Clothing in Tilenno



Clothing in Tilenno is divided up into 3 main subcategories of clothing styles: Traditional Tilennan clothing (Tilennan: Xumaera Welaura), Modern or Exotic clothing (Tilennan: Xumaera Artema), which includes all clothing styles not native to Tilenno, and Tilennan style modern clothing, known as New clothing (Tilennan: Xumaera Kítrae), which refers to garments based on foreign clothing but adapted into Tilennan culture and style and are therefore unique to Tilenno.

Traditional clothing mostly consisted of a kaeles (: skirt), a paera (: shirt) and mistei (: sandals), often accompagnied with qliká (: jewels), often the kaeles and paera were combined into a krises (: dress). Most of these garments had different forms depending on region and status, mostly in terms of colour, pattern, build quality and material. Notably there was no difference in garments for men and for women, safe from some undergarments to support the breasts.

Due to the stable and warm weather in Tilenno, clothing mostly came in no more than one layer, excluding undergarments, and rarely covered the full body. Typically the abdomen area and the lower legs and arms remained bare, although some garments existed that covered these parts of the body. Most paerá feature the typical Tilennan neckline, where a diamond is cut out around the centre of the chest, showing parts of the the pectoral muscles for men and parts of the breasts for women.

While certain trends existed during different periods of history, mostly changing colours and silhouette, the core of garments has remained relatively unchanged for centuries. Not a lot of original clothing remains from early time periods, for which fashion historians mainly have to go off descriptions and artistic interpretations. It is generally agreed upon that the core of traditional Tilennan fashion was consolidated during the early Royal Confederacy as Tilenno became culturally more conservative. Everything that entered the Tilennan wardrobe after this is seen as part of the New clothing style.

Modern Tilennan clothing and fashion only really exploded in the 1980s following the Osorra-Tilenno War and the subsequent influences from outside cultures. Current fashion is based on variations on traditional garments combined with influences and clothes from Artemia like shoes, pants, suits and shirts. Nowadays it is rare to see traditional Tilennan garments on the street in their original forms, mostly being replaced by new styles and modern interpretations. However certain holidays and celebration still expect the attendants to dress in traditional attire.

Early History
Not a lot is known about the clothes that were worn during the Terukian age. It is generally assumed that early forms of the supaera and the kaesores were worn based on descriptions in text and some preserved wall paintings. The most famous source of information came from the Terukian ruins in the form of the 'Painting of the Praying man, depicted in garments similar to the supaera and kaesores.

The sailing age saw the introduction of the typical Krises Laudo, which is depicted in many statues from that age. It is called the Krises Laudo because the first text mentioning this particular garments was found in a Laudian inventory list carved into stone for a tailor, mentioning it along with several other fabrics and textiles.

It was during the 3 dynasties that the most recognizable Tilennan outfit was first designed, namely the Risaura, consisting of the iconic limaucha or barred top and the xaelera or barred skirt. These two garments were meant to show one's wealth by openly displaying the expensive materials included in the clothes. however this made the garments horribly rigid and impractical for any activity other than look good. Nowadays the garment is still reserved for the upper class and can be seen worn by the Pures during official business.

The last major pieces in Tilennan culture are the murades and taeneda, together referred to as sumonae, introduced at the end of the First Purity. It covers the entirety of the arms and legs in contrast to pieces before it, which almost always left the lower parts of the limbs bare. Even so the chest and abdomen area were still uncovered. This new style is speculated to have been brought over by East-Keshi traders during the 7th century BCE, where it was common to cover more of your body in formal situations, as seen with the kimono and hakama for example.

The poorer classes typically wore a krises setra combined with a simple form of paera. For some even basic clothes like these were inaccessible and in many cases the peasantry just draped a cloth around their hips and called it a day.

In Tilenno clothes were typically made from 4 different types of fabrics and some blends between those. The most common type of fabric and cheapest to produce was linen of which most commoners' clothes were made. A step above linen there was cotton, more specifically Tilennan Semi-Aquatic Cotton, cultivated in paddy fields. This textile was pretty water intensive to produce and therefore the prices were quite high. A great aspect of Tilennan cotton is that it is more water and stain resistant than regular cotton, which still justifies the cost intensive production to this day. Alpaca wool was typically used for supaerá. Alpaca wool was a very thick material and only really worn at night, or in the northern an mountains areas. Even so alpaca wool was a pretty sought after fabric. The most expensive fabric in Tilenno was silk, created from the silk produced by the Tilennan flower bug. It takes a lot of work to make this fabric and prices are very high. The natural colour of the silk is slightly pink, which is often treated in a bleaching process to become perfect white or just dyed into a darker colour. Because of this white silk is the most prestigious of all.



