Flow like the River: A Guide to Lachosi Fashion

Flow like the River: A Guide to Lachosi Fashion is a tome discovered through use of Study-related Inquiries by Arnica.

## History

Following a visit to Stalrose Vineyard alongside Anivia Reman and other residents of Amber Run at the behest of Vincent Frostbrooke, Arnica found herself dipping her toes into the world of noble etiquette. Seeking further clarification, guidance and spurred by her own interest in the heritage of her original homeland, she sought out details to the fashion and clothing of Lachlen.

## Reading

### Completed by Arnica - Inquiry (Study)

Outwardly, one might be mistaken for assuming that like in many things, Lachosi culture when it comes to matters of fashion is influenced heavily by their Atral neighbours, and while there are certainly a number of similarities, the Lachosi have defined their own style for centuries, updating and innovating over the years, and are considered the forefront in many senses when it comes to the production of textiles popular amongst the Realms of the southern coast of the continent.

Both the Land of the Earldoms and the Kingdom of Valour are unified in their love of vibrant dress, with brightly coloured coats, cloaks and skirts popular throughout, often with multiple layers of competing and complimentary colours drawing the eye much as a striking floral bloom might stand proud from a meadow or riverbank. The Lachosi are distinguished by their proclivity towards a foundation of practicality however, base layers of velvet, silk and wool to ensure comfort first in a well-made and reliable manner. Upon this flourishes are then added, with choice of gloves and belts considered amongst the integral part of Lachosi fashion. Gloves may be sturdy and simple for matters of work or war, whereas finer pieces may be reserved for more formal events and adorned more greatly. While a functional base of leather is common for the provision of a belt, it is custom to have several trailing pieces of fabric, usually diaphanous silks thin and light enough to catch the passing breeze. Bulking is placed at the shoulders and upper arm in male dress, often slashed through to carefully reveal a new colour beneath. By contrast, female dress often emphasised the waist and likewise featured slashing at the side to display the colours of the garment beneath, and then topped over with fox or stoat fur-lined *houpelande*, a type of long full body garment with flared sleeves worn by all genders, albeit most commonly for ceremonial purposes. Those wealthy enough to do so often accessorise their hair with nets laden with studded gemstones or semi-precious polished stones, while those less so might instead use a leather band decorated in a similar manner to waist belts.

The Weavers of Lachlen have long experimented with combining different fabrics, excelling in use of draw looms to engage in a range of techniques to produce an increasingly wide range of options. Although working frequently with linens and wool, it is for silk that the Lachosi are best known, having proven the first amongst the Realms to learn the process of breeding, raising and feeding silkworms to provide sufficient quantities of the fabric for working. Acting as a collaboration between artisans, weavers often work alongside painters to design their patterns, which can range from the ever-popular inclusion of floral-like features with gold and silver thread upon coloured silk, to large tapestry-like creations depicting the gods of the Principal Sixteen. Likewise, as more complex silk-weaving looms have been created by tinkerers, it has become increasingly fashionable for the nobility to maintain a brocaded family tree that is continuously added to and updated throughout the years. Lachosi Brocades have demanded a high price over the centuries, and the skills to create them reliably likewise, and so many amongst the noble and wealthy have taken to using sashes woven from the fabric at their belt in place of more traditional threads as a mark of their prestige and affluence. Further still, variations on the brocade style have started to occur in more recent years too, with Alarie Damask, which has a similar interweaving that creates a reversible pattern but uses different fabrics for each layer and Lussier Lampas, which works particularly well with so-called bizarre silk patterns, those of great asymmetry in their designs. Such is the complexity achievable by a suitably determined and skilled weaver that it has much become a competition - generally well-spirited - to create the most intricate and involuted design, with each artisan presenting their efforts annually during the Tinkerer's Fair on the first day of Ardor.