[ninalitediting]

Resources for Writing Amputees

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this nor do I have personal experience with it. This research is not extensive. If writing an amputee character, I suggest you do more research than what I have here. Always focus on personal experience from actual amputees. I would advise you to look out for ‘inspiration porn’ written by non-amputees. 

Keep reading

[are-you-even-gluten-free-bro]

do you want to know something?? I always wondered what the hell kind of hairstyle the Ancient Egyptians were trying to portray with depictions like these

and this

until I did my hair this morning and 

oh

welp

you can take the noses off our statues but until you find a way to take Egypt out of Africa we’re still going to find ourselves

[are-you-even-gluten-free-bro]

I’m reblogging this post without all the salty, racist commentary because I’m sick of looking at it. please spread this around again in its pure form for posterity.

[hotboytev]

What’s funny is that white people thought they were hats/crowns 😂

[esiuqram]

ESIUQRAM

[robosaurusrex]

Here’s a really good post about this.

And here’s some pictures of the Afar people, who still live on the horn of Africa today.

Cool, huh?

[theoriginalblackbarbie]

Beautiful

[jasoncanty01]

People thought it was Hats and Crowns? How could they not see hair?

[ohgodshesloose]

The same reason archaeologists, upon finding a woman’s skeleton in the grave of a famous Roman gladiator, immediately wondered where the gladiator’s skeleton was: Old Straight White Man™ brand denial.

[vaspider]

Same way they denied the Really Gay Egyptian Tomb, too. It’s kind of a Thing.

This post is amazing, I’m so glad it exists. I have learned.

[lapunkrockmere-deactivated20170]

There is so much greatness in this post and all white people care about is defending why they thought the depictions are hats. White people??? Why are you like this???

[so-much-history-in-these-streets]

I’m salty as fuck that we were taught they were crowns at SCHOOL. For Christ sake.

[snorlax-con-tetas-deactivated20]

[wellfuckk-deactivated20171130]

Their hair is laid to rest. How do I get on this wave?????

[africaninnewzealand]

I’m really afraid how woke my kids are gonna be in school.

[archaeologysucks]

This is why Eurocentrism is bad for archaeology, and we really need race and gender theory. We can only learn about the past if we’re able to ask the right kinds of questions.

[writingwithcolor]

So I'm creating a fantasy world with countries that don't have a real-world analogue and are all racially diverse, and I'm having some trouble. In choosing the characteristic fashions for my countries, I'm hesitant to popularize anything that may resemble specific nonwestern clothes; I don't want to include a character in a heavily embroidered colourful wrap, for example, and have people read it as a sari and go "ah yes the Indian country" when no. (1/2)

But I’m not sure if having mostly more western/“globalized” styles (things like jeans and a t-shirt) is the better route. (2/2)

Fantasy World and Non-Western Clothes

This is a fantasy world, and it sounds like secondary world fantasy, so disconnected from our world.  Thus the word “sari,” with its specific development and history is unlikely to exist there.  So while your inspiration for the garment might have come from a sari, think about how you might describe it without using the word “sari.”  Above you say “heavily embroidered colourful wrap.”  To me, that could describe a sari, but also a caftan, a dashiki, or a sarong.  You could give more details—if I wanted to specifically describe a sari, I might say “unstitched cloth around her waist, up over her shoulder, and tied off like a skirt at one hip.”  I see that as pretty unambiguously a sari but I don’t know what my readers may interpret it as.  Maybe they’ve never seen a sari before.  Maybe they have but don’t know what it’s called.  Maybe that better describes another garment to them.  You have limited control over what your readers will interpret from your writing, no matter how specific you are.

Why then, would you consider this, but then revert to giving an entire world one dominant style? You’re right, putting everyone in jeans and a T-shirt (or the equivalent) isn’t the better route.  It’s quite an anti-diverse mindset.  That particular style is dominant in our world for various historical and cultural reasons, but unless your world has a similarly explicated fashion history, it comes off as under-thinking the worldwide diversity of clothing, or as avoiding the question because it’s hard.  There’s been an extraordinary diversity of clothing styles through world history and there still is, even though jeans and T-shirts seem to be dominant and ever-popular these days (I’m wearing jeans a T-shirt right now).  You should make an effort to show this.  Just be creative with your descriptions and worry less about how it’s seems to be coded than with making sure that the clothing style emerges naturally from the rest of the culture, climate, and economy.  For example, no midriff-bearing blouses in subarctic climates.  No animal furs in the tropics.  No linen garments for the lower classes in regions where you can’t easily grow flax.  Dyes are expensive, so the clothing of rich people are likely to have bolder colors and more patterning.  Cultures with a religion that emphasizes modesty are likely to cover up more no matter what the weather.

And what’s wrong with colorful drapery anyway?  Who cares if your readers interpret it as a sari?

~Mod Nikhil

[writingwithcolor]

Describing Bantu Knots (Fantasy Setting)

dreamsviolets said:

What’s a good way to describe bantu knots without actually calling them bantu knots? i’m writing in a fantasy setting. sorry if there’s an easy answer for this, i just can’t think of anything!

