Alice In Wonderland Clothing

Alice in Wonderland clothing has a sense of fantasy mixed with historical wonder that has come to fascinate people across the world. The most famous and recognizable character from Alice in Wonderland is the Mad Hatter with his signature top hat and card tucked in the hat band. Alice in Wonderland clothing can be seen in literary and movie remakes, even the batman world in the form of the Mad Hatter villain. Cosplay and comic con goers can be spotted in Alice in Wonderland clothing as well. There is an entire market devoted to classic and reimagining Alice in Wonderland costumes in all forms of media.

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Types of Roman Gladiators

Types of roman gladiators

Andabata: Wore a large helmet that obscured his vision. They were essentially known as blind fighters. Their visors were without eye holes. They would most likely been seen charging at each other on horseback, similar to medieval jousting games in the coming centuries.

Bestiarii: the name itself is pretty self explanatory. They fought animals and were usually armed with only a knife or spear. These were men were condemned to death and would most likely be slaughtered by ferocious animals because of their lack of training. However, in later years, the bestiarii would become better trained.

Dimachaeri: Fighters who used both swords in hand.

Equites: These guys generally fought each other. They fought each other on horseback a gladius and spear. They were dressed in tunics of leather for protection and wore arm guards.

Essedari: These warriors were charioteers from Celtic Britain. They were imported from Britain to Rome.

Hoplomachi: Hopolomachi meant heavily armed. They were based on the hoplites in Greek tradition. They were known for wearing elaborate helmets with a griffin crest. For further protection, they wore leg wrappings that were quilted with shin guards. They also carried a hoplite spear and a smaller, round shield. Other top tiered fighters were pitted against the hoplomachi: mirmillones or thraces.

Laquerii: These fighters used only ropes and nooses and catch opponents.

Mirmillones: These guys were known for wearing elaborate helmets with a fish crest on it. A kind of throwback to Achilles’ myrmidons. The mirmilones also wore arm guards (or manicas). They were equipped with the gladius and an oblong shield and the style was Gallic. They only fought elite warriors such as the hoplomachi or the thraces.

Praegenarii: These guys were the hype men of their day. They would get the crowd roaring by fighting each other with a wooden sword (rudis) and wore protective wrappings around the body for protection. Music was played as they fought: instruments being the hydraulic water organ, cymbals and trumpets.

Provocatores: Usually pitted against the hoplomachi. May have used various kinds of weapons.

Retiarii: These warriors had a trident, fishnet and dagger. They wore a protective manica that extended from the shoulder to the left side of the chest. A galerus shield was also used to protect the neck. They regularly fought secutores or mirmillones.

Saggitarii: These guys were armed with bows and could fire from great distances. They could be on horseback or riding chariots.

Secutores: Usually main opponents as the retiarii and had about the same armor as the mirmillones . They carried the gladius and an oblong shield.

Thraces: These warriors were equipped with protective greaves that reached the thigh with a round or square shield. They wore broad helmets that encircled the head. They were known for their curved swords (or sica). They normally fought the mirmillones and hoplomachi.

Velites: Foot fighters that mainly fought with spears. They would sport strapped belts to hold the spears in place. They were named after army division of the early Republic.

Venatores: Engaged in animal hunting. They were more hunters than warriors, but they had a role in the gladiatorial games.

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Kimono History

Kimono history stretches far back into the Jomon period and looked quite different from the kimonos we know today. The original kimonos were made of hemp clothing and tightly fastened to the wearer. From then on, kimonos were worn in two pieces. Kimono history as we know it began after 794. Before 794, garments were separated in upper and lower halves. From 794 to 1192 onward, the one cut piece was popular. This consisted of sewing long cloths together that would make the modern day kimono. 1192 to 1573 were the years when bright coloring was added to kimonos.

For a woman, the kimono was a way of expressing modesty and a sense of class. There would be multiple layers in wearing the kimono with the traditional bow tied on the back end. Both men and women have worn kimonos over the centuries and consisted of everyday wear. Nowadays, kimonos are reserved for special occasions such funerals or weddings. Kimonos can also be seen in tea ceremonies and geisha performances within Japanese culture. The Japanese take pride in their heritage and the kimono has become the national garment of Japan that attracts tourists and foreigners alike.

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Ethiopian Fashion

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Ethiopian fashion is widely popular around the world among fashion designers. You can see traditional Ethiopian fashion on the most high fashion runways across the planet. Ethiopian women have traditionally worn white dresses with color just above the lower hem. Men wear long tunics that have covered their pants. Gabbys are heavy cloth robes that are worn for the winter. Natella is a light gauze cloth worn for special occasions. Natella is used to make dresses with colorful borders around the hem of the dress. Women’s clothing in general is called hebesha qemis. You’ll see ladies in the cities wearing the traditional hebesha qemis mixed with a modern style.

