It's The Best Decision I'll Ever Make

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It is logical to serve looks: traditional Vulcan clothing.

Traditional Vulcan clothing normally consists of several layers of robes in contrasting earth and jewel tones. Sashes are often worn with robes, but are not commonly worn with shorter shirts. The materials used are mostly natural, like tugno’t or sha'amii wool. Dr'thelek silk, which is not produced or sold outside Vulcan, is traditional for formal gear; however, younger Vulcans favour lighter materials, like Tholian silk. Clothing is cut pretty much the same for men and women, and gender is not typically indicated by style.

Did you know there are actually many words in the Vulcan language to designate specific styles of robes? I have compiled a vocabulary list with some traditional Vulcan clothing items that don’t quite translate with the same degree of precision into English:

ROBES AND SASHES

Beyip: a light robe, often worn under other robes, or over a ne’ahn. The front wraps left over right and is attached on the right side with knotted buttons or with electrostatic seams. Worn as casual wear for business or other activities. May be worn with a casual sash or a mos’opelal if necessary for warmth.

Mos’opelal: A “soft” or light version of the more formal opelal, worn on less-formal occasions.

Si’pelal: an outer, sleeved robe, usually of heavier and elegant fabric, worn over the beyip and under the opelal in more formal ocassions, and always worn with a sash.

Opelal: a heavy “honorable robe” (formal robe), often with broad shoulders, loose sleeves, and a wide hood, worn open at the front to show a contrasting si’pelal. Often, “Rata Tafar Tapan” is embroidered on the right lapel of this garment, specially if the wearer has completed Kolinahr.

Osan-wun: Formal sash, typically consisting of two or three bands, each a bit wider than a typical sash. The ends of a sash can normally be worn long, sometimes nearly to the ground, but in formal occassions that call for the use of an osan-wun, stylized knots are used to keep the ends closed and flat against the sash.

Pel-ahn: A light ankle-length garment, typically with long sleeves and often worn as casual everyday dress. It also crosses left over right and fastens at the right shoulder. Typically not worn with a sash. It is looser and more utilitarian than a beyip. A version that extends only to the hips and is worn with trousers also exists and is called a sav-ahn.

Pel-pen: Medium-length robe, wrapped left to right and fastened on the right side with several buttons. Typically knee-length with wide half- or ¾-sleeves and belted about the waist with a sash or belt. Can be worn with trousers or not.

M’ai-wem: a long-sleeved, floor-length dress, often worn with a light opelal. Similar to a pel-ahn, but more close-fitting.

Pi’to-sai: Small cloak. A light cross between a robe and a cloak, typically worn over a beyip, pel-ahn or m’ai-wem.

Salan-sai: A “cloak of breezes.” A sheer, draped, sleeveless garment, open or lightly fastened at the front, worn casually around the house on hotter days. Often brightly-colored and patterned. More formal versions are normally white and worn for ritual functions by lesser celebrants and called y’osalan-sai.

To-pen: A short cape, normally with a hood and wide lapels which extend below the lower edge in front.

To-sai: A cloak, typically calf- or floor-length, with a hood and openings at the sides to allow the arms to pass through. Similar to an opeleal, but more casual and seldom made of costly fabric.

Tipan-dosh: A ritual vestment, consisting of a strip of heavy fabric, shoulder-width or slightly broader, with a hole in the middle for the head. Some come to a point. A tipan-dosh is worn over the y’osi’pelal.

Ak’shem-ai: a traditional bodysuit. Can be worn by itself or under a y’osalan-sai.

Tipan-zhvi: A ritual vestment rather like a rationale, worn across the shoulders and draped down the front and back. Often with cut-outs to reveal the y’osi’pelal (ritual si’pelal) beneath.

To-pal-el: A light jacket of hip- or thigh-length, open at the front and not typically worn closed. Usually has a high collar. A generally utilitarian piece of clothing worn for everyday use. A similar garnment is the pel-pen-zh’e, which does fasten (usually in the middle), is often sleeveless, and it’s cut on the sides to show the trousers worn beneath.

Abru’sav-el: a shirt which is drawn on over the head and has no seams or fastenings. Typically has long sleeves, but versions with short sleeves do exist.

Pel-el: A shirt that wraps across the front, left over right, like a robe, and typically covers the tops of the thighs. It is worn with trousers and occassionally a mos-opelal and/or a light sash as casual “business-wear.”

Pi’mal-kan: A child’s short pants, similar to briefs. Sometimes worn with a pi’san (child’s sash), worn as a baldric across the chest, and carrying family and school markings (shasu’buhk).

ACCESSORIES

Kuvor-talk: a simple closed cap that covers the back of the head, with cheek pieces cut high to expose and highlight the ears.

Ozhup’ai: ceremonial crown worn by officials for highly-formal events

Patam-puna-ti: a type of shawl covering the head and shoulders, typically worn close to the hair.

Patam-wun: a cloth wrapped around the forehead, typically bound at the back with an elaborate knot.

Patem-sai: a type of traditional hat worn throughout vulcan society, though its use is waning outside of ceremonial occasions.

Tark-oyel: “Star coronet”. Worn at many ceremonial events, the the two horn-like shapes represent the red and the white stars visible in the Vulcan sky.

Y’svit azh’wein: a ritual mask that covers the nose and mouth, used only during ceremonies by certain celebrants, such as honor guards. It is derived from an ancient desert mask designed to protect the nose and mouth from dust.

Zhup’ai: a type of hat worn for formal events or as a craftsman’s traditional clothing.

Ut’talu: Interestingly, Vulcan has two words for “necklace”. An ut'talu is solid and torque-like, as opposed to a vik'talu, which is a pendant hanging on a chain or cord. By the way, the most widely used stone in Vulcan jewelry is rubinite, as it’s very common in Vulcan.

UNDERWEAR

Ash’ai-kuv: a kind of garter typically worn above the knee, usually with some form of ritual symbol or markings. Worn under the clothing by religiously-minded Vulcans.

Ash-wu: a high sock or stocking that typically covers up to the upper thigh. These are worn almost entirely for formal and ceremonial occassions.

Ne’ahn: under robe, often with ¾ sleeves, white or pale-toned and ankle-length. Often has a high collar which can be seen above the collar of a beyip or pel-ahn.

Ne’ak’shem: a type of short bodysuit or leotard used as underwear. It is elastic, close-fitting and has no fastenings. Some Vulcans prefer it instead of Terran-style underwear.

Pi’toh: a type of loincloth consisting of rectangular panels and a cord to tie it in place. It has currently fallen out of fashion and is only worn for certain ceremonial purposes or by very traditional Vulcans, but it appears often in depictions of pre-Surakian times.

Sources: VLD, VLRP, Hidden Universe Travel Guides: Star Trek: Vulcan, Christies, Purple Sloth, ENT, TAS, ST: TMP, ST: Beyond, ST: SFS, ST: FC, STO.

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shiroace

9 months ago