#gardecorps

[jeanjauthor]

This is kind of important for writers to understand (and artists, I suppose). If you have a very fitted bodice (for men's garments as well as women's, etc), and a standard armhole seam for your sleeves, you are not going to be able to lift your arm very far.

This lady (who has decades of experience designing patterns for Simplicity, how cool is that?? yes I'm a sewing geek, so what??) demonstrates not only the issues involved, but three ways how to get around them.

Writers, if you're going to use a fitted fashion for your story cultures, yet you still want your characters to be able to fight, you're going to have to consider how the standard garments would need to be adjusted for fighting.

In the Assassin's Creed series, if there was anyone running around in the Regency Era (early 1800s Europe), fashionable garments were tightly fitted for men of means, to the point that they had to have help getting into their clothes, and couldn't do any labor. Riding outfits would be modified so that they could move, but your typical evening wear would barely let you dance with the ladies, and brawling was right out.

Thirty or forty years earlier, in the late 1700s, corsets with stiff boning and skirts with big-ass panniers were all the rage for women. And while you could probably literally sneak in a couple of assassins under your skirts (if you practiced coordinating your movements), you wouldn't be able to fight because 1. all that boning and so forth restricted your movements, and 2. it was heavy, ranging anywhere from 30-50 pounds / 13-23 kilograms (between the actual structural materials, being metal, wood, and literal whale bones, and the petticoats, etc), which would also limit your movement and your stamina.

(Also later on in the Victorian era, all those hoop skirts might have been a little lighter, but they were still weighing down those women with layers of petticoats and metal and whalebone, and there are tales of women drowning after being blown off the edge of a dock when a strong wind gusted across their sail-like clothing.)

But anyway, back to sleeves. If you're writing a kick-ass hero or heroine and they're living in a culture where fitted tops & sleeves are the norm, and they don't have stretchy fabrics, then you're probably going to have to mention how they've had their clothing modified so they can stay kick-ass. (There are ways to "cut on the bias" or arrange things so the threads are going diagonally across the body rather than vertically & horisontally, but that only provides a modest amount of flexibility compared to a knit, and the very finely woven level of a spandex knit is very very much a modern mid to late 20th century invention, so adjusting the fabric qualities can be a bit problematic, depending on what level of tech you have going.)

This can either be done directly, aka the character is doing the modifications themselves, or discussing it with the tailor / seamstress, or it can be done indirectly, aka thinking "thank goodness I had my sleeves altered at the armholes!" as they're mid-fight...orrrrr, you can have someone else notice the modifications to their gown, comment on it, and have your hero/ine have to quickly come up with a believable excuse as to why they altered The Fashionable Garment Of The Year in such a manner.

(An excellent excuse could be, "It annoyed me, so I had it altered." Or if they're known to be bookish, "I couldn't reach for my favorite books off the top shelves, so I ordered my maid/valet to alter it." Or "Because I'm cleverer than you, obviously." Or even just, "It's a new variation, very daring, isn't it?" to make your character look like they're at the forefront of fashion.)

For the record, if you're worried about the gusset adjustment being "out of period", it actually goes back several hundred years to at least the transitional era between T-construction and more fitted garments. In the turn of the 1300s, in the reign of Edward I, men's gardecorps (tunics) were often designed with a diamond square sown into the armpit so that it formed a diamond shape and thus flexed on the bias when they lifted their arms. (This was the era of Braveheart so there was a lot of fighting going on, and being able to lift your arms over your head was kinda important for that whole combat thing. Also, prosperity was on the rise, so a little later on, people wanted to show off that they could afford to waste fabric by cutting curves into it to make it more fitted...which restricted movement, so they had to adjust that stuff if they wanted to be able to move again.)

Also for the record, there are things you need to do to the gusset / crotch seam of pants to allow better movement...and one of those things genuinely is to insert a cat's eye shaped gusset! This is done for pantyhose & leggings, and is larger for dancers than it is for the general populace.

[loathsome-little-creature]

For what it’s worth, this is extremely close to a late 13th-mid 14th century central or northwestern European masculine outfit. The robe itself would be a “gardecorp” (maybe. Names for clothing in the medieval period are hard to pin down, but gardecorp is the most accepted name) which is the same as what you have drawn mostly. The main difference being that a gardecorp has loose sleeves that have openings at the armpits so you can put your arms through for more dexterity, leaving the sleeves hanging over your shoulders or tied back. a fitted-sleeve mid-calf length tunic would be worn underneath. Might be kinda warm though

TL:DR The wheelchair friendly wizard drip is almost perfectly historically plausible.

I Have Found A Solution!

So, obviously classic wizard robes aren’t wheelchair friendly. (Alright, admittedly this isn’t common knowledge and also this definitely isn’t a problem for most but listen, this is a problem for me and I’m pleased to present a solution for it nonetheless.)

The issue is in the sleeves and the length of the robes. The traditional trumpet style allows them to get snagged, dirty, and caught in the wheels.

This is distinctly not an issue with other mobility aids such as canes and crutches, these wizards are fine to carry on with their trumpet sleeves simply rolled up if needed.

