Some Thoughts on Hatefish Feminine Attire
I am using my website as a convenient place to post some ideas about female attire for the Hatefish/Zephyr enterprise.
Note: you can click on any picture to see a larger version.
In our alternate universe, Captain Z has very evolved ideas of the place of women in the world and welcomes adventurous, courageous and brilliant women into the ranks. Women can serve in numerous capacities, and their character/job would have an influence on their attire.
Women can be specialists, such as our brave Pilot, portrayed by Sheila. Pilots are not part of the command structure, but have a specific and very important skill (her's being her unique understanding of the undersea world derived from the study of ichthyology).
Women can be scientists with skills essential to the functioning of the submarine, dirigible or other technology; or someone performing basic research sponsored by Captain Z. They could be intelligence operatives, or have other valuable skills. They could also be members of the crew.
In deciding what to wear, we encourage women to be creative but to look to historical precedent of women of the late 19th Century as their inspiration. Under no circumstances should you invoke "Steampunk" cliches like visible corsets, top hats - full size or miniature, goggles (goggles are for airship crew only), striped stockings etc.
Adventurous women of the 19th Century went one of three ways:
1. Simplified feminine attire: shorter skirts with boots. No hoops. Restrained petticoats.
2. Rational attire: often a feminized version of a uniform, such as worn by French cantinieres. These usually included a skirt with trousers underneath. You can also wear a sailor's top over a skirt.
3. Men's clothing: women in men's attire were a bit shocking in the 19th Century but not without ample precedent. On Captain Z's crew, if a woman wants to do a man's job, she has the option of wearing a man's uniform. She should not, however, make any attempt to conceal her gender. She's not like those women who pretended to be men to fight in the Civil War. She is a woman in trousers.
Corsets are optional, and the choice to wear one or not should be driven by what looks most "right" for the outfit you have chosen.
What ever options you choose should incorporate signature Hatefish elements. These include red accents and trim over blue wool or white canvas, the octopus symbol on hats and perhaps other places and Hatefish uniform hats (officer or sailor). You could also, if you choose a character with a primarily land-based function, substitute a 19th Century style pith helmet and perhaps wear gaiters or other hiking gear. We are still deciding on the outfit for the airship crew, but women are also welcome to explore those options as well, taking inspiration from the attire of early aviators: especially Zeppelin crews.
The purpose of these guidelines is to guide but not overly constrain. You should be creative and try to combine that creativity with historical precedent and Hatefish elements. Even the men in uniform are not entirely uniform (in the manner of the navies of the 19th Century), and there is much room for variation and self-expression.
What follows are some historical examples that could serve as inspiration. Many of them have been downloaded from a splendid Pinterest board called "Sailor Suits" which is devoted to feminine nautical attire. Many of them have elements that could be included in a Hatefish suit (suggested time frame 1850-1890 with a focus on the 1860s)
Some Historical Inspiration
