Aredhel the White Elven Gown

Although she’s not as prominent as some of Tolkien’s other Noldorin ladies (namely Galadriel and Idril), I’ve always liked Aredhel a lot. Tolkien writes her as a strong, if not rash Elf, who loved to ride and hunt and had an affinity for dressing in white and silver. Her adventurousness led to her downfall, however, as she was seduced by the dark Elf Eol while traveling in the forest of Nan Elmoth. As his wife, she bore him one son, Maeglin, but after attempting to flee back to Gondolin with her child, she was tracked and later killed by her husband Eol.

While making this dress, I imagined Aredhel wearing it when she was young, either in Nevrast or Gondolin. It took me a couple of months to complete the costume. The bodice (which has about seven layers of lining) was particularly tricky. The gown is made of 15 yards of sheer chiffon, the floor-length sleeves are trimmed in silver daisies. Because I imagined Aredhel as a bit of a tomboy, I didn’t want to add too many ornaments. Instead, I included only a single piece of jewelry—a vintage Art Deco brooch purchased on Etsy—that sits in the middle of the bodice.

With any luck, I should have some more pictures of my complete Aredhel cosplay soon.