The Robes
The pic above actually shows too much.
The Robes of Concealment worn by freewomen in the high cities
are elaborate affairs, and are subject to the dictates of the
current fashion in her city. They can be highly personal modes
of garb, cut and fashioned in countless ways and in numerous
styles, according to the whims and desires of the wearer and
the restrictions imposed by local sumptuary laws. Nevertheless,
they universally have these things in common:
They consist of several layers of thick, opaque cloth. Normally
opaque hose are worn beneath them, and gloves, to insure that
no part of the wearer's body is visible. The typical garments
worn by a freewoman of the high cities includes a shaped and
fitted brocade gown with an ankle-length hem and a high collar
which reaches to just below the chin. Atop that is worn a loose
fitting robe to further conceal the lines and shape of her body.
A quilted or brocade headpiece, similar to the arab kafiyeh, is
worn pinned or buttoned in place to cover her head, and drapes
to the shoulders. The various veils are then attached over the
wearer's face through the use of pins and ties, completing the
ensemble. A freewoman may wear slippers or even close-fitting
boots beneath her robes, and it is also the custom for women
of extremely high rank to wear ornate platform shoes which
increase her height by as much as ten inches. Such adornments
as those are normally worn only within doors, however, since
they are exceedingly difficult to walk in over uneven surfaces.
A wealthy freewoman typically wears much jewelry, consisting of
brooches, medallions and chains of office and rank, rings and
armlets. Many freewomen are very careful about wearing wristlets
and bangles of precious metal, however, or even close fitting
necklaces and especially ornamental "chokers." Such jewelry is
thought by many to be an ornamental derivative of the collar
and slave-bracelets of a kajira, therefore it is almost never
worn by the suitably cautious freewoman, and under no
circumstances will a freewoman wear any sort of jewelry or even
a tied scarf about her left ankle, since the left ankle is
universally acknowledged by Goreans as the "slave ankle," and
any sort of adornment there by a freewoman is unthinkable.
Her avoidance of such jewelry is part of her ongoing effort to
distance herself from women who have fallen to bondage.
The Veils
A freewoman will, depending upon the customs of her household and
city, wear up to five separate veils simultaneously, each with a
different purpose of concealment. These veils range in function
from thin, gauzy ones worn close to the skin, all the way up to
the heavily brocaded street veils worn by freewomen upon the
streets and in the public gathering places of her city. The five
basic veils worn by freewomen are, in the order they are donned:
the last veil, the veil of the citizeness, the pride veil, the
house veil, and the street veil.
The Last Veil:
the innermost of the five veils worn by free women; it is worn
under the veil of the citizeness, and is often very sheer. Also
known as the "privacy veil" or "modesty veil," it is worn in all
places except within the private chambers of the freewoman.
The Veil of the Citizeness:
the second of the veils worn by free women; worn under the pride
veil and over the last veil; it is worn by a free woman when
she leaves her chambers for any reason. The right to wear this
veil at all times is guaranteed to all freewomen upon attaining
their majority and pledging citizenship. To strip this veil from
a citizen of your own Home Stone is considered a violation of
basic Gorean law.
The Pride Veil:
the third veil worn by free women; worn under the house veil
and over the veil of the citizeness, it is worn when a freewoman
is in her house. Unlike the last veil and veil of the citizeness,
this veil is completely opaque, and provides true concealment
of her features.
The House Veil:
the next-to-last veil worn by free women, especially when in
the company of men not of her own family; worn over the pride
veil, and under the street veil upon leaving the house; when
guests are within the walls of her house or when the freewoman
is in the company of anyone who is not of her household, she
wears this veil at all times.
The Street Veil:
the outermost veil worn by free women; worn over the house veil
when leaving the house; typically a heavy, fitted face-covering
of thick brocaded or quilted cloth, equipped with numerous pins
and fastening devices.
a girl thought there were 7...but can only find 5....if A/any know
please let a girl know...smile
back toMistress or Free Woman page
