clothing of the Anduin Man (with pictures!)

[Udwin]

Couple of updates to my wearables I thought I'd share with folks.

While Tolkien's description of generalized northern Mannish dress ("breeches, whether hidden by a cloak or long mantle, or merely accompanied by a tunic") does not mention underclothes, my Anduin persona is heavily influenced by the detailed description of Beorn, who in high summer is dressed in an unhemmed "tunic of [brown] wool down to his knees"; his arms and legs are explicitly stated to be bare. While it’s entirely possible Beorn was wearing his tunic in true ancient European style (without anything underneath!), I’d prefer to preserve at least some of my modesty on the trail, should I meet some passerby while out a-trekking.

And so, first up are two wool breechclouts with decorated borders (embroidery is mentioned in Beorn’s hall!):
The green one reflects First Age cosmology, with the Two Trees, Sun, Moon, and Silmarils (I imagine that even a backwoods Man at the end of the Third Age would be familiar with the creation myth of Arda and the origin of light!)
The brown one shows stylized views of northern Middle-earth, east and west of the Misty Mountains. The Rhovanion side is--as one would expect for a Man well-traveled throughout the region--far more detailed, depicting most prominent landmarks of Wilderland and the upper Anduin river valley: the High Pass, Carrock, triple mountains of Moria, Lothlorien, Mirkwood, and Dol Guldur/Amon Lanc.
The Eriador side is almost comically simple--I guess the grass is always greener on the other side, and so is the landscape if you've grown up in the shadow of Mirkwood!

For my main garment, I needed a knee-length wool tunic, which would leave my arms bare. Thankfully, this is the description of pretty much every Bronze Age male tunic from Northern Europe. I would up copying the dress of the man from Emmer-Erfscheidenveen (Netherlands) in several weights and colors for various seasons.

Here I am in my brown summerweight tunic and an inkle-woven wool sash with my zipper pouch and an antler-handled belt knife on it.
Underneath I am wearing a linen inkle-woven sash, wool breechclout, braintanned leggings (which come about a hands' width above my knee) and garters, and puckertoe leather moccasins (all of which does double duty as Eastern-Woodlands wear). When I'm bumming around the homestead, I usually go without the leggings, but for adventuring out in the field, they're hard to beat when it comes to stomping through brambles and the like.

[Elleth]

Oh... the woodline embroidery reminds me so much of the Professor's own drawings. Wondrously done!

[Ringulf]

Very nice Udwin!
I can see you in the surroundings of the Anduin Vales readying your wares to take into Meathleburg to trade for some Beorning Honey and baked goods!

BTW I really like that spearhead, that style is depicted throughout the PJ movies as being of typical Rohirim design, and of course when they were known as the Eotheod they lived where?...The upper Vales of the Anduin! So you could even get PJ's nod on the persona! (not that you need it brother, you are right out of the books, great job!)

[Udwin]

Thanks, Elleth! Believe it or not, these were my first attempts at 'embroidery'!
Ringulf, glad you like it. The spearhead is actually made of cardboard, spraypainted silver! Made it up years and years ago for a model UN (I was in charge of the costume committee and we got the UK, so...yeah, we went as Saxons )

[Stormraven]

Very good looking impression. I like the simplicity of it. And kudos on the spear. I wouldn't have known!