Royal Confederacy
When Vallisian explorers arrived in Tilenno during the 16th century they were very intrigued by the different garments and way of dress found here and made a lot of drawings and descriptions of these garments as well as brought several clothes back to the homeland, where they are still displayed in museums. Because of this, most information of clothing during this age comes from the Vallisian explorers' documentation. The most important of these documents is arguably  L'Homme Tilennois, one of the first descriptions that made it back to Vallis and with multiple detailed illustrations of aspects of Tilennan life and culture including clothing. During this age the Krises Laudo was very popular and therefore shows up in a lot of these drawings, but the other garments do show up regularly as well.

In these texts it is often explained how Tilennan people don't really know shame and prudishness, as it is not uncommon to see the genitalia or other explicit parts of the body when Tilennan clothes move around. Most people, especially commoners, didn't really bother with putting on undergarments, as they were pretty expensive and often impractical and hot. This also coincides with the notion in Tilenno that the more clothes you wear, the higher your status ought to be. This is not always translated directly in layers or clothing, but could also be expressed in the quality and rarity of the material, like having clothes made from Tilennan silk and gold. However what was seen as a sign of even higher status was the ability to not wear clothes. This is explained by having such a high reputation that you have nothing to prove by wearing clothes. Even so it is expected for people of higher standing to at least wear clothes on formal occasions and to have a well maintained physique. It is known that the Pures mostly walked, and still to does to this day, around the palace naked and sometimes even shows up naked for royal, less formal, banquets.

During the Royal Confederacy the introduction of Artemian clothes also happened, although adaptation of these styles was slow as they were still in a constant stalemate with the Vallisans. The most important piece of clothing that entered the Tilennan wardrobe was button up shirts and the concept of buttons in general.

Pre-modern Era
After the reunification, tensions with Artemia lessened and slowly more garments made their way to the Tilennan streets. It was during this time suits were first started to be seen, coming first into use in the military ranks as they were trying to modernize in the example of the great Artemian armies of that time. Even so the highest ranks kept using the traditional military outfits. Through the army commoners started to adapt the suit into a practical everyday attire, mainly made from breathable linen. The Tilennan style suit however puts a lot of focus on the shoulder, including a enormous amount of padding and support, while shirts are often cropped above the belly button.

However not everyone was happy with this change in attire. There have been several occasion where influential political leaders of regions or cities put a ban on wearing clothes that were not a part of traditional Tilennan styles. The most intense of these bans was the Làgoran Clothing Ban which lasted from 1772 to 1806. During this period, the inhabitants of Làgora were prohibited from wearing anything that was influenced by Artemian culture, especially pants, sometimes this period is jokingly named the pantsless decades. These bans also coincided with the general anti-Artemian sentiment that gave rise to the Tilennan Christian Genocide as well.

In the early 20th century a trend started where glasses were not longer seen as a purely medical instrument, but now entered the world of fashion and jewellery. This was seen in the explosion of new frame styles, many of which were based on styles common in other parts of the world. This trend became so strong that even people who didn't need glasses bought them to accessorize.



Contemporary Fashion
Contemporary fashion really started in the 1980s after the end of the Osorra-Tilenno War. The first major trend that gripped the federation was Westwave, which took heavy influences from Artemian fashion, introducing hats, shirts, pants and dress shoes among other typical Western attire. This fashion trend was part of the broader Westwave movement which aimed for a more open and internationally oriented Tilenno, instead of returning to its more isolationist roots. The new and non-conforming styles that were brought along, really functioned as a catalyst for the diversification of Tilennan fashion into many trends and subcultures that still continue to this day.

Because of this enormous diversification, influences from other regions and the interesting blend between traditional and modern garments, the Tilennan fashion world is one of the most interesting and fashion forward in Anterra. Many Tilennan designers and brands really push the concept of what's wearable and stylish to its extremes, often getting ridiculed by other nations for being too over the top. Many international brands take heavy inspiration from these Tilennan designers especially with the popularisation of the androgynous theme that has dominated Tilennan fashion since the beginning. The most popular Tilennan fashion designer is Fales Sedaeka who own the epynomous brand Sedaeka. She is especially well known for her bold colour choices and sleek but complicated silhouettes.

Interestingly Tilenno is the only nation in which it is uncommon practise to have separate stores or sections for the different sexes, most clothes are made with both men and women in mind and only differ in terms of fit and size. You will not be able to find any stores specifically catering to one sex, with the only exception being undergarments that only women or men could wear.

Traditional Garments
Traditional Tilennan garments were made from a select number of fabric types, flax or linen, cotton, alpaca wool and flower bug silk. While many different types of clothing sprung up, a cohesive theme runs through all of them.

