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admiral-arelami · 5 days ago

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A guide to chiss fashion

Alright, it’s finally done. I’ve managed to compile my headcanons in a format I’m more or less happy with so say hello to the chiss fashion guide. As I’ve said before, this is a homage to my love for fashion history and fashion illustration books so it’s written in the same(ish) kind of style, with made-up history and trivia behind it.

Mind you this isn’t about what your regular civilians wear – I can’t even begin to imagine what the spectrum of current fashion looks like for a species spread over multiple planets, that’s too much of a tall order.

Instead I’ll talk about what I imagine as ‘standard traditional wear’. A kind of traditional ensemble for formal occasions which is also the accepted dress code for the upper ruling classes and administration. The books give us many indications of how hung up the chiss are on rank so I imagine their fashion reflects that accordingly, with dress codes and etiquette and whatnot.

So without further ado, let’s start with structure.

The typical traditional ensemble consists of: underwear (plus any additional thermal underlayers), an underrobe, outerwrap robe, jacket (optional, mostly decorative) and top robe or coat (not pictured) for more severe weather and outdoor activities.

First we have the underwear layer (1) with a wraparound robe which can be long or short depending on the season, breeches and any other additional thermal layers underneath.

Next comes the underrobe (2) with a high buttoned collar and fitted sleeves. A slit starts at around chest level and ends in the usual overlap pattern at the ankles. This hem is often embroidered and is meant to be visible under the outerwrap robe.

This robe is also what I imagine is used as lounge wear at home (sometimes accompanied by a lounge robe) or as an outer layer in warmer climates and casual settings, though it’s usually decorated with accessories to make up for how plain it is. Some underrobes, especially padded styles for colder weather, have a waist string to pull excess material in in preparation for the layers to come.

Underrobes for low ranking administration are traditionally red, symbolizing specific qualities, but more on color symbolism later.

Then we have the outerwrap robe (3) with its flared bottom and sleeves which are also typically decorated. The outermost edge of the hem is important here because that’s where the trim that shows family allegiance goes.

These robes are closed with a pair of strings (usually at waist level but may be higher or lower depending on current trends) and the kind of knot used varies depending on social standing and occupation, again, a reflection of how classist the chiss are in my mind. For lower class administration, in case the knot is obscured by a decorative item (like a jacket or scarf), the item is required to have strings of its own where the knot can be duplicated.

The next part of the outfit is the jacket (4) which also varies in style depending on the wearer’s rank. A popular style for low ranking administrators is a waist or thigh level boxy cut with rectangular sleeves that don’t cover the embroidered hems of the robe under it.

Jackets can have individual trims and even small lapels. Structured shoulders and wide lapels are inappropriate as they’re reserved for upper level Aristocra.

Despite their popularity, these jackets aren’t a practical item since their cut provides little insulation and they prevent the use of garments like top robes and coats. Because of this they are either meant to be taken off or worn with cloak-like outer layers outdoors.

Fashion, especially that of the high class, is rarely all practical so I think it’s neat to include elements that are less functional and more so trendy, decorative or appropriate.

This goes in the opposite direction as well and I imagine there being plenty of modern modifications like hidden zippers for easier donning and a variety of false hems, cuffs and collars to minimize layering, making the outfits more functional.

As long as the overall silhouette and main elements are retained, the outfit is considered appropriate though more formal events are usually attended in proper full traditional wear.

Next we have accessories.

The most common ways to accessorize in traditional ensembles are scarves, jewelry, fans, and a variety of trims. Scarves are normally worn between layers and can be used to cover up the open hole at the neck in colder settings. The long sleeves make bracelets impractical but earrings and necklaces are hugely popular. Handheld fans are also a stylish way to elevate the outfit and different kinds of trims like feather and fur are used in less formal settings.

With all that in mind a complete outfit ends up looking something like (5).

Moving on to Syndics:

(traditional silhouette and some images of syndics to show the range of variety available to them)

With Syndics we start to see the appearance of structured shoulders (a strictly upper class element) and more extravagant lapels, particularly in jackets. Still no structured collars however as these are reserved for Patriarchs. Jackets, in contrast to those worn by lower ranking administrators, are longer and made of soft, flowing fabrics like silk, with the goal being to show off expensive materials and dyes (hence rich colors and light silky textures).

