"A Matter of Style "
by Lord Rayth Blackmoore

Greetings, gentle readers;

Consider this letter an introduction, if you will, on two levels. Firstly, it is an introduction to the idea of fashion; secondly, it is an introduction to the fact that there will be many such letters in the future, an ongoing discussion of matters of style.

It is important to note that although I write this letter for the Waerd Aev at this time, the usual writings will come from conversations between Lady Nynis Goldkeeper and myself. For those who somehow have never met the Lady, she exemplifies fashion amongst the genteel women of the Provinces and as such, will have many insights to share in that regard. Currently, Lady Nynis is traveling for the summer, and so I shall have to write without her inspiration this time.

Fashion, whether one chooses to keep abreast of it or not, affects everyone. How one dresses forms other people's first impressions almost in entirety; it can place one immediately in terms of Guild, wealth, taste, social position, and creativity. There are thousands of people milling about the provinces at any given moment; if you wish to stand out among them, and accurately represent (or intentionally misrepresent) yourself, some care should be taken with style.

This does not mean that everyone should go about dressed as a noble attending a ball. Far from it; the key to style is knowing exactly who one is and how one wishes to appear to others. I shall take one of my guardsmen, Vhad Thorinwaith, as an example. I was asked if I should not have him dressed in finery during special occasions, as he is a part of my entourage. I quite firmly disagreed with the suggestion; Vhad is a fierce barbarian, and his dress is wonderfully intimidating and indicative of his nature. As a guardsman, I would prefer that he be as ferocious in appearance as possible. I am also aware that Vhad is displaying exactly who he is by his dress, and changing him would seem as silly as putting bows in the hair of a wolverine.

This is not to say that a barbarian of his sort should not pay attention to his or her appearance. Vhad does; everything about him is a part of his background, and his profession. I would change nothing. However, it is quite possible for even such brutal fashion to go amiss.

There is an art to all manner of dress, and Nynis and I intend to discuss all of them.

By means of introduction, I will discuss a few general fashion rules that apply to any well-put-together attire:

Do not wear too much. If the details of your clothing are hidden by yards of fair ribbons or charms or knick-knacks or far too many layers, the usual reaction by the viewer is to stop looking. It can bring on a fierce headache to try to make sense of it. Even if people do spend the time to look at everything, the overall impression is of a person 'trying too hard', showing off everything one has. This may not be true of course, but there it is. A truly fashionable individual knows what not to wear as well as what to wear. He or she intends to lead the eye of the observer to the most important articles of clothing or accessory.

Do not become overly repetitive. If every single item you own is 'set with a fabulous diamond,' you will look weirdly obsessive and the novelty of the fabulous diamond will quickly be lost. Contrast is of vital importance; if one is wearing mainly black, there is a need for some color at some location for visual interest. If one wears mainly a brilliant color such as red, some things should be plainer so that the red stands out.

Be very aware of what you are wearing. By this, I mean that you should understand what a houppelande is if you intend to wear it. If you have no idea how such a garment is worn, or what goes best with it, you will look silly matching it with cross-gartered trews. There once was a prominent man who shall remain nameless who broke this rule, among others, to my great amusement. Not only did he wear far too many things, but he wore amongst them a hennin, a chemise, and chopines. Essentially, he was wearing a woman's headdress, under-gown, and dainty platform over-shoes; the amusing part was that he likely had no idea that he was a cross-dresser. On this note, Lady Nynis and I will explain what many lesser-known items of clothing are, and how best they should be worn, in our upcoming letters.

Dress according to the occasion. This matters less to wilderness sorts like many Rangers, who often merely throw on a warmer cloak in the winter and perhaps wear a clean shirt for more formal occasions; but it is still a consideration. An afternoon of swimming and mountain climbing is poorly served by dressing in a floor-length cotehardie, and white silk deals poorly with snags and bloodstains gained while hunting. On the other hand, attending a ball dressed as if you were just working in the shipyard is not likely to put you in a flattering light. This may seem like an obvious consideration, but it seems many people wear the same things day in and day out, winter or summer, formal or casual. A fashionable person always considers what they are dressing for.

Aside from these general rules, there are specifics that deal with certain fashions. This introduction is not the place for them, although Lady Nynis and I intend to discuss the traditional stand-bys as well as keeping abreast of the new fashions. The artistry of merchant tailors always affects the current mode, as do the tastes of certain people in prominence; we will be certain to keep our readers informed.

Also, in future letters, we might take the appearance of brave volunteers and perform a fashion consultation if that is something that intrigues our readers. Certainly, there are many aspects of fashion that we can delve into, and our goal is to facilitate the consideration of style throughout the Provinces. Questions sent to us will be answered, and requests in general shall be considered.

It is our hope that these letters will prove useful and entertaining to the readers of Waerd Aev and the many devotees of fashion that live in Elanthia.