When I have a term that may not technically make sense to exist, I like to describe the thing at hand. You can use basic, descriptive words to give an image of what they look like. It will allow familiar readers to make the connection and those who haven’t seen the particular thing envision it too. Mentioning origins of the hairstyle could help define it as well. 

How about you take out the bantu in bantu knots? Or even look into how they’re formed for more inspiration. Youtube is a rich source of natural hair videos. They may even offer you the terms that help you describe it perfectly.

Words that may describe bantu knots: 

Tight, twisted buns

Rolled and layered

Miniature buns

Twisted rolls of hair

Hairstyle resembling small buns

Knots dotted about her hair

Feel free to use and alter any of these ideas. 

~mod Colette

[nsaint1]

Black Girl Summer Braid Styles

1. Knotless box braids

2. Goddess faux locs

3. Passion twists

4. Long box braids with curled ends

5. Fulani braids

[writingwithcolor]

Is it stereotypical to have a scene in which a black character and her mother go and get their hair done? It's something that they always do together and the hairstyle they have (crochet braids) does play an important role later in the story (symbol of royalty and she has to go into hiding). The character has already been established as black; I just wanted to use this scene to both show some of her interactions with her mom and establish why cutting out the braids later will be significant.

Tradition and Culture vs. Stereotype

This is adorable. They’ve created a tradition and i’m sure it’s something other Black families do, whether it be father and son and/or mothers and daughters getting their hair done together. 

Personally, I grew up for many years getting my hair done with my sisters, my mom waiting in the salon, bringing us fast food and nearby gas station eats to snack on while they tugged and twisted away at our hair. So that became an unintentional tradition of sorts. 

People with little care or understanding can easily weaponize a piece of Black culture into a flat stereotype. Consider, for example, watermelon. It was a fruit Black Americans could make a living off of, a symbol of freedom. Whites used that against us, instead turning this symbol of freedom into a mockery with dehumanizing “art” depictions and jokes and now no one wants to be associated with it.

The stereotype that African Americans are excessively fond of watermelon emerged for a specific historical reason and served a specific political purpose. The trope came into full force when slaves won their emancipation during the Civil War. Free black people grew, ate, and sold watermelons, and in doing so made the fruit a symbol of their freedom. Southern whites, threatened by blacks’ newfound freedom, responded by making the fruit a symbol of black people’s perceived uncleanliness, laziness, childishness, and unwanted public presence. This racist trope then exploded in American popular culture, becoming so pervasive that its historical origin became obscure. Few Americans in 1900 would’ve guessed the stereotype was less than half a century old.“

Source: How Watermelons Became a Racist Trope

I see the same thing happen with other pieces of Black culture. Braids and Afro hairstyles, southern food, and music like rap and r&b as some examples. Whatever it may be, Black traditions (on Black bodies) can hold a heavy stigma, often relegated to "ghetto” and “stereotypical.”

Really, it’s just more racism, society’s smear campaign against anything Black. So don’t let that stop you from having Black characters engage in their culture!

Now, recognize these things can still be used as stereotypes, especially if you group all Black people as liking and doing the same things. No, not all Black people like rap or automatically should you assume they do because Black. And if they do, that doesn’t mean they don’t wind down to classical music in the evenings! Don’t compose characters based on only what you assume you “know” about Black people. That’s when you’ll get a flat stereotypical character who lacks depth. People are dynamic, and many many things.

In summary: Adding Black cultural aspects does not a stereotype make!

For more on this, please read the response here of a question we received on Black weddings, where my (and the other Black mods’) blackness was questioned for giving a portrayal of Black weddings that was too “Stereotypical” when it was literally us describing Black weddings we’ve attended.

~Mod Colette

[writingwithcolor]

My MC is of African heritage, is it too 'in your face' to have her planning a day off work to get her braids re-done at a specialist hairdresser? Research indicated 'cornrows' as a general description, does that sound too stereotypical?

Means of showing race: Taking a day off to get hair braided (Natural hair)

This is a realistic way of showing race. I’ve definitely had to take part of a day off of work and school to get my hair done in the past. My sisters and I would just go on the weekend, but I can see why someone would or could not. Maybe they have other plans and, depending on the shop, it could be an even longer wait due to how busy it can get. This is especially the case before a holiday or when school starts up again.

Timeline Samples (Professionals)

Braids, especially braided extensions, can take hours.

At minimum, I’ve been out of there in 2-4 hours. 

Non-braid extensions you’re looking at 2 - 3+ hours.

At the worst: 6-8 hours. I’ve heard of longer. 

Sometimes, multiple braiders work on the hair, speeding up things.

The tinier ones (like micro braids) are on the higher end of time.

Braids or cornrows with mid to short length natural hair only in a simple style:

30-60+ minutes in and out of the shop (personal experience, varies)

Also, cornrows is a specific style, and is not a general word for braids. Feel free to just use “braids” for your story. If you want to describe how they look or what type there are, that’s always welcome too. 

