Fashion of Off-World (World Building Notes)

There is a new Prompt, by @alonicus in the world-building community and it's something I really need to put more thought and time into, as it is something that I have kind of overlooked. While I have ideas for particular types of fashion in the world, I've not dedicated enough attention to but here is a good chance to discuss some thoughts I've had.

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The Z'han'ali
These are an interesting race, they are made up of thin stringy tendrils and can move as fast as they have to, due to the fact that their tendrils can wrap around each other to create as many appendages as they need.

They live in a symbiotic existence with the Alid, who was the first to discover the Z'han'ali. Being incredibly skittish, it took them a while before true contact was made and it took even longer for them to form a trustworthy bond.

The Z'han'ali, being in their natural state, were tough to communicate with properly, but some of their people took the plunge and adopted a shape more like the Alid, bi-pedal at first, but some took on a tri-pedal form, especially after the Alid created shell-like armor out of clay, to help them maintain their form. Due to the weight of these shells, they had to use three legs.

Eventually, the Z'han'ali started to make their own shells, and decorations were additions made to help them stand out. They also used an asymmetrical structure, as it most closely represented themselves; being a ball of tendril moving mass.

As the centuries moved on, the Alid with the help of the Z'han'ali headed toward the stars, in search of new worlds and new races. It wasn't always easy, as the first interplanetary war broke out between then and the Vinalis.

The Vinalis lost the war and their planet, and they slunk into deep space with what was left of their people. During this conflict, the old clay shells weren't suitable, so lightweight battle armor shells were crafted and these suites allowed the Z'han'ani to help turn the tide of most battles they were heavily involved. Like juggernauts, they could attack, and then exit their suit for a speedy retreat.

This armor is still utilised to this day, although, it is considered a fashion statement, more than a necessary piece of kit.

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Youth, gangs, and Partygoers
Surplus military gear from The Confederation is one of the most readily available clothing in Free Space, due to shiploads of old uniforms that were left behind at the end of the war.

It is used as a fashion statement amongst the youths of many of the Free Space worlds, especially Jex. Many people wear old military jackets, combats, and boots, typically, boots are a must-have for most people due to their durability.

Jackets are usually altered, slogans scrawled across the backs to differentiate between people. As well as writing, they can also be decorated with patches and symbols if the individual is affiliated with a gang or area.

Partying on Jex can be a dangerous ordeal, especially if The Peacekeepers plan to raid one. Because so many gangs use parties as a way to sell their merchandise - namely The Highflyers - parties can easily turn into blood baths. If someone can afford the luxury, battle armor is usually worn by many of the patrons of these events. Sometimes, energy plates and bulletproof vests are worn on the outside of a party goers outfit. Due to the lighting of these events, bright colours and UV paints are typically used, which interacts with the lighting, the end result is usually a glowing hall of people, deadened by sporadic armor pieces.

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The Confederation Colonies
On the colony worlds of Confederation space, fashion isn't a big deal and people tend to wear whatever they can get.

Usually, these worlds are neglected as far as luxury items go, so fashion and textiles aren't a priority.

The civilians usually wear raggy-worn-out clothing, and only change it when it rots away, however, on some worlds, they have animals or creatures that produce different materials they can use effectively. A stand-out planet amongst the colony worlds is Heriotic: a world chosen for its potential to be the largest farm world in Confederation space heralded as being capable of feeding all the core worlds by itself.

The people of Heriotic were destined to be little more than farmers until a large arachnid species was discovered, that weaved web as thick as wool. Luckily, this species was friendly and tamable.

Weavers started to put the creatures to good use and created an industry in their world that didn't revolve around farming. The weavers discovered that the web would be produced with varying results, depending on the diet of the creatures, and over the years they perfected a product that is a safeguarded secret, upon arrival of a freighter carrying essentials, the crew couldn't help but notice the colonists attire, and how different they were compared to the typical colony world. The crew left the planet with more than food this trip, and the next ships came back only months later and wanted more of their wears.

This colony became the best dressed of the colony worlds, and soon, the world became prosperous and rich enough to be considered a core world, with its own governing body.

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I had a few other ideas I wanted to touch off in this post, but by the time I got to the colony world of Heriotic, the post got kind of long, so I may come back to this with a follow-up post, to discuss a few other ideas I have mulling around.