Yzelian Fashion

Overview

Fashion within Yzel is mainly composed of jewelry and sashes as a show of wealth, status, occupation, relationship status, and many other things. Sashes in particular are very associated with Yzelian culture. Short hair is also very common, along with a high affinity for bright, saturated colors. 

Clothing

The current trends within Yzelian clothing come from the new royal family, the Sranten. While the basic style is the same for all classes, there are particulars that define wealth and status within a society. Loose, drop pants are worn for informal occasions and tend to be composed of cotton, silk, or satin depending on the wealth of the wearer. Tighter pants are generally considered more formal. In either instance, saturated black or brown are the most popular colors. Generally, saturated colors are the way people express wealth. Pale colors are for the lower classes due to the expense of dyes.
Tunic shirts are worn on the upper half of the body. These are often snug in the chest and fall between the lower hip and the knees. They can be of almost any color. Length is more associated with personal preference or career than wealth. For example, those who work in labor intensive professions will wear shorter tunics so their clothing does not interfere with their work. The sleeves of the tunic can be of any length and are almost always fitted to the arm or closely so. Different colored cuffs can be used as a color language (see below) and are often embroidered in silver or gold, with many jewels sewn in on those belonging to people of high wealth and social standing. Embroidered jewels all over the outfit were once high fashion, but have fallen out of favor with the rise of the new dynasty. Instead, jewels can still be sewn in, but they are subtler and patterns epitomizing 'less is more' to create visual appeal are favored. Jeweled shoes are also highly popular and is generally where the most money is spent.
Sashes are the most striking part of a Yzelian's attire. The number, color, and placement of sashes is very distinct. A loose sash worn around the shoulders is a basic style that anyone can wear. A single sash over right shoulder signifies a person looking for employment. Over the left is a search for a romantic partner. Crossed from left to right, a single sash represents a merchant. Two sashes done in this way shows a highly profitable one. From right to left is generally worn by government officials, with greater importance shown by decoration and number. Sashes around the waist can leave some hanging or not, which also carry meaning. A knot at the right with no hanging shows that the person work with their hands often. Hanging material indicates they are in charge of such people. At the left side, no hanging can show that one is a member of a guild or military faction, while a hanging piece notes that they are highly important in one. This is not an exhaustive list and only meant to provide examples. Color and patterns on the sash are also taken into consideration.
Lastly, pieces of plate armor have become very popular. These are usually seen across one side of the chest, held on by decorated leather cording, or on the hips. Steel, iron, or tin can be used and the plates are often decorated with symbols meaningful to the wearer, generally guild insignia, family crests, or military branch. However, simple personal taste can also dictate the designs used.

Colors

Saturated colors are often seen in the upper classes, with pale colors generally associated with those who cannot afford dyes. The general meanings of each color are listed below.

• Meanings of colors: blue (riches, royalty, high social standing), orange (adaptability, poverty, competition), red (loyalty, success, passion), yellow (bright future, warmth, warning), green (death-body turns sickly green/yellow, respect, renewal), pink (trust, romance, calmness), white (foreign, other, spirituality), black (stability, science, level headedness), brown (earth, architecture, strength)

Motifs

Patterns are seen more often than specific animal or nature motifs. Zig-zag patterns often indicate strength and are often worn on the border of present and former military members. Flowing, leaf like patterns are favored in women's fashion and often are used by the young when seeking out a romantic partner. Men will often wear vines instead when going about the same purpose. Geometric shapes such as squares, circles, and triangles are also popular and are generally based on personal preference. The sun and depictions of wind are also highly popular.

Hair Styles

Most hair within Yzel is done in short styles. This was popularized by sailors who wanted simple styles that would not need maintenance at sea. Most who live in the southern areas of the country tend to keep their hair at shoulder length or shorter regardless of gender. As one moves north, the hair becomes progressively longer, generally stopping between the shoulder blades. A few who want to appear more exotic will grow their hair longer, but this is rare. Short ponytails, scattered braids, or buns are the most popular styles. Twists are often popular for women and some will create intricate knots despite the shorter hair length.

Hair Ornaments

Most commonly, hair is adorned with either hats or various forms of jewelry. Hats have been popular in Yzel for centuries and over the years have changed. Wealth and status are often shown through the use of hair adornments, although this is less important than other forms of jewelry.

