I’ve been pondering a bit about costuming for this “Beauty and the Beast” tale, and I’ve got some ideas for what people are wearing.  For this 1st scene in my head, I’ve got some ideas for what people are wearing.  I’m envisioning some sort of blend of different historical periods, and if I could draw my life would be way easier.  As it is, I can’t, and so I’ve got to fall back on cobbling together bits and pieces from different sources.
Overall, there’s a strong military and menswear influence on what I’m imagining.  I’m eschewing the big, poufy princess dresses that I usually prefer for something simpler and more tailored, though with a feminine touch.

The Queen

I imagine her wearing an ensemble that has a bit of military influence — a double-breasted coat that is crisply-cut and tailored, paired with a pair of leather leggings or some other long, skinny trousers.  Instead of the high collar, however, the coat boasts the diamond-shaped Queen Anne neckline, complete with a high, starched collar, like so:

Ugh, I seriously wish I could draw, because it would be so much easier to convey what I’m thinking.

EDITED TO ADD:

Just ran across this absolutely exquisite coat from Lizzy Nolan.  It gets close to what I imagined, actually, and I rather like the twist on the buttons.

Coat by Lizzy Nolan

In my head, though, the coat is long, floor-length, and cuts away at the hips to reveal leather leggings.  It’s also black velvet, with delicate embroidery done in gold and silver threading — a bit severe and sober, yet rich enough to be fitting for royalty.  The Queen is disdainful of too much luxury, would rather be in a jerkin and leggings (and on horseback) instead of a dress, so her clothing has to accomodate that.

Liandre

Liandre, on the other hand, follows the fashion conventions for other young, high-born ladies in the capital.  For the first scene I have in mind, she’s dressed casually.

The elements:

1. White shirt with billowy sleeves

It’s not quite pirate (and definitely NOT slutty pirate, which is all I seem to be able to find when I search google images), but what I imagine to be a comfortable sort of shirt to hang out in.  It is paired with…

2. A shirtwaist corset.

Again, it’s a simple one — no embroidery, nothing uber-decorative, just elegantly functional.  This one from Etsy totally fits the bill:

3. A short bustle skirt.

It adds a feminine sort of touch to the ensemble.  The short bustle skirts from Lovechild Boudoir are totally what I have in mind, like this one, “Honeymoon in Paris”:

4. Final touches.

Leather leggings (which pretty much seem to be standard fare amongst the women) and a pair of flat black leather riding boots.  With buckles.  Because everything is better with buckles.