Oh hey, there is this topic where I was posting stuff this year. This was a fun experiment.
Chris LightfellowI believe I have covered how great the Knights of Zexen armour is before. If I haven't now is a good time. If I have, well I haven't updated in months so fuck it whatever.
The muted tones of the cloth in the armour is fantastic. It all feels very practical and utilitarian where it actually isn't entirely. The brown skirt and boots let the orange skirting on the armour really be emphasized which in turn lends the eye to the armour. Simple and clean lines on the armour provide ornamentation without appearing ostentatious, only really becoming explicitly ornamental on the pauldrons, which if you compare to other Knights really shows. This is fine, she is the Knight Cmdr and some kind of explicit presentation if not insignia is perfectly acceptable. The metal armour obviously matches her eyes and hair perfectly, that is the intent of the character quite plain and unsubtle.
There is far more to this outfit than just the armour that I love though it is really simple set of colours but it is a theme that travels way further than it first appears. The patterns and colours from the skirting are touched on all over the body. Just little bits here and their but it really helps tie it all together without the top half or her body being grey/white. Note the yellow on the boot tops and laces with the square patter continuing on the folds of the boot tops taken from the skirting. Orange and yellow patterened swordbelt. A touch of yellow showing through in the joins at the breastplate (presumably whatever is worn underneath the armour). My favourite part that doesn't really show up until you are looking at the picture carefully, the orange and yellow collar turned over the tops of the breastplate. Yellow trim on the solid orange background mirroring the skirting on the armour. It shows that this whole outfit is a set and it really is pretty great. What appears to be a utilitarian piece of gear really is a complete uniform and a show of rank and priviledge. Best of all it looks really good.
I really like that on the whole set there is two spots of black. The lining of the boots and the black of the scabard. Everything else is a dull and muted tone, but is always something that won't clash and contrast with the solid grey/white displayed once you hit the breastplate and keep going up. Of note really quickly on the topic of accessories, the small silver earrings (hard to make out but they are there), adds to the whole simple utilitarian thing with some minor ornamentation.
Also the hair is fabulous. I am going to be stuck on that even more so in just a short while, but damn is that isn't close to the most intimidating side part in existence. Pulling back into a nice elaborate bun. This of course rounds out the sword girl look with the librarian look for all the creepy fetishists out there. Ignore that part though. This is just a damn fine look.
So Chris I think gets a whole article to herself because two outfits and holy shit both of them are great.
Her Grasslands outfit continues the anachronistic combat gear and clothing that seems way too warm for the region thing that we have been seeing. Not that I am going to complain because that thick woolen combat jacket looks great on her. The patterened piping seems to serve no function at all although it follows along the seams of the sleeves (presumably as there is no join at the tops of the sleeve). This theme is repeating from the last outfit in that it is not as utilitarian as first appears, which mirrors the character herself. These outfits really are wonderfully designed and well thought out.
I really like the light, but still somber grey dress under the jacket peaking through the collar and at the ends of the jacket sleeves. Nice and casual, clashing with the combat jacket really well. Again, character stuff. The dark blue pants under it are cool as well. It really looks like a pretty comfortable travel outfit she is rocking underneath stuff there.
So lets talk about how damned hot this outfit must be. Under that jacket that I adore there is a fairly light looking short dress worn primarilly as a top. Under that we see dark blue leggings or pants. Then there is thigh high boots. There is at least two of clothing with good insulation there and gloves to go with it. This climate baffles me.
Moving on to accessories, the slightly darker gloves matching the jacket are great, especially since they are broken up by the ends of the sleeves on the dress and the touch of skin at the wrist. Great stuff. The earrings come back and are far more prominent in the profile shot. Nice little personal touch here I think, it helps put into perspective that not everything in the last outfit was uniform either. Some of it is herself. Low slung swordbelt, notably different from the last one, much thicker and two prongs to the buckle making it much more utility that the last (again, speaking something for the previous outfit being more show than it first appears). Those boots. Oh my gods those boots. Buckled thigh high. Flat heels. Loose fitting but showing defined legs (albeit surprisingly thin given how much armour she carries around). Those are boots that launch a thousand practical foot fetishist to war.
Now I spend time talking about the artistic choices of the picture rather than the clothing. This picture is fairly iconic and stands out a lot in Suikoden 3 art. It is really striking because it doesn't fit the normal stock character sets the others do, but that is part of what really helps it out. The profile shot is just a good character shot for Chris, she is still clearly really stark and harsh a character, but she is out of her armour and not wearing her badge of state. All there that is harsh and confronting is her, rather than her office or her armour. This is part of Chris' character that I really quite like. She is focussed and there is a thing she wants to get done. She will make it happen. I believe the way Eph would phrase it is "Dat eyebrow". Damn that is some impressive work for while she is on the road, but regardless of how much primping and makeup would go into an arched eyebrow like that in real life, it rounds out the look here pretty convincingly. Chris is not a woman to fuck with.
All of this is without going on about the hair. Oh my gods the hair. It is to die for. So straight and cascading down the back flaring out enough that it is whipping around and visible on both sides of her body. I cannot emphasise this enough as someone who has done the long hair thing. That hair is ridiculously straight and so well kept after. Just damn. So good. Once again we return to a staple as well of a seriously amazing
fringe bringing the viscious side part from the bun full circle into something that is stupidly hot to complete the sexy librarian trope. This shit is straight up over the arm of a chair in the middle of the day sexy.