Also: It is not stereotypical for people to participate in their actual culture, which in this case includes hair braiding. Read: Tradition and Culture VS Stereotype

~Mod Colette

[writingwithcolor]

Describing white person when their family is Black (Fantasy)

@here-s-becka asks:

I am currently writing a fantasy novel where one of the Kings who is black has a white adoptive son in addition to several biological children. It’s not going to have a huge influence on the story but I do want to make it clear. I just want one sentence where the son reflects on the fact that he looks different from the rest of his family and that’s how he knew he was adopted. I don’t really want to use black and white nor light and dark.

Fantasy Races

How are you showing race in this story? I understand not wanting to use Black or white if race as we know it doesn’t exist. However, showing race even in a fantasy-symbolic manner is part of representation. So I do recommend describing race/ethnicity and characters physically.

Do you have fantasy races that symbolize Black people or the specific group of African people, like Fantasy-Nigerians? What about white people or the specific nationality of the white character? 

There’s ways to make fantasy races that clearly point to real life groups. 

Try making comparisons to these aspects from real life:

culture (food, dress, customs, language etc)

geographical (location, climate, native life and animals)

physical features (hair type, skin color)

direct connection (maybe our planet exists or existed. “X people derived from what used to be Planet Earth Germany.“)

Ways to Show Race in this context:

Confirm race & his adoption in story:

Children definitely notice skin color and differences in people. He could’ve asked and they told him straight up that they adopted him and is from the “White”/fantasy race while they are “Black”/Fantasy race.”

Describe differences: 

The boy grows up and notices his eyes are green, nose narrow, and skin is pale like the people who come from, say, the “Cold Lands.”  His mother and father have skin and eyes of varying shades of brown, with rounder noses like most of the people from the “Warm Lands.”

Other Characters can point it out: 

Someone outside the immediate family could point out the child is white/Fantasy white race. Perhaps an adult doesn’t realize he was part of their family or someone makes an awkward statement about it. Maybe another child points it out. “Why don’t you look like your brothers and sisters?”

~Mod Colette 

Side note on story perspective:

There’s several Black characters in this story (family) and one white character. The white character appears to be the POV in spite of all the other Black characters in his family that could be the Main Character(s)

Now, I’m not sure if this is the case, you might very well show other perspectives or be using third-person! Just be conscious of your choices. Can one of the several Black children or the king have a perspective or be an important character?

[iamsherlockedondoctorwho]

hello!! i happened to write that post where you explained the grammar differences between asl and spoken english, and it was so helpful!! but now, i wanted to ask-- let's suppose i'm writing a dialogue-- do you think i should write, like, the literal translation or should i write “complete sentences” that match the meaning?

(sorry a lot of amy of the message sounded disrespectful!! for my whole life i've been basically completely uninformed, so i'm really trying my best to get to know as much as i can!!)

oh my gosh HIIII!!! 🤗this is the post with tips on writing sign language right?? 

I loved that post, honestly, because it’s good information a lot of people don’t think about or know!  I love that you are trying to learn as much as possible, it truly makes all the difference. The fact that you cared enough! 

When it comes to writing dialogue for deaf/hh individuals, I’m no expert either, but I would say having a basic understanding of signed languages makes a HUGE difference. I would use complete sentences as you would for any other character, because it would probably be more distracting to use a direct translation. But that’s just me. The written form of ASL, Glossing, is a bit annoying and hard to read honestly. I would nooooot recommend using that for character dialogue. But if someone was interested in how to write out ASL, that's a good thing to look into?

However, when writing for a deaf/hh character just be careful with the dialogue you write. There are a lot of things in English that don’t translate. Mostly things that don’t have literal meanings. English metaphors don’t translate well haha. But on the whole, having a character who is fully deaf, that doesn't have some miraculous ability to read lips is 🙌🏻

Also food for thought, the fact that hearing loss has a wide range can change the character you’d write as well! Determining how the characters hearing loss affects their communication is the big starting point. I have a friend who is profoundly deaf in one ear, but most people never know because it doesn't affected her ability to communicate as if she were completely hearing. Other than when she sleeps on her good ear, and doesn't wake up when you yell at her to haha. So this is why I loved the point about the deaf and Deaf because there’s a real difference. My friend is, partially, deaf. but she’s not Deaf. She doesn’t identify as Deaf. Whereas, another person who is HOH may identify as Deaf and prefer to use sign language. 

However, if you just say a character is deaf most people are going to assume profoundly Deaf until you explain otherwise. 

I’m not a writer, but I can pretty much say any effort you make to portray a deaf/hh character accurately would be greatly appreciated by many!

Also sorry for the long response, I get WAY to passionate about this stuff haha. I tried to bold the important parts that actually answer your question, in case you just wanna skim that whole mess I just wrote haha 😅 oops 

Also if anyone else has thoughts or opinions on this topic feel free to chime in! I know my blog is not really focused on deaf/hh until I get a crazy need to spew it at you guys, but I think there are a few here who are also deaf/hh/activists. 💕

[cozywalkintherain]

To Writers Who Have Deaf Characters:

I am Deaf myself and it is very common that hearing writes misrepresent Deaf people and our experiences. So, I made a list of common misconceptions.

