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What do you think of these fashion inspirations for the looks of some of my characters?

Darti120

Dreamer
I am not Filipino. I don't have anything to do with Filipinos. I do not have any Filipino blood within me. I wasn't born or raised in the Philippines. I just want to say that I do not want to culturally appropriate Filipino culture. I am not even Asian or Austronesian.


Hello, people! Listen up! Remember that the most important part and question of this post of mine is about the inspirations for the patterns and the colors of the krinetas(long skirts), the tartonos(long wrap-around skirts), the jarjas(the knee-length skirts of adurans), and Mayari's tied-up headbands.


When not fighting, the Andakans wear a clothing combination called a Krimota. The Krimotas include buttoned long-sleeved slender blouses called Aysaras and also long skirts called Krinetas. Krinetas are maxi long in length. Krinetas reach below and completely cover the cuboid bones of the Andakans.


I am creating a supernatural horror violent thriller mystery action story about Germanic warrior assassin females.


The title of my story is Luwalhati the Andakan.


The age range of the females are 14 to 24. These warrior females are called Andakans which are Germanic warrior females. A group of Andakans is called a Magtagot.


Andakans are raised as eternal servant bodyguard warrior maids of prestigious rich powerful German families called Senggos.


Andakans are raised to protect senggos, be maids of senggos, and cook for senggos forever. Andakans are raised to be those kinds of people towards senggos forever.


Andakans are highly religious in worshiping a group of mysterious brutal warrior deities collectively called the Sagramag. The religion of andakans is called Sagramagism. These are all because andakans are raised by Bargakats to be devout Sagramagists.


But andakans are not slaves of senggos or the Sagramag deities because andakans are free to leave their occupations as andakans anytime.


But due to their upbringing, andakans are loyal forever towards senggos and the Sagramag deities when it comes to being andakans. Andakans are willing to die for their senggos and are also willing to be eternal female monastics of Sagramag deities.


Andakans are also virgins and single. If an andakan is no longer a virgin, she cannot continue being an andakan anymore. Andakans also have to be single forever. They cannot have boyfriends or husbands. Andakans are not allowed to have children. If an andakan has children and also has a boyfriend or a husband, then she can no longer be an andakan.


Andakans are very passionate when it comes to being virgins and single because they are raised as andakans.


Senggos are rich high-class German families and rich high-class German clans of German fighters who battle supernatural monsters called aswangs. By the way, senggos live in huge beautiful mansions.


Compared to normal humans, andakans have an average lifespan of 500 years due to some supernatural means and they also do not age due to some supernatural means. Andakans do die but they do not age.


Groups of German peoples called the Bargakats are the ones responsible for putting andakans through a supernatural way that causes andakans to be able to have a lifespan of 500 years and also to stop aging. The age range when andakans stop aging is 14 to 24. Bargakats decide what age at that age range an andakan should stop aging. Bargakats typically stop the aging of an andakan in the age range 14 to 24. A member of a Bargakat is called a Bargakaton.


Bargakats also use supernatural means to increase the andakans’ various physical fitness aspects such as speed, flexibility, agility, hitting power, strength, reflexes, and endurance to the point that andakans rival or exceed average adult human males in terms of all of those physical fitness aspects. This supernatural means that bargakats use doesn't make andakans look physically buff, physically muscular, or physically bulky. In fact, most andakans are slim so they're weight would be extremely light to the point that they are able to be far faster than bulkier people. As a result of the supernatural means, andakans are more than capable of dominating and defeating average adult males in various ways of combat such as hand-to-hand combat, etc.


Bargakats are partners and allies towards senggos. Bargakats are also the ones responsible for educating andakans in various forms of education and advanced academics such as mathematics, geometry, trigonometry, religious Sagramagism studies, languages(English, etc.), medicine, astronomy, art, music, etc. These education activities of the andakans take place in places called Puredats.


As for the senggos, they are responsible for training the andakans in various warrior trainings such as martial arts, archery, gun marksmanship, stealth, assassinations, etc. Senggos also train andakans in survival skills and being able to escape many hard situations. Senggos are also the ones who train andakans in household chores(such as cleaning, sweeping, etc.) and culinary. Also, senggos are the main financial supplier of andakans.


Most andakans live in buildings and estates called Puredats which are basically mixtures of convents and academic schools. Puredats are where andakans get educated by bargakats. Most andakans live and die in puredats. Andakans spend most of their lives in puredats. Puredats are built by Bargakats but are financially funded by senggos. Puredats are for Andakans.


There are also times when andakans live in the mansions of their Senggos.


Andakans fight variations of the supernatural monsters called aswangs such as the manananggal, the mandurugo, the tik tik, etc.


