âšThe week for clothes and jewelry in TolkienÂŽs worldâš
This event is held by @tar-thelien
This week is dedicated to honoring the world Tolkien wrote about in his books.
To participate, tag your submission #tolkien fashionweek 2026 and/or #tolkien fashionweek and mention this blog.
This event does allow film adaptations, which I will tag as #tolkien fashionweek film adaptation, so while not a must, I would appreciate it if those submitting those would tag it (read reason in How to Join & Allowed Content)
I will be sharing late submissions when I see them, so if you donÂŽt finish in time, no need to fear :)
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I will share posts relevant to this event, but if they haven't been tagged for it, then I will tag it as #outside tolkien fashion week. This way, I get to share more fashion meta with everyoneâšâš
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BĂ«orians use primarily wool from sheep and alpaca, and fur, as well as flax and occasionally nettles.
BĂ«orian clothing includes long robes, dresses, breeches or leggings. Shawls, ponchos or other coverings and additional layers are not uncommon, especially in the colder months. Many BĂ«orians women and some men cover their hair in cold or dry weather and for ceremonial reasons.
Fur is used much more common by the BĂ«orians than either the Haladin, who use deer pelts but donât usually use thicker fur, or the Hadorians (who use it for hats, parts of shoes, and occasional trimmings). In Ladros, rabbit and hare fur are the most common but elk, reindeer, or wild goats are used for clothes as well as coats, hats, shoes, blankets, and trimmings.
Color is very important in ceremonial clothing and dyeing is a significant trade among the BĂ«orians.
Red madder root, woad, dyerâs croton, common marigold, alder, dayflower, yellow chamomile and black mulberry are among some plants valued for dyes. Earthen and stone pigments are also used.
Red madder dyes are of particular significance to the BĂ«orians. The deep red color is used to dye sashes and headwear that is traditionally worn during formal occasions.
Solid colors and abstract patterns, many with cultural meaning, are much more common in BĂ«orian clothing than in Hadorian ones. Geographic patterns are some of the most common and storytelling through these is a practice. Some of these patterns are carried over by refugees but many are lost.
Morwenâs personal style is austere, elegant and simple. Itâs very important to me that regardless of where she is, people find something off about her and I think this is at times also reflected in her manner of dress though often in ways other people canât quite articulate. She wears a lot of shawls and long robes.
I specifically headcanon that Morwen refused to use Hadorian clothing designs whenever possible. The clothing she made, before and after her marriage, used BĂ«orian design and custom to the extent that it could. Her embroidery almost entirely follows BĂ«orians patterns.
Among the other horrors and atrocities Morwen was exposed to during the Bragollach, she also witnessed the taking of trophies from her kin who lay dead or dying, including braids, jewelry and other pieces. This memory stays with her forever and though sheâd never acknowledge it, itâs one reason she dislikes wearing jewellery.
Post NĂrnaeth, Morwenâs clothes become increasingly worn and patched. She uses HĂșrinâs clothes for herself and for TĂșrin and then NiĂ«nor, wearing them but also using them to mend and patch others.
Some smaller items are also traded. (I think a lot about trade and resources in post NĂrnaeth Hithlum, both the underground trade and how resources are relegated in general but I will cut myself off here.
Many BĂ«orians in Hithlum had to relearn trades they had been doing their entire lives because of the differences in materials, processes and customs. As most had come with nothing, their clothing and possessions having been destroyed during the sudden flame, this was extremely disheartening and yet another aspect of the devastating losses of culture and customs.
As the climate of Hithlum is different from Ladros, red madder could no longer be used after the Bragollach among BĂ«orian refugees. The deep red it yields is also considerably less common among Hadorian clothing and customs, where alder is used to create red and orange shades.
I mentioned this on my post on Aerin and Hadorian fashion but Aerin at her unwilling wedding ceremony also has a tiny satchel of herbs Morwen gave her, sewn into an inner pocket. This includes several herbs BĂ«orian women wear around their weddings. Most are meant to be symbolic but the practical purposes including one used to intoxicate someone to the point where harm is more difficult, are more quietly known. She canât use it often but she does on occasion. The little satchels are usually leather or plant based fibres like nettle.
These herbs, or a similar species, are still found in Hithlum though prior to the NĂrnaeth, were not widely used.
Anyways I hope this is okay, I love Morwen so so much
A belated entry for @tolkienfashionweek, Day 13: Fiber & Jewelry & Material. Also in combination with Back to Middle-earth Month 2026, Day 28: EĂ€rwenâs Requests. This got quite long, wandered a ways from the focus on fashion, and turned rather melancholy, but I hope you enjoy!
