Wool vs. Velvet

[Cuusardo]

I've noticed there are a couple of wool clothing items in the game, one of them being a cloak.  I've also noticed that there are a few velvet items, none of which are a cloak.  I was told that no one would ever, ever make a velvet cloak for anyone, citing the impracticality of velvet in the desert.

What I don't understand is why there would be wool cloaks in the desert, seeing as velvet is so rare and has been refused to people.  I've got a wool cloak IRL, and that thing is freaking sweltering when worn in a hot environment, ESPECIALLY compared to all my velvet clothing.  (I'll take my long sleeved, long black velvet dress over that blue wool hooded cloak in the summer anyday!)  I don't see how a PC could not get heat stroke while wearing anything wool in the desert.

I think that if velvet cloaks don't exist IG, that wool cloaks should not either.

[Whira's Luck]

I think it depends on the fabric involved. Here on earth, modern velvet isn't quite the quality and weight that velvet used to be, it's thinner, more loosely woven and many times, made out of non-natural fibers that allow it to be stretchier and less loosely woven. I've actually tried on antique velvet cloaks and those suckers were -heavy-.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the wool on Zalanthas is probably woven in lighter weights (maybe it's softer and thinner than the heavy-weight wool found here on earth) so while a wool cloak might be heavier than its equivalent of sandcloth or cotton, it might actually be lighter than heavy silk or velvet.

I'm going to assume that the (even small amount) of velvet on arm is of the kind that used to be made on earth long ago: very heavy and probably stiff if cut the wrong way, and because of the weave, far less breathable than cotton, wool or silk. Natural velvets are also lined or hemmed (usually) in a second layer of cloth, usually silk or velvet again, because the underside is so damned ugly and it frays so easily.

[Spoon]

I'd say the wool would be light, too, because from animals of Zalanthan origin.

Also, I'll second the thing about old velvet being pretty hefty. For some reason I won't go into explaining, I've tried on one of those holy Catholic velvet Bishop jigs. The thing was bullet proof.

[moab]

Further, wool will allow the sweat to evaporate from your body, thus cooling you more efficiently than Velvet would.  Wool is breathable also (lighter wools).

[Bestatte]

In addition (and along the same line of thinking as the other responses)...

I don't know of any animal, in real life or in the game, whose skin is made of velvet. Velvet is a manufactured item, it doesn't exist in the natural world, even the velvet that's made -from- natural raw material.

Wool exists in the natural world, both in real life and in the game. The animals in Zalanthas that are naturally covered in wool, wear it without complaining about the heat. People who inhabit Zalanthas roam the desert and live without drinking water for 2-4 game-days at a time. I highly doubt they'd have any problem at all wearing a wool cloak.

[path]

I've seen a velvet coat or cloak before and not long ago. Ask around?

However, since living in LA I've been thinking about the weather in Zalanthas more and hey, it's July and the nights get -cold-. Probably not below 60 ever, but in contrast it's really chilly. This is sort of a side note, but maybe some heavier things are actually for cooler evenings/mornings/nights? So.. maybe think twice about wearing your cloak out (hood or no) on a clear day..

[Cuusardo]

Wool may be breathable, but it still traps heat like crazy.  It just seems more sensible to use wool for stuffing things to cushion them rather than a garment that someone wears all the time out under the blazing desert sun.

[Vanth]

Maybe escru wool isn't as hot as sheep wool?  I mean, the escru have to survive in it on Zalanthas.

[Nao]

also, sheep here are bred to make 'good' wool, which would often mean thick and warm here... escru in zalanthas would have been bred to fit different needs, so wool probably wouldn't be as warm..

[Cuusardo]

Maybe escru wool isn't as hot as sheep wool?  I mean, the escru have to survive in it on Zalanthas.

Those poor, poor escru.   :cry:

Doesn't some of the wool come from gwoshi as well?  Or do they just have a thick, wooly coat?

[marko]

In real life marino wool is not sweltering.  In fact, this type of wool is wonderful to wear during the hot days - especially if you have a layer of silk underneath it.

Marino wool breaths remarkably well and is a joy to wear.  In the winter it keeps you warm, in the summer it keeps you cool by keeping sweat away from the skin.

Normal wool, on the other hand, sucks and will boil you alive.  

[Cuusardo]

I know this is getting OT, but where can I find some of this wonderful wool you speak of?  I sure could use a thing or two made from it here where I live.

[Whira's Luck]

I agree. Anything wool is just retarted on a desert planet.

Err there's so many things wrong with this statement... Just out of curiosity, do you believe that desert nomads who used to herd sheep and goats wore cotton?

Wool is actually very normal as far as desert garb goes, especially if you're comparing it to the clothing on earth. The nomads who travelled the deserts used to wear wool clothing, and in layers too. So wool makes sense on a desert planet, especially if there are wooly-coated animals around to shear the hair from.

[Nao]

the same thing that protects you from cold protects you from heat, too... Some nomads on earth actually wear a lot of clothes to keep the extreme heat away... Makes sense when the air temperature is very high