#mnimeresponding

For Tolkien Fashion week 2026 I thought I'd present something other than my usual fics.

You see, at one point in my life I was a professional costumer.

I can't draw, not really. But because of professional experience I'm good at Preliminary Sketches for costumes. These are normally basic pencil drawings with colour and possibly fabric suggestions on them. They are not the Final Sketches. Final Sketches get a lot more detail and are usually what you see in the BTS books etc.

The costumes I have drawn have no basis in Tolkien's writings. I am sharing my love of costuming and historical dress. These are literally how I would costume the subject. Most of them are inspired by history, not taken directly from.

I have seven sketches I've put together for this and have had a lot of fun doing them. Hope you enjoy them @tolkienfashionweek

Day 1 - Races┃Ainur & Elves & Orcs & Men & Dwarves & Hobbits

I chose the Maiar for day one. Specifically when they come before Manwë. The Inspiration is Chinese, particularly the long sleeves which drop well over the hands. They are called Sleeves of Heaven and I thought that appropriate in Manwë's court. I haven't listed a fabric, as I Head Canon that Maiar just imagine their clothes when they are clad in Valinor. If I chose one, it would be Habotai (Chinese silk) to go with the style. Blue and Grey colours for clouds and sky.

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

There are a lot of varying degrees of badly behaved fans in this fandom, but at this point I appear to have acquired an anon who is very determined to show me the error of my ways in misjudging the Feanorians and my guess is, probably, Maedhros. And while I am a creature of great spite and Maedhros has been one of my faves since I was a teen and I first read the Silmarillion, fully nearly twenty years ago, there are limits to my patience. I don't know who this soppy, responsible eldest daughter Maedhros is that everyone enjoys but I really dislike the fact that any attempt to deviate from this sort of passive caretaker figure results in someone showing up huffily in your inbox to tell you off like some kind of hall monitor schoolmarm. At least the deeply annoying Feanor fans do it with their names attached and a sort of wide-eyed incredulity that you do not think his grief is the be all and end all of interpretative frameworks of the Silm that is funny if still annoying. This kind of huffy fingerwagging is just like having an extremely tedious toad-eating prefect hanging around and saying "your name will go to the principal" if you take one step out of the party line.

Besides which the eldest daughter jokes are just no longer funny and rely on ignoring some of the most fun and awful parts of the canon. The interpretations universally suck and make me feel like I'm back in the anxiety!Hux dimension of Star Wars sequel fandom, which would be funny if people weren't so earnestly protective about how this is 100% totally canon!!!! And if it isn't, how could we know because its all ~unreliable narrators~ all the way down anyway! Don't make me laugh!

For Tolkien Fashion week 2026 I'm presenting Preliminary Sketches for Costumes. They are usually basic pencil, rough drafts

Day 6 - Formal┃Holidays & Celebration & Rituals

My drawing today is the outfits for Thingol and Melian's wedding.

Done right, costumes tell their own story. For this one I wanted to show how different the backgrounds of Thingol and Melian were. What better way to take inspiration from two of my favourite Cultural costumes. For Melian I've drawn the Indian Bridal Lehenga and for Thingol my inspiration is the Russian Kaftan. Two very different Cultures and very different clothing styles. But I love them together.

Silk Brocade for the Kaftan, with Cloth-of-Gold trim. I decided this needs to be in the traditional royal Purple. I've added a little bit of Elven flair on this, mostly in the pointy shoulders.

The Lehenga is Chiffon and Georgette. Again are both silks. I have used the traditional red decorated in gold for this. No real change in this to the actual outfit. But I love it so much that I think Melian, of all deserves something this special.

This is the fifth one I've drawn for this week and have had a lot of fun doing them. Hope you enjoy them @tolkienFashionWeek

Year 3049

The archaeologist made what turned out to be the most significant find of the age.

The unearthed device looked like all the others. Glass sheet on the front of a thin oblong, that could be held in a hand. It had long been concluded that this was a holy relic and vital to the way of life, a thousand years ago.

This find was unique because, for once the glass was intact.