At day, the manananggal is a human in full human body form. At night, that human's upper body detaches from his/her hips and his/her lower body. After that, he/she sprouts wings and he/she becomes a manananggal monster.


The image below is an example of the supernatural monster called the manananggal.


1*AV1oEu6SL-zrIDYxJf1HOA.jpeg
 

Darti120

Dreamer
When not fighting, andakans wear the clothing combination Krimota. The Krimota consists of various clothes such as an Aysara and a Krineta.


When fighting, andakans do not wear krimotas, aysaras, or krinetas and instead wear a clothing combination called a Soreto.


Krinetas are long skirts that are maxi long in length which means that they completely cover and reach below the cuboid bones of andakans. Some krinetas are even floor-length. Krinetas are very long skirts. Various krinetas are diverse in colors and patterns.


Aysaras are buttoned long-sleeved slender blouses. Aysaras are diverse in colors and designs.


By the way, each member of a senggo has his/her own group of andakans who are devoted and extremely loyal to him/her. A member of a senggo is called a senggono. A senggono can either be female or male. A group of andakans is called a Magtagot. Each magtagots distinguish themselves from other magtagots by the patterns and the colors of their krinetas(long skirts). Andakans are the ones who typically design the colors and the patterns of their krinetas(long skirts).


In response, a senggono has a handkerchief tied around one of his/her biceps and this handkerchief has the same patterns and the same colors as that of the krineta worn by his/her magtagot. It's a way for the senggono to show the world that he is the master of that magtagot which is his/her personal group of andakans.


The patterns and the colors of krinetas can represent these various things below:


1. The puredat that an andakan belongs to

2. The magtagot of an andakan

3. The town area that an andakan is from

4. The Sagramagism sect of an andakan

5. The mood of an andakan

6. The rank of an andakan in a magtagot

7. The senggono of an andakan

_________________


By the way, most andakans have long hair.


Andakans also wear a wrap-around skirt called a Tartono. It's basically a wrap-around skirt that completely covers and reaches below the cuboid bones of andakans. Tartonos are very long skirts. Some tartonos are even floor-length. Some tartonos are square in shape while others are rectangular.


Andakans also wear tied-up pure-white tube tops called Hasturans.


Andakans only wear a tartono and a hasturan during their sacred meditation in places called Gambarde.


The sacred meditation is called Madgada. A Madgada is a sacred meditation where andakans ritualistically meditate towards their divine spirituality, the supernatural, and the Sagramag deities.


Gambardes are natural biomes that are either forests, jungles, or woods. These woods, forests, and jungles have ponds, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, or any combinations of these water biomes.


Gambardes are sacred places where andakans perform sacred ritualistic baths on themselves and also use sacred perfumes on themselves.


Andakans perform the ritualistic baths on the ponds, on the lakes, on the rivers, and under the waterfalls of Gambardes and use the waters of those natural bodies of waters on themselves(andakans).


During a Madgada, the bodies(hair, arms, and the entire bodies) and clothes(tartonos and hasturans) of andakans are wet.


The sacred perfumes smell extremely good.


During a Madgada, andakans only wear tartonos and hasturans which means that during a Madgada, andakans are barefooted.
 

Darti120

Dreamer
Every andakan is a brave strong formidable warrior but one andakan stands out from the rest and her name is Luwalhati Dagtana. She is a one-female army who is able to destroy huge hordes of aswangs, huge gangs of gangsters, and all other types of enemies all by herself.


She is one of the best martial artist andakans and she is also one of the best in hand-to-hand combat duels. She is very hardworking when it comes to learning the academics and education that bargakats give andakans. She is a very brave andakan warrior who is not afraid of death and is willing to die for her German senggono whose name is Wolfgang Nirenstein. Wolfgang is a 16-year old male who is a kind and brave fighter. He has short blonde hair and blue eyes. He is also a skilled artist. Luwalhati is also a very skilled maid and is very skilled at cooking various cuisines so much that she is Wolfgang's favorite personal cook.


Luwalhati Dagtana is the protagonist of this story of mine. She is a 16-year old German andakan. She has pale skin, blue eyes, and long straight dark-brown hair. She typically wears aysaras(buttoned long-sleeved slender blouses) and krinetas(long skirts).


Again, andakans do not fight battles while wearing their krimotas, aysaras(buttoned blouses), and krinetas(long skirts). They wear Soretos in battles. It's just that andakans wear krinetas, aysaras, and krimotas when not fighting. They wear krinetas, aysaras, and krimotas when they are studying in puredats, being maids in their senggonos’ mansions, and doing their female monastics duties in puredats.


