❅ Three (Text)

[stonebird]

A friend brought up an interesting point; one that I do not think many have considered. In our world, it is common for women to wear dresses - or, at the very least, skirts - and for men to wear pants. Why do you think the practice differs in other worlds? Is it simply for convenience's sake? Does it have to do with the environment or are your worlds particularly combative?

If women need to fight, I cannot imagine them doing so in long dresses!

(There was a time she would not have been caught dead in pants, but they have a use. Arya had been right.)

Comments

[circumitus]

would imagine that it's a mixture of comfort, convenience, and combative reasons.

don't mind dresses so much
[STOP THE PRESSES] but they're not very practical in my line of work. can assume that there are many others outside of combat that are the same way.
otherwise it's a matter of preference.

[stonebird]

What is your line of work? Are you a knight? Lady knights are fascinating if so and I could understand a dress being cumbersome. (One's steps must be smaller with a skirt - and all of the additions that go with it - and it is difficult to see where each step is being placed.)

[circumitus]

soldier. we don't really have knights anymore.
but yes a dress would only get in the way. knew someone who could manage it tho. don't know how she did it.

[text]

[tongueamok]

Dresses, skirts, and robes are for nobles and ceremonies, events held in high esteem. Some within my order wear them, as well. One would surely wear pants when adventuring or in combat, man or woman. It's only practical.

[Unless you're a Forest Folk. Then you wear pants, always.]

[text]

[stonebird]

That is an interesting difference. The majority of women on Westeros - whether they be peasant or noble - wear dresses. Robes are reserved for those of the various faiths.

Dresses, if they are not complex, are easier to sew than shirts and pants. Perhaps that is why they are prevalent.

[naw]

Cultural differences, maybe? Practicality as well. Where I come from, the women who fought typically wore armor, but some others wore the likes of dresses and skirts into battle.

[and some things that could hardly be called skirts. most of it honestly wasn't practical at all, but hey.]

[stonebird]

Long dresses or skirts in battle do not seem practical. Anything too short would be unseemly.

(Sansa would be turning various shades of red if she saw any miniskirts!)

[ text ]

[hardwearing]

Where I'm from everyone wears combat armor all the time.

So I'm going with "particularly combative."

[ text ]

[stonebird]

All the time? Does the battle never end?

[paragonbrosca]

I'm a woman and I fight, but I sure as hell don't do it in dresses. My leather armor has a skirt, kinda, but it doesn't get in the way of anything. I wouldn't wear it if it did.

I've seen women in dresses and pants, but those that wear dresses aren't the ones who are fighting. Unless they're mages and wearing mage robes, if that counts. But surfacers are weird like that.

[stonebird]

Surfacers? I admire you very much, my lady, and I do not think you less a woman for being so strong. I was raised to wear dresses, to embroider, to see to a household and, one day, to bear children. I am not a warrior, but my mind is strong. I will always do what I must.

Voice

[blessedmaiden]

... where I grew up most creatures were just naked most of the time. Either that or they were wearing long capes to hide their bodies. In the same world but in different areas we do have women who mostly wear gowns and dwarves who prefere praticality and pants.

Honestly... I think it's just a matter of culture differences. I don't think I would be able to fight in long dresses as well.

Voice

[stonebird]

If you did not have to fight, what would you choose to wear? (She is trying to puzzle out how a cape can hide much of anything unless someone is holding it?) I can understand animals being nude, but what of the people?

text

[am_i_a_monster]

I think convenience and function are a big part of it. Back home, I had clothes for hunting - shirt, vest, pants, boots and a jacket - all in camouflage and sometimes orange if there were other hunters around. I had special gear for mountain climbing too. I usually wore jeans or other pants to school, and occasionally a cute skirt. I never wore dresses. I might have if I had ever gone to something formal.

Culture's a big part too. Where I'm from, women wore pants, skirts or dresses. Men typically wore pants.

text

[stonebird]

Why orange? That seems a very noticeable color. What you hunted would surely see you. (Guns are relatively foreign to her. She cannot imagine hunters wandering about and shooting at anything that moves.)

You never felt less feminine in pants?

[bythewaves]

Practicality is one thing, but you would be surprised what one can do with enough practice - or for that matter, at need! I would not cross Aredhel or Galadriel in a skirt, nay, even Nimloth of Doriath killed my brother while dressed in her gown. Luthien, of course, needed no weapon save her voice.

[stonebird]

I love the stories of Elven women. They can accomplish so much while retaining their feminine grace. (She wants to be like them, but she feels she fumbles too much.) Are you angry at Lady Nimloth?

[storyseeker]

Hooboy. You just opened the door to a long, in-depth conversation about cultural values, sexism and probably manufacturing practices and sweatshops if we stretch it far enough.

So I'll skip a lot of it and say that where I'm from, a couple hundred years ago it was absolutely expected that women would wear dresses, but it changed over time. Which I'm pretty happy about—I like a cute dress or skirt, don't get me wrong, but I prefer clothing I can move around in.

[stonebird]

Did I? Sexism? (Do explain sexism to her. She needs to know about it...and then grow even angrier over her position in Westeros.)

I have not worn anything other than dresses enough to be comfortable with the idea. But if I were in dangerous circumstances, I think I would prefer clothes that allow me to move with ease too.

voice;

[lemontree]

[ Hello again, Lady Stark. ]

I always wear trousers underneath my dresses. [ More often than not, anyway. ] The restriction of movement may have put me in danger, otherwise.

voice;

[stonebird]

(Well met, Your Grace.)

You were in the East, were you not? That is not an easy land from what I have heard told.

What would you choose to wear if necessity were not an issue?

[farmboyjedi]

I'd suspect a mix. Cultural differences and the climate of the place.

Somehow my sister managed to fight in a dress and do all right, but yeah, I can't imagine it would be easy. I know my wife isn't thrilled with fighting in a dress.

[stonebird]

I would like to know how your sister does it. (She really doesn't want to make the decision to wear what she deems as male clothes. But she doesn't want to be a burden to her friends either. She is over-tired of being the victim.) You are married? Is she here?

[readytobe]

I cannot say I have ever considered the question. [Of course, he doesn't wear either, so. But there's something weirdly interesting about the question anyway, so he tries to think about the trainers he's seen...] I suppose I have seen both on my world.

[stonebird]

It was understood in Westeros. Those who defied the tradition were either thought silly or mad. (Now she thinks differently. Why shouldn't women be allowed to wear pants or whatever they wish?)