Yeah, let’s talk about fashion and clothes! As I’m a fashion victim on Second Life (and I never have enough L$ to indulge my passion as I’d like!), it’s a subject I love, of course. I was originally thinking of doing an article on slave clothing in Gor’s world. But it’ll be more interesting and fun to talk about dress fashions and Gor outfits in general.

Note: my articles are discovery guides and game aids, not Gorean gospel! The way players dress their avatars in Gor Second Life, even if it doesn’t necessarily conform to the standards described in the novels, is generally fine by me. Gor in Second Life is not Gor in the novels! And innovating, inventing, using your imagination and originality, and, last but not least, enjoying yourself, is the most important thing! The most important thing is to respect the spirit of the novels, not the letter! So keep an open mind, with kindness and tolerance, and please don’t use this guide to impose things, only to suggest them. Thank you.

PS: I’m not going to dwell too much on the fashions specific to different cultures, but above all on the fashions of the Gorean civilization, that of the cult of the Priest-Kings.

1- Fashion in general

These were indeed slave tunics. Household tunics, moreover, those worn in the home, were generally drab, brown or gray. There were, of course, fashions in this area, for both free men and slaves, in terms of colors, textures, materials, cuts, hems, etc. It’s not clear how and when fashions change, or why they change. There were undoubtedly trendsetters, e.g. high-ranking civil servants, wealthy merchants, actors, singers and poets, certain women of noble family and high caste, and so on, but why would one option rather than another manage to be adopted, however ephemerally? Perhaps the highest, most fixed, most established or most influential members of the Textile Workers had something to do with it, with hints, words dropped from time to time, posters on the boulevards, a few free clothes judiciously distributed, here and there, and so on. No doubt, every time a fashion changed, at least the big textile workers, masters of the main clothing houses, sold more clothes, at least to those who were fashion-conscious, to those who were anxious to keep up with the times, to those who feared being pitied or ridiculed for not being fashionable, and so on. When it came to slave tunics, for example, many years ago, apparently, the common slave tunic was white with black stripes, usually on the diagonal. And, of course, if masters and mistresses can be concerned about the clothes of their kajirae, however simple and brief, however revealing and degrading, one can imagine them being concerned about their own clothes, especially if they belong to a high caste.

Conspirators of Gor

Before we go into more detail about what Gor people wear, let’s talk about fashion trends. Yes, they exist on Gor, and if they change more every five years than every six months, they are very much present, and a particularly effective business tool, employed by the caste of textile workers and merchants to ensure a steady income. A new fashion trend means that Gorean men and women who care about their appearance and social standing, and who have sufficient means, must be dressed in the latest fashion.

However, a fashion trend is not born in a tailor’s workshop, but more often than not in an influential social sub-group. For example, a free woman arrives at the palace court of the Ubar of Ar with a new veil embroidered in her hair, in a pattern, cut and color never seen before. The Ubar says a few words to her, clearly seduced by the lovely veil. From then on, other free women, not wanting to feel left out in their social rank, will want to have the same kind of veil, or even more beautiful! A wealthy merchant had a custom-made button-down tunic made, with a matching coat decorated with embroidered motifs inspired, I don’t know, me… hm… by the Oriental dragons of the Pani people! He made a name for himself with his social ease at a caste meeting, and from then on, other wealthy merchants wanted to compete with this never-before-seen outfit! During major festivities, a very influential man had all his kajirae’s camisks shortened? One year later, half of the city’s pretty slave camisks had been shortened!

Fashion trends are thus born from one person’s original choice of clothing, which is noticed and followed by a first social group. Couturiers and tailors seize upon this new fashion, and offer it to their customers, and this new fashion trend spreads from the city where it was born, to neighboring cities, then throughout the entire cultural region concerned, and even beyond. But Goreans don’t have televisions or smartphones, and they don’t really have paper newspapers either. A fashion trend spreads above all by word of mouth, by contacts between members of the textile worker caste, and by criers and advertising posters posted outside their stalls (remember that Goreans are very familiar with printing and paper). So it’s a slow process, and when a fashion is born in Ar, it doesn’t reach Bazi or Lydius until a year or two later.

So, fashion is important, standing out socially through the originality of your clothes is important, but so is not upsetting the standards too much. These standards change rather slowly, but they do change, and here I’m going to break an onlinism, based on history:

No, Gorean fashion standards are not fixed by immutable laws, written or unwritten! In terms of clothing, what is appropriate, or not, what is decent, or indecent, changes, slowly, but constantly. In Europe, from the Middle Ages (1000 years!) to the Renaissance (400 years!), clothing standards were revolutionized at least thirty times (yes, once every 50 years, on average). Even with the highly conservative and religious society of the Goreans (which was the case for many periods in European history), clothing standards were constantly changing, for all classes of society. And the richer and more powerful the social class, the faster these standards change. Yeah, poor people can’t afford fashionable clothes. The only rules governing these Gorean standards are cultural and religious recommendations and prohibitions, which themselves adapt with the times.