Deaf people cannot read lips word-for-word. Even the best lip readers in the world can only understand 30-45% of words.

Hearing aids do not magically make you hear perfectly. The microphone on the hearing aids pick up sound and amplifies it into the user’s ear. This helps to pick up when someone is talking or a loud noise is made. It only helps with hearing and picking up on cues. It does not magically help you hear perfectly.

Sign Language is not a universal language. For example: In the United States, Deaf people know American Sign Language(or ASL) and people in the United Kingdom use British Sign Language(or BSL).

Shouting/talking slower does not help Deaf people understand you. This causes the face to become distorted and it makes it harder to lipread. It also causes speech to becomes more muffled.

Not all Deaf people hate being Deaf, many of us love being Deaf. One of the largest misconceptions I see in Deaf characters is that we do not want to be Deaf and we want to be “cured” and be able to hear. This is extremely untrue. In Deaf Culture, we are proud and actually love being Deaf. We are not searching for a cure and we are DEFINITELY not looking pitty.

This is not exactly a misconception, but it is still important. Please do not refear to a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person as “hearing impaired.” This infers that the person is “broken and needs to be fixed.” When that is most definitely not the case.

Last but not least, YES DEAF PEOPLE CAN DRIVE! Deaf and Hard of Hearing people are actually more cautious and observant while driving.

Feel free to add more!

[concerningwolves]

Hi! I hope you are doing well 💕 I’m writing a deaf character and I really wanna do it right so I’ve investigated a lot and your blog has been really helpful! So I wanted to ask- My character is supposed to be a guard (Like Royalty™️ and shit™️) so I would Like to know How she could fight and in general any tips you think could be useful for this character

Writing a Deaf Bodyguard (& Deaf characters in action scenarios)

► GENERAL TIPS

  ● TREAT YOUR d/DEAF CHARACTER AS HUMAN. (Or dragon. Or orc. Or... whatever species they might be.) Point is, don't become so afraid of misrepresenting deafness that you put the character on a ridiculously high pedestal. The fact of the matter is, one day they will likely meet an adversary who beats them. It might be because they don't hear something vital, or it might be because fights are messy, chaotic and brutal, and nobody can win all the time. They're allowed to struggle and ask for help. They're allowed to fail sometimes. They can screw up! They can lose a few fights! Everyone does these things; you don't need to cut out flaws just because the character is deaf.

There's also a strong narrative reason for doing this: you need action scenes/stories to have believable tension and conflict. These things drive the plot and keep readers hooked! If your d/Deaf character never seems to be at threat and powers through all fights, all you're doing is a) singling them out as 'Other', and b) weakening your narrative.

  ● DON'T WRITE THEM AS A BURDEN. You seem to have this one in the bag already, Anon, but I think it bears saying anyway. Yes, your character may fail and need help, but their deafness doesn't make them inherently weak or a liability.

The line between this point and the previous one may seem fine, but it boils down to this: are you consistently highlighting the fact that your character is deaf and using that as an excuse to belittle, side-line or otherwise diminish their value? Or are you saying 'this character is deaf. they may need accommodations and face certain obstacles a hearing person doesn't, but they're no better or worse than anyone else for their deafness'? If the latter, you're doing fine. (And really, anything is better than the former...)

  ● LET THEM HAVE SUPPORT AND ACCOMMODATIONS. There aren't accessibility accommodations on the fighting field, true – and certain adversaries will no doubt take advantage of that. But that doesn't mean your character's employers wouldn't give them accommodations or provide support. In this bodyguard scenario in particular, employers are going to do everything they can to help the bodyguard do her job. They don't want the person under protection to die, after all!

In a more general sense, just having other people in the characters' group look out for them and respect their needs is massively important. (This one is particularly true for survival and apocalypse narratives, where deaf and disabled people are usually presented as a burden). Maybe your bodyguard or fighter works as part of a team who help them with deafness-related obstacles. A support network doesn't negate your character's deafness – it just shows them getting the support they need.

As for accessibility aids, these will vary depending on the worldbuilding. Research assistive devices and aids for the deaf that are available in our world, and adapt them to fit your storyworld. Or, use your imagination and invent some cool James Bond-esque spy gadgets that would put Q to shame.

Some aids I imagine would be very useful are:

proximity sensors (so people can't sneak up on them). Maybe a watch with a sonar-type display?

sound detectors, such as flashing bracelets that light up to indicate different noises

vibrating jewellery/tie pins/shirt cuffs etc that alert the wearer to certain “danger sounds”, like a gunshot or an unsheathing blade

discrete hearing aids that won't get pulled out in a fight (if your character uses HAs)

That’s by no means a comprehensive list though, and obviously other factors like technology, available materials and magic/Sc-Fi elements will give you more to work with.

