#thrilling intent

i want to add more of the ti people as i rewatch but making miis takes so much out of me... for now this will suffice ^-^

To get it out of the way, all of these characters SHOULD be wearing undergarments, likely some form of chemise and/or braies, which would provide padding/support, reduce friction, and would be easier to clean. Assume everyone is wearing invisible undergarments for the purpose of this essay.

Her top

So, Ashe is very inspired by Irish mythos, and I don't know a ton about their clothing. Her main garment could, arguably, be a (heavily modified) Ionar; the sleeves are already only semi-attached, fastenings down the middle, and the bottom is left unfastened. Still, it's kind of a stretch; the garment seems to have only reached the midriff, and the neckline is way off.

If we broaden our search, her top most closely resembles a jerkin, a close-fitting sleeveless jacket that was popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. It could also be a sleeveless buff coat, though those were usually mainly worn by cavalry (the flare at the bottom helped protect the rider's legs from attacks).

(modern ionar recreation; British military jerkin, 1916, buff coat from early 1600s) (the jerkin is modern but the design is the same as historic garments, plus the cut of this one was a bit closer to Ashe's outfit)

If there were metal studs visible, I'd absolutely guess it was a brigandine. It COULD also be a jack of plate, which were made of pieces of iron sewn between layers of canvas, though the cut is quite a bit different from what Ashe has on.

(brigandine, as depicted in the Handbook of Weaponry, 1890; jack of plate, ~1590; ditto)

(IMO, jack of plate would be a fun garment to use if you wanted to try a historically-accurate design for her)

Her pants

From the middle ages to ~17th century, pants were actually hose---they were two separate tights, that were tied to the chemise/braies and weren't connected in the crotch area (hence codpieces, once shirts started getting short enough to leave the crotch exposed). At first I thought Ashe might be wearing pantaloons (loose, ankle-length), which seem to have risen to popularity during the regency era.

(Men's pantaloons, 1830s; ditto)

Another idea is that they were galligaskins, a type of baggy trousers worn by sailors in the 17th--18th centuries (remember, Ashe has some pirate themes in her backstory). I found some recreations that kind of look like what Ashe wears, but wasn't able to find any definitive historical depictions, so I'm not sure.

But then I found out the ancient Gauls had garments called braccae. They were tightened around the waist with a drawstring, and ranged from knee- to ankle-length. Structurally they seem to be similar to braies, though a bit longer (braies were usually only knee-length). It's not a perfect match for the kind of baggy pants Ashe wears, but I like it for her since it's more in-keeping, thematically.

(detail from Ludovisi Battle sarcophagus, ~250 AD; Roman bronze figure of a German, 2nd century) (yes these were the best examples of braccae on wikipedia)

Her Armor

You were waiting for it, I was waiting for it, everyone was waiting for it... what the hell are you wearing, Ashe?!

I have...

no idea.

I'm more familiar with medieval metal armor than ancient leather armor, so if there's actually something that looks like this, I wouldn't know. There IS a part of plate armor from the 15th century called a plackart that protects the lower half of the front torso, but it was usually worn with a breastplate that covered the top half, and I don't know if anyone would make one out of leather. Not out of the question, I suppose? Alternatively it could be some other piece of repurposed leather, or... something? Look, okay, it frankly just doesn't make sense. Ashe darling why are you protecting your stomach but leaving ALL YOUR MAJOR VEINS AND ARTERIES exposed!!!! Your neck is unguarded (insert joke about neckstabber), your pits are out, you have a guard on the BACK of your wrists but not the vulnerable insides of your wrists?? If you got close enough to shank her it would be SO easy to deal a fatal blow through her ARMPIT HOLE. I know you want to show off your cool tats but please at least CONSIDER some sleeves, or a gambeson, or SOMETHING.

Speaking of her wrist guards, they're some variety of leather vambraces, possibly with metal reinforcement. They kind of look like repurposed bracers (worn by archers to protect the inside of the wrist from the bowstring), which kind of makes me wonder if Ashe is any good with a bow? Considering they aren't protecting any of her weak points they only real use would be to block attacks. I know she needs a hand free for her not-magic, but she might want to invest in a shield instead...

Her... Sash...? Thing?

Yeah IDK. As far as I can tell this is probably a repurposed scrap of something else, maybe something relating to her backstory. It seems to be attached to her girdle, or tucked underneath it. It's a cool, if confusing, part of her design either way.

Her Shoes

In terms of construction, Ashe is likely wearing turnshoes---the sole is sown to the vamp and then the whole thing is turned inside-out so the stitching is on the inside, which protects it from damage. They can be made with basic sewing skills, so it's not out of the question Ashe made them herself. Pretty consistently, we see a sort of dark circle on the sides of the shoe; I think that's supposed to be part of the heel, though it could technically be part of the sole curving over the side of the shoe...? I'm not sure if it's meant to be a decorate or structural detail, so insert shrug here.

(reproductions of turnshoes from late and high middle ages)

Chest Belt(s) and Brooch

I wasn't able to find an exact reference for her 3-point shoulder belt, but over-the-shoulder belts aren't unheard of, in both an ancient and modern context: see baldric belt, shoulder belt, and Sam Browne belt. It DOES raise the question of what, exactly, it's meant to be holding up; I always assumed it was attached to her scabbard, but apparently that's attached to her girdle (it's not a belt since there's no buckle). Is she worried about her shirt falling off...? Or maybe she has a pouch back there somewhere, who knows.

This shot from the opening shows off her chest brooch a little clearer...

(Pics are from previously linked Aesling gallery; I'm almost positive Jackson has posted some kind of reference including it before, but I can't find it at the moment, so bear with me).

Brooches were very common for fastening garments together, or to fasten one closed. Presumably, Ashe is fastening one of her belts to the other. I haven't found a brooch that has the exact same shape as Ashe's, but there was quite a bit of variability in these, so it's not unusual for her to have a unique one.

The brooch itself is a trefoil, associated with shamrocks. The black lines may represent some form of filigree or other engraving, and the purple patterns seem to be reminiscent of flower petals---the top one might be a simplified fleur-de-lis. I think this fits her nature-y wilderness vibe pretty well, but I'm a bit sad we didn't get to see Ashe with a celtic brooch (big spike is VERY cool, see the kilmainham brooch below for an example).

I'm just going to include some pictures of brooches that I think are particularly cool and/or relevant to Ashe's design.

(Spiral brooch, late bronze age; S-shaped enamelled brooch, 1st century; Anglo-Saxon disk brooch, 6th--7th century; Frankish disk brooch, 7th century; Kilmainham brooch, late 8th early--9th century; Terslev-style trefoil brooch, 9th century)

Her Sword

I don't know anything about weaponry, but luckily Jackson's reference image described it as a long-hilted gladius.

Conclusion