Proper etiquette regarding underrobes and outerwrap robes remains the same with one exception being the waist knot: higher ranking syndics aren’t required to replicate the knot if it’s covered by an overgarment or accessory (a syndic’s status is obvious from other elements of their outfit).

In general Syndics are the echelon with the most freedom when it comes to their fashion. With the exception of some traditional elements, there’s more room for variation in accessories, cuts and combinations: Low ranking Administrators need to follow a stricter dress code while Patriarchs are limited by the need to project a certain image so you see the most variety in the fashion of Syndics, the only exception being extremely formal events and ceremonies where the traditional silhouette is a must.

(Syndic Zistalmu with a more personalized interpretation of the traditional structured shoulders.)

And finally, there’s Patriarchs.

Patriarchs, in my mind, have the strictest and most elaborate dress code. Their outfits retain the most traditional elements so they’re like a walking museum piece in, sometimes literally because many of the pieces they wear are hereditary and come from famous artisans.

With Patriarchs we see floor-length jackets, very wide lapels, often with opulent linings like patterned velvet, structured collars (attached to the jacket separately), decorative skirts, silk undergarments and elaborate headwear. In addition, their outerwrap robes fasten with two twin knots rather than one.

Most if not all of these elements are strictly reserved for Patriarchs so they’re instantly recognizable.

The jackets are both long-sleeved and sleeveless depending on how lavish the robe underneath is and the wearer’s desire to show it off.

The separately attached collars are distinct and were originally meant to demonstrate proper posture, fitting best when the wearer was standing or sitting upright. Their rigidity and restrictiveness has decreased over time but they still serve to highlight the wearer’s stance.

The collars are the only element I think I’m willing to allow for Patriels as well, albeit I imagine them a bit more understated. I’m still in two minds about the rest.

For Patriarchs, the top of the white underwear robe is also visible above the underrobe collar – normally underwear garments are supposed to be concealed but these robes were given tall necklines to prevent chafing to the neck from the structured collars worn on top. In order to do that they were made from fine silk which eventually became a status symbol, both because of the expensive material and the fact that they were used in combination with structured collars and nowadays the high collar of the robe is visible at the neck.

The overskirt (pictured above and fastened with strings) is the most traditional element of the ensemble. It’s become obscure in other ranks and is distinctive as a result. The pleating is meant to demonstrate an abundance of fabric, usually heavy patterned or embroidered velvets, and I imagine these pieces to be especially heavy. Its only purpose is for layering and decoration.

Somewhat counterintuitively, Patriarch robes have less lavish lower hems (absent the usual flared shape and no trailing fabrics) to allow for ease of movement and compensate for the extra weight added by the rest of a Partiarch’s accessories. And when I say these outfits are heavy, I mean heavy.

Ceremonial robes in particular are notoriously a nightmare to wear and require practice and a good bit of stamina.

(ceremonial robes)

In terms of curiosities, the Stybla are an interesting case both because their Patriarch is allowed to wear ruling family regalia despite not being one of the nine and because they preserve some older elements in their garments from the time they were the only ruling family. Like the gold pin with their family crest, attached to the lapel. The curled hair style and ‘sun’ style headpiece are also elements that go in and out of Patriarch fashion but the Stybla stick to them because that’s the style that was prevalent in their heyday.

All of this is for the purpose of projecting the image of an innocuous quaint old family that still clings to its ‘faded’ glory.

Now for headdresses. There’s three main styles of headdress, labelled ‘moon, ‘planet’ and ‘sun’ accordingly. The main circular elements are meant to display family crests and can have various additional accessories attached to them like chains and ornaments.

I imagine there used to be more styles, at one point as many as the ruling families, but in time as fashions shifted they boiled down to the three main ones. These are usually worn with the traditional long hairstyles that all patriarchs conform to and are attached using a system of clips and pins to the topknot at the back.

The hairstyle itself is known as the ‘waterfall’ style, inspired by a classical style of sculpture.

Pictured below is a ceremonial style headpiece which are only worn at the most formal traditional ceremonies.

In general, these headdresses are somewhat unwieldly and unstable if the wearer moves too suddenly. This is again intentional as similarly to the collars restricting posture, it’s meant to restrict movement to ‘slow’ and ‘deliberate’.