Even more astounding it still was connected to the ancient power, by a cable.

This was the first device to turn on! The buttons still worked on it.

After months studying the device, archaeologists discovered to key to unlocking it.

Clearly a religious word for a forgotten god: Mermay.

The device held treasures in picture form. Many, many pictures of the same person, with many animals.

And one gallery labelled

"Mermay Merlors of 2026"

Inside were dozens of images of fish that had legs! Sexy legs and various heads. There were also many pictures of text thanking one person. @peasant-player

The archaeologists decided this person must have been a prophet of the Mermay Merlor religion.

Why else would so many cursed pictures be collected onto a single holy relic? Why else would this prophet be thanked?

This is the first piece written for Silmarillion Epistolary Week 2026, @silmarillionepistolary Day 1: Daily Life, Customs, Recipes

I have to admit, I wondered into the Hobbit, not the Silmarillion for day one. It was too much to resist. (Day two is into The Silm, I promise)

Hobbiton town Complaint Records (254 words) All writing for this week will be found in the AO3 link above.

The following is an excerpt of Hobbiton town records of various complaints brought by residents.

Complainant: Bilbo Baggins Complainee: Lobelia Sackville-Baggins Complaint: Stole silver spoons when invited to tea Resolved Y/N No Resolution/explanation: Complainee insisted she bought them in an estate sale and the spoons are rightfully hers. Complaint on going.

Complainant: Farmer Maggot Complainee: Peregrin "Pippin" Took Complaint: Took more mushrooms than is good for a hungry young hobbit to steal Resolved Y/N Y Resolution/explanation Complainee apologised and returned the excessive amount of mushrooms. *Note on this. Pippin also assisted Farmer Maggot in the restoration of his farm after the Scouring. Pippin’s response to this complaint is the reason Farmer Maggot has now nominated Pippin as Thain.

Complainant: Pimpernel Took Complainee: Samwise Gamgee Complaint: Complainee was lurking in the bushes and standing in an unnatural way. Resolved Y/N Y Resolution/explanation Complainee was pruning the bushes as part of his job as gardener

Complainant: Lobelia Sackville-Baggins Complainee: Bilbo Baggins Complaint: Refuses to let me in, despite offering help with his party. Resolved Y/N N Resolution/explanation: Bilbo still refuses and he placed a “No admittance” sign up in response. *Note on this. Despite Bilbo's disappearance at siad party, complaint remains unresolved. Complainant has now taken up stated issue with Bilbo's heir, Frodo Baggins.

For Tolkien Fashion week 2026 I'm presenting Preliminary Sketches for Costumes.

This is the third one I've drawn for this week and have had a lot of fun doing them. Hope you enjoy them @tolkienfashionweek

Day 3 - Classes & Professions┃Working class & Upper class & Uniforms Time to move to Middle-Earth. Today is a Festival Dancer from Númenor.

Tolkien wrote that Númenor women's great delight was dancing, and many could achieve fame for their displays of art. All he said about the men was "Many men took part" I've taken this to mean there was professional male dancers, that were more like a dancing troupe. They danced for festivals and holidays ETC, but not all year.

This costume is inspired by the recent trend of modern male Belly Dancers. There are quite a few out there, all dresses similar to this. The point of this outfit is to show off the jewellery, especially the star of Eärendil, signifying Tar-Minyatur's royal line.

The fabric that he's wearing is Chiffon, dyed in Ombre colours to reflect the sea. There are also bells at the throat, waist, and all along the jewellery. Ballet flats are great because they don't mark up royal floors. They also are quite flexible.

There is no basis in Tolkien's writings for this costume. I am sharing my love of costuming and historical dress. These are literally how I would costume the subject.

Please note: I don't have something for day 4, tomorrow. Next post will be Day 5.

I can't draw, not really. But because of professional experience as a costumer I'm good at Preliminary Sketches for costumes. These are normally basic pencil drawings with colour and possibly fabric suggestions on them. They are not the Final Sketches. Final Sketches get a lot more detail and are usually what you see in the BTS books etc.