Hats

Men and women wear differing hats among the Yzelian people. Common elements of the hats include material and complexity. A man and woman of similar wealth and status will wear hats of similar quality. For men, hats are generally in the newsboy or veil style. Younger men tend toward the former and often have straps or tassels hanging from either side. One small tassel indicates a young man looking for work and began with sailors who used the signal to differentiate themselves from other men around docks. This came to symbolize a boy looking for employment in general. Straps are seen more in the lower to middle class as they are easy to care for and replace. Ornate tassels are found mostly in the upper classes and are used to show wealth. Veils tend to fall toward the back of the body and are almost exclusively used by the upper class. Delicate fabric and jewels are mixed together to create ornate pieces.
Women's headgear is often found in veils, similar to men, and twisted ribbons. Any age can wear either garment, but younger women tend to wear ribbons while the older prefer veils. Women's veils tend to be longer than those for men, often reaching the mid to lower back in the highest classes. Ribbons are simple to manufacture and can come in many styles suitable for all classes. Colors follow the color meanings above. However, patterns can also be woven in for a more in depth meaning. For example, a woman seeking to expand her social circle would wear a red ribbon around her head as a show of how loyal she would be to these potential companions. In searching for employment, a woman will wear two ribbons of equal length twisted into her hair and ending at the exact same place to show her attention to detail.

Crown Pieces

Another popular form of headwear sits on the front of the head and often reaches to the middle. They are often referred to as 'front crowns'. Men and women are likely to wear them. Most are composed of sparse amounts of woven metal, generally gold or silver for those who can afford it. For those who cannot, they may be made of simple threat. The woven pieces show intricate designs and patterns. For the upper classes, jewels are worked into the detailing. Sapphires and topaz are the most commonly used for the pieces. Large and small stones are used to create images or specific patterns. In general, front crowns are not used for daily wear, but instead are often reserved for formal occasions.

Jewelry

Yzelians are fond of jewelry and many will wear at least one or two pieces daily. Their pieces are typically composed of silver due to the high association of gold with Eoion.

Necklaces

Necklaces are often short, tending to fall at the mid-sternum at the longest. They are composed of several strands laying beside one another and connected to a single clasp. Beading and gems are popular for the composition of necklaces and are often used in tandem with one another. Colors and color combinations follow the same structure as listed above. When metals are used outside of simply a holder for the beading, it is minimal and tends to wrap around the beads as another form of container for the more important jewel. Chokers can be seen in daily wear and will often feature a crest or other symbol important to the wearer. Multi-stringed necklaces are often reserved for formal occasions, although the rich will sometimes wear them daily. Longer necklaces are more popular with women while the choker style and those resting to just below the clavicle are seen mostly on men.

Earrings

Yzelian earrings tend to come in one of two styles. First, a string of jewels held in place by swirling strings of thin metal. The length of the strand, type of metal, and type of gemstone held are all dependent on occasion and the wealth of the wear. Sapphires are held as patriotic and are often worn by the royal family and nobility. The middle classes will generally have at least one set of sapphire earrings used for national holidays, but there is no restriction in their use outside of this. Men are more likely to wear longer earrings in daily use whereas women tend to wear shorter pieces. Multiple strands are seen in the upper classes. The second type is a cuff style also made of swirling metal. They create cages around the ears that can be seen through the shorter hairstyles. These often have small pieces of silk woven around them or hanging down with little gemstones at the ends. The style of cuff was imported from ancient Eoion and, while the cuff style has fallen out of fashion there, the modern version has become something distinctly Yzelian.

Bracelets

Thin bangles are the most popular form of Yzelian bracelet. They are often approximately a centimeter in width, although some as wide as three are sometimes seen. One to three gems are inlaid into the top of the piece and this is often all. The band itself, depending on the status and wealth of the owner, may be a simple strip of metal or it could have intricate designs carved into it. Some of the most detailed can depict whole festival processions or events from the lives of the gods. Multiple are often worn over the sleeves of garments. A person of high fashion will coordinate their ornate cuffs with the bracelets they wear in order to show a certain story or theme and ensure they do not contradict one another.
Ankle bracelets are a particular type worn exclusively by athletes, dancers, and other performers. They are very similar to those worn on the wrists, only their placement differs.

Rings

Two and three fingered rings are most prominently seen in Yzel. These have slots for multiple fingers rather than one. Mostly seen on the rich, these do not allow a great deal of movement and two holed rings are favored by those of the lower classes when they wish to appear more formal or refined. Rings are not considered daily wear unless a person's job requires them to be more formal. Single hole rings can be worn, but are mostly subtle, with a single band and small jewel only. These, like the bracelets, can have intricate carvings as well. Personal preference dictates the design of the rings more than anything else.

Chains

Silver, copper, or gold chains are sometimes worn on the hip in a sash format. These tend to be only used during formal occasions and by the rich as a way to dress up their already present hip and shoulder sashes. They can be independent pieces or attached to the fabric itself. Highly intricate pieces fashioned from up to one hundred chains are seen on the extremely wealthy in designs that settle on the shoulders and contain hanging jewels.

Make up

Most make up in Yzel is designed to highlight the eyes and cheeks. Dark make up on the eyes is intended to make the eyes stand out. Men tend to wear more eye make up than women as they are the ones trying to present why they should be the ones to be chosen over others for marriage. A high class man must outmaneuver all others for a suitable woman. Women, on the other hand, tend to be the ones to highlight their cheeks. Rosy cheeks and high bones are associated with good genes and high status.