And finally we have color symbolism

This is something I imagine as very important for no other reason than it gives me another fun element to play around with so let’s get into it.

In general, a chiss outfit is mainly made up of cool colors and a few warmer highlights though that can sometimes be flipped depending on the wearer’s preference or current trends. Overall there’s a preference for cooler colors and those close to the chiss’ natural coloration (skin and eyes) which also has biological reasoning but more on that later.

Most importantly, colors have culturally established symbolic associations, meaning the wearer can choose qualities they want to emphasize through their choice of color. This is often done through statement pieces to make the choice stand out, such as: eye catching clothing items or accessories, wear frequency, color predomination, etc. Often times the colors don’t reflect the wearer’s true qualities but rather the image they’re trying to project.

Because of the complexity of this system, most Aristocra rely on tailors and stylists to construct their outfits (and by extension public image) for them.

There’s also the so called ‘military colors’ (black and white) which are reserved for the army and navy and are only used as highlights in non-military contexts or by off-duty members of the military:

(General Ba'kif depicted in military colors with Stybla teal, decorative fan and robe trimming)

Colors are divided into ‘cardinal colors’ with long established traditional meaning and secondary ones whose meaning is fluid and depends on current trends. The cardinal color symbols are as follows:

Blue – order, duty, perseverance Red – passion, diligence, honor Purple – firmness, reliability Magenta – innovation, farsightedness, creativity, individuality, self-assurance Green – steadfastness, calm, security Orange – boldness, confrontation, certainty in battle Yellow – vitality, energy, enthusiasm Black – stability White – prestige, perfection, glory

(In chiss culture, light blue is a separate color from dark blue. The blue referred to here is what is commonly referred to as dark blue.)

Sometimes colors can be divorced from traditional meanings like when they’re used to denote family allegiance or as secondary colors meant to just compliment a palette. The color symbolism system is also all but irrelevant for the general public where trends and personal preferences take priority.

It still carries a lot of weight in the upper classes, however. For example, low ranking administrators are expected to wear red underrobes to symbolize their dedication and diligence.

An example of how colors can be used to make a political statement is Patriarch Thurfian, who upon being promoted to his post adopted a color palette of blue, purple and green to indicate a stable, orderly and traditional rule as opposed to Thooraki’s more maverick politics and preference for warm reds, yellows and magentas.

(Patriarch Thurfian in characteristic blue palette with 'moon' style headdress and purple collar. The jacket is sleeveless, showing off the decoration of the outerwrap robe sleeves.)

Overall, there are many ways to use color to indicate meaning. Warm vibrant colors are in general a bold choice so they’re seen as more of a statement, like for example a bright yellow scarf.

Syndic Thrass favored a bright magenta jacket with wide short-cut sleeves to emphasize his charisma. Zistalmu is an example of a more fashion-forward choice with a predominantly maroon color palette, a secondary color with fluctuating meaning. Colors can also underline subtle family and political allegiances, like Ba’kif wearing teal (a color traditionally associated with the Stybla) as a highlight color off duty.

Lastly, biology also plays a part in color preference, albeit a minor one. (Disclaimer, I’m not a biologist so take this section with a grain of salt.)

Unlike humans, chiss are tetrachromats, meaning they have four types of light-sensitive cone cells in their eyes. In addition to the cones most sensitive to short (blue), medium (green) and long (red) wavelengths, the ones found in humans, they also have ones that respond to the infrared spectrum, giving them their infrared vision.

They also, unlike humans, have a higher number of blue sensitive cones and a very low number of red sensitive ones. This is because even before Csilla’s shift to a cooler climate, the flora and fauna of their world had predominantly blue pigmentation, the same pigment that gives them their skin color, which is the main evolutionary reason for their sensitivity to blue.

This imbalance is somewhat made up for by their infrared receptors, as infrared is next to red on the spectrum, but the low number of red sensitive cones means they’re not as sensitive to shades of orange and yellow.

Despite this, they still use these colors in their wardrobe (albeit less frequently and with less variety) and the rarity itself has contributed to the specialness of their meaning. Red in particular has proved itself an enduring staple because of its presence in the color palette of natural chiss pigmentation.

The rarity of these colors could also explain why they’re assigned traditionally less desirable virtues in the color symbolism system.