On the subject of fashion, an amusing detail. While Goreans display a common disdain for anything from Earth, and consider Earth clothes to be slave clothes, they find them very sexy on slaves. We can therefore imagine that, as much for the fun of humiliating them as because it pleases them, a few goreans from the richest and most cultured social castes, who know Earth well, don’t hesitate to make their slaves (especially if they’re Earthwomen) wear outfits inspired by the sexiest Earth clothes … and a little caricatured too. Now, don’t put words in my mouth! I’m sure the soubrette outfit amuses these goreans, but they’d never make their slave wear it in streets. There would be too many explanations to give!

2- Gorean cultural and religious imperatives

“True,” I said. Did he think that the color of a fellow’s garments was what made him a warrior? Surely he must realize that one not of the warriors might affect the scarlet, and that one who wore the grimed gray of a peasant, one barefoot, and armed only with the great staff, might be of the scarlet caste. It is not the uniform which makes the warrior, the soldier.

Magicians of Gor

There aren’t that many rules, but I’ll summarize them below. And as you can see from the quote above, which presents a fact that’s in no way exceptional, wearing the color of one’s caste is not at all compulsory, and wearing a color linked to another caste is common. It’s not even a socially imposed custom! Color is not caste! What counts is to wear a uniform with the colors of one’s caste during public meetings and religious or civil ceremonies. And it doesn’t even have to be the whole outfit! A cape or mantel in the color of your caste is all you need. Goreans are proud of their caste, but they don’t need to wear its colors everywhere, and often don’t do so.

In general

Wearing the color of one’s caste is never compulsory, except for Initiates. It is only recommended for official ceremonies. It is even common to wear the colors of another caste, without claiming to be one. The color of clothing does not indicate caste.

However, if you’re a man, it’s best to avoid wearing a pure white gown or robe. It’s the color of the Initiates, and they’re rarely the kind of men to take things in stride.

Briefs, pants and bras are not worn for modesty, but to keep out the cold or for practical reasons. Men are often naked under their tunics, if it’s not cold. Women always wear a short tunic of light fabric under their dress, but this, along with the face veil, is the only case of intimate modesty (but more on the modesty rules for free women below). Free women also wear tight-fitting panties, to contain their menstruation. And contrary to the idea that kajirae never conceal their intimacy, panties and bras are part of the luxury accessories they can be made to wear, for example with dance silks. These accessories are therefore a form of finery, not a means of preserving modesty.

Earrings are a slave trick.  That said, earrings on Gor are available for men, and don’t necessarily seem to be a problem either. Most other common jewels, even nose rings, are more or less widespread, but free women avoid chokers, which would look too much like slave collars; it might give men too many ideas.

Free men

“I would have supposed that armor, or chain mail perhaps, would have been a desirable addition to the accouterments of the Gorean warrior, but it had been forbidden by the Priest-Kings.”

Tarnsman of Gor

The prohibition on wearing metal armor is the only prohibition concerning men! Well, I imagine that if a man dresses like a woman and gets caught, he’s going to have problems, if not legal, at least social, but there are no other general prohibitions.

Ah yes, so, padded armor, with leather or not, does exist! Warriors won’t fight shirtless if they have a shred of wisdom. There are also a few metallic ceremonial breastplates (which initiates don’t like). Chain mail also exists, but not among Goreans, rather among Torvaldsland warriors. But as it’s rather expensive, there aren’t many of them.

Gorean men (free and slave) often work naked if it’s hot and they’re doing heavy labor, and they’re also often naked in the gym, or when playing sports. It doesn’t really bother anyone.

Free Women

“Allow me to introduce my new friend,” she says, “Kliomenes, a river captain.” “It was he and his men who captured you in Oneander when you were a slave and sold you.

“Perhaps it was a mistake,” says Kliomenes. He smiled at her. She had pushed back the hood of her dress and unhooked her veil. Her face was uncovered, her silky brown hair cascading over her shoulders. These things did not go unnoticed by the men in the tavern. There probably wasn’t a single man who wondered how she’d look undressed and in a collar.

Rogue of Gor

Let’s start with the most famous thing, the veil that hides the whole face above the nose: it’s not compulsory at all, and is rarely imposed by law. The most powerful city of reference for Goren culture, Ar, doesn’t impose it at all. But social (and religious) pressure does. A powerful woman, whether she knows how to fight herself or is protected by men she trusts, can do without it, but rarely will. Because even her bodyguards will ask her to put on the veil, in order to stop being obsessed by her lips. Yeah, on Gor, men think a lot with their penises. Wearing the veil means avoiding problems.

