lemiru | (no subject)

Totally useless info about (non-existent) fashionsense of some people in the 16th century

Swiss mercenaries were called Reisläufer, German ones Landsknechte. They did not get along. At all. Downright hated each other. Like, they would just beat eachother up whenever they were around the other?
The Landsknechte began the trade after the Reisläufer, and even had Swiss train them, but soon got as good as them, wich pissed the Swiss off, because it's nice if you pay for me to teach you something but how dare you get good at it, too.

But this is not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about clothes here.

Mercenaries had awesome clothes. Garish to the max.
No really, LOOK AT IT IT'S FANTASTIC:

Frills! Frills are manly, right? Well now they are

Colour combination, was ist das?

Nice hat!

It's like his clothes have a split personality or something

DUDE CALM YOUR TITS!

My favorite, only because of DAT ASS

So yes, mercenaries were famous for their ~~horrible~~ peculiar fashion sense, to a point where I found a lot of caricatures (see, feathery dude upstairs). Thing is, the Swiss began with that trend, but the Germans took it to a different level. Like. See featherey dude upstairs. It got so bad after a while that their clothes got into conflict with the sumptuary laws around, because despite all, they were just common folks (most of the time), and had no business wearing luxurious clothes.
So!
Maximilian I came along, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and he exempted them from the law, because ~~he was a Habsburg and liked tacky frilly things~~ he thought mercenaries had a dangerous and short life, so they should be allowed the one or other excess. And then fashion exploded.

THE MORE YOU KNOW!

Note: I learned all this while researching for a 6 panel crack comic. I will never use this knowledge. Why can't I graduate in random fandom-tainted knowledge? I WOULD ROCK THAT DEGREE SO HARD sob

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SO MANY FEATHERS OH GOD. I couldn't tell if the really feathery one was a back or front view for like two minutes. O___O

Why can't I graduate in random fandom-tainted knowledge? I WOULD ROCK THAT DEGREE SO HARD sob
that sounds awesome I wish I could major in that.

THE FEATHERY ONE CRACKS ME UP SO BAD! I mean, so much for stealth. And practicality. And everything else, basically. Also you'd probably get killed real quick on the battlefield, as the enemy would just go 'AAAAAH WHAT IS THAT AAAAAAAH *stab* *stab* *stab*

I need to find out what kind of career could be based on that degree and then petition to make it a real thing.

WHAT ARE THOSE FEATHERS OMG

WHAT ARE ANY OF THESE OMG

the guy with the different tights on each leg is particularly dashing, EVIDENTLY

You need to teach me all the beautiful things about Switzerland because ALL OF IT IS INTERESTING, ALL OF IT.

not just different tights, but also. Like. TEN THOUSAND PATTERNS! It's like a pattern-dragon puked all over him. And then he got a hat and said: this is it!

ALL OF IT? ARE YOU SURE??? Well... okay then /o/ watch this space, for if I find anything more ridiculous (I doubt it, though, there is nothing more ridiculous than feather-fetish-dude), this is where it will be at.

Obviously.

The feather-fetish-dude stuffs peacock feathers into the holes in his cheese before eating it.

This is now a Historical Fact because I decreed it to be so.

This is how History is made.

obviously

oh my god I laughed so hard at DUDE CALM YOUR TITS

he just
he looks like an angry owl it's kind of amazing <3

Angry owl! That' basically it. I bet he wants to scare the enemy. Or make them die of laughter. Whatever is more effective.

OMG where did he find so many feathers? and more important why did he though it was a good idea to wear them?
All this knowledge is amusing ~~and a little scary.~~

Oh, and I hope your hand gets better.

I seriously don't know who gave him the idea that this many feathers were a good idea, but they must have been an incredible salesperson, and totally did the deal of their life...

Oh it is, thank you! I just have a weird way to hold my pen/stylus, so I cramp up after a while, but it goes away on the next day, most of the times =)

At first I was like, what, can't that guy add even a few more colors or something? I'm sure his clothes could handle that. I spot a significant absence of orange. Or bright green. Or purple.
Then I scrolled down.
Then I was like OMG MY EYES WHAT IS THIIIIIIS! -> feather dude, in case it wasn't obvious enough. I mean... what, how could someone ever think this would look great???
The pic with DAT ASS makes me think inappropriate thoughts. I wonder what DAT ASS guy must look like from the front to have a saint oggle him like that...]=D~

Though I would have loved the blue/gold one... if only he could have afforded two costumes instead of smashing two halves together.
YOU GO FRANCE, GO AND TEACH EUROPE WHAT TRUE FASHION IS ALL ABOUT!

He might have thought that he could make the enemy faint with pure sensory overload. I wonder if it was a legit strategy.
FEATHER DUDE IS AWESOME I like how despite all the feathers, he's still totally flashing his ass at you. Classy.
Also yes, DAT ASS dude is the best. I mean. Ass aside, look at the fashionable little beard, and his strut is quite dashing, as well. I'd oogle him too, if I were a saint on a banner!

The blue/gold one is gorgeous, if, as you said, it didn't look pieced together like that ~~also crotch-bow. CROTCH-BOW isn't it darling~~. My personal theory is that he wanted both uniforms, but only had the money for one. One Vicky-the-Viking moment later, TADAAAA!

This comic isn't even about fashion. IT COULD BE, THOUGH! Maybe I should change that.... But yeah, France's clothes are based on François 1er (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Francis1-1.jpg/434px-Francis1-1.jpg) and can I just say, it's so nice to look at after all the horrors in this post?

... please never stop making entries like this one. This knowledge may never be useful in any situation, but I will remember and treasure it more than any mathematic formula anyone ever tried to drill in my head.

In short, it's not useful information, but FABULOUS.

he was a Habsburg and liked tacky frilly things
Best explanation ever!

hohoho it's my silent revenge on Maths; squeezing it out of your brain and replacing it with images of cringe-worthy fashion, one formula at the time! *fistpump*

Honestly, I'm just immensely glad that other people are as amused by these sort of things that I am =3c

I went to an exhibit about Catherine of Portugal's riches-from-Ceylon collection. Ever since, I am convinced that Habsburgs are attracted to the shinies like magpies. It has ruffles on it? Buy it. No wait. Buy 10. 30! THE WHOLE STOCK!!!!