(secretary Ronan (Lyron) as I imagine him in my fic, with a red administrator underrobe, embroidered outerwrap robe, and yellow scarf as statement piece accessory.)

I’ve also toyed with the idea that the bioluminescent properties of their eyes interfere with the natural perception of colors (much like a red filter) which has led to an adaptation where the brain filters out the excess light in the red spectrum, making them even less sensitive to different shades of red and its adjacent colors. It’s an adaptation similar to that which allows most species to filter out constant monotonous background noise to aid hearing.

But that’s another thing I’m in two minds about as it complicates things further and I’m not too sure of the biological mechanics of it.

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admiral-arelami · 8 days ago

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OC Overview - Captain Raw'nuru

Captain of the Empire of the Hand-aligned privateer Interdictor cruiser, the Maelstrom

Art by my husband @fasturtlemedia, reposted with his permission. Original here

MASSIVE spoilers for my Empire of the Hand AU, and for "The Hand of Thrawn: Penelope" in particular, though maybe not that surprising for those who had read Timothy Zahn's Visions of the Future and Survivor's Quest

Raw’nuru

Role: Captain of the Maelstrom

Species: Chiss (Clone)

Homeworld: Nirauan

The clone of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who emerged in 19 ABY after the hanger accident at the Hand of Thrawn fortress. Born with the memories of his predecessor up until the start of the cloning project on Wayland in 9 ABY, Raw’nuru feels he needs to prove, not to the Galaxy, but to himself, that he can eventually step into Thrawn’s boots and lead the Empire of the Hand’s military in the upcoming Far Outsider invasion.

During Thrawn's campaign against the New Republic of 9 ABY, an ISB agent under Thrawn's command rescued renowned Imperial geneticist, Dr. Penn Pershing, from a (completely illegal) "reeducation" facility on Coruscant. While Pershing was recruited primarily to aide in Thrawn's cloning project on Wayland, in order to crew the newly acquired Katana Fleet of 178 pre-Clone Wars era Dreadnaught cruisers, Thrawn also requested Dr. Pershing's assistance in another, more personal matter. Create a clone of himself, as a failsafe in case of his campaign's failure.

At Pershing’s expert suggestion, the clone, unlike those grown for the Katana Fleet, would have a Kaminoian-inspired growth schedule of 10 years, with flash training provided from the Grand Admiral’s own memories. The project was top secret – only Pershing himself knew of it, not Thrawn’s family, senior staff, or even his bodyguard, the Noghri Rukh, who otherwise accompanied him almost everywhere during his campaign. Thrawn reasoned that the threat posed by the Far Outsiders was too great to not prepare for the eventuality that he could die, especially against a foe that had already had succeeded against all reason. It proved to be an unfortunately-needed precaution, as Thrawn was assassinated by Rukh during the Battle of Bilbringi.

The clone almost met a similar fate, when Mara Jade (unbeknownst to her, Thrawn and Xelarra’s former adoptive daughter), and Luke Skywalker stumbled across the cloning chamber beneath the Hand of Thrawn fortress on Nirauan, and were forced to destroy the fusion generator powering the Spaarti Cylinder and related computers. Luckily, the Grand Admiral’s ingenuity persevered, as emergency blast shields protected the clone from destruction during the fusion explosion. Disoriented, the clone made his way into the rest of the base, disguising himself as a stormtrooper and learning of the events of not only the last few hours at Hand Base, but the state of the Galaxy as a whole in the years since his predecessor’s death.

Feeling like the Empire of the Hand no longer needed its Grand Admiral, the clone tried to escape the Base, but was stopped by Thrawn’s wife, Empress Xelarra, who was able to make certain of his identity. It became clear to both that after the Imperial Remnant’s recent “false Thrawn” ruse, the Empire of the Hand would not be ready for the actual return of their Grand Admiral. Moreso, the clone was still uncertain that he was even able to fill his predecessor’s boots. Reluctantly, Xelarra agreed, and allowed him to leave, but not without first giving him “quest items”: the HWK-290 “stealth” light freighter, the Daggerfly, Xelarra’s personal Viper probe droid, named Probius (both previously used in the black ops Honoghr mission, though unknown to the clone) and finally, a name: “Raw’nuru” – the name that would have been Thrawn’s if he had ever reached flag rank in the Chiss Ascendency, a reminder of who he could be. With these three gifts, Raw’nuru left the Empire of the Hand.