And since it’s an important feminine accessory, the higher a woman’s social standing, the more layers of incredibly beautiful, rich and ornate veils she’ll wear. A poor peasant woman may only have a basic veil, a powerful woman of high caste may wear 3, 5, even 7 layers of veils, some of them really thick and heavy. But that’s not necessarily very coherent… how does she breathe? If you’ve worn a sanitary mask, you know what it feels like, and if you’ve worn an FFP3 mask, you know how difficult it is to wear it for long. I would add that having been in the Sahara desert, and having had to wear a protective breathing mask, or thick veils against the sand, I quickly realized that, after three layers of fabric, breathing is really impaired and painful.

The real and absolutely constant prohibitions concern the body of the free woman. The fabric must hide everything except the hands and the head. So it’s not as absolute as that: a woman with my sleeves stopping at the elbow is not uncommon, especially in low-caste areas. But a free woman has to hide her cleavage, her legs, her belly too, of course. The neck can be exposed, but not too much, and dresses often have high collars. In particular, a woman won’t expose her legs, ankles included. Yes, Gorean men have big fantasies about ankles too. When traveling or in the fields, she’d rather wear pants, or thick stockings, under her dress made to be practical, than risk showing her legs.

Finally, there are the feet. So, no, feet aren’t necessarily hidden by shoes or slippers. Women often wear sandals (but with more coverage than men’s), and the poorest go barefoot (sandals are often unaffordable for the poorer social classes). That said, a poor woman will hide her feet as best she can, for example, by wrapping them in strips of cloth.

Female slaves

The barefootedness of the slave also tends to draw a further distinction between her and the free woman, for the free woman, even of low caste, almost always has footwear of one sort or another, even if it is only a wrapping of cloth.

Mariners of Gor

A slave wears what she is told to wear. That’s the first rule: if her master has unusual desires, the slave obeys, and since everyone knows that, she’ll rarely be bothered, unless it’s considered that she’s overstepping the rules of public decency (in short, as long as she’s not as naked as a worm). The second is that if you want to work or be outdoors, it’s better to be clothed, for protection or to keep out the cold. We don’t care about slaves’ modesty, but a clothed slave will attract a little less libidinous envy from free men and prudish annoyance from free women.

No, there are no laws forbidding sandals and shoes for slaves, but few wear them: shoes are expensive, and keeping a slave barefoot is also a tradition. Except for the slaves of the richest masters, it’s even a kind of mark of prestige among slaves. Those who wear sandals, often very luxurious and extravagant, are identified as “high-slaves”.

A slave can wear panties, or a bra! But these are accessories to show her off, not to protect her modesty, and if she wears them, it’s to be seen, so she won’t wear camisks over them. On this subject, there are camisks that cover the kajira’s intimacy completely, such as the Turia camisk, which is T-shaped, passes between the legs, then down the back and finally ties in the front.

On the other hand, a common custom is for the legs of the kajira to be bare, at least up to the knee. But if it’s cold, a long skirt or stockings are not rare. Even pants exist for slaves: they are dance sarouels, very low-cut and low on the waist, sometimes translucent, which come from Tahari. They are often worn with the belly left bare.

Finally, no, the collar is not at all compulsory either, nor is it required by law, as a general rule. Although it is customary, some slaves don’t wear one, and simply have a handcuff on one wrist, or on their ankle, that replaces it.

Male slaves

You don’t dress a male slave like a kajira and, in particular, his privacy really needs to be concealed. Zucchini in the air annoys both free men and free women! Silk loincloths are rarely worn, and outside their master’s home, male slaves generally wear a knee-length tunic, but may also wear pants. They, too, usually go barefoot.

3- Free men’s fashion

The typical gorean wears a loose-fitting tunic and sandals. The tunic is not laced, and is pulled over the head, then cinched at the waist with a belt. Overall, this tunic stops at about the knees, which is preferable for walking and working. It will have long sleeves if it’s cold, short sleeves or no sleeves at all if it’s hot. Roman-style long johns, which come down below the knees and are worn under the tunic, are not uncommon, but are more common in the wealthier social classes. Yes, it’s a rather complex garment, and therefore not within the reach of modest purses.

When it’s cold, the Gorean will add a large, thick, covering cloak as a coat, and put on pants and boots, if he can afford them. Otherwise, he’ll make do with warm socks and sandals, and a strip of fabric to protect his calves. Caps, bonnets, hoods and hats are not at all uncommon.

Popular fashions

The tunic is a bit of a benchmark, but there are many variations. The more affluent the Gorean and the more non-manual the trade, the longer the tunic, with rich fabrics and bright, colorful patterns.

But rather than being loose and shapeless, the tunic can also be straight or fitted. It can be raised at the shoulders, and even laced, or completely open and buttoned at the front, with a shirt underneath. It can be braided or richly embroidered. While the tunic is the basic garment for free men, there is such a wide range of variations that there is something for every taste.

