Arafellin "New Spring" Fashion

Author: Dar'Jen Ab Owain
Published: May 27 2021 Tar Valon Times Blog Link

In “New Spring,” we are provided with a few glimpses of Arafellin fashion and its appearance in general. Those from Arafel were apparently dark haired, incorporated silver bells into their hair, even as decoration to their clothing, and liked bold colors.

An Arafellin man wore “his black hair dangling down his back in two braids decorated with silver bells” (p. 64). One of the Green Warders wore “silver bells in his dark Arafellin braids” (p. 115). A Yellow Aes Sedai, Yuan, was from Arafel and was described as having gray eyes. The dark hair is evident, but it is unclear if fair eyes were common, or a rarity.

Their fashion seemed to like bold colors and emphasized decoration of the sleeves. An Arafellin man wore “a coat with red-slashed sleeves” (p. 64). The style of Arafel was also adopted by others, such as Ryne Venamar, a Malkieri who was raised in Arafel since he was 15 years old. “His hair fell in two long bell-laced braids, and more silver bells lined the turned-down tops of his boots and ran up the sleeves of his yellow coat” (p. 224).

References to Arafellin fashion are limited in “New Spring.” However, we can see the emphasis of the braids decorated with silver bells and that these same bells can also adorn their dress.