► FIGHTING AS A DEAF PERSON

This is where you'd need to research on your own more, but I do have two starter tips.

1) Research the accommodations made for and the stories of d/Deaf professional fighters (boxers, martial arts fighters, wrestlers etc). Take note of what difficulties they face, what their trainers and sports officials to do accommodate them, and how they overcome obstacles. Here's an article about Reece Cattermole, the UK's first Deaf registered boxer since the 1970s.

2) Your character will fight like anyone else; the difference is in how they rely on their senses. Hearing people can tell when someone is coming by footsteps, breathing, and other noises. Naturally, your deaf character will have learned how to use their other senses to compensate for the lack of hearing, but be careful how you write that. It's frustratingly common to see a sensory disabled character written with inexplicably enhanced senses, i.e., "character is blind but their hearing is SO GOOD they can basically use echolocation to see. It's like they're not even blind!". In settings where powers exist, this isn't so bad, but for non-powered characters it's... not good.

Think about Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender. Toph is a really good example of a disabled character in an action setting who isn't defined by her disability, but doesn't have it erased, either. She's blind and an earthbender, which means she can bend/has an affinity with earth. She can therefore sense vibrations through the earth and navigate like that, but she still can't see, and the narrative doesn't forget it. That's the sort of middle ground you ought to find.

Good luck with your writing, Nonny!

Also, if any d/Deaf people following me have experience with martials arts and fighting, your input would be very welcome! (*^▽^*)

[ Ko-Fi | FAQ & Ask Guidelines ]

[aww-canon-no]

Writing Deaf Character Tips

I’ve seen a lot of fanfic writers ask for tips to write Deaf characters so I thought I would write some out to help make authentic.  Also feel free to send ask for any questions! 

Deaf characters exist on a spectrum- it’s rare to have no residual hearing.

Deaf characters can’t magically hear perfect with assistive devices. Hearing aids are in the name- an aid.  They make it easier to pick up some sounds.  They are also expensive and a lot of insurance won’t cover.  

ASL- American Sign Language.  Deaf characters raised by hearing family might not have access to ASL until later in life.  Percentage of Deaf kids educated in fluent ASL is low.

ASL has own grammar and syntax totally different from English,  But! It is okay to write ASL in spoken English grammar, especially if you don’t know ASL.  We know what you mean!

Avoid Deaf and hearing characters signing and speaking long sentences at the same time. It’s called Sim-Com and ASL users who can do it are rare because sentence structures are totally different.  It would be like trying to write a sentence in English at the exact same time (word for word) as someone speaks it in French.   Sim-com usually used with SEE and still hard for fluent ASL Deaf to follow.

Deaf characters can be dizzy!  Many many Deaf have tinnitus and vertigo.  Comes with many hearing loss conditions.  Vertigo can also be triggered by flashing lights, heavy bass sounds.  (very annoying in the car when driving and someone has loud, shake your car bass)

Deaf characters can also can have balance problems from inner ear issues.

Deaf characters can enjoy music!  Many ways to enjoy music besides hearing all of it.

Lip reading is hard.  You need to start at the beginning of the conversation, need constant context, and when you lose the thread it’s hard to get back.  Many many words look the same on lips that sound totally different.  Avoid magic lipreading in characters.

Character doesn’t need to have a Deaf accent.

Deaf character doesn’t need to talk loud.  Many Deaf talk very soft because they feel vibrations before the vibrations make audible noise.

Deaf characters can be very fluent in written English and great writers but still have very poor sentence skills when being casual in texting or conversation (like me!)  Hard to go from ASL to English brain, and makes you tired.

Deaf characters can use ASL Slang!  ASL has colloquial signs that have no direct English translation but we use all the time (peh peh, train go sorry, champ, etc etc)   Here are some examples!

That’s all I have for now.  Hope it helped!

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Wardrobe: Corset

Corsets are what one usually thinks when they think of fantasy female fashion. In every historical film or fantasy show we see women being laced into corsets. But how much do we really know about corsets? I thought you would like this @chaoticramblingsofatheatrenerd

Kinds of Corset

Underbust: These go under the bust or boobs to plump them up and support them. It has the basic shape of any corset you might have seen excepting that it stops under the bust line.

Overbust: This is probably the one you have seen more often. These go from tops of the hips and over the bust. This style also plumps up and supports the breasts.

Long-line corsets: These corsets are made to go over the hips. Usually these are only worn by women with a longer torso. The Long-Line corset shapes the hips, waist and breasts.

Waspie Corsets: These corsets don’t extend to the breasts or the hips. These only fit around the waist. This is only used for shaping the waist.

Stays: Stays were most popular in the 17th Century. They were conically shaped, held in place with straps on the shoulder and were fitted with flaps about the waist. These weren’t only to pull in the waist. They were made to flatten and contrast between the rigidness of the bodice. They were made of layered fabric gathered together and stiffened by thread or glue. These could be stiffened with steel sometimes for back issues.