The sandal is basically a leather sole with a few leather straps over the foot to hold it in place. They don’t have lacing, and you can’t adjust them. But the more money you have and the more you invest, the more complex and embellished the sandal becomes.

A good sandal will have adjustable straps with bronze buckles, lacing up to the ankle, and a thick, shod sole to ensure grip on slippery terrain. And the richer the goréen, the more foot-covering the sandal, the more intricate the straps, the more engraved and ornate the leather, and the higher the lacing.

Boots and ankle-boots are a luxury available only to the wealthiest social classes, as a rule. While fur boots are common in Nordic winters, their design is rather basic. The most common is the knee-high riding boot. This is what tharlarion riders wear (with pants, because reptile scales really grate on the legs).

But slightly lower boots, and ankle boots that stop above the ankle, are common among those who can afford them. As well as being a sign of wealth, it’s a lot nicer not to freeze your feet or soak them in mud.

Pants are a fashion accessory. Initially purely practical, as they protect the legs from the elements and vegetation, they are also appreciated for their style. There’s no such thing as tight-fitting pants, but some can be very loose and baggy, like sarouels.

A little complicated to make, pants can be made of turned-up skin (but that’s more for barbarians), or treated leather (but you need to be rich, and it’s a little hot to wear), but they’re generally made of solid, comfortable fabric, which reserves them for the well-off. Pants aren’t all that common, mainly because of manufacturing costs.

Shirts are a bit like a short, loose tunic, made of light fabric and worn under a tunic. Above all, it’s made for warmth, and it’s also comfortable for sleeping in a poorly heated house. But since a beautifully pleated shirt looks great under a luxurious tunic, it has become a fashion accessory.

Shirts are rarely laced or buttoned, except at the collar and sleeves. The sleeves are rarely puffed, which is a bit of an extravagant and rarely seen luxury.

The jacket is the modernized version of the coat, and it’s not all that common. Goreans like coats: vast, covering cloaks wrapped around the shoulders in large, thick folds. It lends them a much-appreciated dignity, whereas jackets don’t have that allure. The jacket can be made of warm, thick fabric or lined leather, and can even be waterproofed, with a hood to protect the head from the rain.

That said, the vast, usually long, loose-fitting sleeves, open at the front with lacing or buttoning, can be both a practical garment for keeping warm when traveling, and an original mark of wealth and luxury.

The belt, not only necessary to hold the simplest tunics at the waist, is also the accessory to which one attaches the harness of one’s weapons, the purse that serves as a purse or as an equipment hanger, etc.

The poorest make do with rope or a laced leather cord, but the richest make the belt a particularly ornate piece of work, with engraved leather, large and beautifully worked precious metal buckles, and even highlights of metal pieces along the leather of the belt.

A vest is a short, sleeveless jacket, open at the front, usually without lacing or buttoning. Since it requires an elaborate cut and thick, comfortable fabrics, or even treated leather, it’s not very common. It has the advantage of adding a layer to keep the wearer warm.

That said, the vest is considered elegant over a slim-fitting tunic, and can be particularly luxurious, embroidered and ornate. But these are rarely seen.

Jewelry is varied, and yes, men wear it, but, of course, it’s rather reserved for the rich. Common jewelry items, but also utilitarian accessories, are armbands. Made of sturdy leather, or even adorned with metal, they protect the wrists and forearms, which is very practical for heavy-duty work. Rings, on the other hand, are a luxury reserved for the wealthier social classes, and most men don’t wear them. Finally, the most common accessories were pendants around the neck and ornaments on belts.

4- Free women’s fashion

Norman often describes the dresses of free women, but almost always with the same words, so I had a hard time really knowing what it might look like visually and in detail. So, for once, I’m also going to take inspiration from their interpretation by the average goreen clothing designer for Second Life. Yeah, I know, what a shame. But I can’t think of a better way to do it.

The typical Gorean woman wears a thick dress, with a full petticoat, reaching all the way down to the floor, and covering sleeves reaching all the way down to her hands. There’s no cleavage, the shoulders are covered and the collar is often high. Added to this is a veil over the face and, optionally, a veil over the shoulders, covering the hair. If we call this a concealment dress, it’s because the aim is for the dress and its accessories to conceal most of the skin and face.

That said, the Gorean dress is a little more complex than that: first, the woman wears a long shirt, then adds a light underskirt that stops at her ankles. Next, she slips on a shorter but puffy underskirt, or perhaps a quilted basket (an undergarment designed to support a skirt and give it even more fullness). Finally, she slips on her top skirt, made of a fairly heavy fabric, then her dress, which may or may not be open in front at the legs to reveal the top skirt. A poor woman will be content with a long shirt, skirt and dress. Add to this, because it’s common, a shoulder veil that covers the head and the veil(s) over the face, and I’m already suffocating from the heat!

