Tolkien OC Week: Diversity (Aug 26th)
These aren't so much proper OCs as my personal ideas for how I'd costume each of these cultures.
(I would have done Rohan as well, but I ran out of time/it honestly would have just looked the same as the movies. And I really only put in Gondor as I like the idea of having left-overs from Numenorean (Egyptian inspired) culture mixed in with their Western Europe historical fashions)
The human inhabitants of Mordor that live around the Sea of Núrn I based on Balkan styles as I thought there could be parallels for living by the Black Sea.
Umbar fashion is broadly inspired by Indian styles, with focuses on Sea based patterns and designs due to their naval history. (I also see Umbar as being a duumvirate, due to being founded by two Black Numenorean lords).
Near Harad fashioned is inspired by the ancient Middle East, Far Harad by southern African styles. Khand I specifically based their styles on Mongolia, and I tried to mix together styles from Korea, Japan and China for Rhûn.
Several of the countries have Eye motifs in their clothing due to being ruled by Sauron for so long, but to my thought all of them had previous cultures of their own that Sauron sought to manipulate or repress when he took over, and after his defeat many of their true cultural practices and beliefs are able to resurface and thrive.