Materials

Linen: Corsets were usually made of linen like most undergarments of the period. Linen is a breathable material, its well, it’s strong and durable.

Dried Reeds: Though the most people think of bones when we think of corsets. But dried reeds were also used. These were sewn into channels into the corset. They are chosen because they breathe well and are hard to bend leading to better support.

Rope: Sometimes lengths of stiff rope were sewn into the corset’s lining. These were a cheaper source of support.

Whalebone: The most famous of boning material. It isn’t whalebone at all, actually it us a flexible substance called baleen which is made of the chemical in the plankton that whales eat. Whalebone is flexible, tough, resilient, supportive and easily cut with a pair of scissors or a knife.

Satin, taffeta and velvet: Not exactly what one would think of when thinking about corsets. Elizabeth I and Maria of Toledo are named owners of silk, taffeta and velvet corsets. Again the material is strong, breathable.

Things you ought to know

Corsets are not uncomfortable when laced right.

It is a myth that they can break bones.

It is generally accepted now that they didn’t mess up organs. Evidence for organ displacement and disfigurement, is very rare.

Men often worn corsets for back issues or vanity issues. George IV wore one to hold in his poundage.

Corsets rarely can shape a waist to be tiny-weenie.

Anatomy of a Corset

Busk: A closure at the front of the corset made of clasps and bolts. In history they stabilized the front of a corset but nowadays it serves as a quicker access route (awkward cough).

Bones: These are the stiffening and supportive structures sewn into the material.

Grommets / Eyelets: These are the metal rings where the lacing is threaded through.

Bone casing: This is a layer of fabric that is stitched over the boning to create a bone channel.

Bone channel: The point between each boning made of layers of fabric.

Panel: Each piece of fabric that is cut into a specific shape to make up the corset. Most corsets will have six panels on each side.

Lacing up the corset

Start at the bottom of busk and work your way up. Fasten all clasps.

Next, move to the laces of the corset. Feed the laces through the eyelets at the base of the corset. The most preferred and easiest pattern is the X pattern.

Work your way up the back, bringing in the laces as tight as your own comfort will allow. Don’t tighten it too tight. Only to your comfort.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Wardrobe: Gowns

Skirts, ball gowns and chitons. Fantasy fashion is seen more often on women than the men so we focus on their clothes more. Sorry for this bible of a post.

Under the gown

Stop that dirty mind. These are the structures that hold out the gown to keep it the shape desired.

Farthingale/verdugado: were a series of hoops stitched into a sheath of material. This was worn under the gown in order to plump it out.

Pannier: Unlike to the farthingale, these were set at the hips rather than all around the body. These were popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. They extended the width of the skirt keeping the front and back panels flat.

Crinoline: This is a structured petticoat made to plump out a skirt of a gown popular in Victorian times. They were popular at the mid-19th century.

Petticoat: This is an underskirt worn under a skirt or a dress. Modern ones are made of layer after layer of tulle or netting.

Chemise/shift: A long underdress made of light material worn under the corset, kirtle and gown.

Top of the gown

This portion of the gown covers from the shoulders to the hips/waist.

Bodice: This part is the where the gown covers area from the neck to the waist.

Halter Neck: The halter neck’s straps go up the shoulders and are fastened at the neck, exposing the shoulders and having a plunging neckline.

Plunging Neck: The neckline makes a V from the neck/shoulders in the direction of the navel.

Empire Line: This style was popular in the Napoleonic courts. The bodice ends below the bust line and here the skirt begins flowing.

Boat neckline: This neckline runs from one shoulder to the other like Meghan Markle’s wedding gown.

Sweetheart: This makes a loveheart shape over the bust.

Scooped: a round neckline

Square: a square neckline

Sheer: When a see-through piece of material is sewn over the top of the gown.

Sleeves

The sleeves of the gown are just as important as the rest of it. Again variations lead to a wider sense of imagination.

Cold Shoulder: The sleeves begins at the top of the shoulder while the rest drapes behind, allowing the arm to be seen through it. Also called Angel sleeve.

Batwing sleeve: This sleeve has a deeper area for the arm and tapers thinner toward the wrist. Also called a magyar.

Bell sleeve: The sleeve runs down the shoulder and flares out from the elbow

Bishop sleeve : This sleeve is loose from the arm but tight at the cuff.

Cap sleeve: This only covers the top of the shoulder.

Fitted point sleeve: The sleeve tapers tp the back of the back in a point.

Gigotor: This sleeve is wide at the upper part of the arm but narrows at the elbow and wrist.

Hanging sleeve: This sleeve that slits at the side or front or the elbow, allowing the arm to peak out. Popular in mediaeval times.

Juliet sleeve : This sleeve has a puff at the top and runs down the arm or leaves it bare. See Snow White.

Lantern sleeve: The top of the sleeve runs straight and then puffs out between wrist and elbow

Poet sleeve: This long sleeve is fitted tight at the shoulder to elbow flares at the elbow and wrist.