Popular fashions

A dress is a must for any woman, but there are many variations. The wealthier the woman, the richer and more varied the fabrics. At the same time, the dress becomes heavier, with embroidery, wide, drooping sleeves, decorative veils and belts, pearls, metal parts and so on. A free woman’s dress is, of course, never tight-fitting.

The dress can also be tapered at the waist, or even reinforced with a corset to emphasize the waist (we’re not talking about the tight, suffocating corsets of the ^19th century, though!). The dress can be buttoned all the way down the front, or in one piece, slit at the front or sides, revealing the overskirt, and you can even add lace to the collar, sleeves and so on.

Finally, there are travel or hunting dresses, more comfortable, more solid and lighter, with fewer successive layers of clothing.

Sandals are mainly for less affluent women, but are also popular in warmer climates. Women’s sandals use a little more leather, to hide the foot a little better, and as they are less visible under dresses, they are less ornate than the richest sandals worn by free men.

And if a poor woman can’t afford sandals, she’ll hide her feet as best she can, with strips of cloth tied around them.

The slippers and pumps are widespread among the wealthier classes. Lightweight booties and slippers hide the foot better, while being comfortable and not too hot, and pumps, like men’s ankle boots, protect from the elements and keep warm. While women’s sandals may not be as luxurious as men’s, slippers and pumps are far more so, with their mix of leather, printed or embroidered fabrics, and pearls and precious metals galore.

On the subject of heels, while I’m quite categorical about stilettos, which don’t exist (or are a very rare caprice), the shoes of the richest and most powerful women feature heels to enhance their height, and even very thick soles to increase it still further!

Boots are also used by free women, but mainly for travel, in cold climates and for hunting. Booties were much less common, and boots were generally not a widespread accessory (it’s expensive). Again, boots with heels or thick soles are not uncommon, but much more reasonable.

Facial veils are, though not a constant, a custom respected with a degree of real prudish fear. It should preferably be opaque and, above all, hide the lips, which Gor men consider terribly sexy. Usually, it also covers the nose, and hides the jaw, drooping in front of the neck.

Norman dwells a great deal on veils, their importance, their exuberant richness and so on. To sum up, a woman generally has two, which she can wear one on top of the other: the light, translucent home veil, and the opaque, heavy outdoor veil. But a rich, high-caste woman will multiply the layers, and adorn them with pearls, embroidery and precious metal pendants. Often a woman wears three, but it can be four, five or, for certain ceremonies, even seven. It’s easy to imagine then that most veils are light, to facilitate breathing, opacity being achieved by multiplying the layers. But the outermost veil is generally opaque.

And, yes, some powerful women, well protected by bodyguards or self-confident, just wear translucent veils, one on top of the other, more or less revealing what’s on top, or not wearing anything at all (but frankly, with Gorean men, that’s rather risky).

Hair veils are not compulsory, and free Gorean women are proud of their hair, which is not at all systematically tied up in a bun, and can even fall over one shoulder, although as a general rule it is at least tied back in a ponytail (but then again, there’s nothing really indecent about showing off your hair, even when it’s loose, for a free woman). Hair veils are worn to protect the hair from the elements and dirt, as well as for coquetry and, much more rarely, for modesty.

In general, the veil is rolled up over the shoulders to conceal the neck (yet another part of a woman’s body that excites Gorean males), with a flap covering the top and back of the head. If a poor woman takes a bit of the first rag that will do, the richer the woman, the more embroidered, translucent, colorful and adorned with pearls and metal pendants the veil is, like the veil for the face.

Pants exist for free women! They are rarely baggy, and never tight-fitting, of course. They’re almost never worn in town, as they’re actually a hunting and traveling garment, worn under the dress to replace the disabling accumulation of women’s petticoats and skirts. As with men’s pants, it’s an expensive garment, and not widely available.

Given their nature and purpose, the pants of free women are practical, before being luxurious, but a high-caste woman who values her style while on the hunt will have sophisticated, richly cut pants, with high boots over them. The dress can then be slit at the front (for adventure or hunting, it’s more practical), but this will only reveal the legs, which are themselves hidden by the pants.

Stockings are a much more common and feminine alternative to pants, and play much the same role, but are also a fashion accessory. First and foremost, stockings are designed to keep the legs warm. But knitting, weaving or making stockings is an arduous task, especially if they’re made of silk. The simplest are held to the thigh by laces and knots, but since goreans are familiar with latex, the most sophisticated use rubber so that stockings hug the thigh without the risk of falling off.

Seeing a woman wearing stockings is therefore not uncommon, at least in cold weather, usually with slippers, pumps or boots. Basic woollen stockings were not uncommon among the less affluent, while silk stockings were only available to the wealthiest women.

