

Coat or Cloak: Coats and gowns tend to be loose and flowing, with turned down collars. Attempt to show off the lower layers, and wear them open or unbelted where possible. They tend to fall from the shoulders, with tied in sleeves and false sleeves being popular. Multiple layers of doublets are sometimes worn for warmth, and can look effective. Cloaks of all kinds are popular for keeping off the weather, and often have decorative linings. Single shoulder or duellists cloaks are popular, more for fashion than warmth, as they are an effective way of showing off beautiful fabrics.

Rings: Rings are very important in the League, representing loyalty and allegiances. Even if a character is not wearing any other jewellery, not wearing rings would be notable. They can be worn round the neck on a chain or ribbon as well as on the fingers.

Mask: Masks are a common element of fashionable attire for individuals from all walks of life. Masks allow an individual to cultivate anonymity and the air of mystery. Some groups – military units and criminals especially – may go so far as to all wear matching masks even in dangerous situations. Masks can be made of any material, from papier mache through to lace and even mirrored glass. The most common style is a half-mask covering the upper face.

Colours

League clothing can be any colour, and often uses multiple colours in the same garment. Groups in the league rarely have unified colour scheme, with the exception of the free companies and certain guilds. Natural colours are less popular than bright ones, with clothes often designed to stand out. Lighter colours are popular in Sarvos, with golds, turquoise, blues, pinks, and oranges common. Tassato tends to more bold colours; scarlet, royal blue, sea green and other jewel tones. In the north, Holberg’s colour pallete is darker; deep greens and browns, purple, and dark blues are popular.

Fabrics

For undershirts, muslins are an effective choice, or a fine cotton lawn. Polyester window “net” can look good, but might benefit from another fabric worn underneath next to the skin.

Over layers are stronger fabrics. While fine linen, wool, and cotton are popular choices, wool in particular being very effective in slashed garments, the league likes to show off with luxury fabric, and rich looking fabrics will make a massive difference to costume. Silks, brocade, and velvet, are all ideal. Imitations of brocade can look expensive at relatively cheap prices. Saree shops and charity shops can be good sources of bright and detailed fabric at reasonable prices. Shiny satin and stretch velour rarely look good in large quantities on this kind of costume.

Rich embroidered trims and ribbons are a great resource, particularly in adapting already existing or off-the-shelf kit. They can also be used in lacing clothing items together.

Cities

With such a wide geographical range, different fashions thrive in each league city.

Sarvos

Sarvos, sitting almost on the water, is the most southern of the cities. Here, doublets and gowns tend to be made out of lighter fabrics, and the look is heavily inspired by italian city states. The colours tend to be bright and light colours; pale golds, turquoise, delicate greens, blues, and pinks are all fashionable. Doublets and Gown bodices tend to be small, with very low necklines, and doublets are less likely to have skirts than in the northern cities.

Tassato

Like Sarvos, Tassato fashions are for lighter fabrics and smaller bodices and doublets. However, the colours used are bolder; bright colours are common, but fewer lighter ones; strong gold; royal blue and purple, strong reds, dark pinks. Duels are more popular in Tassato than any other of the cities, and fashion tends to reflect that, with split skirts popular, and short duelling capes.

Holberg

Known for its’ walls and fortifications, Holberg fashion tends towards structure and heavy fabrics. The overall look is solid and secure. Colours tend to be dark and rich, and heavy fabrics are used. Skirted doublets are more popular than in the southern cities, and more inspiration can be drawn from Northern European and Landsknecht fashion. With it’s years of war, leather garments tend to be more popular in Holberg than other cities.

Temeschwar

Further north, Temeschwar fashions have a focus on warmth. Heavy fabrics and furs are paramount, and they use similar rich colours to Holberg. They tend to offset dark colours with contrasting bright ones. Robes and coats are more popular in this northern city than in the southern ones.

War

(Nice Pictures of the league at war maybe? To get aesthetic across) 

Armour

Brigandines, Arming Doublets, and Padded Jacks are common, as are sections of plate, though a full harness is unlikely to be seen. Chain is often covered with leather or cloth doublets.

Bravos tend to be lightly armoured, and a single substansive shoulder piece is a popular addition.

As mercenaries, most free companies will supply their members with armour and a weapon, though often the armour is simply a padded jack and helmet.

Weapons

Professional soldiers tend to prefer long spears or halberds. Street fighters usually favour a light sword with a main gauche or stiletto (a small dagger) for the off-hand. Shields are not common in either case. Crossbows are the most commonly used ranged weapon, including among members of free companies.

Free Companies

Free companies will try to have a unifying feature in their clothing, whether sashes, matching padded jack, or a colour scheme. However, this isn’t a uniform, and few Companies will have a totally uniform look. Individuality is a source of pride.

The Use of sashes to denote serving members of the militia started in Temeschwar, inspired by Free Company sashes.

A distinctive banner is a popular item for most free companies, as it serves as both a rallying point in battle and an advertisement of their skills.

Religion and Priests

The heavily decorated robes of The League priests are in sharp contrast to some of the ascetics of other nations. Lavish embroidery, metallic threads and elaborate headdresses are all popular in communicating their importance.

Magic

A troupe of magicians can be like family, and while they rarely wear anything that could be seen as a uniform some troupes will attempt to create similar styles with their clothing.

Mountebanks tend to be attempting more of a show in the immediate moment, and will often try to look ostentatious or eye-catching. They have a tendency to play with appearance. A mountebank’s style is often a code for looking a little gauche.

While most citizens of the league will make use of masks, it is magicians who rely on them the most. Dramaturgy is very common, and League troops will jealously protect their masks.

Similar Nations

Leaguish and Dawnish fashions both feature gowns and doublets, however, Leaugish tailoring tends to be more fussy, with slashes, ribbons, and flounces. League gowns are much higher waisted than Dawnish ones, as are league doublets.

There is some similarity in garments worn in the Marches, however, leaguish clothing is more likely to feature extensive decoration and less practical colours and fabrics.

There is some overlap between Temeschwar and Varushka. However, Varushkan wide trousers are rarely seen in the city, and Varushkan clothes rarely feature silks, velvet, or brocade.

less Appropriate

Elizabethan and Late Tudor looks. These can look too modern and jarring in the context of Empire. These looks include:

• Padded clothes- Slashes are popular, but try not to pad them out
• Low or pointed waistlines- keep waistlines straight and high where possible.
• Wide trousers or Breeches
• Conical or Straight bodices and corsets- the shape of the body is much more natural than overbust corsets create.
• Hoop skirts and Bustles. The skirts should fall naturally from the waistline of dresses, with any volume coming from pleats of fabric or a petticoat underneath.

Dandies- The typical makeup and dress of the European Dandy comes from the 18th century so is far more modern than the ideal league aesthetic.

Wench Costumes, or corsets worn as bodices.

Inspiration

Rennaisance cities, Romeo and Juliet, Happily Ever After.