~
In its earliest days, the forests of the Vales of Anduin in the shadows of the Misty Mountains were named LindĂłrinand, âthe Vale of the Land of the Singers,â by its first inhabitants, the Nandor. These elves had partaken in the first part of the Great Journey, but turned back at the mountains, preferring to remain in the beautiful woods. Their leader was LenwĂ«, known later as DĂąn.
Over time, this group and their descendants splintered into several sub-groups; among them were the Laiquendi, who crossed into Beleriand under the leadership of LenwĂ«âs son Denethor, and the Silvan elves, who remained LindĂłrinand and mingled with the Penni, an Avarin tribe who eventually made their way westward.
LindĂłrinand itself also changed, especially as the Dwarves of Khazad-dĂ»m (and later Men) took their axes to the trees of the forest. Eventually the wood was separated into Greenwood the Great to the north, and the much smaller forest of LĂłrinand, âthe Valley of Gold,â to the south.
(Here ends the mostly-canonical description of this land; what follows is mostly headcanon.)
The forest of LĂłrinand was made up primarily of beech trees, with other common trees being birches, gingkos, and willows, the autumntide golden leaves of the latter two giving the wood its âgoldenâ name. Bamboo, flax, and hemp also grew in the valley, cultivated by the Silvan elves, and the open glades between copses of trees were dotted with elanor flowers. The Silvan elves used birch bark and bamboo to create paper upon which they wrote poetry and music; they wove hemp and flax into linens to clothe themselves. Their telain (singular: talan), tree-platforms in which they made their homes, were constructed of fallen trees and of bamboo.
The two main cultures of Silvan elves diverged early on. The Northern Silvan folk were hunters and woodsmen, slaying prey, cutting trees, and breeding livestock. They did all this sustainably, but in these practices they differed substantially from their southern kin. The Southern Silvan elves, from which the Laiquendi sprung, were vegetarians and refused to take axes to trees. Thus while the Northern Silvans were (at first) amiable with Men and dwarves, the Southern Silvans shunned them and closed their borders to them. Ents, especially Entwives, were common visitors in their lands, though none were permanent residents, as the trees of the Valley of Gold were already well-shepherded by the elves.
Thus only the branches and trunks of naturally-fallen trees were used in construction in LĂłrinand. The Silvans of LĂłrinand did, however, farm and harvest âlesserâ plants, including linen and hemp, from which they weaved fibers for clothes, and bamboo, which they used as a building and crafting material. These Silvans likewise had no livestock; but a few families formed a clan of silk-makers, who discovered the secrets of silkworms and wove the finest silk-fabrics east of the Sundering Sea. (In Valinor, the elves were introduced to silk by VairĂ«, and did not develop that craft on their own. Still, the greatest of all elven weavers, MĂriel ĂerindĂ«, was of mixed Tatyarin-Nelyarin descent, and it was of these groups that the first Nandor were composed.)
In the Second Age, after the destruction of Beleriand, the Sindar and Noldor elves came eastward en masse. Nearly all the Noldor, and a sizable portion of the Sindar, dwelt in Lindon and Eriador on the western side of the Misty Mountains, but some Sindar journeyed further east, particularly those who had once been of Doriath. With them were some Laiquendi, the Guest-elves who had once served Denethor but were absorbed into Thingolâs folk after the First Battle of Beleriand; but for the most part the Laiquendi remained in the remnants of Ossiriand, their longtime home.
Thus came Oropher and his son Thranduil to the Vales of Anduin, and with them AmdĂr and his son Amroth. Both were lords of Doriath, and both were proud and unwilling to bow to any Noldo king. Their pride ended in a quarrel, from which their hosts divided. Oropher took two-thirds of their followers north to the Greenwood, and there established his realm, later assimilating into the Northern Silvan community; but AmdĂr went south with the remaining third, and came to LĂłrinand.
Now LenwĂ«, the original leader of the Nandor, had long ago traveled south and established a residence in the White Mountains, and none more was heard of him. But his sister Nimrodel* remained, and she was displeased with the Sindar who would make themselves lords of her people. She welcomed those of her long-sundered kin, descended from her nephewâs people, but treated AmdĂr with suspicion. But the Sindar brought with them jewels and metals from the West which were not to be found in LĂłrinand, and the greater part of the Silvan elves made them welcome. Thus Nimrodel removed herself to her white grotto, and continued to wear only the traditional garb of the Nandor, even while the world changed around her. There she daubed herself with white chalk in the ancient practice of ninkwi-helthwin, signifying her vow of solitude.
