Volume V: Culture — Chapter 10: Fashion and Clothing
"Clothing is not what we wear. Clothing is how we tell the world who we are before we manage to open our mouths. But if clothing lies — we lie." — From the code of the Guild of Artists, department "Fabric and Form," +2,800 Y.E.
Related sections: → see [Volume V, Ch.01, "Art of Xha'Ruun"], → see [Volume V, Ch.02, "Architecture"], → see [Volume V, Ch.11, "Holidays and Calendar Rites"], → see [Volume V, Ch.12, "Ethics and Morality"], → see [Volume I, Ch.05, "The Xha'Ruun Species"], → see [Volume III, Ch.06, "Social Structure"]
Introduction
Xha'Ruun fashion is a projection of anatomy, climate, and history. Six limbs require a cut that does not restrict mobility; three eyes and tetrachromatic vision (including UV) make color and texture information visible differently to different species; pheromone sensitivity turns fabric into a chemical interface. Historically, clothing went from hides to functional textiles, but the key difference from many civilizations: the modern ideal rejects rank privileges familiar from the imperial past. The casteless society (→ see [Volume III, Ch.06, "Social Structure"]) built clothing as a sign of function, not status — a craftsman and a Council member wear identical basic forms, differing only in details and quality of execution. Modern fashion is a synthesis of guild production, regional traditions, and the ethics of "transparency" (→ see [Volume V, Ch.01, "Art of Xha'Ruun"]): clothing does not hide but presents.
10.1 Functional Foundations
10.1.1 Anatomy and Cut
The six limbs of the Xha'Ruun — two lower (locomotory) and four upper (lower manipulatory hands + upper membranous vexes) — dictate the construction of clothing.
| Element | Function | Constructional Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Base belt | Fixing clothing on the body | Wide belt with six loops for clothing fastenings |
| "Veks-sleeve" | Freedom of the upper vexes | Separate sleeve with ventilation, not restricting lift and rotation |
| "Chest flap" | Access to the chest heart | Fastener allowing quick opening of the chest area (two hearts — → see [Volume I, Ch.05]) |
| Lower belt | Support | Elastic fit that does not pinch the blood flow of the abdominal heart |
Key principle: clothing must not restrict the lift of the veks — the upper membranous pair of limbs, involved in manipulation, etiquette, and thermoreception, requires freedom. A sleeve that restricts the lift is considered "failed" and is rejected even with decorative merits.
10.1.2 Climate Zones
Three climatic regimes — tropical, temperate, and polar — gave rise to three types of clothing.
| Zone | Temperature | Clothing | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equatorial | +28…+42°C | Minimal: base belt, light draperies | Thin plant fibers |
| Temperate | −2…+18°C | Standard: upper cloak, belt, base trousers | Chromophilic fabrics, kharru wool |
| Polar | −48…−6°C | Multi-layer: thermal underwear, insulated top, hood | Wool of deep-sea animals, synthetic insulation |
Common programmes supply basic clothing appropriate to the climate. Polar settlements especially need spare warm garments: soaking, a poor fit or a supply delay can still leave someone inadequately protected.
10.1.3 Thermoregulation and Heliotherapy
The Xha'Ruun skin can absorb heat through silicon-carbon channels (heliotherapy, → see [Volume I, Ch.05]). Clothing takes this into account:
- "Light windows" — open areas of fabric on the back and shoulders, allowing the skin to absorb light;
- "Shadow shields" — visors and hoods protecting from overheating;
- "Pheromone meshes" — areas with large-knit weave that do not block pheromone emission.
10.2 History of Clothing
| Era | Material | Style | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Civilization (−12,000 – −9,800) | Hides, plant fibers | Draping, wrapping | Protection from cold and injury |
| Early Civilization (−9,800 – −6,150) | Woven linen, leather | First belts and cloaks | Ritual distinction (priest / non-priest) |
| First Empire (−6,150 – −2,150) | Silk, wool, dyes | Class clothing, imperial standard | Demonstration of rank |
| Dark Ages (−2,150 – −750) | Coarse wool, linen | Utilitarian minimalism | Survival |
| Revival (−750 – +850) | Return to fine fabrics | Regional styles, artisanal finish | Domain identity |
| Era of Unity (+850 – present) | Synthetic and natural blends | Functional standard with variations | Guild and regional identity |
The Imperial period — the only era when clothing was an instrument of class division. The fall of the Empire and the ensuing Dark Ages (→ see [Volume II, Ch.04, "The Era of Crisis"]) led to a conscious rejection of "clothing of rank": the Era of Unity inherited this rejection as a principle.