Traditional Ethiopian fashion can still be seen in the countryside with city dwellers wearing western inspired attire and only wearing traditional attire on special occasions and holidays. Women’s clothing is primarily made of cotton cloth called shemma. Bracelets made of silver and gold are worn on the wrists and ankles to complete the look. Both men and women wear shawls and different shawls are worn for certain occasions. When going to church, women will drape their shawls over their heads to evoke modesty and respect. Women will cover their heads with a shash, a gauze-like cloth that is tied around the neck. Elderly women will wear a shash daily while younger women tend to reserve these neck garments for church or some other special occasion. For funerals, shawls are worn with the shiny portions appearing at the bottom.

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Yakuza Tattoo Meanings

The origins of the yakuza are murky, but their history dates back centuries. Some say they began as ronin (samurai without masters) who stuck together and others say they had ties to the shogun government going back centuries. Tattoos in Japanese society were only reserved for criminals. The first yakuza tattoo meanings were black tattoo rings around the arm which meant you were a convict and more circles around the arm symbolized convictions. Criminal activity in Japan was something that was heavily frowned upon and those who broke the law were marked as social outcasts for life. It is highly probable that these marked convicts banded together to form what is now known as the yakuza. They were most active in the post aftermath of World War Two when Japan’s government was on the brink of collapse.

Yakuza tattoo meanings include courage, sacrifice and fierce loyalty. The size of yakuza tattoos vary from all over the back to the signature arm sleeve tattoos that would normally stop at the elbow or sometimes reach to the wrist. There is also the upper body wrap tattoo that would enclose around the ribcage and stop at the clavicle area and down the center of the navel. Sometimes these body tattoos would stop just below the buttocks. Traditional Japanese themes are prevalent in yakuza tattoos: samurai warriors, koi fish, dragons and other forms of traditional, Japanese artwork. Bright colors are essential to yakuza tattoos to make a yakuza member stand out in a crowd.

The yakuza in general are about loud and flashy in general; they can be seen wearing lavish and expensive suits that would hide their body art. Yakuza affiliates would only display their tattoos when playing cards or dice games or at a place that is safe for displaying their tattoos. The Yakuza organization in general has been a patriarchal society, but wives, mistresses and daughters of yakuza members have tattooed their skin just as heavily as male members to signify affiliation with the yakuza organization. There is still a stigma in Japanese society regarding people with tattoos, especially among people from older generations who traditionally viewed those with tattoos as criminals and yakuza affiliates. There are still certain hotels and restaurants and bath houses in Japan that ban those with tattoos. However, this stigma is beginning to wane in Japan since many young people are getting tattoos out of general interest with no ties to the yakuza.

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African Traditional Clothing

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Men:

The main African garment in African traditional clothing from Africa that most may recognize is the dashiki, a shirt worn by men that fall just above the knees with the sleeve length at the elbow. They are usually buttoned down the center and embroidered around the center of the chest and neck. Dashikis can be worn with traditional African pants called sokotos, but can also be worn with regular jeans or pants. African traditional clothing would not be complete without the fila or kufi, a traditional cap worn by African men. Many would not consider traditional African wear for men complete without the fila or kufi. Dashikis have become popular around the world with people of many ethnicities wearing them.

Women

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African traditional clothing for women included the kaftan, a robe-like garment that has been worn in West Africa for centuries. Kaftans were originally a men’s garment until women began adopting them. Cleopatra of ancient Egypt was known for her kaftans that were adorned with lavish prints and amulets. In West Africa, kaftans were known as “boubou.” Kaftans have been worn all over Asia, but the African kaftan is distinct within itself. Traditionally, a kaftan that was free flowing in nature meant you were a commoner while tight fitting kaftans were worn by women from royalty or wealthy families. Colors varied from bright red and violet to more a drabber earthy décor.

These styles vary by region and tribe, but these garments are the main styles that have been worn by men and women of Africa for centuries. Indingo plant has been used as a traditional dye to get African traditional clothing in all forms of colors. Materials for both genders have been made of silk and Egyptian cotton. Children wore the same clothing; dashikis and sokotos for boys and kaftans for girls.

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Nose Ring Chain

The nose ring chain is a piece of jewelry that was worn by punk rockers in the 1970s. The nose ring chain can be primarily seen today in the deathrock, goth and industrial subcultures. They are worn by first getting a simple piercing to the side of the nostril and following with another piercing on just about any portion of the ear. Some may attach a nose ring chain to the side of the lip instead of the nose. Many search for online to buy nose ring chains and you can find them at places like etsy.com or get them custom made by your local piercer; however, custom nose ring chains by piercers can be expensive and the nose ring chains places like etsy may not always have the style you have in mind.

There is a better and cheaper way of getting nose ring chains and that is to simply make them yourself. Simply go to places that sell cheap trinkets and necklace chains like wal-mart or a local flea market. You can go to the arts and craft or jewelry sections of these stores and find all sorts of little chain links, hook ends and ear pieces that you can put together on your own. You can make all sorts of nose ring chains that suit your individual tastes and length. The great thing is that these pieces usually cost no more than a dollar and you get the gratification of being creative while making something that you alone will wear and no one else.

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