*Note: Nimrodel has no canonical relation to LenwĂ« or Denethor. This is purely my headcanon, as is her position as the once-leader of LĂłrienâs Silvan elves.
The Sindar brought with them different species of flax and hemp, furs of deer and elk, and seedlings of cedar and oak trees from Doriath. The new plants were welcomed and tended, though not all took to the new climate; but while the Sindar were permitted to wear their pelts and furs, they consented to cease hunting and abide by the customs of the Silvans in this manner.
Neither the Sindar nor the Silvans were adept in stonemasonry or smithery; but both had (somewhat reluctant, though for different reasons) trade with the the Noldor and the dwarves, both of whom were fabulous masons and smiths. Any decorations of stone or metal, and any jewels (other than those found uncut in the riverbeds of LĂłrinand) were thus obtained from commerce.
AmdĂr called himself King of LĂłrinand, but in truth he ruled only those Sindar he brought with him, the Silvans tolerating his lordship with some amusement but living mostly as they always had. His son Amroth, young and still desiring to see the wider world, left the Golden Wood and traveled further south, where he and a few companions joined the Falathrim Sindar of Edhellond. Among them were some of his motherâs kin, who welcomed him gladly, and there he dwelt for many centuries.
As the Second Age continued into its second millennium, the noble lady Galadriel came to LĂłrinand with her daughter CelebrĂan. They stayed there for 250 years. Galadrielâs influence upon the elves of LĂłrinand, combining her Noldorin and Falmarin heritage with her husbandâs Sindarin customs, was pronounced. Her garb and appearance were singular: she had ropes of coir (coconut fiber) from far-off AlqualondĂ«; cotton fabric from the fields of Yavanna in Aman; shell-jewelry from either side of the Sea; and most exotic of all, a shawl of byssus (sea silk), an heirloom of her mother, the Swan-maiden of the Falmari. Though none of these could be reproduced for the Silvans and Sindar to wear and use themselves, much work was done to emulate their appearance: bamboo ropes woven in the Telerin fashion, freshwater shells (before rarely harvested, and now used both for food and fashion), and a marked increase of silken garbs woven from native silkworms, which Galadriel herself adopted.
But perhaps the most impactful contribution brought by Galadriel were the mallorn saplings, given to her by Gil-galad, King of the Noldor, who in turn had them from King Aldarion of NĂșmenor. With AmdĂrâs leave, she planted them in LĂłrinand, and by the time they were full-grown, the name of the wood changed to LothlĂłrien, the Dreamflower, for Galadriel said the land now reminded her of the Gardens of LĂłrien in Aman, where mallorn trees first were grown. Some Silvans, and Nimrodel most of all, disliked this change, and though a few joined Nimrodelâs seclusion (including Mithrellas), most held their tongues or else departed for other lands.
But Galadriel and CelebrĂan did not stay forever. After the Fall of Eregion, they traveled through Khazad-dĂ»m, that kingdomâs last visitors before the Doors of Durin closed, to reunite with Galadrielâs husband Celeborn in the newly-founded haven of Imladris, and the family dwelt there for many years.
In the War of Eregion, Amroth son of AmdĂr returned to his fatherâs kingdom to defend LothlĂłrien. There the Sindar earned their renown and their place among the Silvans, for they led the defense of the forest, and many who had once disdained them came now to respect them. Around this time, Sindarin customs, fashion, and language became dominant, and some of the Silvan traditions were lost. The hunting of small game and the use of rabbit pelts even became allowed, though the taboo against the slaying of animals remained strong, and was not widely adopted.
Hearing of Amrothâs return to LothlĂłrien, Galadriel and Celeborn (and CelebrĂan their daughter) departed Imladris to meet him, for they had not seen him since he was a boy. AmdĂr welcomed them frostily, for he had only now reasserted his lordship over the land and was not keen for Galadriel to usurp the peopleâs favor once more. He and Amroth invited the couple to travel to Edhellond where Amroth had dwelt, and so they went, and dwelt there in Belfalas until the end of the Second Age.
In the War of the Last Alliance, AmdĂr led his people to battle alongside Oropher, where he perished along with many of his host. Most of these were Sindar, for the Silvans were hesitant to fight for a land not their own, and thus the host Amroth led back to LothlĂłrien was much diminished, and along with it the Sindar presence in his kingdom. But he did take upon himself the mantle of King, wearing a mantle of fur as part of his coronation, unmistakably a Sinda king.
