A group of Venturers recently uncovered a letter discussing fashion and dress in this post-apocalytic era, from Lady Agatha Whitmore to an unknown person.
My Dearest Friend,
I trust this letter finds you in sufficient health and safe proximity to the Lantern’s glow. The recent rains have not abated here in the least, and the mist clings to the eaves of my greenhouse with a most stubborn tenacity. Nevertheless, my thoughts have turned to the matter you raised during our last correspondence — namely, the practical applications of fashion in these darkened times.
Permit me to say, I find the subject both timely and long overdue. We have, for too long, concerned ourselves with silk and lace as matters of ornament alone, neglecting their potential as instruments of survival. There are many who would say fashion is of no concern now, when survival is bought so dear. But to them, I say that fashion will be the saviour of us all. In an age where neither sun nor star offers guidance nor warmth, and the night brings more than mere darkness, clothing must serve not only the eye but the body and the spirit.
For the Venturers — those brave or desperate enough to stray beyond the Lantern’s reach — garments must serve as both armour and comfort. In regards to outer garments, wool and leather remain strong choices. Wool, properly treated with oil or wax, resists both rain and ichor as well as providing much needed warmth. An oilskin, on the other hand, is less warm but when painted with linseed oil and parrafine, wards off water and ichor almost entirely. Stout leather, if suitably thick and reinforced, may deter not only claws but the insidious seep of corruption that some say creeps through skin. I am presently experimenting with a blend of iron-threaded linen and ashbark fibre — light enough to permit movement and comfort, but not easily rent by talon or tooth.
For townsfolk, the need for defenses against those horrors of the night is of less import. Warmth remains paramount however, given the prohibitive cost of burning coal or wood to warm a house. As such, I would recommend wool, treated with oil or wax, or suitably thick linen.
For both townsfolk and Venturers, practicality must not preclude propriety though a Venturer may be able to stretch propriety a little farther whilst outside of town. I have found the combination of overskirts with trouseurs beneath or a split under skirt to be most useful for a gentlewoman whilst also meeting the requirements of polite society. For the gentlemen, a newmarket coat and trouseurs make a good start, with a waistcoat or greatcoat for additional warmth. Further, the damp brings illness, and illness death — and so isinglass, starch and wax must be our allies. Hems must not drag; sleeves must not catch, and multiple layers are advised. Even the humble bonnet gains new importance, shielding eyes from the wind instead of the sun.
More subtly, colour and cut may offer protection of a psychological sort. Bright colours may remind the wearer, or those who see them, of happier days. Beyond the light of the Great Lanterns, some lesser creature might even pause in recognition or fear. Though I have no proof such, I find myself hard-pressed to believe that even corrupted minds retain no fragments of memory.
It is my belief — and I would be most grateful for your thoughts on the matter — that utility and elegance need not be at odds. Fashion, when properly conceived, becomes not frivolity, but armour of both the body and the soul: a means of declaring, even amidst darkness, I am here.
Do write when your schedule permits. I am most eager to hear of your experiments with luminous dyes — particularly whether the foxglove phosphor proves stable under pressure.
I remain, in purpose and admiration,
Your devoted friend,
Lady Agatha Whitmore