10.3 Modern Clothing: Standards and Variations
10.3.1 The Basic Standard
The basic clothing set of the Xha'Ruun (for the temperate climate):
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Base belt | Wide belt of dense fabric with six loops and a fastener |
| Upper cloak | Fabric covering the shoulders and back, with "light windows" |
| "Veks-sleeves" | Separate sleeves for the upper vexes |
| Lower trousers | Dense fabric, elastic fit |
| Footwear | Open type (toes free) or closed (for polar zones) |
The standard is not a uniform but a foundation over which variations are layered.
10.3.2 Guild Elements
Each of the 12 guilds (→ see [Volume III, Ch.04, "The 12 Guilds: Structure"]) has distinctive elements, but not a "uniform" in the strict sense.
| Guild | Element | Color/Material |
|---|---|---|
| Scholars | Hexagonal patch on the belt | Azure |
| Engineers | Metal belt buckle | Bronze |
| Medics | White cloak lapel | White |
| Agrarians | Green belt trim | Green |
| Builders | Reinforced veks-sleeves | Gray |
| Merchants | Narrow belt over the main one | Gold |
| Keepers | Book-symbol on the chest part | Azure with gold |
| Warriors | Flame on the shoulder | Red |
| Artists | Spiral ornament | Purple |
| Miners | Crystal buckle | Crystal |
| Navigators | Star on the collar | Silver |
| Scribes | Feather-symbol on the sleeve | Azure |
The absence of a full uniform is fundamental: guild affiliation is marked by a detail, not a cut. A Council member and a craftsman of the same guild wear the same mark; the difference is in the quality of fabric and execution.
10.3.3 Domain Styles
The eight domains (→ see [Volume III, Ch.05, "The 8 Domains"]) retained stylistic differences.
| Domain | Character | Distinctions |
|---|---|---|
| Kharak-Thar | Conservative | Dark tones, dense fabrics |
| Kharak-Tor | Rural | Natural colors, kharru wool |
| Rhuval-Ven | Expressive | Bright colors, layering |
| Rhuval-Irkhen | Industrial | Reinforced elements, gray |
| Vexar-Shan | Philosophical | Transparent fabrics, many "light windows" |
| Vexar-Mor | Energy | Bronze and copper tones |
| Island | Maritime | Blue tones, light fabrics |
| Polar | Ascetic | Layering, functionality |
10.4 Festive and Ritual Clothing
Holidays (→ see [Volume V, Ch.11, "Holidays and Calendar Rites"]) require special clothing.
| Holiday | Clothing | Symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| New Year (Vek'shan) | White cloak over the basic set | Renewal, purity |
| Unity Day (Rass-Vek) | Six colors on one outfit | Six sides of consent |
| Remembrance Day (Mor-Ghal) | Dark clothing without guild marks | Grief, equality before memory |
| Renewal (Nur-Vek) | The brightest festive clothing | Joy, truce |
| Knowledge Day (Ven-Thex) | Azure elements in all guilds | Priority of knowledge over guild |
Unity Day — the only holiday when "six colors" (by the number of limbs) are layered on one outfit: each element (belt, cloak, sleeves, trousers, footwear, accessory) is dyed its own color. This is the visual embodiment of the principle "unity without unification" (→ see [Volume III, Ch.06, "Social Structure"]).
10.5 Fabrics and Materials
10.5.1 Natural
| Material | Source | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Tar-vine (fiber) | Stems of the tar-vine (→ see [Volume I, Ch.17]) | Light fabrics, summer clothing |
| Kharru wool | Domesticated herbivore | Warm fabrics, polar clothing |
| Deep-sea wool | Animals of the Gharra ocean | Waterproof fabrics |
| Chromophilic threads | Plants with high pigment content | Copper-red and golden fabrics |
10.5.2 Synthetic
| Material | Property | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Thermoplastic | Retains heat while thin | Polar clothing |
| Pheromone mesh | Does not block pheromone communication | Everyday clothing |
| UV-permeable fabric | Passes ultraviolet for tetrachromats | Summer clothing |
| Water-repellent composite | Rain protection | Cloaks, capes |
10.5.3 Aesthetics of Color
The color palette (→ see [Volume V, Ch.01, "Art of Xha'Ruun"]) is oriented toward the natural hues of the planet.
| Color | Code (example) | Symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | #c9a84c | Light of Khar'Vex |
| Azure | #5b7db5 | Sky of Théxar |
| Bronze | #8b6f4e | Earth |
| Copper | #b87333 | Warmth |
| Purple | #6b3fa0 | Night, Serrin |
UV-invisible layers — a practice in which part of the pattern is made with a pigment invisible in the visible spectrum but distinguishable by the Xha'Ruun in UV. This practice produces a "double image" and serves as an aesthetic device inaccessible to the Kel'vash and Moryn.
