[Bêthberry]

According to the Gondor fashion rag, Clôak and Swäggêr, Fashionista Boromir sets a new style trend:

The goal of Boromir's fashion is to show the man's status in society and make him as attractive as possible.

Bombast is the stuffing used in his doublets and hose in order to swell them out, eliminating all folds and creases. It consists of rags, flock, horsehair, cotton, but not bran, as bran can lead to disaster in battle if the clothes get torn. The bombasting of the doublet over the chest and the stuffing out of breeches naturally makes everything seem bigger. The short, bombasted breeches, especially in the form of trunk hose, exposes a certain amount of leg, and is made possible only by the introduction of knitting for leg coverings that fit the limbs more neatly than they had done before. The hours Boromir must have devoted to this fine-motor task!

Boromir also displays a grand flair in the shoulder form with a ruffle effect and highlighted puffy sleeves. The ruffle has always been an example of the "hierarchical" element in dress. When worn by men, they have been noted to produce the "Seduction Principle," an attempt to exploit the wearer's charms as a man while compensating for his inadequacies in other areas. Obviously Boromir is wearing a ruffle in order to show his status in society--a status not shared by his considerably slimmer-lined brother. This is accentuated by opening to boddice in front to display the head of the sword which is allowed hang insouciantly at his side.

Clearly this season Boromir is using clothing to establish a position which appears larger or more dominant than his actually is. The important question of course is whether this style will in fact persuade the Borowatchers this seasons of his real worth or whether he will be regarded as someone who choose the wrong measures to attain his desires.

~~~with apologies to Women's Fashions of the Elizabethan era.