Andakans use a variety of melee weapons such as swords, spears, knives, etc. Andakans also use guns such as pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, etc.


Aside from fighting aswangs, andakans and senggonos also fight other enemies such as terrorists, gangsters, etc.


Andakans also function as assassins for their senggonos. Andakans carry out assassinations at the orders of their senggonos.


Senggonos in the USA are also very fearless and very ferocious when it comes to ordering their own andakans to assassinate American gangsters(Italian American Mafia, Russian Mafia, street gang bangers(Crips, Bloods, Latin Kings, Sureños, Tiny Rascals Gang, etc.), Mexican Cartels, biker gangs, Triads, Yakuzas, etc.).


In the USA, Senggonos are also very fearless and very ferocious when it comes to ordering their own andakans to assassinate American government political figures who are corrupt threats to those senggonos.


There are many times when andakans swiftly and fiercely bursted inside Italian American gangster parties and brutally killed every single gangster there by using guns, knives, and swords. The andakans did these at the orders of their senggonos.


There are also many times when andakans assassinated corrupt evil US government political figures by using sniper shots against the government figures. The andakans used sniper rifles and carried out the assassinations at the orders of their senggonos. Andakans are very good at using sniper rifles as weapons.


By the way, there is actually a special group of andakans that stands out from other andakans and this group is called the Mensagta.


The Mensagta are a sorority of Austrian andakans whose age range are 14 to 24. Unlike typical andakans, the Mensagta do not have their own senggonos. The only people that the Mensagta are loyal and devoted towards are to each other. But Mensagta andakans do have their own bargakats and also have their own puredats where they study academics and do their female monastic duties.


The Mensagta stands out from other andakans because compared to most andakans whose krinetas(skirts) are very long, the Mensagta lessened the length of their krinetas(skirts) to the point that their krinetas(skirts) are only knee-length. This means that the lower legs of the Mensagta andakans are exposed. This is because the Mensagta fight battles while wearing their krinetas(skirts) so the Mensagta lessened the length of their krinetas(skirts) to knee-length for the sake of combat practicality. A member of a Mensagta is called an Aduran. Due to this, some senggonos and some bargakats criticized the Mensagta for this because the senggonos and the bargakatons see the krineta(skirt) lengths of the Mensagta as indecent and whorish. In response, the Mensagta invented and started wearing boots called Gabatans which are basically boots that cover adurans’ whole lower legs. Compared to typical boots, adurans can actually move their ankle joints in Gabatans easily and freely in full capacity.


Due to the adurans’ knee-length krinetas which are shorter than typical krinetas(which are long), adurans give their knee-length krinetas the special name Jarja. Jarjas are what adurans call their knee-length krinetas in order to distinguish a jarja from a typical krineta which is long.


The patterns and the colors of jarjas of Adurans/Mensagta andakans represent the Mensagta subgroups that they are from.


During various peaceful times such as when adurans are in their puredats, etc., Adurans wear an aysara(buttoned blouse) and a jarja(knee-length skirt). As a result, Adurans/Mensagta warriors are often ready for combat clothing wise whenever peaceful times turn into conflict and war while typical andakans have to change from wearing krimotas, aysaras(buttoned blouses), and krinetas(long skirts) to wearing soretos whenever fights or wars start.


In combat, adurans wear an aysara(buttoned blouse), a jarja(knee-length skirt), and a radani(steel armors).


In combat, adurans wear a set of steel armors called a Radani. Radanis are silver in color. Adurans wear radanis as metallic body protection during combat.


A radani includes an armor that completely covers the torso and the deltoid muscles of an aduran. Radanis also include armors that completely cover gabatans(the boots) and the knees and also include steel armor gauntlets that completely cover the hands and the forearms of adurans. The steel armor gauntlets do not cover the parts of the hand palms’ fingers where fingerprints are located. This is so that adurans can have a good grip when they hold various things.


When an aduran is wearing a radani armor set, the entire aysara(buttoned blouse) including the whole sleeves of the aysara as well as the gray fingerless gloves of the aduran are all inside the radani armor set while the jarjas(knee-length skirts) of the aduran is not covered by anything in order for the aduran to show the world her jarja such as the patterns and the colors of the knee-length skirt.


