Lorica ClothingA new Warhammer faction is coming to the table, and I am here for it! Let's talk about the real Chinese history and culture that informs the visual design of Grand Cathay, and how fantasy can be mixed with history to create rich, fun settings for fiction.
Reviewing Grand Cathay: Historical Inspiration in Warhammer, The Old WorldLorica Clothing2025-04-04 | A new Warhammer faction is coming to the table, and I am here for it! Let's talk about the real Chinese history and culture that informs the visual design of Grand Cathay, and how fantasy can be mixed with history to create rich, fun settings for fiction.
VIDEO CONTENTS 00:00 - Intro 01:55 - Infantry: Chinese Arms & Armor 02:12 - Eastern vs. Western Armor 02:49 - Song & Ming Dynasty Influences 04:12 - Iron Pagoda Armor 07:09 - Cavalry: Barding & Other Details 07:37 - Weapons 08:36 - Footwear 09:26 - Horse Armor 10:29 - Veterans: Narrative Embellishments 11:08 - Shields 12:33 - Sentinels & Longma: Mythical Inspiration 12:41 - Mountain Armor 14:30 - Qilin 14:51 - MiaoYing: Chinese Dragon Lore 16:48 - Artillery: Chinese Siegecraft 17:10 - Mirror Armor 18:55 - Conclusion
#history #armor #warhammerArt Nouveau meets 4X Gaming: An Art Direction Review of Songs of SilenceLorica Clothing2025-10-14 | A 4X game for art history nerds? I feel so seen.
Today I turn my art director x-ray vision to Songs of Silence. How does everything from character illustration to color palette support storytelling? How do details like typography and menu design impact playability? In short, how does the entire visual approach of a game elevate the experience of playing it?
*VIDEO CONTENTS* 00:00 - The Pitch 01:14 - An Overview of Art Direction in Gaming 02:36 - Songs of Silence's Positioning 02:52 - An Overview of Art Nouveau 03:50 - The Creative Brief 05:59 - Key Theme One: Duality 09:16 - Key Theme Two: Faith 11:37 - Key Theme Three: Restoration 12:52 - Typography 15:09 - Gameplay 17:12 - Conclusion
#arthistory #videogames #designWhat I Learned in Six Weeks of Tailoring SchoolLorica Clothing2025-09-30 | When you're starting out in any new art form, your imagination and taste often outpace your technical skill. This year I decided I was going to get serious about my fashion design practice, so this summer I spent six weeks in Ireland studying under a master tailor. For six hours a day I practiced machine and hand sewing skills, construction techniques, and pattern drafting, to build a strong foundation in garment-making. I’m hoping to bring all of this new knowledge with me as I expand my design practice into couture! I'm so excited to keep improving, bringing my sketches to life.
#tailoring #fashiondesigner #fashionschoolA Beautiful Purpose: Violence. vs. Aesthetics in European ArmorLorica Clothing2025-08-21 | What is the difference between armor for war, and armor for tournament? Armor for foot combat, and armor for mounted combat? In my view we draw a few too many hard distinctions between "categories" of armor when design is not always driven by a tactical imperative. What do we lose by viewing the past purely through a functionalist lens?
*VIDEO CONTENTS* 00:00 - An Introduction to Functionalism 01:01 - The Framing Device: Armor Peeves 02:23 - A Historical Design Framework: The Vitruvian Triad 04:05 - "Pretty Armor Was Not Functional" 04:34 - Beauty as Goodness in the Medieval Mind 05:42 - Contexts for Wearing Armor 06:19 - "The Only 'Real' Armor is War Armor" 07:24 - Field vs. Tournament Armor 08:13 - Considerations for the Field 09:03 - Parade Armor 09:47 - Damage on "Parade" Pieces 12:10 - "All Variation in Armor Follows from Tactical Imperative" 12:41 - Armor for Foot 12:49 - Armor for Horse 14:40 - Conclusion
#history #armor #designPOV: You’re Kolman Helmschmid’s Wife #history #armor #comedyLorica Clothing2025-08-18 | For context, Maximilian I commissioned a silver harness from Kolman Helmschmid for 1000 florins in 1516 and never paid in full, so Helmschmid just held onto it until the emperor died in 1519. 💀
Also, yes I am wearing my dog’s Christmas stocking, why do you ask.Identity in Steel: Regional Styles of Armor in 15th Century Western EuropeLorica Clothing2025-06-06 | It seems obvious that different cultures would have different styles of clothing—but what about different styles of armor? Let’s take a magnifying glass to 15th century Western European armor to tease out the subtle differences in national styles. How might the design of these pieces reflect the histories and tastes of their owners? By extension, how do everyday objects reflect the identities of the people who use them?
