If you’ve been a regular follower of The Starry Mantle, you know that the blog hasn’t been as active this year as it has in the past. I hope to change that in 2015. Therefore, today I’m introducing a new post category: Wardrobe Updates. Many of the outfits that I’ve presented on the blog are actually ones that I use permanently in-game on my various characters. As time goes by, I often edit them as I find new complementary pieces, or as new gear and cosmetics are introduced. In other cases, when the outfit was published I didn’t have access to a piece that would have worked really well but has since become available to me. The original version of the outfit will be shown in a gallery (click the images for full-size) along with the new version so you can compare them. Wardrobe Updates will allow me to address some old outfits I’m not happy with, as well as letting me add some new content to the blog to keep things fresh without having to spend as much time researching and writing a piece to accompany it. Of course, whenever I’m able, I’ll still share original new outfits accompanied by the usual lore discussion. Next year I’ll strive for more than the four new outfits I published this year!
Introduction out of the way, let’s have a look at the first entry in this new series.
The Original Outfit: “Bundled Up“, a cosy cold-weather outfit for a Hobbit on a winter stroll. I use this to this day as cold-weather gear on one of my main characters, and I really enjoy displaying it. And here’s a Starry Mantle lore-fragment: “Bundled Up” is one of only a handful of outfits ever published on the blog where the title of the post isn’t also a descriptive title for the character modelling the outfit.
The Updated Outfit: At the time that I originally published the outfit, I didn’t have access to the Oven Mitts, which make perfect Hobbit-mittens, thick and cosy. They replace the Ajokoira Gloves used in the original outfit, which were not a very successful match with the other components. The other change to the outfit is the cloak; the Warm Bear-fur Cloak is replaced by the Wintry Yule Cloak from the 2012 Yule festival. The white portion of the Wintry Yule Cloak has a very slight yellow tinge that I think works really well with the yellow already in the outfit. With these two simple updates, I feel the whole outfit is improved, looking more cohesive and even more snug and warm than before!
What do you think? Would you rather bundle up in the original outfit or the new version?
- Shoulders: Yule Scarf (bartered — Yule festival barter vendor/cosmetics), crimson
- Back: Wintry Yule Cloak (bartered — Yule festival barter vendor/festival rewards), violet
- Chest: Radiant Dwarf-make Armour (crafted — tailor T5; or looted — world drop/general), indigo
- Hands: Oven Mitts (bartered — skirmish camp cosmetics quartermaster/cosmetic items), violet
- Legs: Radiant Dwarf-make Leggings (crafted — tailor T5; or looted — world drop/general), indigo
- Feet: Ceremonial Ajokoira Shoes (crafted — tailor T5/Lossoth reputation; or purchased — LOTRO Store), red
The Starry Mantle 
I think I would rather do the second version of the outfit, with dyed mittens and all, except with the original cloak. There’s just something about the cloaks that look thicker in game, also including Feathered Cloak of the North-men (store, I think), that gives a cozier feeling. (Of course, my Hobbit burglar will be wearing the Clever Little-daw outfit you designed for her in all weathers.)
Hi Moraiwe, it’s great to hear from you! Thanks for your kind comment, and I’m so pleased that you’re still enjoying your burglar’s outfit. Merry Christmas to you! 😀
That’s a fun type of post you’ve started 🙂 For a time I was thinking of doing the same with my older outfits, but I decided against it. I think this outfit is equally as adorable as the original on your Hobbit!
Happy Holidays, Starry!
Thanks Nathrien! I’m such a perfectionist, some of my old outfits make me grit my teeth a bit, so I guess it was inevitable that I’d revisit them at some point, haha! 😉
Good idea to revisit some oldies, though it will be quite a challenge to outdo even your older versions ha ha! I like the mittens, they look great on the lass, but I prefer the original cloak. Just a matter of preference for they are both a great match. I love this outfit overall very much!
Thanks very much Hymne! That’s two in favour of the old cloak so far! Some of the other outfits I plan to revisit are ones that most people seemed to not like very much, or that I received some very good constructive criticism about — like the next one I have planned. Hopefully those less popular ones can be improved a bit. But either way, it’s fun to tinker and edit, as you know of course. Cheers! 😀
Why have I never come across your site before? So many great outfits. This is adorable.
Hello Troublemaker! Welcome to the blog and thanks so much for all of your kind comments. I’m glad you’ve found your way here and enjoyed checking out the outfits. 😀