Mordax et al

I have many questions to get to and rest assured that the answers to them are coming. However there is a topic of particular interest to myself which I have wished to cover, and, returning to this blog after its recent activity (and my recent less… studious activities) I think it is fair that I address a topic which pleases myself and hope that it enlightens some of you as well.

That topic is fashion, or at least it is clothes and the construction thereof. Due to the vast range of body sizes and shapes on Derse, and also on Prospit, neither moon has developed a culture of ‘prêt-à-porter’ or ‘off the rack’ clothing, since it would be impractical to factory-produce garments which would only fit a stringently limited number of people.

Instead, Derse and Prospit have a thriving tailor/seamstress culture whereby all clothing is made to fit exactly to the measurements of the individual purchasing it. Since the practice is so in demand, even citizens with the most limited incomes can afford fitting services. Good tailors are quite highly respected especially by the more wealthy population. While a completely new garment can take a while to produce this way, there are also (rather expensive) ‘one-hour-tailoring’ services, which specialize in quickly fitting somewhat pre-made designs to a purchaser, but this is far from standard practice.

Some might guess that a Dersite wardrobe might be very limited, each person only owning a few pieces, however this is a false impression. Most Dersites that I know own a full wardrobe comparing to or larger than those I am aware of on Earth. I believe the first impression comes from rather the homogeny and harmony of the designs worn by Dersites– the variety of cuts and styles are significantly more limited than in Earth fashion, and I will address those styles in a moment.

First I will address color. Dersites wear black, almost exclusively, and occasional dark greys, purples and blues, with white and red considered the ‘highlight’ colors of choice, but these must be used sparingly. Wearing an outfit dominated by bright colors is considered offensively flashy, and in fact downright ugly. I believe this may have something to do with Dersite visual acuity and color perception, given their need to see well in a low-light environment. Regardless their use of color is limited, for instance a bright green belt worn with an otherwise all-black outfit would be considered quite a daring fashion choice, almost overwhelmed by color. As Prospitians in contrast, tend to wear outfits made of bright, multi-contrasting colors, you would be correct in assuming that Dersites find their counterpart’s fashion overwhelmingly disgusting.

One might consider a wardrobe built of nearly all black and dark tones rather drab, but I find that the longer I have lived on Derse, the more I am able to pick out the different tones and hues of black, and in fact there is quite a variety. I will not hide that I have become quite enamored of Dersite fashion and own quite an impressive wardrobe myself. I have been lucky to find myself often in the company of one of Derse’s ‘best dressed’, the Draconian Dignitary, a man whose style is as impossible to match as his cool demeanor. It is partially thank to him that I am able to dialogue so fluently on this subject.

Turning to cuts and styles the most obvious difference between Earth and Dersite fashions is the ubiquitous prevalence of the diagonal hem. Dersite garments almost universally favor an asymmetrical cut, longer on one side, or coming to a triangular point. This is especially notable on the coats and tunics of the official palace uniform, but I assure that it dominates civilian fashion as well. It is most notable in bottom-hems (sleeves, bottoms of coats, skirts) but occasionally shows up in necklines and lapels as well. A garment with a level bottom hem is very unusual indeed.

Aside from the diagonal hem, one may notice that the main style of Dersite clothing is distinctly far from what we would consider modern; its styles more akin to British fashion from around the Baroque period to the Victorian. Later styles occasionally creep in but in the main, not. Doublets, frock coats, puffy sleeves, structured dresses, breeches, cravats, etc are all common items of dress. Speaking of breeches– when I arrived on Derse, I thought that the men did not wear any pants under their tunics and coats. While this is sometimes the case, typically men wear tight fitting leather breeches, which, due to the color matching their shell, makes it difficult to tell that they’re wearing anything at all, unless you look for their knee joints.

And speaking of joints, allow me please to digress into eroticism in clothing for a moment. Obviously, exposure of the joints is considered racy, especially of the shoulders. Strapless/sleeveless dresses are extremely evocative. Midriff baring attire is considered borderline scandalous, rather like a topless woman, but for either gender, and it is usually, but not entirely avoided.

To address materials, Dersites and the rest of the medium favor natural fibers over synthetic. Cotton, linen, wool, silk, leather etc. Of these, silk is the cheapest and most common, as it is the only one which is farmed on Derse, and does not need to be imported. Due to this, silk-velvet is an extremely common fabric for clothing, lending an interesting textural dimension to Dersite outfits, especially when contrasted with the texture of their shells. The tunics and coats of the palace uniform are wool-velvet, with silk lining. Leather and wool are the most luxurious fabrics and tend to be used in more elegant fashions.

Due to the Dersites internal temperature regulation and ability to withstand cold without much notice, there is rarely much attention paid to dressing for warmth specifically, and thick or airy garments might be worn in the same outfit without much fuss. For myself, of course my out wardrobe has a surfeit of heavier pieces, owing to my own inability to regulate temperature as well.

It occurs to me at this juncture that without much effort, I could continue on in the subject of fashion for… let us say quite some time. Rather that have this article continue ad-infinitum I believe I will instead close here, and cover other details at a later date- accessories, stitches, undergarments, etc. If any of my readers have particular questions on the subject of Dersite fashion please do send them in, and I assure I will answer with much enthusiasm.