Worldbuilding advice needed in regards to clothing

[WasatchWind]

Hullo,

Got some advice on this back on the Wattpad forums before they were yeeted out of existence, but I was wondering if anyone had expertise with clothing that could help me with some worldbuilding. In my searching online for resources, there's actually not a ton on this.

My story is set in an early industrial era (1800-1850). I have a character working in a tropical climate, doing physical labor. He has modest income, ie, not a slave or very poor worker, so can afford more rigorous clothing.

I'm already sure he needs gloves. My basic wear for him is a simple shirt and trousers. I'm wondering if things like suspenders and a bandanna would be useful at all to him, or a hat.

Let me know if you have any insight on this.

 

[Spica66]

tropical climate

For fabric, linen is my recommended option because silk is more on luxurious side. I think he should wear shorts instead of trousers, if denim is invented it's also fine because of their durability. (but denim top wear in hot climate is big no)

Bandanna is a good idea.

Bandage to reduce friction on hand is enough. Gloves is too hot.

Overall, clothing airflow is important especially for doing physical labor in tropical climate.

 

[CypherTails]

If he's under the sun constantly he may opt for long sleeve shirts and pants. Being hot is preferable to being sun burnt 24/7. A bandana is good for stopping sweat from dripping and a hat would be good for blocking out the sun. It all depends on what his job is, people often chose clothing by profession.

 

[Spica66]

If he's under the sun constantly he may opt for long sleeve shirts and pants. Being hot is preferable to being sun burnt 24/7. A bandana is good for stopping sweat from dripping and a hat would be good for blocking out the sun. It all depends on what his job is, people often chose clothing by profession.

Overall sun burn protection should be considered, but if the clothes are too thick your they become an oven. Getting tanned and sunburn is normal, however, I don't think people can't do heavy labor when being heated by clothing unless the labor is in the same degree as farming.

P.S. That was my opinion as a person who live in Thailand.

 

[Agentt]

Still, you shouldn't be bothered with this that much if, unless you are meeting with one of the main characters. Think of it, when you see a friend, do you think, ah, there was a 5 foot 8 inch man of average build wearing red Hawaiian shirt made of cotton and faded blue denim Jean's with white patches on it, completed with a straw hat.
No, you just go, hey, theres a friend who is wearing a red shirt and blue pants today.

But it depends on the personality of your character, so,ehh

 

[WasatchWind]

If he's under the sun constantly he may opt for long sleeve shirts and pants. Being hot is preferable to being sun burnt 24/7. A bandana is good for stopping sweat from dripping and a hat would be good for blocking out the sun. It all depends on what his job is, people often chose clothing by profession.

Gosh I didn't even think about sunburn. It's hard to keep that in mind when you look outside and see snow ?

Still, you shouldn't be bothered with this that much if, unless you are meeting with one of the main characters. Think of it, when you see a friend, do you think, ah, there was a 5 foot 8 inch man of average build wearing red Hawaiian shirt made of cotton and faded blue denim Jean's with white patches on it, completed with a straw hat.
No, you just go, hey, theres a friend who is wearing a red shirt and blue pants today.

But it depends on the personality of your character, so,ehh

The person is the main character, and a few other characters are dressed similarly. They work by the ocean all day long.

 

[Draconite]

Still, you shouldn't be bothered with this that much if, unless you are meeting with one of the main characters. Think of it, when you see a friend, do you think, ah, there was a 5 foot 8 inch man of average build wearing red Hawaiian shirt made of cotton and faded blue denim Jean's with white patches on it, completed with a straw hat.
No, you just go, hey, theres a friend who is wearing a red shirt and blue pants today.

But it depends on the personality of your character, so,ehh

Medieval times remember?

I recommend you wearing a short sleaved shirt with shorts and a straw hat for protection from the sun

 

[CypherTails]

Overall sun burn protection should be considered, but if the clothes are too thick your they become an oven. Getting tanned and sunburn is normal, however, I don't think people can't do heavy labor when being heated by clothing unless the labor is in the same degree as farming.