But he and his followers were weary of war, and strove now to assimilate further into the customs of the Southern Silvans. Nimrodel came at last out of seclusion, and became a spiritual leader to rival Amrothâs political position, and against all odds the two of them fell in love, though Nimrodel refused to wed him. When Khazad-dĂ»m was finally destroyed and the dwarves ousted by Durinâs Bane, Nimrodel, growing weary of Middle-earth at long, long last, finally assented to marry her sweetheart, should he only join her in the long journey to Valinor.
Much is said of this sad tale, where they were separated, and Amroth drowned in the Bay of Belfalas where he once was prince; but as for Nimrodel, none know. The last she was seen was in the White Mountains, and there are those among the Silvan elves who hold she met her brother Lenwë there, long-sundered, and lived with him and his secretive folk. But more suspect she perished also, or else passed over the Sea alone.
At this time the people of LothlĂłrien were leaderless, and hearing of their plight and their plea for aid, Galadriel and Celeborn came again to the Golden Wood. (CelebrĂan was not with them this time, for she had wed Elrond, Lord of Imladris, and lived there with him.) In LothlĂłrien they stayed, now its Lord and Lady, and there they remained until the end of the Third Age, when Galadriel departed across the Sea.
For some years, East LĂłrien lingered under the leadership of Celeborn; but a new Age of Men had arisen, and the woods were shrinking and diminishing, and the mallyrn slowly dying. Thus, a hundred years into the Fourth Age of Arda, the last of the Silvan elves hid themselves away: either secreting into the grottos along the riverside, or fleeing into Greenwood the Great or perhaps further eastward, or following their lord at last to Aman. In the wood died Arwen Evenstar, CelebrĂanâs daughter, whose fate was that of Men; and for a time her grave was tended, but eventually even those last Silvans who had dwelt in the Golden Wood, now gone silvery in age, ceased to stir, and faded with their Avarin kindred from the knowledge of Men, taking with them their mallryn, their telain, and all their rich traditions.
@tolkienfashionweek day twelve | hair | elven hair customs
Hair is deeply important to the Eldar. Its length and style signify beauty and status. To those closest to the Valar, hair is only loose or uncovered in the most intimate settings, and touching it is a sacred act. Further from Aman, however, these customs are less severe, and unbraided hair is a common vanity among the Sindar in peacetime, though during war hair is tied for practicality. The highest-born among the Noldor take their names from their beautiful hair: FinwĂ«, their first High King, and most of his descendants have some reference to fin, âhair,â in their names.
For all elves, the touching of hair is a deeply intimate and personal, only done by oneâs dearest friends and family, and only with permission. This is pmartially due to custom and partially due to the sensitivity of the strands and especially the scalp.
Elven hair is rarely shorn, though some Avari practice ritual hair-cutting, and short hair is most often a sign of soul-deep grief, sorrow, and pain.
Thank you for a wonderful Tolkien Fashion Week! I loved to see what everyone came up with. Also, I deeply appreciate the work you put into everything.
If it happens again next year, is it possible to also give (additional?) general prompts? I had difficulties coming up with anything appropriate and thus abstained.
As a person gravitating towards irreverance and whimsy, I felt that my ideas may have read as disrespectful for those very well thought out prompts and therefore missed the point.
Maybe (additional?) general themes like "evening glamour" or "just a monday morning" would be fun to work with.
Thank you for joining <3
I should have been clear in my description for each prompt this year, that is my bad, the prompts donÂŽt need to be followed at all, but I will be sure to have one day next year with no prompts :)
I also really like the prompt "evening glamour" - I will make sure each day has an additional more broad promt as well :)
Thank you, everyone, those who made submissions, and those who liked and reblogged, for participating in Tolkien Fashionweek!
This event is still open for late submissions, just tag this event any time of year and I will be sure to share it here! You can also tag other posts with Tolkien Fashionweek if it is revelant and it will be shared.