Particularly all garments put a heavy emphasis on the shoulder area, often including a lot of support and padding to give the impression of a stronger frame. Most clothing pieces also tend to leave quite a bit of skin exposed, with most tops not covering the abdomen area. It is believed this area is kept bare as a sort of social control on one's shape. Generally fat people were shunned in Tilenno, so this prevented people from covering up their stomachs. This also explains why the commoner's dress does cover the abdomens as they were not likely to be over-consuming.

Typically the lower legs and arms were covered neither, but this is attributed to a climatic adaptation rather than a social one. Most garments feature a gold or other colour of trim around the edges, presumably to give the garment more longevity as well as show craftsmanship. The last thing that is seen in most clothing is the typical Tilennan neck line, where a diamond is cut out around the chest or breast area. This was done for breathability as well as a way to show your physical form.

Xumaera Teruko
The Xumaera Teruko or Terukian dress is the oldest known type of clothing found in Tilenno, showing up on wall paintings in the ancient ruins of Teruko. It consists of a supaera as paera, sometimes called a Tilennan poncho, and a kaesores as kaeles, or spiral skirt. The supaera is simply made by sewing two somewhat triangular shaped pieces of fabric together and draping it over the shoulders. Most of the time extra padding is inserted around the shoulder area, but this is not required. The Kaesores is a long piece of fabric in the shape of a right-angle triangle and is worn by wrapping it around the waist starting at the sharpest corner. This causes the garment to wrap around the wearer in a spiral fashion, hence the nickname. Both garments are typically made from alpaca wool, but show up in other textiles and blends as well.

This style of dress used to be seen all around Tilenno, but in the last centuries has mainly be restricted to the northern and mountain areas of the nation. A variant of the supaera, which is longer and more cold resistant is also seen and often used as a coat during the cold nights. In the south this style has mainly been replaced by the sumonae. In many places it is common to dye these garments into particular colours and patterns to distinguish the region it came from. The process of dying the fabric is done by covering parts of it in wax and then submerging it in a coloured solution.

Krises Laudo
The Krises Laudo or Laudian dress first came around during the Sailing Era. While the style was not invented in Laudes, the first ever mention of it was found there. That combined with a quality textile industry and a successful marketing campaign made Laudes synonymous with this style of clothing. It consist of a rusae or flared shirt, which features to parallel bands of fabric with a triangular piece of fabric attached to it. It makes heavy use of shoulder padding, giving it a strong frame. Downstairs a kaeles tansei or layered skirt is worn from the same type of fabric as the top, sometimes even connected to the rusae. In front a large rectangular piece of fabric is worn, mostly for decoration but also t cover up private parts when the wearer sits down. Underneath the rusae a simple paera is worn.

This style of dress was very popular for everyday wear especially during the Royal Confederacy. It also formed the basis for the formal military uniforms of the national army. This style of dress was especially influential in the modern trend of Beach Core, which utilises a very similar silhouette.



Risaura
The risaura or barred dress is the most recognizable of all Tilennan clothing styles, first appearing during the age of the 3 Dynasties. It consists of a limaucha or barred top and a xaelera or barred skirt. The limaucha is made by casting an metal bar that perfectly aligns with the shoulders of the wearer. The metal bar flares up around the shoulder in a leaf-like shape. The overall shape is often compared to a bicycle handle. The bar itself is a hollow tube which allows a piece of fabric to be slit in at bottom, almost like a curtain rail. Sometimes the limaucha is expanded with decorative pieces like a cape or two pieces of fabric connected between the shoulder and an armband on the wrist. The cape in particular was popular around the turn of the 19th century, as seen on the portrait of Pures Fourisae III. The xaelera works in a similar way to the limaucha, this time with a metal hoop fitted to the waist. The hoop can be detached into two semi-circles to allow it to be put on, generally with the help of a dresser.

This clothing style was designed to show of the wealth of the wearer by showing all the expensive materials and craftsmanship as openly as possible. A major drawback was however that it is horrible uncomfortable to wear and heavily restricts the range of movement of the wearer. Due to this many people actually hate to have to wear this outfit, it is therefore unlikely to see someone wearing it on the street. The clothes were mostly reserved for formal events like banquets, weddings, religious ceremonies and celebrations. The bar can be made from a variety of different materials, with gold being the most prestigious, but even within the same material one can distinguish itself with intricacy and craftsmanship. For less wealthy people, sliver, bronze or regular iron was used. The fabric was supposed to be silk, but sometimes cotton was used as a cheap substitute. The garment is still what the Pures wears on formal occasions.

Sumonae
The Sumonae or Western Dress was first introduced in Làgora at the end of the First Purity in the 7th to 8th century BCE, likely from influences from East-Kesh. It consists of a taenada and a murades. The taenada is a loose fitting shirt with long sleeves, but with the abdomen area still exposed. The murades is a long and strait skirt that covers the entire legs. These garments are often dyed in a similar way to the Xumaera Teruko. This style in particular deviates from the others in term of length. It covers a lot of body parts that were traditionally left uncovered.