Wizard’s sleeve: This sleeve runs from shoulder to wrist opening there and draping toward the floor with points.

Skirts

The shapes of the skirt vary. Try different shapes with your world to give a feeling of variety and depth.

A-line: This skirt flares out from the bodice with a gentle slope almost like the letter A.

Ballgown: This skirt stretches from the bodice in a wide shape. Think of the massive gowns on Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

Bell Jar: Similar to the ballgown only the hem slightly goes in making it look like a bell.

Drop Waist Silhouette: This skirt begins below the hips from a loose seam. Most popular in 1920s.

Mermaid Silhouette: The gown is tight and fitting from the neck down to the knees of shins where is flares out like a fish’s tale.

Trumpet Silhouette: The skirt flares out from the mid thigh region.

High-Low skirt: the skirt is short at the front and long in the back. The mullet of gowns if you will.

Train: This is a sweep of material that trails behind the lady as she walks.

Examples of interesting historical gowns.

Sack-back gown or robe à la française: Popular in the 18th century. This style has the fabric gathered and streaming from the shoulders like a cape. The gown is open at the front to show the stomacher and petticoat. Here panniers will be worn, the wider the richer the lady. This gown often had ¾ length sleeves.

Robe à la polonaise: This is a gown with a skirt that is cutaway, draped and ruffled at the overskirt. It can also be fitted.

Robe à l'anglaise: Similar to the francaise, the back of the gown was pleated into a cape like train. The gown was open in front to show the petticoat and the sleeves reached the elbows.

Tudor Style: This gown has a square neckline which may or may not include a sheer. The sleeves an be fitted to elbow and then billow out, lined with fur or are fitted at the elbow and wrist, showing the chemise underneath.

Chiton: This dress is often seen in Roman or Greek art. The Doric version was made by draping material over the body and fastened at the shoulder by clasps The Ionic chiton version was draped about the body and pinned at the waist.

Civil War Gown: These gowns featured drop shoulder sleeves, had low necklines, and ridiculously voluminous skirts. All this had to have petticoats and crinoline to keep the shape.

Tea gown: These gowns were seen in 19th century clothes. They had little form or structure and were often made of light fabrics.

Russian court dress: This gown consisted of robes worn over a tablier, with a boat neckline and cold shoulder sleeves.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Wardrobe: Fabrics

We often call clothes silk when they are satin, velvet where they are velveteen or we have no clue what we’re on about. So today let’s look at fabrics.

Laying down the law

Many renaissance/mediaeval societies governed over who could wear what. By adding these laws you had a layer of depth to your world.

Women and men could only be dressed n clothes benefiting their position

Female servants or their daughters could not wear veils costing more than twelve pence

Knightly families could not wear cloth of gold or sable fur or velvets

The wife or daughter of a labourer were not to wear clothes beyond a certain price or a girdle garnished with silver

Cloth of gold and purple silk only worn by the royal family. This goes for ermine.

The importation of silk and lace foreigners was prohibited when the kingdom produced those textiles.

Peasant Clothing (Beggars to Merchant classes)

Wool: This was the staple of much of the clothes owned by peasants. It was in supply and it wasn’t as costly as most fabrics when undyed. It was also warm.

Linen: Forget about softness. Peasant linen was made of coarser weaves and flax. It was heavier than noble linen.

Cotton: A lightweight fabric used in hotter climates. It was softer than the linen and airier.

Fustian: heavy cloth woven from cotton, for menswear.

Leather: Leather was used for boots and shoes rather than killer jackets.

Nobility & Royalty

Cloth of Gold: Cloth made from woven threads of gold (very expensive)

Cloth of silver: cloth made from woven silver strands (very expensive)

Samite: a rich silk fabric woven with gold and silver threads

Tulle: A netting sort of material

Brocade: rich silk fabric with raised patterns sewn on it.

Cambresine: fine, lightweight linen

Cambric: thin white cotton or linen

Cypress: gauze made of cotton or silk

Damask: like brocade but the patterns are flat

Delaine : light wool/mixed wool and cotton

Lawn: sheer plain-woven cotton or linen

Sarsenet: fine and soft silk

Sateen: glossy cotton or wool

Satin: closely woven silk, shiny

Taffeta: Thickly woven silk

Velvet : piled fabric of silk, cotton or synthetic material

Velvetine: cotton with silk pile

Saxony: fine, delicate woollen fabric

Alençon Lace: intricate floral lace with three-dimensional corded detail sewn onto a fine tulle backing

Chantilly Lace: lightest of lace

Charmeuse: smooth, flowing, silk, cotton,

Chiffon: sheer and lightweight fabric

Crepe de Chine: thicker, lightly textured silk

Dupioni: crisp lusturous silk

Organza: sheer and lightweight fabric of very fine weave silk

Georgette: sheer fabric of silk

Guipure Lace: heavier lace

Designs

Embroidery: Patterns sewn on the fabric by thread

Appliqué: decorative fabric, often lace or floral motifs, sewn onto the main material

Embellishment: details such as beads, crystals, sequins, pearls

Trim: a line of material or fur that finishes off a hem or cuff.