Corsets and bodices are available on Gor. Not only is it a prized accessory for a wealthy master to make a high-slave wear, but it’s also a piece of free-woman clothing, for adjusting dresses to the most cinched waist. That said, the free woman’s corset is not the Victorian corset. Either it’s a straight, looser, less rigid corset, the “stay” of the 17th century (which, though comfortable, remains an accessory that’s impossible to run in or do any real physical activity with), or it’s a bodice of solid fabric, which is laced and slims the waist but doesn’t corset it.

Corsets are rarery visible on a free woman (visible corsets are for slaves!). That said, given the difficulty of making and using this fashion accessory, it was not widely used, and was reserved for the richest purses and most luxurious outfits.

Free women’s belts play much the same role as men’s belts. For the poorest women, it holds the dress at the waist and generally allows purses, pockets and tools to be suspended from it. For women with the most sophisticated dresses, the belt is above all a fashion accessory, which can be extravagantly luxurious: at this stage, it’s a veritable jewel. Purses and pockets are often tucked into the folds of the dress, or under the buttonhole, or carried in a shoulder bag. The wide scarf of precious fabric used as a belt, with flaps that could fall to the ground, was a prized luxury.

Coats and jackets for women are quite similar to their male counterparts, but, unsurprisingly, are generally more ornate, more shimmering, and richer than those for men. The coat that falls in a train down the back is a prized luxury.

The vest, for a free woman, is really a fashion accessory, before being utilitarian, and will generally be quite short, sleeveless, finely embroidered and richly ornamented. Yes, it’s a luxurious fashion accessory.

Gloves are not only a fashion accessory, they are also an accessory of feminine modesty. Women who want to show as little skin as possible often wear fine gloves made of velvet, lace or fine turned leather.

A pair of tight-fitting gloves is one of the most difficult things to make, so it’s an accessory reserved for the wealthier social classes. For less affluent women, gloves can also be made in a simpler, knitted style.

The jewelry of free women is very numerous and varied. The only non-existent (or almost non-existent) items are earrings and chokers, but everything else exists. In the end, the only difference between kajirae and free women’s jewelry lies less in wealth (a high slave can wear a veritable fortune in gold and jewels), than in finesse and refinement. Free women’s jewelry is finer, less ostentatiously exuberant and showy.

5- Slave fashion

“The girl wore Gorean dancing silk. It hung low upon her bared hips, and fell to her ankles. It was scarlet, diaphanous. A front corner of the silk was taken behind her and thrust, loose and draped, into the rolled silk knotted about her hips; a back corner of the silk was drawn before her and thrust loosely, draped, into the rolled silk at her right hip. Low on her hips she wore a belt of small denomination, threaded, overlapping golden coins. A veil concealed her muchly from us, it thrust into the strap of the coined halter at her left shoulder, and into the coined belt at her right hip. On her arms she wore numerous armlets and bracelets. On the thumb and first finger of both her left and right hand were golden finger cymbals. On her throat was a collar.”

Tribesmen of gor

There are, in fact, many outfits for a Gorean slave, but I’ll describe the most common here. Just remember, as you’ll see below, that there’s a vast choice of outfits and accessories for kajirae, that variety and exuberance are the order of the day, and that the only two rules are: either it’s practical and cheap, or it’s as sexy and decorative as possible.

The first is the camisk, which is either a short tunic, more or less loose-fitting or curved, or a simple strip of cut fabric, with a wide hole for the head to pass through, in the middle. One flap falls down the back, another in front. The camisk is held at the waist by a cord or fabric laces. The camisk covers at least the upper thighs, and may come down above the knee. It’s usually slit at the sides. And, no, a camisk doesn’t have to leave the red iron mark of the kajira visible.

The other very common garment, the ta-teera, is limited to two strips of fabric, one to be tied at the chest, the other at the waist, to hide breasts and intimacy. It’s a minimalist outfit, for working without being naked, or for dressing down to the bare essentials, at the whim of the master, or for lack of financial means.

Finally, the most common, but also most luxurious, outfit is the dance loincloth, worn low on the hips, often richly adorned and made of diaphanous silks. It’s often part of what’s known as dance silks, and is usually worn by pleasure kajirae and high-slaves in palaces, who aren’t asked to do physical chores. It can be worn with a decorative bra, a brassiere, an open vest or even a sheer bodice.

In the far north, and of Torvie tradition, but found in Gorean society, is the kirtle, which is a long tunic, with or without sleeves, of fine knitted wool, covering the legs to the ankles, and with a fairly deep neckline. This is the basic warm clothing worn by bondmaids in the far north.

