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The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:16 pm
by Darnokthemage
The Clothing of Tolkiens Elves are a mystery for me, the only depiction of one we have is Beleg who is wearing a pair of breeches, a short black jacket, stockings, a frizzled shirt and a pair of red pointy shoes. This paints a rather mumbled picture, and i'll be working hard on trying to dechipher it into acceptable clothes for an Elf.

My other drawings, most often of Elrond, are inspired by the flowing layers of the Etruscans. I like the patterns, the thick borders and flowery nature of it.

The only other mentions we get are of colours, and the elven cloaks of course. But what else? Do any of you have good ideas of te clothes that the Elves might have worn?

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2019 6:55 pm
by Darnokthemage
Now that i look closer, the other elf does have details too! a pair of high breeches, sock-less with a red cap on the side and a pair of brown shoes.

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:56 am
by Udwin
Was literally just discussing this with my partner earlier this week. I was also drawing a blank, aside from colors (chiefly "grey" and "white") there isn't much to go on. Haldir's scouts have fur-cloaks, and that might be about it as far as specific details.
I'm becoming fond of Pauline Baynes depiction of Mirkwood elves wearing these cool layered leaf-cloaks.

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 7:38 am
by Darnokthemage
Yeah, i quite like the Elven leaf-cloaks and tunics!



I've also just completed my Elrond clothing art. He is more inspired by thetruscans and greeks of old then the more Middle Earthy germanic peoples. There is some slavic influences too, the linen undertunic is tied together with quute slavic-like embroideries.

His clothes would be as said, a linen undergarment with purple silk Embroideries.
Over that is a Purple silk toga, or a similar large wrap-like garment.
On top of that is a wool (maybe wool and silk?) coat, with silk embroideries and bands. The wool is quite thin.
On top of it all is a Cloak, maybe made from Mallorn bark and wool, weaved in colourful patterns like the ones tolkien drew for the Elves house shields.

Complete it with a belt and shoes out of red leather, with silver embroideries.
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Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:11 am
by Iodo
Nice work :P that's a very interesting interpretation

I'm not a fan of the leaf tunic idea, I always imagined elven clothing to be very simple in design but to appear to have flowing curves and lines that emulate nature without actually trying to copy it, I'm probably making no sense, it's very hard to explain :mrgreen: maybe if I get time I'll draw a picture :?:

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:23 am
by Darnokthemage
I did a fast interpretation of one of the Elves leaf tunic, excluding the belt, which is a fantasy creation.

The leaf-clothing is an interesting beast. I do not think civilian Wood-elves would wear them daily.
As we can see, Thranduil is not wearing one, and many of the cloaks are just wool cloth. This signals to me that it is clothing for Outdoor and forest wear. I really like the idea of cloaks using the technique.

I think they are likely to have changed according to the season.
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Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 2:47 pm
by Iodo
The thing I have trouble with is imagining what the leaves would be made of, actual leaves wouldn't make a lot of sense, scale armor is kind of similar but is heavy and noisy so not the best, if it were felted wool it wouldn't be an advantage over an ordinary wool tunic, it could possibly be made from leather?

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 3:51 pm
by Darnokthemage
I think it's just wool sewn onto a normal wool or linen tunic.

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:15 am
by Iodo
maybe camouflage then?

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2019 10:01 am
by Darnokthemage
Oh yes, it is very much made for camoflage and forest-wear.

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2019 7:38 pm
by Darnokthemage
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Here are more of my elven stuff, including a recoloured Elrond, much less garish.

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 12:36 am
by Taylor Steiner
Wow beautiful!

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 8:32 pm
by Darnokthemage
All of these are just sketches, but i like showing them off. The red caps are inspired by Tolkiens only drawing of elves. Where an elf lies down with a red cap on their side, suspiciously looking just like the ones the dwarves use.


That picture also shows the Elves wearing high-waisted breeches, something that i at first disliked. I though about it a bit more and looked at Pauline Baynes depiction, where one of the elves are bare-legged, with woven bands twined around the ankles. Would it not make sense for him to be wearing a pair of these Elven Breeches under the Tunic? I do not think he was doing it the kilt-way.
Id that is te case, and Elves really do wear Breeces, we may have founs a very Universal Middle Earth garb, Breeches.

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 11:57 pm
by Udwin
Tolkien _does_ say in Letter 211 (IIRC) that males (presumably all races) at Shire latitudes would wear "breeches, whether hidden by a cloak or long mantle, or merely accompanied by a tunic."!
He goes on to presume that there was likely also a lot of local/racial cultural styles, but that's a good starting point.

Re: The Elves! The elves! What are we going to do with the Elves!

Posted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:03 am
by Darnokthemage
Breeches and hosen/socks seem quite universal in the north. Anyone have examples of breech-like wear that look elven.