Raw’nuru spent about a year wandering the galaxy in the Daggerfly. He tried the Galaxy’s favourite “fallback career”, bounty hunting, but soon grew utterly bored with it – even hunting Noghri, the species that murdered his predecessor, did little to occupy his still-brilliant mind. He was occasionally joined in such hunts by a fellow bounty hunter, “Canon”, the son of a Clone Trooper member of the original 501st, by the name of “Dogma” (the player character in the original Star Wars Battlefront II for the PS2).

On a visit to the Glavis Ringworld, after an unsuccessful attempt to convince an old associate of his predecessor’s, the Mandalorian smith known as “The Armourer”, to make him a Beskar chest and back plate, he overheard a group of pirates discussing plans to steal a soon-to-be-scrapped Immobilizer cruiser from a backwater New Republic scrapyard. Knowing what danger such a ship, even an old, busted up one, would be in hands of the scum and villainy of the Galaxy, Raw’nuru invited himself to join the crew, offering his experience with such ships as an “ex-Imp”. With Raw’nuru’s leadership the pirates were able to successfully steal the ship, and during the mission Raw’nuru slowly turned the loyalties of most of the pirates against their captain, and towards him instead (inspired by the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Gambit”, where Captain Picard does much the same).

The first thing Raw’nuru did when he gained command of the Maelstrom (after allowing his crew to punish the previous captain as they felt fit – by spacing him), was to contact Empress Xelarra and request a letter of marque. Now officially privateers for the Empire of the Hand, the Maelstrom started taking on missions where the official Hand Navy could not go, such as privateer missions for the EotH’s allies in the Outer Rim, where the eyes of the New Republic were too watchful for the Imperial Navy to show themselves.

Despite the year without contact with her, and feeling more sure of himself, less like a collection of memories from someone else, Raw’nuru still felt drawn towards Xelarra. His love for her wasn’t just a memory – it was wholly his own, and to his joy and relief, she reciprocated. While his daughter Andorra accepted him almost immediately, his son Shran was much more wary of Raw’nuru, going to far as to threaten the clone that if he broke his mother’s heart, he would break him. Shran inadvertently made his father proud by saying so.

Over the next few years, Raw'nuru uses the Maelstrom as his primary vessel while patrolling the Empire of the Hand’s borders, taking on privateer missions, recruiting allies, and protecting his Empire from the shadows as he regains the confidence he needs to retake his old mantle. The ship is involved in several notable events, such as destroying a New Republic vessel that attacked them unprovoked without even firing a shot, which subsequently leads to Raw'nuru finally getting to warn Admiral Ackbar about the Far Outsiders, and the start of their “long distance” friendship (fic idea - “Pen Pals”), frequent anti-slavery missions, pick up duty for several of Empire of the Hand General Bentilais san Sk'ar's strike force offensives in the Outer Rim, and defending Hand member world Lysatra on the onset of the Far Outsider war.

Raw’nuru shares his predecessor’s concern for his species, tactical brilliance, and love of art. However, he develops a rougher, more improvisational tactical style, working with the very limited resources he has available, often using the surrounding conditions of space, or even physics itself, to his advantage. All the while, he is keeping his glowing red eyes open for any signs of the Far Outsiders, and slowly teaching his crew the skills and discipline they will need to eventually become not mere privateers, but Imperial officers.

Raw’nuru’s appearance is quite different from his clean-cut, Imperial predecessor. He allowed his hair to grow out to just past his shoulders, usually tied in a low ponytail. Like most Chiss who operate in Lesser Space, he usually disguises himself as a Pantoran (though an actual Pantoran would be able to tell the difference easily) by wearing goggles to disguise his Chiss eyes, and gold facepaint mimicking a Pantoran’s facial tattoos. Raw’nuru’s facepaint shows about half of the Chimaera sigil he adopted from his Paccosh allies and that once decorated his flagship in the Empire proper, snaking across half of his face, and the sigil also decorates the stormtrooper helmet he usually wears when away from the ship. The Chimaera sigil has become a major symbol of the Empire of the Hand, so by wearing it, Raw’nuru declares his loyalty to the faction his predecessor built, the home to which he will someday return.

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