I will make a poll sometime this week to see if we should do this again next year ^^
Day 14 - AU @tolkienfashionweekâAU designs âAnimal World
âTheir forms were so different in size and shape... Yet culture unified them, made them all the same. A part of the same court, with the same customs and the same fashion; if twisted, here and there, to accommodate what set them apart.â
inspired by the Robin Hood (1973) and @pipis-took's drawings of the LotR characters as Disney's style animals
Featuring: bat Foinelen [ @bluotbanner ], hound Anca [ @vinyatar ], snake Mel [ @angbands-last-hero ], cat Mairien and bunny CĂmrĂ« [ mine ]
Day 14 - AU @tolkienfashionweekâAU designs âSpace Exploration
âThough they were far away from home â amidst the endless sea of stars, drifting into darkness so vast it spanned for the ages, surrounded by metal and garbed in clothes so unlike those they've grown used to in their lives â they carried it within their hearts and found it in one another.â
EVA plugsuits inspired designs for @vinyatar's AU where elves go into space after reincarnating in Aman, featuring CĂmrĂ« and Vin's bright trashlord Anca as the "posterchildren" of the Voyage âš
For Tolkien Fashion week 2026 I'm presenting Preliminary Sketches for Costumes. They are usually basic pencil, rough drafts.
Last day, last drawing for @tolkienfashionweek
Day 14 - AUâAU designs
For the last day. I have an outfit CelebrĂan made for Elrond, once he reached Valinor.
I have a HC that CelebrĂan sews clothing and does Embroidery. Someone had to teach Arwen how to embroider. Book Arwen made Aragon's banner for battle and that's a lot of work. My own experience says that fibre arts tends to overlap. You don't do just one. So this outfit is CelebrĂan combining Sewing & Embroidery.
I've again chosen the Russian Kaftan as the inspiration. Mostly I love the high collar and fitted sleeves. I have also taken inspiration from the Tudor period and added Puff and Slash sleeves. They work on fitted sleeves too, but are far less common.
The shirt and pants are a Pongee silk, fitting with my "Sheer underlayers of the Vanya", on day 2.
The Kaftan itself is triple shot silk, in teal, blue and yellow.
On his chest is embroidered the star of EĂ€rendil. It is the actual Heraldry that Tolkien drew for EĂ€rendil.
The brocade cloak, she embroidered over the pattern to pick it out.
The Jewellery she had made. The throat brooch is a wing, representing Elwing and the shoulder clasps are his own heraldry, that CelebrĂan decided on when she got to Valinor. Badly drawn here, they are circles within circles, because Elrond was always part of those circles. Whether he tried to be in the background or not.
I've really enjoyed this prompt week. Thank you to the organiser.
What would Sauron have become in the modern world? The owner of a top consulting agency? An independent jewelry artist? A politician? Or perhaps he'd have combined several occupations? I'm sure he'd have been quite successful in today's world of standards, mass production, and corporate rules and systems.
Here's some his modern fashion look I combined for him. I purchased them from several seamstress and shops, not made myself. Yes, it's modern world of shops and mass production even for himđ so this can be considered as a collage or moodboard option.
He still minimalist and loves black color. Sometimes non formal! And gold, yes.
Day 13 - Fiber & Jewelry & MaterialâHow is it made & Who makes it & What is it made out off
For this day some headcanons.
First of all - Sauron made all his clothes and jewellery himself, 'couse he skilled craftsman. He often uses gold and gem stones fron South lands for his jewellery. But he likes mithril too.
People of Mordor use wool and cotton for their clothes. Orcs prefer leaver and linen. They all also wears golden accessories. And in orcish culture there are copper and iron accessories. Orcish smiths prefer bones and animal teeth than gems. I see orcs as animalistic elements lovers.
Many accessories of Mordor isn't unique. They are they are produced in batches industrially. Only Sauron wears truly unique jewelry.
Also there's imported materials from East and South.
Day 12 - Hair & MakeupâHairstyles & Makeup trends
Hair & Makeup is to show the makeup worn by different people, groups, social standings, gender, professions, etc., and the fashion trends around hair - loose, braided, covered, etc..
We don't know much about Sauron's appearance in the Third Age. He clearly had some kind of armor, his One Ring, and a terrifying black hands.
I assumed that, being a skilled sorcerer, Sauron didn't wear full armor outside of battle. The main color of his clothes is black. Of course, there's a lot of gold, since Sauron positioned himself as the returned Morgoth. I chose a black jacquard fabric with metallic threads for his costume. For accessories, he has a crown. The elves would probably find it ugly! Black armor for his hands. I didn't show the ring, since I believe Sauron wore it under his armor, not over it.
I decided to make the hairstyle as special detail this time. Firstly, the gray hair is a marker of Sauron's fall into darkness. Maiar don't age, so it would be very noticeable. The split toning: there are hidden white strands, symbolizing that there was once more than just darkness and evil in him.
I can't drawing well, so I prefer make craft instead. Also I have only one doll as my model so his face can't be changed.