P.S. That was my opinion as a person who live in Thailand.

Yes I would say it depends because some culture actually go shirtless in the tropics while the Europeans wore long sleeves and long pants. I think this is partly due to biological factors as well. Like Europeans were more vulnerable so sunburn which may be why they were more afraid of it. As for the locals they were usually a bit darker naturally making their skin more resistant.

One thing to factor as well is their exposure to the sun, you can do hard labor without prolonged sun exposure. Rice farmers for example wear long sleeves even today and the stereotypical rice farmers hat. But in general in places like Malaysia the average person doesn't cover up as much because of shade. Because remember Tropics = Trees = Shade.

If you just factor in temperature alone then you have to look at the middle east where the temperature is even hotter but there is no shade at all. Hence why they cover them selves up so much. All attire has a functional purpose, after all you don't see tropical cultures wearing furs.

 

[Spica66]

link

We sweat the upper more than the lower part of our body. That's why I said denim bottom is fine.

Yes I would say it depends because some culture actually go shirtless in the tropics while the Europeans wore long sleeves and long pants. I think this is partly due to biological factors as well. Like Europeans were more vulnerable so sunburn which may be why they were more afraid of it. As for the locals they were usually a bit darker naturally making their skin more resistant.

One thing to factor as well is their exposure to the sun, you can do hard labor without prolonged sun exposure. Rice farmers for example wear long sleeves even today and the stereotypical rice farmers hat. But in general in places like Malaysia the average person doesn't cover up as much because of shade. Because remember Tropics = Trees = Shade.

If you just factor in temperature alone then you have to look at the middle east where the temperature is even hotter but there is no shade at all. Hence why they cover them selves up so much. All attire has a functional purpose, after all you don't see tropical cultures wearing furs.

Yeah, culture is a thing. Middle-east is a dessert, so it's reasonable to cover every part of the body.
Most Southeast Asians in the past didn't care much because there are more water, humidity, and shades that they could go shirtless.

 

[CypherTails]

link

We sweat the upper more than the lower part of our body. That's why I said denim bottom is fine.

Yep most of the heat lost is through the torso, neck, head and armpits. The legs are less of a factor. This is due to the presence of major arteries in those regions. Technically the inner thigh also loses a lot of heat which is why you see some cultures that live in hot regions wear skirt/kilt like bottoms. But if you take care of the upper half and stay hydrated you should be fine.

 

[Spica66]

Depends on @WakerOfWinds's settings.

 

[LinMeili]

Hiya,

First of all, as someone who lives in a tropical climate, the one thing you must be clear on is that people in tropical climates do not work while it's hot outside.

That's a one-way ticket to sunburn, heat exhaustion, and even death! I'm not kidding. Don't mess around outside when the sun is too hot. Working in the fields at noontime? Nope. People have their lunch and stay indoors when it's that hot. Outdoor work is done during the early morning or late afternoon. People can work at noon but it is not ideal.

Secondly, clothes should be tropical clothing. Light cotton shirts and lightweight cotton trousers, IMO. A hat for the sun is also good.

Third, shoes. This depends on the type of work you do and is very important. I can't comment until I know what type of work the character is doing but shoes are important.

Mad Dogs And Englishmen
Noël Coward

In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire
To take their clothes off and perspire
It's one of those rules the greatest fools obey
Because the sun is far too sultry
And one must avoid its ultry-violet ray

The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts
Because they're obviously, definitely nuts!

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
The Japanese don't care to
The Chinese wouldn't dare to
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve 'til one
But Englishmen detest a siesta

In the Philippines they have lovely screens
To protect you from the glare
In the Malay States there are hats like plates
Which the Britishers won't wear
At twelve noon the natives swoon
And no further work is done
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

It's such a surprise
For the Eastern eyes to see
That though the English are effete
They're quite impervious to heat
When the white man rides
Every native hides in glee
Because the simple creatures hope he will impale his sola topee
On a tree

It seems such a shame
When the English claim the Earth
That they give rise to such hilarity and mirth