*VIDEO CONTENTS* 00:00 - Intro 02:41 - Western Europe in 1480 03:27 - The Italian vs. German Dichotomy 04:23 - An Aesthetic Framework 04:32 - Volume 06:21 - Surface 06:50 - Sensory Experience 08:09 - Pop Quiz! 10:27 - Alla Tedesca 11:18 - England 13:55 - France 15:58 - Spain 17:35 - Portugal 17:55 - Flanders 18:19 - Conclusion
#arthistory #armor #worldbuildingWhat to do with 43 yards of Balenciaga chainmail silk #fashiondesign #medieval #armorLorica Clothing2025-05-30 | ...How to Study Armor When Youre Still a Wee Geekling, 2025 EditionLorica Clothing2025-05-23 | Maybe you're a history buff, artist, cosplayer, or all-around nerd who is just dipping a toe into the world of European Armor. It may seem a bit overwhelming: what are all these weird words? How do all these people seem to just KNOW THINGS? What are they reading? Where do all these sources come from, and what are you supposed to gain by looking at them? Fear not, adventurer: here is a high-level overview of how to get started researching and interpreting medieval and Renaissance armor.
*VIDEO CONTENTS* 00:00 - Intro 00:30 - The Constraints of Studying Armor 00:49 - Types of Sources 01:12 - Extant Pieces 02:36 - Bonus Rant 02:54 - Primary Texts 03:23 - Period Artwork 04:45 - Form and Validate a Hypothesis 05:15 - More Resources 05:32 - Museum List 06:14 - Book Recommendations 08:40 - Conclusion
#armor #medieval #historyAre poulaines still in this century? #history #fashion #comedyLorica Clothing2025-05-12 | I'm gonna need capsule wardrobe recs to get around these sumptuary laws.Even 17th century sculptors understood what the girlies have always known. #arthistory #louvreLorica Clothing2025-05-04 | ...Elves vs. Dwarves: Art History as World-BuildingLorica Clothing2025-04-22 | Why does Art Nouveau look like it was made by elves, and Art Deco like it was made by dwarves? Let’s investigate the intersection of fiction, folklore, and art history that contributed to the widely recognizable material cultures of fantasy’s most famous, fictitious peoples.
*VIDEO CONTENTS* 00:00 - Intro 01:29 - The Creative Brief 03:41 - Elves & Dwarves as Narrative Foils 05:21 - Elven Aristocracy vs. Dwarven Labor 06:51 - Ethereal Elves vs. Grounded Dwarves 08:32 - Elves of the Green vs. Dwarves of the Stone 09:42 - Combining Ingredients 11:09 - Art Nouveau 12:05 - Art Deco 12:49 - Parting Thoughts
#arthistory #tolkien #fantasyA History of Costuming in Science FictionLorica Clothing2025-03-21 | Why does everyone in the gritty used future have a mohawk? Why do all intergalactic militaries look the same? Why is Barbarella wearing a chainmail bikini? Let's take a broad look at the evolution of costume design in science fiction over the past century, discussing how aesthetics can describe our hopes and our fears for the future.
VIDEO CONTENTS 00:00 - Intro 01:02 - Chapter One, Steampunk 04:59 - Chapter Two, Antiquity as Future 08:17 - Chapter Three, Mid-Century Retrofuturism 09:56 - Chapter Four, Sterile Space 11:47 - Chapter Five, World War Forever 13:33 - Chapter Six, Cyberpunk 15:26 - The Final Chapter, Closing Remarks
#sciencefiction #fashion #costumeFilipino Pirate ArmorLorica Clothing2025-03-13 | Moro armor is criminally underappreciated, so let's take a broad look at the garb of 19th century Filipino pirates! #history #costume #piratesLets Judge Costuming: Medieval Fantasy Tropes in Age of Wonders 4Lorica Clothing2025-03-07 | A widely-accepted visual language of medieval fantasy character design has developed over the past 20 years of video games—even the most casual nerd among us could immediately identify a ranger as a ranger or a mage as a mage, for example. So what are these visual cues that have come to carry so much symbolism, and where does that meaning come from? Join me for an incredibly pedantic review of the costuming in Age of Wonders 4 to help me justify playing 80 hours in two weeks. 0:)
(If you take a shot every time I say "narratively appropriate," it will not end well for your liver)
#videogames #history #costumeMedieval Dogs in ChurchLorica Clothing2025-02-27 | You know how people never train their dogs and let them run everywhere screaming and peeing on things and your dog is the only worthwhile member of his/her species? Everyone in the 15th century agrees 👀 #history #doglover #medievalDid Modern Warfare Ruin Menswear? On the Great Male Renunciation and Drab MasculinityLorica Clothing2025-02-19 | Why does it seem like modern men's fashion—with its almost exclusively neutral color palette and homogenous silhouettes—is so limited compared to women's? It certainly wasn't always that way, as we can easily look back at historical menswear that was full of color and variety. It turns out this trend is an observed historical phenomenon called "The Great Masculine Renunciation." So let's explore some possible explanations—class tensions, philosophical foundations, and questions of purpose—for why menswear continues to be, well... a bit dull.