10.6 Clothing Production
10.6.1 Guild Production
The Guild of Artists (department "Fabric and Form") and the Guild of Builders (department "Materials") coordinate fabric production. The main principle: accessibility of the basic standard to all.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Production centers | 240 |
| Employed in fabric production | ~1.2 million |
| Accessibility of the basic set | 100% of the population |
10.6.2 Craft Workshops
Alongside mass production, workshops make individual garments. Customers pay for a maker’s time, rare materials and complex cuts. Price limits access to custom work even where a simple warm set is available through public provision.
10.6.3 Individual Making
The tradition of individual tailoring survives as part of family culture. The "maternal belt" — a belt passed from the female to the children (regardless of sex) — is a practice linked to the value of knowledge transmission. An old belt is not thrown away but resewn.
10.7 Fashion and Ethics
10.7.1 The Principle of Transparency
Clothing must not "lie" (→ see [Volume V, Ch.12, "Ethics and Morality"]).
| Prohibition | Justification |
|---|---|
| Fake guild marks | Appropriating another's status is a kind of lie |
| Imitation of materials | "Wood under metal" — misleading |
| Concealment of defects | Mismatch between appearance and condition is unethical |
10.7.2 Ecological Production
The Law of Silence (→ see [Volume III, Ch.09, "The Law of Silence"]) regulates clothing production: the extraction of materials in protected zones is prohibited. Synthetic fabrics are developed as an ecological alternative.
10.7.3 The Absence of "Disposable Fashion"
The culture of handing down and resewing clothing is a legacy of the Dark Ages. Usable clothing is usually passed on: from older to younger, from those leaving a guild — to those entering. The practice is supported by the guilds and domain councils.
10.8 The Fashion of Three Species
The three species do not share a common fashion: physiological and biochemical differences make this impossible.
| Species | Materials | Style | Shared Elements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xha'Ri | Fabrics, leather | The system described above | — |
| Kel'vash | Stone, metal, acid-resistant polymers | "Armor," plates | Exchange of ornaments |
| Moryn | Bioluminescent pigments on the skin | "Living light," patterns | Light patterns on Xha'Ri fabrics for rituals |
The exchange of ornaments — a practice in which the Kel'vash carve patterns on plates that repeat Xha'Ri textile patterns, and the Xha'Ri apply motifs from the Kel'vash "stone book" to fabrics. This is a form of cultural dialogue without shared clothing.
Light patterns on fabrics — a technique in which phosphorescent pigments borrowing individual Moryn visual motifs; a static pattern does not reproduce the language’s temporal sequences are applied to Xha'Ri fabrics. It is used in ritual garments for "light meals" (→ see [Volume V, Ch.09, "Cuisine and Gastronomy"]).
10.9 Children's Clothing
| Age | Features |
|---|---|
| 0–3 (larva) | No clothing required; temperature is maintained by the environment |
| 3–8 | Minimal; base belt, light cloaks |
| 8–15 | Full set, without guild marks |
| 15+ | Guild elements, choice of style |
The guild mark is put on after choosing a guild (15–20 years). Until that moment, children wear "neutral" clothing without guild affiliation — the principle of "equal start" (→ see [Volume III, Ch.07, "Education"]).
10.10 Storage and Transmission
| Practice | Content |
|---|---|
| Family storehouses | Festive clothing is passed from generation to generation |
| Guild archives | Ritual garments of the guilds are stored in special premises |
| Resewing | Old clothing is resewn; fabric is not thrown away |
| Ritual burning | Exceptionally on Remembrance Day — the clothing of the deceased without heirs |
Chapter Summary
- Xha'Ruun clothing is determined by anatomy (six limbs, heliotherapy, pheromone communication) and climate (three zones).
- Historically, clothing went from hides to functional textiles; the imperial "class" period is rejected.
- Modern clothing is a functional standard with guild and domain variations; status is not marked by cut, only by details.
- The principle of transparency: clothing must not "lie" (fake marks, imitation of materials are prohibited).
- The three species do not share a common fashion, but exchange ornaments and light patterns as a form of dialogue.