For Tolkien Fashion week 2026 I'm presenting Preliminary Sketches for Costumes. They are usually basic pencil, rough drafts

This is the fourth one I've drawn for this week and have had a lot of fun doing them. Hope you enjoy them @tolkienfashionweek

Day 5 - Casual┃Under clothes & Layering & Daily life & Children and adults For this one I've chosen female underlayers. I've pulled these directly out of Victorian era history.

There are 3 underlayers, as that makes the most sense to me. The first layer is a shift and crotchless drawers. The shift is an item that protects the next layer from the body. This one is made from a fine cotton and is designed to be washed many times. The drawers are correct for a lot of eras fo history. Mostly because as you put more skirts and petticoats over them, you can shift them aside rather then having to undress.

The Second layer is just corset. I've chosen the Victoran era specifically for this item. It was this era that saw the introduction of Front closure Busk. An invaluable invention in my opinion. The fabric is Cotton canvas and the bonding is "Magic elven steel" Or in reality Spiral steal is really good for replicating the original whale boning.

The top layer is a corset cover and petticoat. Both in the colour of the Top dress layer. The coset cover smooths the corset lines, and give a level of modesty, should the dress slip. I would make these in a Voil, which is a very light cotton.

This is the second piece written for Silmarillion Epistolary Week 2026, @silmarillionepistolary This time I have found my way to the appendices of The Silmarillion.

For Arafinwëan Week earlier this year, I wrote a cute little meeting between Gil-Galad and a little Elfling, Celebrían. In it, they became lifelong friends, via letter. It was called Kith and Kin. You can find the AO3 link to it here: Kith and Kin I have also added this to the notes of Day two, for convenience, as the letters reference it.

Today's fic is some of those early letters. Day 2: Exploration, New Lands, Maps

Letters between an elfling Celebrían, and her Kin, Gil-Galad

AO3 link: Exploration

General rating

Dear Ereinion, my-kin 

It was really nice to meet you. Nanath said I should write a thank you letter,  for being so kind.

You were kind. I told you that many times. I don't know why you need it in a letter.

I can write to you for other things, can't I? You're my kin and king. I don't know if I'm allowed to write to my king, but surely as my kin, you'll receive my letters? You said I could, but is it really alright?

Tentatively your friend,  

Celebrían kin

Dear Kin Celebrían, 

Of course you can write to me. Nothing would bring me more joy than to get letters from my little berry thief.

What would you like to share with me?

Ereinion kin

Dear my favourite kin,

That would be lovely! I would also like to share my secrets with you.  This is why I wanted a brother! Can you keep a secret? I haven't told anyone this, but when I'm a full she-elf I want to be something special. 

I want to be an explorer when I'm of age. I already know all of Lothlórien by heart. Perhaps I could be one of your royal explorers, greeting new races. I could learn the harp, like Finrod did and introduce myself that way! 

I could go to Númenor and meet the king there, for you. Nanath says they are men, but have elven blood. The half-elven there must be very special indeed.

Your little kin.

To my little kin,

What a wonderful thing to aspire to.

I have enclosed several maps and scrolls on Númenor culture for you. The dancing bears are quite the sight. 

High-king Gil-Galad.

Ereinion!

That last letter was not in your hand! How am I meant to trust you with my secrets, if you then dictate your answers to them. 

Thank you for the maps and the cultural notes. They will be very useful.  Thank your hapless herald too. Though I wish for you to write me.

Please, please write yourself, your little kin

Apologies, Little kin

I promise from now on to keep your secrets and write to you myself.  

As for the mistake I made with my last letter, my herald is most trustworthy.  He will not tell anyone your secrets.  Not even your mother. I can promise you of this.

If you still want to be an explorer when you reach adulthood, I would be thrilled to have you as part of my royal court.

However, you are still a long way from being of age, and may change your mind.  When I was your age, I wanted to be a fisherman.  I had no idea I was going to be a king! There, I’ve told you a secret to keep safe for me.

Regardless of your choices, I will always be your kin.  I will help you in any way I can.

Love Always,

Your brother in secrets.