*VIDEO CONTENTS* 00:00 - Intro 01:14 - The Great Male Renunciation 02:52 - Chapter One, Eat the Rich 05:49 - Chapter Two, The Rational Masculine 06:56 - Rationalism & Mind-Body Dualism 08:30 - Immanuel Kant's Theory of Aesthetics 10:56 - Chapter Three, A Man's Purpose 13:56 - Chapter Four, Concluding Remarks
#history #fashion #mensfashionFood Security in Medieval Europe: How it Sucked to be a Peasant ✨Lorica Clothing2025-02-07 | Many of us modern folk live in a society of “expensive necessity, cheap luxury” — and I think we do not grasp what it really means to operate from a place of “subsistence necessity, let alone any access to luxury.”
#medieval #peasant #historyStyle in Steel: Plate Armor as FashionLorica Clothing2025-02-03 | I often observe 21st century people dismiss beautiful armors as purely decorative objects. Folks look at these harnesses, conclude that they seem too beautiful for the battlefield, and just write them off as “parade” armors that sat in some castle unused and pristine, only donned for ceremony or for portraiture. But people of the past deeply understood how fashion and function could be blended to create objects of immense beauty and influence.
*VIDEO CONTENTS* 00:00 - Intro 02:25 - Chapter One, Medieval Male Beauty 03:22 - Arming Doublets 04:05 - Knightly Insecurity 05:19 - Chapter Two, Kastenbrust 07:18 - Chapter Three, German Gothic 08:32 - Chapter Four, Maximilian 09:02 - Microtrend: Landsknecht Armor 10:20 - Maximilian I and Image as Power 11:02 - Closing Remarks
#armor #history #medievalModern vs. Medieval Plate Armor: What’s Missing?Lorica Clothing2025-01-17 | Would a modern soldier or a 15th century knight be more comfortable in their armor?
#armor #history #renaissanceLaminar vs. Lamellar Armor: Whats the Difference?Lorica Clothing2025-01-16 | Let’s clarify the distinction between two different types of historical armor constructions that have way too similar names. 😭
#armor #medievalhistory #ancienthistoryCuirassiers: Gun Knights of the 16th Century?Lorica Clothing2025-01-15 | A common misconception is that firearms immediately rendered armor obsolete — so let’s talk about these mounted armored dudes with pistols.
#renaissance #armor #militaryhistoryAsymmetrical Armor: Fashion or Function?Lorica Clothing2025-01-15 | Asymmetrical armor designs are all over video games like Elden Ring and World of Warcraft, but how historical are these details? What’s the point of walking around with mismatched pauldrons?
#armor #history #videogames #medieval #costumeBoob Armor: Female Knights in the Historical ImaginationLorica Clothing2025-01-14 | Let’s look at the historical precedent for female armor to see if it’s really all just in the modern imagination. #medieval #femalearmor #dndMen in Corsets: Historical and Martial ✨Lorica Clothing2025-01-14 | We don’t need to normalize shapewear for men — it was a perfectly normal part of Renaissance fashion ✨
Intro stitch from @innovacorsetry
#beautystandards #history #reenactmentKastenbrust Armor: The Cybertruck of the 15th Century?Lorica Clothing2025-01-14 | Is this boxy armor style an experiment in how far to push a design feature til it gets obnoxious? #history #armor #reenactment #medievalAnima Armor: Why is it Everywhere?Lorica Clothing2025-01-12 | Not to be confused with anime, “anima” is a unique style of armor originating in the Italian Renaissance. #armor #videogames #costumePolish Karacena Armor: Renaissance CosplayLorica Clothing2025-01-12 | Let’s learn about how problematic nostalgia for a fictionalized past makes for silly Renaissance cosplay ✨ #armor #history #europeanhistoryRenaissance Masculinity: Coquette as HeckLorica Clothing2025-01-11 | Why don’t men look like men anymore?? #medieval #history #fashion #humorThe Haute Piece: Viable or Just Vibes?Lorica Clothing2025-01-10 | Let’s talk about armor in video games! Specifically, what is the historical inspiration for those huge pauldrons? Turns out Dark Souls gets a whole lot right!
#armor #medievalhistory #videogamesArt Explained: Le Chevalier aux FleursLorica Clothing2025-01-10 | How being completely oblivious to the charms of ethereal baddies is an essential knightly virtue.
#history #art #arthistory #armor #knightThe “Batwing” Armor: Filippo Negroli’s MasterpieceLorica Clothing2025-01-10 | No shade to the goth fashion icons of our century, but if Filippo Negroli didn’t design your wardrobe, you don’t stand a chance.
#armor #history #medieval #renaissanceTo the Fashion Girls Obsessed with Natural FibersLorica Clothing2025-01-09 | They know not what ancient chores they unleash. #fashion #clothes #shoppingThe Sallet: Historical Proportions vs. Modern ReproductionsLorica Clothing2025-01-09 | Through the lens of my ✨extremely mediocre but much beloved✨ new acquisition, let’s take a look at some of the common mistakes of modern reproductions when it comes to the sallet — a style of helmet common in Europe in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.