Another reason why adurans stand out from other andakans is because adurans fight differently compared to other andakans. The main way adurans fight is by using the weaving martial art called Cabriginan. Cabriginan is the combat art of using the special fabric called Cabrig in trapping enemies and is also the martial art of using Cabrig cloth such as blankets, handkerchiefs, etc. Due to these, adurans are very dangerous opponents towards their enemies because they use weaving and tying as a way to trap, incapacitate, and finish-off their enemies. Adurans can also create meshes and nets of cabrig in combat to even further trap their opponents. Adurans are very effective brutal fighters because their weaving martial art being about throwing cabrig yarns allow adurans to suffocate their enemies and also use cabrig yarns to brutally abuse their enemies by tying and pulling their enemies’ limbs apart extremely hard.


The fabric Cabrig is a special type of fabric invented by the aduran whose name is Seridaya Sertiyafa. Seridaya invented the Cabrig fabric due to her being extremely skilled in supernatural magic.


The fabric Cabrig is extremely strong. The strongest blade blow from the sharpest, heaviest, and strongest blades cannot destroy a Cabrig fabric. Even a 20mm Anzio sniper rifle cannot damage a blanket made of Cabrig. This resulted in the legendary mythical status of the Cabrig fabric being seen as an indestructible divine fabric.


Adurans are also very dangerous ambushers in jungles, woods, and forests due to the cabrig mesh traps that adurans use against their enemies.


Adurans tie and trap their enemies by throwing threads and nets of cabrig on their enemies. Adurans also use special tools that further assist them in effectively throwing cabrig at and trapping their enemies with cabrig.


Adurans also use cabrig as a way to move about and climb towers. Due to the extreme strength of the cabrig, Adurans use cabrig to swing from very high places.


That's all for the Mensagta.
 

Darti120

Dreamer
Another andakan that stands out from all other andakans is Mayari Suksedan. Mayari is an Austrian andakan. She is a 16-year old warrior female who can defeat and kill entire armies of terrorists and entire hordes of aswangs all by herself. She is also one of the greatest andakans when it comes to martial arts, stealth, and assassinations. She excels in jungle combat. She has pale skin and brown eyes. She has long black hair.


By the way, Mayari is not an Aduran. She is not a Mensagta andakan. When I say Mensagta and adurans, I am talking about the andakans whose krineta(skirt) lengths are knee-length and are shorter than typical krinetas which are long.


One thing that sets Mayari apart from most andakans is that she doesn't wear an aysara(buttoned blouse), a krineta(skirt), a tartono(wrap-around skirt), or a hasturan(tied-up tube top). Instead, she wears a typical modern US military special forces jungle camo suit and also wears a pair of typical modern US military combat boots. She also wears a pair of military tactical fingerless gloves. The gloves are black in color.


She also wears tied-up headbands that go around her forehead and the back of her head. The tails of the headbands’ tied-up parts are long. The headbands’ tied up parts and the tails of those tied-up parts are on the back of Mayari's head.


The headbands have patterns and colors that are the same as those of typical krinetas which are skirts that are long. These patterns and colors are Mayari's ways to show who her Senggono is. Mayari's senggono is Vollrath Eibenschütz. Vollrath is a fierce 16-year old German warrior male with short blonde hair and green eyes. He is also very skilled when it comes to playing the violin and the piano. He excels at Classical music so much that Mayari loves listening to him when he plays much to Vollrath's delight.


As a warrior assassin, Mayari often operates alone. She is also very protective of Vollrath.


Now, let's talk about the most important part and question of this post of mine which are basically the various patterns and the various colors that I want to use as inspirations for the colors and the patterns of the krinetas(long skirts), the tartonos(long wrap-around skirts), the jarjas(the knee-length skirts of adurans), and Mayari's tied-up headbands.


These inspirations are traditional Filipino in origin. The inspiration colors and the inspiration patterns are in the images below. Remember that in the images below, the inspirations such as the colors and the patterns are ONLY in the skirts and the dresses of the people in the images below.


These below are the Filipino inspiration colors and the Filipino inspiration patterns that I am talking about. They are all traditional Filipino in origin.


A:

KK1.png



B:

KK2.png



C:

KK3.png



D:

KK4.png



E:

KK5.png



F:

KK6.png



G:

KK7.png




This one is H1:

sacramento-united-states-20th-may-2023-asian-american-pacific-islander-night-market-held-at-california-state-capitol-in-sacramento-on-may-19-2023-in-celebration-of-aapi-heritage-month-local-filipino-americans-share-traditional-folk-dances-with-large-crowds-at-2nd-annual-aapi-night-market-photo-by-penny-collinsnurphoto-credit-nurphoto-srlalamy-live-news-2R3FN8K.jpg



This one is I1:

sacramento-united-states-20th-may-2023-asian-american-pacific-islander-night-market-held-at-california-state-capitol-in-sacramento-on-may-19-2023-in-celebration-of-aapi-heritage-month-local-filipino-americans-share-traditional-folk-dances-with-large-crowds-at-2nd-annual-aapi-night-market-photo-by-penny-collinsnurphoto-credit-nurphoto-srlalamy-live-news-2R3FN8X.jpg





___________________


All of the colors and all of the patterns of the skirts and the dresses in the images are from traditional Filipino culture.



