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

From Lorien to the Undying Lands...

Moderators: caedmon, Greg

User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post 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?
Artist, larper and history lover.
User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post 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.
Artist, larper and history lover.
User avatar
Udwin
Vendor
Posts: 794
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:00 pm
Location: central Kain-tuc-kee
Contact:

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

Post 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.
Attachments
16.JPG
16.JPG (67.46 KiB) Viewed 19570 times
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post 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.
Image
Artist, larper and history lover.
User avatar
Iodo
Thangailhir
Posts: 2112
Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:58 pm
Location: North west england UK
Contact:

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

Post 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 :?:
Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf-women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf-men.
Aragorn: It's the beards.
User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post 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.
Image
Artist, larper and history lover.
User avatar
Iodo
Thangailhir
Posts: 2112
Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:58 pm
Location: North west england UK
Contact:

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

Post 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?
Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf-women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf-men.
Aragorn: It's the beards.
User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post by Darnokthemage »

I think it's just wool sewn onto a normal wool or linen tunic.
Artist, larper and history lover.
User avatar
Iodo
Thangailhir
Posts: 2112
Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:58 pm
Location: North west england UK
Contact:

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

Post by Iodo »

maybe camouflage then?
Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf-women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf-men.
Aragorn: It's the beards.
User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post by Darnokthemage »

Oh yes, it is very much made for camoflage and forest-wear.
Artist, larper and history lover.
User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post by Darnokthemage »

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image[/url]
Image
Image


Here are more of my elven stuff, including a recoloured Elrond, much less garish.
Artist, larper and history lover.
User avatar
Taylor Steiner
Haeropada
Posts: 975
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:31 pm
Location: Great Falls Montana
Contact:

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

Post by Taylor Steiner »

Wow beautiful!
Frodo lives!
User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post 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.
Artist, larper and history lover.
User avatar
Udwin
Vendor
Posts: 794
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:00 pm
Location: central Kain-tuc-kee
Contact:

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

Post 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.
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
User avatar
Darnokthemage
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:02 pm

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

Post by Darnokthemage »

Breeches and hosen/socks seem quite universal in the north. Anyone have examples of breech-like wear that look elven.
Artist, larper and history lover.
Post Reply