For those not logged in right now, the text of ALTER 7 reads as follows.
ALTER 7: Risque Clothing
Clothing or items that represent lingerie, undergarments, or "adult toys" of any sort, are forbidden. Avoid mentioning body parts in alteration descriptions. Sexy clothing is okay, but only to a point. You can have a "low-cut bodice", but anything more risque stands the risk of being rejected. An evening dress cut to reveal the soft skin beneath takes on a somewhat grisly connotation when seen lying on the ground or being stuffed into a backpack. Tight-fitting clothing wouldn't look right when in your hand.
The pertinent bits are the 'avoid mentioning body parts' and the 'gown cut to reveal soft skin'. This weekend, at the Vaalor festival, I was denied for what I thought was a fairly reasonable item.
a vermilion-swirled blown glass armband spiraling up from wrist to elbow
The reason behind the denial was 'no body parts' and 'it might look funny on the ground or in the locker'. Not wanting to offend the hordes of people who might break into the Phoenix vaults and paw through my cleric's locker, or get a low score in Solhaven's annual 'Drop All Your Alters On The Ground' contest*, I'm curious about two things.
a) Where is the line drawn between what is legal and what is not, as far as body part references go? One-shoulder gowns and knee-high boots are clearly referencing how/where an item is worn, as are back-pendants. I have a gown that's buttoned up the spine. Is there no distinction drawn between showing what something looks like or the way it's worn as opposed to 'a sultry low cut bodice that's really hot and also reveals a jeweled navel'?
b) How can the aforementioned item be rewritten to fit into the existing guidelines while not losing the visual imagery of what it is? Sure, I could put it in a show, but since it's a reasonably large adornment spiraling up the wearer's entire forearm, I would hope the average non-blind Elanthian could tell what it looked like without having to get close enough to count my character's freckles.
I'm equally curious about both questions, being too attached to the imagery of the thing now to just give up on it entirely. I was unable to figure out a 'legal' way to word it, though.
* Yes, Solhaven has some wacky events. No, this isn't really one of them.
--
You quietly whisper to Tolomyn, "I would like 'an unpretentious albugineous rumchunder dress whorled with chrysochlorous penniform arabesques', please."
>
You gaze hopefully at Tolomyn.
>
Tolomyn stares at you.
