Kicking off my first analysis post with what may be the simplest piece. However, since Skyrim is so full of details in every little thing (eye porn for people like me), it's still necessary to devote some thought to this iconic piece of the ensemble.
CGI graphics, animation, and even illustrations can suffer from bizarre fabric renderings. You often see people dressed in textiles where the drape and texture don't match anything that actually exists, drapey bits that come out of nowhere, and sometimes sleeves that defy the laws of physics and gravity. I've recreated costumes based on impressionist paintings, magical girl anime, Nintendo games, and Final Fantasy X. This is a problem I'm used to facing, but thanks to the obsessive compulsively realistic look of Skyrim, that's not something I'm going to need to worry about this time.
The fabric choice here is probably the easiest. It's got the very distinctive weight and drape of a medium linen, probably 5-7oz. If you look closely, you can even see that they've captured the distinctive rough weave of linen, and that ragged edge looks exactly like unhemmed linen that's been through the dryer. Fantastic!
The construction is also very straightforward and simple: it's a long rectangle. In length, it should be long enough to wrap around the shoulders and reach about the knees in the front and back. On me, that would be about 90in (I'm short). It's width should be a little than one half of the fullest part of the body; 18in for me. That may seem a little wide, but the excess is needed for getting those drapey folds.
As always, the details are what makes it. My favorite tiny but lovely detail is the weavy loopy design at the the bottom edge. Though it looks complicated, this effect cane easily be achieved with simple embroidery. I don't know if the stitch has a name, but basically it's a few rows of running stitch with another thread woven and criscrossed through the stitching. Here's the simplest example:
Weathering will also be necessary to "get the look" I've already mentioned the linen in the dryer effect, and careful use of a cheese grater is the best way to give fabric a threadbare look. Fading and discoloration is also pretty easy. A combination of bleach (or a number of other dye discharge chemicals, but bleach is cheap and easy to find) and partial submersion tea staining will work well on any plant fiber.
For now, that's about all I can say about this garment. I do have a concern about the damn thing staying in place on an actual human body. The belts may help, but I have a feeling it may also be necessary to use swing tacks or tiny lingerie snaps (both of which are nearly invisible) to keep things where they belong.
Stay tuned, next time I'll be sharing pics of the amulet of Talos I'm working on. Things are getting made!
