a couple random Dune fashion things because I need them to round the world out better in my head when I’m reading <3
My newest obsessions have been Milis and Weimaos, the traditional veiled hats of the Tang dynasty I’m in love with the symbolism and the characterization they could provide…endless possibilities. I’ve been imagining them as a staple of the Fenrings and their court, mostly because the name Fenring reminds me of Chinese surnames a bit (In Chinese, Fen means fragrant or perfume if used in the feminine, and strive or exert if used in the masculine). So I think it would be cool if there were a future-ized version of these veiled hats, especially for Lady Margot like imagine her rolling up in a black one, her and her fellow bene gesserit obscured by mystery and also this gauze veil.
I’ve already talked about the Bedouin inspired clothes for the Fremen, and how I wished there was more color, so now for hair. I really adore the Tuareg peoples traditional hairstyles for women, all these complex braids that I imagine are a coming of age/status symbol thing when I’m reading Dune. Tuareg men are actually the ones who traditionally wear face veils out in the open, which I also think is fitting (though most likely fremen men and women will wear them outdoors, but the women still have the braids)
I toss around a lot of ideas for what I think imperial clothing looks like, but if I’m talking about the new films interpretation specifically, I really enjoyed the route they took and want to elaborate on those ideas. The loose, bordering on shapeless silhouette gives off two ideas to me. 1: these people are rich enough to afford lots of excess fabric, and not have to utilize every scrap to survive like the Fremen do. Luxury and leisure is available. 2: They don’t need to prove themselves. They’re the top dog, there’s no need to show off power when they already have all the power. However I do like the idea of actual ornamentation when the occasion calls for it or when a member of the imperial family wants to show off, but the shape is still flowing and loose.
Hi! Your blog is a real help for me since I'm working on a bunch of redesigns for ATLA characters. I have a question, do you happen to know if the painted lady's dress is based off anything in particular or is it just rule of cool. I personally can't find anything but I want to be sure. Thank you.
Sadly, the Painted Lady’s outfit isn’t based on any particular culture or time period. When it came to humanoid spirits in ATLA, it was all about the rule of cool. However, the Painted Lady’s veiled hat is inspired by historical fashion:
In Japan, the veiled hat (ichimegasa) is one component of a mushi no tareginu or [noblewoman’s] “traveling attire” outfit. So it might be helpful to try leaning into those design elements:
Hi! Thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply! (depictions of weimao/mili in Chinese paintings & figurines via):
As far as I’m aware, there’s no historical record of Chinese Muslim women wearing weimao/帷帽. It’s definitely possible that some Chinese Muslim women wore weimao for purposes of sun/wind/dust protection and modesty in public, just as their non-Muslim counterparts did, but there’s no evidence that they ever wore it for religious purposes, if that’s what you’re asking.
The weimao originated from the mili/幂蓠, and was borne out of practical needs to protect the wearer from the elements and to fit in with social customs. It hid women from the outside world and protected their modesty. For men, who also wore weimao-like hats, social rules dictated that when meeting someone face-to-face, one had to greet them or avoid them according to rules; covering the face avoided many formalities and made things easier. Below - paintings of men wearing weimao-like large hats with skirt-like brims (x):
While changes in society and fashion rendered the weimao obsolete, its practical functions ensured its survival, in a way, in the form of the Hakka liangmao/涼帽 (lit. ‘cool hat’), which is believed to have evolved from the weimao. Liangmao is traditionally worn by Hakka women while performing manual work, such as farming and fishing, in order to protect themselves from the sun and insects. Below - Hakka women wearing liangmao (1/2):
As for Chinese Muslim women, historically they would have followed the fashions of their time period, class, and ethnic background. They may or may not have veiled for religious purposes, depending on the sartorial customs of the time. If they did veil for religious purposes, whether or not they used a weimao/mili would have depended on their socioeconomic background. The main wearers of weimao were Han Chinese noblewomen of Buddhist or Daoist belief.
For some ideas on what Chinese Muslim women used as veils historically, below are photos of Hui Muslim women in 1950s China (it’s been extremely difficult to find reliable photos/depictions of Chinese Muslim women wearing veil-like garments from earlier time periods). Note how their head garments resemble the traditional fengmao/风帽 (wind hat) more than anything else (1/2/3):
It is, in fact, very similar to the fengmao worn by Chinese Buddhist nuns, as seen below (x). It seems likely that the fengmao was the de facto head garment for Chinese women’s religious veiling, regardless of religion, at least up until the modern era:
For more references, please see Wikipedia’s articles on weimao and mili, as well as my weimao, mili, and fengmao tags.
Hello! Of course it’s not a bother, I like to help! :)
The veiled hat is called “wéimào/帷帽”. I wrote a little on it in this post, and I also have a weimao tag. Below: historical weimao.
The original form of the weimao was the “mìlí/幂蓠”, a hat with a body-long veil that originated from the foreign cultures of the northwest. The mili became popular during the Sui dynasty (581-618), especially among ladies of the nobility who rode horses on public roads. The fancier veils were adorned with jade and kingfisher feathers. Below: mili in a historical drama.
The mili’s veil shortened toward the end of the Sui, and the new wide-brimmed hat with shoulder-length veil was known as a weimao. During the Tang dynasty (618-907), the weimao became so popular that edicts to wear the more modest mili were ignored. It was popular not just among palace women, but also among commoners who followed their lead. Below: weimao in historical dramas.
Asked by Anonymous
Asked by 