Popular fashions

The camisk is the most widespread garment for a kajira and is basically quite similar to the tunic worn by goreans, but simpler and more low-cut, with a number of variations, from shapeless bits of fabric with a hole for the head to translucent silk or fishnet camisks that barely cover the skin, with indentations, low necklines, sometimes bare breasts, including a waistband, covering just one shoulder, with short sleeves, or not at all, etc.

Camisks can range from the sketchiest rough cloth to the finest fabrics, with bright colors and patterns and even edgings, beads, metal parts, can stop just below the buttocks, or even reveal them, or go down to just above the knee. The camisk can be sewn on, laced up, and even, in the case of the Turian camisk, cover intimacy (as well as being complicated to put on alone):

It is rather like an inverted “T” where the bar of the “T” has beveled edges. The foot of the “T” ties about the neck and the staff of the “T” goes before one, and then, between the legs, is drawn up snugly behind and tied closed in front where the beveled edges of the bar of the “T,” wrapped about the body, have been brought forward, meeting at the waist. It may also have side ties, if permitted, strings that tie behind the back, to better conceal, in one sense, and, in another, better reveal the figure. We must know how to put on such a garment, for example, and well, if one is thrown to us. This Turian camisk differs from the common camisk.

Witness of Gor

There’s also the ta-teera, nicknamed the slave rag, which consists of two pieces of fabric, one to hide the breasts, the other tied at the waist to conceal intimacy. It’s a practical and inexpensive garment, as well as a luxurious outfit, which, when well cut and decorated with precious fabrics, reveals everything about the girl who wears it. It’s because it doesn’t hide much that it can be forbidden on the streets of some cities.

As we’ve seen, sandals and other footwear are not common among slaves. For a kajira, a sandal is a mark of social rank. Like any other item of clothing worn by a kajira, it is first and foremost a form of pomp and circumstance, which, in this case, generally signals that she is a haute-esclave, i.e. a prized slave, usually highly educated, belonging to a wealthy and powerful individual. The high-slave sandal is then generally also luxurious, rich and particularly sophisticated, as it is made to be admired. But a high-slave may well not wear sandals at all! That said, if the master wants to emphasize his slave’s social standing, he’ll give her some. It’s not at all inconceivable that she could even have heels and wedges.

As for other shoes, their function is to protect the slave’s feet in cold weather or when traveling. Common slaves will have to make do with basic sandals and cloth, skin or common fur to cover their feet, while slaves belonging to wealthy people will be able to wear booties and real, solid, warm boots.

The loincloth, which I mentioned earlier, can be a strip of fabric tied at the hips, with one side falling to the back, and another in front, but can also be a low belt, decorated with precious threads, pearls, tinkling metal pieces, bells, with sections of diaphanous silk falling to the ground. A loincloth can be worth a few coins, or a fortune. The sections can be made of layers of silk or linen, fluttering in the slightest breath, of straight, heavy fabric that follows the shape of the kajira, hiding one hip but not the other, decorated with intricate veils and bows, like real skirts made of superimposed strips of fabric revealing the legs at the slightest movement, and so on.

Dance silks are, in a way, a variation on pleasure silks. To sum up, it’s a richly colored dance loincloth, with light, translucent sections flying at the slightest movement of the dance, to which are added strips of the same light, fluttering fabric, tied to the chest, arms, sometimes thighs, ankles, or attached to the loincloth, so that the movements of the precious, airy fabric underline the grace of the dancer as she performs. It’s a precious and fragile garment, and the more ornate, decorated and extravagantly beautiful and sensual it is, the more it underlines the wealth of the kajira’s master.

Pleasure silks, common in taverns and brothels, are strips of translucent silk or linen fabric, made not to hide much, but to emphasize the pretty naked body of the slave who wears it. I’ve attached a description that details this garment:

There are a large number of ways in which slave silk is worn. It can be worn, for example, on the shoulder or off the shoulder, with high necklines or plunging necklines, in open or closed garments, tightly or flowingly, and in various lengths. Sometimes it is put on the girl only in halters and G-strings, or mere G-strings. Sometimes it is done, too, in strips wound about her body. The tying of slave girdles, with such silk, and otherwise, to emphasize the girl’s figure and make clear her bondage, is an art in itself. Often, too, and as usually in paga taverns, it is worn in brief tunics. Most of these are partable or wraparound tunics. Such may be removed gracefully.

Dancer of Gor

Dresses and skirts are not uncommon, and not necessarily just to combat the cold. In the hottest countries, where the sun can burn the skin, a kajira cannot remain bare. In Tahari, for example, a slave will often wear a djellabah, a loose hooded tunic that reaches down to her thighs, protecting her from the sun and the biting cold of the desert at night.

The bra, like the bodice, is a fashion accessory designed to emphasize a slave’s sensuality while concealing her breasts. They’re often worn by dancers or kajirae in the pleasure gardens and harems of southern Gor – well, those who aren’t just naked and covered in jewels.