Now, one solution might simply to shorten the sleeves and hem to be out of the way, but that looks rather silly so I won’t do that. Instead I propose the more elegant design of a hanging sleeve to maintain that flowy magical feel while allowing for better range of motion.

Honestly I just love the look of hanging sleeves in general and think more people should appreciate them, wheelchair user or not.

In conclusion…

[vitrierbruxelles-blog]

LS https://www.vitrerieglass.be/23-garde-corps-vitres-ixelles.phpIGarde corps vitres a Ixelles. MORE DETA

[decoworksofficiel]

• Installation de garde-corps et rampes d’escaliers en aluminium anodisé• Signalétique. Aluminuim. Revêtement des façades• Travaux d’usinage numérique sur divers supports• Installation de garde-corps et rampes d’escaliers en aluminium anodisé• Signalétique

[askparadoxtrainers]

"Oooh, you're a custom build. The lack of paint made me think you were another prototype that the GardeCorps let walk free so they could save money and/or escape legal liability."

"But yes, what have you collected so far, anything interesting?"

(@askparadoxtrainers) Tori: Ohey, are you a new Valiant model? What were you built for?

" I keep forgetting about this whole ideal of models you organisms keep referring to. And this body isn't what you would say 'new' but I can assure you, I am a one of a kind."

" And built for? I guess you can say my job is to explore the world and embrace the culture it has to offer and preserve their history before it becomes forgotten. Their location, their clothing, their traditions and yes their food as well must be collected to be witnessed in my careful collection through history. Even if it means I have to go to a 'direct approach' when collecting things."

[clementblaise-blog1]

Direction galvanisation, thermolacage ! #gardecorps #acier #galva #thermolaquage #design #faitmain #faitmaison #unique #surmesure #protection #norme # https://www.instagram.com/p/BnbFP0eBBAu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17iwio1khtcww

[maison--home--casa-blog]

Vide sur séjour, Salon contemporain moderne. #salon #livingroom #design #moderne #videsursalon #salonmodel #sofaminimalis #sofa #instahome #instadeco #homesweethome #homedeco #inspiration #inspo4all #pinteresting #picofthedays #gardecorps #tablebasse #tapis #lustre #wood #woodworking #maisondumonde #maisonenconstruction #constructionmaison #cocooninghome (à Bretagne, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvcMzkdg8gF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1hfgaqsllomap

[aciercsur]

Garde-corps en acier finition câble métallique #serrurerie #surmesure #artisanatfrancais #entrepreneur #artistsoninstagram #gardecorps #btp (à Commune d'Andresy) https://www.instagram.com/p/CavTfe6Am6t/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bosilaforgeartistique06210]

Rampe motif Olivier 🌳 En fer forgé ⚒ Made in France 🇫🇷 #ferforgé #iron #madeinfrance #rampe #escalier #escaliers #escalierdesign #decorationinterieur #decoration #deco #olivier #olive #provence #provencealpescotedazur #provencal #gardecorps #gardecorpsmetal (à BOSI la forge artistique) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSE79CYD3OB/?utm_medium=tumblr

[lacaserobinson]

Le garde-corps a été installé dans cet appartement duplex du centre de Bordeaux. Le design est simple mais il remplit bien sa fonction. Il est en barreaudage bois contreplaqué 5 plis. À votre avis, mieux vaut le garder brut, huilé ou peint en couleur 🤔 ? - #gardecorps #surmesure #mobilierbois #renovationappartement #bordeauxcentre #entrepreneur (à Bordeaux Quais des Chartrons) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYHVwJlNFQ/?igshid=1vu995vljy6m9

[arnaudstoclet]

#escalier #stairs #france #deco #stairsdesign #gardecorps #staircase #artisan #hausmannien #decorationinterieur #acier #decoration #interieur #verriere #maison #menuiserie #luxe #realtor #cageescalier #partiecommune #ferronerie #serrurier #instapatrimoine #vintagestyle #appartementparisien #coldwellbanker #architects #structuresmetallique #interiordesign #parisianstyle (à Paris, 16ème) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-UjBueClwo/?igshid=19nn43mc9g4cy

[clementblaise-blog1]

Direction galva, thermolacage... #gardecorps #unique #faitmain #design #acier #thermolacage #galva #blanc #faismaison #peinture #protection #maison #artetdesign #portillon https://www.instagram.com/p/BlsWRNcBu2k/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=31vt5r25oncv

[adillahkim]

Déco pour Salle de sport, opning soon #deco #architecture #interiordesign #gardecorps (à Casablanca, Morocco) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6TUEe0phfB/?igshid=owixpcrkbpyy

[aciercsur]

Garde-corps en acier avec tôle perforée et lots serrureries pour cet immeuble merveilleux #serrurerie #surmesure #artistsoninstagram #artisanatfrancais #artisanat #artisan #acier #batiment #gardecorps #gardecorpsmetal #design #btp (à Bagnolet) https://www.instagram.com/p/Caagni_LcNo/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bosilaforgeartistique06210]

Garde corps provençale 🌸 #gardecorps #gardecorpsmetal #iron #provence #provencealpescotedazur #fleurs #summer #madeinfrance #madeinfrance🇫🇷 (à Le Tignet) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQp7nztD9yl/?utm_medium=tumblr