It is believed these garments took heavy inspiration from East-Keshi garments like the Kimono and Yukata, found in Akiteiwa. While being much simpler, the deviation in length likely came from there. The Sumonae became so popular that it replaced the old Xumaera Teruko in many places, especially the warmer south.

Xumaera Gèsuo
The Xumaera Gèsuo or commoner's dress is a type of clothing worn by the lower classes. It consists of a krises setra and a simple paera. The krises setra is made from a long piece of fabric that is draped around one shoulder and tied up around the waist and is one of the few garments in Tilennan clothing to cover up to abdomen area. The krises functions as both a top and a bottom piece, although it is common to put on a simple paera underneath.

This style of clothing was mainly worn by the lower classes and was therfore made from cheaper materials like linen and cotton. Even so this garment was seen as a step up above what commoner's would typically wear, namely just a piece of cloth around the waist and an exposed chest. Putting on a xumaera gèsuo was typically done for when one needed to head to the town or city centre to pick up food and other wares at the market and for more formal occassions like religious ceremonies. Nowadays this garment is rarely seen on the street as most lower classes have switched to the cheap imported clothing from Artemian and Keshi brands.

Mistei
Mistei or Sandals were the typical footwear seen in Tilenno. Over the ages different varieties of mistei have sprung up, with many different features and styles that often got mixed and matched. Typically mistei get distinguished based on the height of the straps and the height of the platform. High strap mistei typically come in two varieties, namely straight lace or spiral lace. As the names suggest, straight lace has horizontal paralel straps that run along the shin, while spiral lace use paralel diagonal straps. Low strap mistei typically have support around the ankle, although the most basic version of mistei ressembles closely to flip-flops. Generally the the strap runs over the toes, but sometimes an extra strap is included between the large and second toe. Mistei can also be high platform or low platform, depending on the height of the sole. It is common for high platform mistei the get narrower towards the centre, making walkong in them a delicate balancing act, but it does keep you clean from the filth lying around on the street.

Mistei were constructed from a variety of materials, but typically regular mistei were made from cheap wood and rope, while higher end mistei used quality wood and leather. But materials like metals, silk and even woven leaves could be used to make mistei.

Hair and Headwear
Tilenno has a long and complicated history in regards to hairstyles and headwear. Hair was often used as a societal and status symbol. Depending on the state, style and color of your hair it was ofte possible to guess someone's status. For this reason it was discouraged to wear garments that would cover up your hair. This made it so that headbands became to only acceptable form of headwear seen in Tilenno for a long time. It was only with the rise of Westwave and contemporary fashion as a whole that more styles of headwear entered the Tilennan wardrobe.

Hairstyles
A typical feature of Tilennan hair is that most of the population has white to gray hair due to a genetic mutation. White hair is seen as more pure and elegant than gray and other haircolours, the darker the hair the more impure one was considered. Due to this, multiple ways of bleaching hair were created, which mostly involved products derived from urine or. In the modern day hair is often still bleached with modern bleaching agents like. With the ability to even bleach the darkest haircolours to the clearest white, many Tilennans gravitate towards this style.

Because white is a blank canvas for hair dyes, colouring hair in a darker coloyrs was also popular during certain periods. Hair was almost never dyed in a natural colour however and the dye was mostly reserved for single strands or the ends. Dying hair has become especially popular in certain contemporary subcultures like Modern Wave.

In Tilenno hair is also expected to be kept long, short hairstyles were seen as rebellious and were associated with delinquent and criminal groups and societal outcasts. The exact definition of long hair has changed over the ages, with certain periods preferring mid length hairstyles, while others saw hair reaching almost to the butt as ideal. With the rise of Westwave in the 1980s the stigma arpund short hair was slowly weakened, with many younger people now opting for shorter hairstyles. Even so short hair is not seen as an appropriate formal appearance. Because of this many people with short hair also own several wigs for more formal ocassions.

In terms of hairstyles, buns and other tied up styles as seen as most formal and appropriate for most situations, although sometimes regarding as stiff and old-fashioned in the modern day. For people with curly hair, often one side of the head is cut short. People suffering from balding hair or receding hairlines were encouraged to shave off all their hair.

Beards
Bears are a typical masculine trait and therfore seen as not ideal within Tilennan beliefs and societal norms coming from Lonàkae. Nevertheless it is nor uncommon to see men growing out their beards. However beards are supposed to kept short, bushy beards in particular are seen as a faux-pas. Prime-Minister Xàreisae Couraede appearance was seen as shocking as he was the first Prime-Minister to publically appear with a beard, even on his official portret, he can be seen sporting a beard.