Thongs and briefs are another sexy and luxurious accessory, found in the panoply of dancing silks, and also to hide only the essentials of a kajira, while exposing her as bare as possible. Of course, the aim is to attract men’s attention and desire, and make them want to remove the accessory.

Corsets and slave girdles are used to accentuate a slave’s slender waistline, with the highly erotic side effect of corseting them in a tight, constricting accessory. They can be made of fabric and ties, or intricate leather, reinforced with metal, with intricate, solid lacing in the back. They never cover the chest. They force the girl’s arch, exposing and emphasizing her breasts. The fact that the tightest, most constricting of them might impede the slave’s breathing is a secondary concern. An example:

“Soon, my lovely daughter, you will learn the delicate, lascivious draping of slave garments and the tying of slave girdles, in such a way as to accentuate your beauty for the pleasure of a master.”

Mercenaries of Gor

Pants are a fashion and dance accessory, and most commonly described as a kind of low-cut sarouel, often translucent, gaudy and luxurious. To keep a kajira’s legs warm in the coldest weather, a master will have her wear a warm skirt instead, or warm stockings, like those worn by free women, which more or less partially cover the foot.

The vest is quite common, to emphasize the partial concealment of the chest. Short and open, it resembles a sleeveless bolero, leaving the breasts bare. Of course, it’s worn over bare skin, not over a camisk. They can be made of precious fabrics or leather. Wagon people traditionally make their slaves wear it, and call it a kalmak.

A kajira’s coat is generally a simple, thick cloth, with or without a hood, which covers the body, above all to protect against the elements. But it can also be used to completely cover a naked kajira in transit.

However, richly adorned coats, or even stoles and fur coats are also common, everything being a question of the kajira owner’s wealth and exuberance.

Siriks and chains are highly appreciated as decorative elements by goreans, to adorn their slaves. Adding lengths of chain around the body and decorative shackles to a kajira to restrict her movements and make her move in the typical tinkling of metal is for gorean men very erotic and it’s a luxury accessory. The sirik is one version of this accessory, with variations, but best described here:

I could not determine the exact arrangement of the chains, coiled as they were. There seemed, however, to be a longer chain, which was a base chain, and two smaller, subsidiary chains. At one end the base chain was attached to a rather small neck ring, but suitable for closing about a woman’s neck; at the other end it was attached to one of the subsidiary chains, about a foot long, and terminating on each end with a ring; those rings looked as though they might fit snugly about a woman’s ankles; the other subsidiary chain seemed to be placed about two feet or so below the, neck ring; at its terminations were smaller rings, which looked as though they might close snugly, locking, about a woman’s wrists.

“What is that?” I asked.

“It is called a sirik,” he said.

Kajira of Gor

Slave harnesses and halters are clearly mentioned in the novels and, clearly too, are by no means a rarity. Harnesses are quite common and highly prized, even if the most sophisticated are worn only by luxury slaves. The halters might be thought of as open bras, laced and tied under the breasts, while the others are genuine bondage harnesses, made of leather, strapped with buckles and fitted with rings, to which, of course, chains and leashes can be attached. One quote among many that mentions it:

Through a silver curtain, of silver strings, came a large, powerful slave girl. She wore a plain iron collar, with ring. She wore a halter of leather.

Tribesmen of Gor

Jewelry is numerous and varied, from chokers and luxurious collars to necklaces, arm bracelets, anklets, wrists and thigh bracelets, as well as braided pendants in the hair, waist chains, rings and various piercings. Less-favored slaves wear binas, simple rope jewelry with beads of wood, rough stone, colored clay, etc. The richest slaves are covered in extravagant gold and silver jewelry, competing in luxury and beauty. A high slave is worth a lot, but can sometimes wear ten times her value in jewelry!

To finish and conclude the article, there’s a collection of slave-related accessories, clothing and objects that I haven’t mentioned here, including types of collars, piercings, bondage equipment, and many other things, which I’ve described in more or less detail in this article: https: //www.psychee.org/gorpedia/slavery-gear-and-attire/

In conclusion?

My conclusion will be fairly short: there’s a huge variety in Gorean fashion and outfits, far more vast, extensive and surprising than what you can see in Gor’s Second Life sims. And best of all, there aren’t really any strict rules! While there are a few prohibitions, and a few customs, there are no dress codes set in stone that require a character to be dressed a certain way, and no other.

So treat yourself according to the advice in this guide, and above all, keep an open mind! Imposing strict rules, saying that this or that outfit isn’t “gorean”, except in the most blatant cases (coming dressed as a knight in armor, or in modern contemporary clothes), is often a way of showing both ignorance and a closed, sectarian mindset.

And if this guide has given you some original ideas for dressing up, you can be sure that nothing will please me more!