Fashion in Mechandre

Clothing in Mechandre is typically split along economic and cultural lines. The Vieurais populace brought their fashions with them, whilst the indigenous populace retains their own style of dress (the Gwae-suk). There is, of course, some bleed over between the two, and the native clothing styles are, to some extent, fading in areas of affluence such as cities; however, more remote areas remain insulated from this effect.

Dae-Jukdae
The dae-jukdae wear rather drab and plain clothing, as befits their status and restricted budget. Classically, they wear hemp slippers or sandals (Shu-bae), along with a plain, loose fitting shirt (Ji-bai) and loose trousers that are tied at the ankles, or other desired height, by cords attacked to the lower hem (Kwan). Women may also wear long skirts (Kaekwan) that can be converted into shorts by bringing the length of the skirt back between the legs and wrapping around the thigh. The arrangement is held in place by being tucked into the waist.

Their hair is typically long, and either worn down, or tied back with cloth that acts as a sweat band (gyeoshi). Wide hats (duran) may also be worn to keep the sun off of the face, head and neck.

Leu-Jukdae/Man-Jukdae
The Leu- and Man-jukdae are typically very similarly dressed, coming from relatively comparable economic circumstances, and thus having similar budgetary constraints. Most often, they will wear leather shoes (seok-he), or wooden ones (eul-he).

For females, the classic outfit features a long skirt that comes down to the mid-calf. This skirt (chi-wa) differs from conventional skirts in that it continues up the body, trying off above the breasts. They are often also supported by a pair straps over the shoulders to take the weight of the fabric. Over these large skirts, a short top is worn (ji-bangweo). This covers the arms and the upper body, concealing the straps of the chi-wa.

A woman's hair is typically worn up, held in place by a long hairpin (binwa) or in a long braid. Young girls will wear their hair down, plaited and tied off at the bottom with a bright red ribbon (sheon-we. Lit: Hair ribbon). It is seen as a transition into womanhood when parents permit their daughters autonomy over their hair, and the removal of their sheon-we. At this time, the woman will take to wearing a ribbon around the top of her chi-wa (chi-wa-we). The presentation of this length of fabric to a person is seen as either an offer of courtship, or acceptance of a courtship that has been offered. As such, ribbons serve a function in marking the availability of a woman. This principle applies to women of all classes.For men, typical clothing consists of a a loosely fitting shirt with or without full length sleeves (ji-bangweo) in a dark or subdued colour, and a pair of similarly loosely fitted pants (hyoo-gae). If the jibangweo is without sleeves, a second loose shirt with sleeves will be worn underneath it (wae-jibangweo).

A man belonging to the Leu-jukdae or Man-jukdae will either wear his hair long and tail back in a braid or ponytail, or a few inches in length, kept in orderly fashion.

Han-jukdae
Men of the han-jukdae dress in much the same manner as their lower counterparts. The core of the outfit is comprised of seok- or eul-he, with a ji-bangweo and hyoo-gae. The predominant difference between the han-jukdae and those below them is that their hair is worn in a top knot (fu). The hair itself may or may not be held in place with a snug cap (fu-gae) with a hole in the top for the top knot itself. Additionally, they will typically wear long silken coats over their outfits, cinched by thin bands of cloth.

As with their male counterparts, women wear similar clothes to those below them. The primary differences are that their ji-bangweo are more elborate, colourful and embroidered. Their chi-wa are also longer, nearly touching the floor as opposed to ending at the mid-calf. They also often wear a cloth head-dress called a jinfu, which may or may not include a length of cloth that covers the back of the head and neck.

Ban-jukdae
The ban-jukdae are the most extravagantly dressed of all the native social classes, characterised by the presence of ornate but lightweight headwear. For men, this headwear is called the guecho-dan, and is typically worn over a fu-gae. Additionally, their ji-bangweo are longer, typically coming to the knee rather than the hip. A special case of the guecho-dan is the ban-gae, which is the crown of the king.

For women, the dresscode of this class is more starkly different to their subordinates than is typical for men. They wear elaborate and colourful layered outfits, known as fue-yoon or fue-guel, featuring long cuffs and floor length skirts with many colours and patterns. Their headwear is known as a jokdan, and may be worn with or without a cloth head covering (shu-gae).

Méyieuxs
Though rarely seen in Mechandre, Vieurais peasants do periodically make an appearance in the land. As with their native counterparts, they are characterised by a simple style of dress. Men will typically sport a beard and longer hair, sometimes accompanied by a brimmed hat. They will usually be seen wearing a loose vest or hip-length tunic over baggy trousers and a pair of shoes or boots. Their women will most often wear a similarly plain dress of ankle length, accompanied by a white apron and a pair of slippers or sandals. Their hair is typically worn tied back, or up so as to not be in the face during work and wind.

Medians/Commercents
The medians class are recognisable by the hoods that they wear over their tunics. The garment covers the shoulders is designed to cover the head, though it is rarely used for this purpose. In the case of inclement weather, a woolen cloak with a sturdier hood is preferred for the purpose.

The average man's outfit typically consist of tunics that extent to the hip, and jackets with fur trimming on the sleeves. Breeches are worn as undergarments for the lower body, with brightly hued hose over them as the outer layer. Short hair and a close-cropped beard are the fashionable mainstays of the men of this class, but some more aspirational individuals might opt for a carefully-tended moustache instead.

For women, a simple chemise and plain skirt form a layer of underwear. Over this, a belted kirtle was typically worn. Slippers or leather shoes are the classical footwear of the middle class Vieurais woman. As before, the hair is typically worn up, often braided and pinned to the head.

Gentiles and  Eléves
The aristocracy take the simple dress of the medians and make a more elaborate showing of it. For men, the basic style of dress remains, though tunics lengthen and become more ornate and flattering to the form. Shoes give way to boots, and a sword appears upon the belt, worn across the side of the body. The hood is also replaced with the chaperon.

For women, the undergarments become more ornate, with snug sleeves that are often decorated in the knowledge that they will be on show. These sleeves will often extend as far as the knuckles of the hand. Over this, a more ornate dress is worn, typically with no sleeves so as to compliment the chemise beneath. Hair is worn half-up half down, covered by hairnets with jewels.