Piping: a cord lining the fabric creating a ribbed look.

Colours

Here are the colours that you will catch your people wearing. Keep in mind that dyes had to be sourced and could be very expensive.

Peasant: brown, red or gray.

Nobility: Gold, silver, crimson or scarlet, deep indigo blue, violet colors and even deep black and pure white colors

Royalty: Purple

Furs

Mink: Soft and lightweight, silkly and glossy furs

Fox: Long, lustrous, colourful and easy to dye.

Ermine: White fur streaked with black (ONLY FOR ROYALTY)

Sable: long, luxurious, dense but light.

Wolf: thick, tough, warm but has a bad smell

Vair: fur from a red squirrel really only used for trimming.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Wardrobe: Cloaks, Mantles and Capes

Every fantasy has somebody donning a cloak. The cloak has become a staple in a fantasy wardrobe. So lets delve into the wardrobe.

Kinds of Historical cloaks

Paenula: Also called a sagum. Though worn by both men and women, this cloak was popularized by Roman Soldiers and by Roman officers. It was constructed of a rectangular piece of material that reaches the knee and fastened by a clasp called a fibula.

Lacerna: The purple cloak of Roman generals is similar to the paenula excepting that it was ALWAYS purple and fastened by a large brooch and the shoulders.

Leana: Another Roman cloak. It was thick and usually made of wool.

Palliuim: Named for the myth of Athena and her bestie Pallas, though this cloak could not protect a person like the mythical version. It was colorful and decorated cloak made for the wealthy to wear.

Mantle: The mantle loose drape of fabric worn over indoor clothes. It is really more cape than cloak.

Cardinal/Scarlet hooded cloak: This cloak was made wool that was doubly woven to make the cloth resistant to any weather. Don’t let the name fool you, they can come in every colour.

Materials

Wool: Warm, keeps in the heat, cheap and easy to come by. Worn both in warm and cold climates. (Fancy/everyday)

Satin: Light, airy (fancy)

Silk: Also light and airy, expensive. Worn in warmer climates or for events. (Super fancy)

Velvet: Thick, soft and expensive. Does not do well in rain. (Fancy)

Roughspun: A coarse sort of material that is heavy, warm and weather resistant. (Not fancy)

Gossamer: An airy fabric almost like finely woven netting. Glossy and super duper fancy. Though not worn in history, I just like how it looks.

Tartan: Thick, durable (and sexy thanks to Jamie Fraser). Tartan can be dyed in many colours and is warm AF.

Fastenings

Cloaks don’t stay on by the grace of gravity. Cloaks need to be fastened to the wearer.

Laces: Like shoelaces, the cloak can be closed by laces and tied to hold the cloak in place.

Clasp: A buckle to fasten one side of the cloak to the other. Can be as simple or as ornate as you like.

Buttons: Though less fashionable, a good button could hold your cloak on.

Brooch: A pin to keep the cloak from fall off, commonly pinned at the shoulder.

Cape vs Cloak: A death match

Cloaks: Covers from head to feet. Will have a hood. Cloaks would have been simple with very little ornament, though this has changed over the years.

Capes: Usually drapes to cover the back but could be draped over one shoulder. Will have no hood. Capes are usually worn at a costume party or a fancy dress, such as opera and masquerade. They are often embroidered, beaded and styled.

Designs

Cloaks can be shaped and styled in almost any way you like.

Arm slits: In Renaissance times, cloaks had slits for the arms to pass through.

Embroidery: Patterns sewn onto material to make shapes and designs.

Fancy clasps

Hoods: drapes that cover the head.

Linings: cloaks can be lined with another material. Fur and lambswool for warmth. Silk for pleasure.

Fur pelts: Fur can be sewn onto a cloak to make it warmer. Vikings often used wolf pelts. Beaver and dear are durable and warm.

Feathers: Feathers can line a cloak, leading to a lovely and fluffy style.

[inky-duchess]

Hey! I wanted to ask you if it was possible for people to dye their hair different colors such as purple, blue etc in the old times. I've searched about it but I'm only getting basic colors such as dark or light brown. Do you have any information on that?

Sorry for how late this is, I had to talk to a few people on this. Hair dye was used in all time periods and even some of the most drastic shades achieved today have a base in plants and herbs. Here are a few colours that can be achieved with day to day plants:

Brown/Black: Indigo is a plant and when applied with henna it creates tones of brown and black.

Orange/Red/Auburn: Henna applied directly to the hair can turn up a brassy orange. Repeated use darkens the shades to auburn.

Purple or Blue: Blackcurrant skins have recently been used in the modern hairdressing industry. When added to hair, it creates a vivid blue. You can create purple by using a blonde mix as well as blackcurrant.

Blonde: You can achieve blonde by the Roman way or the Celtic way. Roman prostitutes were required to have yellow hair and they used a special mixture made up of burned plant matter or certain nuts. The Celtic way is achieved by using crushed lime.