________________


Again, remember that the most important part and question of this post of mine is about the inspirations for the colors and the patterns of the krinetas(long skirts), the tartonos(long wrap-around skirts), the jarjas(the knee-length skirts of adurans), and Mayari's tied-up headbands.


So what do you think of the inspiration colors and the inspiration patterns for the krinetas(long skirts), the tartonos(long wrap-around skirts), the jarjas(the knee-length skirts of adurans), and Mayari's tied-up headbands? Do you like the inspiration colors and the inspiration patterns? Do you like these traditional Filipino inspirations? Are they good to use as inspirations for the colors and the patterns of the krinetas, the tartonos, the jarjas, and Mayari's tied-up headbands? If I do use them as inspirations, what should I call the patterns as? If I used the inspiration patterns for the krinetas, the tartonos, the jarjas, and Mayari's tied-up headbands, what should I call the patterns of the krinetas, the tartonos, the jarjas, and Mayari's tied-up headbands? What cool names should I give the patterns?


Again, I am not Filipino. I don't have anything to do with Filipinos. I do not have any Filipino blood within me. I wasn't born or raised in the Philippines. I just want to say that I do not want to culturally appropriate Filipino culture. I am not even Asian or Austronesian.
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
Personally, and it may not be the answer you want to hear, but I am indifferent to the fashion and colors you want to use in your story. If they make sense for the world you want to write, and you are excited to write them, then I would call them a great fit. I cant say as I have encountered many who have taken inspiration from Filipino culture for their stories, but I also am not a voracious reader. Since you say, you are not Filipino, I wonder why this has so captured you.

The idea of virgin, perfect, young, devoted, not slave, fighting girls is not new in fantasy, and is a long stretch from being something that would be part of a non-fantasy world. For me, these would stretch credibility, and depending on the story they were placed in, might likely be something I would not suspend disbelief on. But...I mean, I've seen anime that was pretty exploitive and was willing to buy Black Canary in DC, so I could go with it. But to say someone 15ish, is the worlds best....ummmmm....

Anyway....all of this is a lot of effort on something very specific. In my own stories, while I do sometimes mention things people are wearing, its not something I re-visit a lot. The story is bigger then these types of details. So, I guess I would ask, if you have a story to tell, do you want to bog it down with fashion descriptions of various characters. For me, that would waste a lot of space.
 

Darti120

Dreamer
Uhm... Mods, can you please take down this post and this whole thread because they are far from the completed version? Thank you.
 

Darti120

Dreamer
Personally, and it may not be the answer you want to hear, but I am indifferent to the fashion and colors you want to use in your story. If they make sense for the world you want to write, and you are excited to write them, then I would call them a great fit. I cant say as I have encountered many who have taken inspiration from Filipino culture for their stories, but I also am not a voracious reader. Since you say, you are not Filipino, I wonder why this has so captured you.

The idea of virgin, perfect, young, devoted, not slave, fighting girls is not new in fantasy, and is a long stretch from being something that would be part of a non-fantasy world. For me, these would stretch credibility, and depending on the story they were placed in, might likely be something I would not suspend disbelief on. But...I mean, I've seen anime that was pretty exploitive and was willing to buy Black Canary in DC, so I could go with it. But to say someone 15ish, is the worlds best....ummmmm....

Anyway....all of this is a lot of effort on something very specific. In my own stories, while I do sometimes mention things people are wearing, its not something I re-visit a lot. The story is bigger then these types of details. So, I guess I would ask, if you have a story to tell, do you want to bog it down with fashion descriptions of various characters. For me, that would waste a lot of space.

Thanks for the response. I appreciated it. Unfortunately, this post and this whole thread are far from the completed version so I requested the mods to take everything down.

By the way, if we ever meet again in a thread regarding fashion of characters, I have to be blunt in saying this and I will say this:

Please don't just ignore the fashion of the characters because they are indeed important especially if the story has visuals. The physical looks of a character does have a huge influence on the whole story.

Thanks.
 
Whether the mods take this down by request or not, for what it’s worth I do think descriptions of fashion are important in fantasy writing.

I however do find myself questioning why you’ve placed Filipino fashion and culture and placed it into a German setting. That would be along the lines of cultural appropriation for me. I think it’d be way more powerful (and appropriate) to use a Filipino setting. Just my opinion.
 
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