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho
He-he-he-he-he-he-he
Hm-hm-hm-hm-hm

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it
In Rangoon, the heat of noon
Is just what the natives shun
They put their Scotch or rye down and lie down

In a jungle town where the sun beats down
To the rage of man and beast
The English garb of the English sahib
Merely gets a bit more creased
In Bangkok at twelve o'clock
They foam at the mouth and run
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this foolish habit
In Hong Kong they strike a gong
And fire off a Noonday Gun
To reprimand each inmate who's in late

In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
There is peace from twelve to two
Even caribou lie around and snooze
For there's nothing else to do
In Bengal to move at all
Is seldom if ever done
But mad dogs and Englishmen go
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday
Out in the midday sun

 

[WasatchWind]

Medieval times remember?

I recommend you wearing a short sleaved shirt with shorts and a straw hat for protection from the sun

No, not medieval times at all. Like I said, this is early industrial, 1800 - 1850 approx. Textiled clothing may be present, though denim is a bit of a stretch.

 

[Ral]

I think you have to look at more than what a single person wear, though, there are a large amount of variety in terms of fashion in any year and era.

It is kinda more difficult to look for resources for what workers wear since they aren't something that would be purposefully documented

Still, for resources for overall fashion you could use. Look for fashion plates like this:

Artworks like paintings, drawings and etching are also great resources. They tend to have people as main or minor elements.

Newspaper is also great resource. They often have illustrations.

Other resources includes fashion catalogs, old photos, book illustrations, etc.

Or, if you don't want to do your own research, you can watch movies that are set in the era you wanted. Like the ones listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_set_in_the_1850s

 

[WasatchWind]

Hiya,

First of all, as someone who lives in a tropical climate, the one thing you must be clear on is that people in tropical climates do not work while it's hot outside.

That's a one-way ticket to sunburn, heat exhaustion, and even death! I'm not kidding. Don't mess around outside when the sun is too hot. Working in the fields at noontime? Nope. People have their lunch and stay indoors when it's that hit. Outdoor work is done during the early morning or late afternoon. People can work at noon but it is not ideal.

Secondly, clothes should be tropical clothing. Light cotton shirts and lightweight cotton trousers, IMO. A hat for the sun is also good.

Third, shoes. This depends on the type of work you do and is very important. I can't comment until I know what type of work the character is doing but shoes are important.

The character has a fantasy occupation - they imprison merfolk in a pool dammed off from the ocean, and they descale the mer's tails - the colorful scales are then sold as jewelry.

The main character and the ones he works with does follow a work schedule of working mostly in the morning and evening. His work is usually guarding the merfolk when he isn't scaling them. He also does some work like maintaining the sluices that let in new water (as the mers need oxygenated water to live).

I think you have to look at more than what a single person wear, though, there are a large amount of variety in terms of fashion in any year and era.

It is kinda more difficult to look for resources for what workers wear since they aren't something that would be purposefully documented

Still, for resources for overall fashion you could use. Look for fashion plates like this:

Artworks like paintings, drawings and etching are also great resources. They tend to have people as main or incendiary elements.

Newspaper is also great resource. They often have illustrations.

Other resources includes fashion catalogs, old photos, book illustrations, etc.

Or, if you don't want to your own research, you can watch movies that are set in the era you wanted. Like the ones listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_set_in_the_1850s

Thanks for the awesome resources!

 

[LinMeili]

The character has a fantasy occupation - they imprison merfolk in a pool dammed off from the ocean, and they descale the mer's tails - the colorful scales are then sold as jewelry.

The main character and the ones he works with does follow a work schedule of working mostly in the morning and evening. His work is usually guarding the merfolk when he isn't scaling them. He also does some work like maintaining the sluices that let in new water (as the mers need oxygenated water to live).

Then one must consider that the place where the merfolk are kept is indoors or at least in a shaded enclosure, right? Surely one wouldn't keep the aquarium under direct sunlight since the merfolk would also get sunburned. So your character doesn't need to worry too much about the sun. And just regular shoes for indoors, no worries about mud or rough terrain.