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.
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.
