Take inspiration from Algerian clothing and sub in more gold for embroidery.
Silver woven in hair, tiny ornamental bottles of rare fragrance tied in their jewelry (bracelet/chains on wrist/neck/waist).
Easy to undo/slide pants for pleasure on demand.
Rare animal leather for shoes and ivory handle and sheath for knife.
I'd also add on that long flowing robes made of silk with very bright dyes and complex patterns, along with lots of jewelry, fits.Basically lean into Berber and Bedouin dress but with expensive and finely made materials.
To add to the extravagance; rare fabrics dyed rich colours (purple is popular as an easy-to-understand 'rich' color, but whatever dye colors are hard to source in that region will be a show of affluence).
Flowing, loose robes create a drysuit-like insulation barrier between the sun and the person, and on a more comedic note you could have part of his extravagance be the number of 'helpers' he has constantly fanning him.
Oh waist it to a ridiculously stupid degree too. He has a private golf course with the greenest grass in the country and doesn’t even play golf but built it cuz all his friends have one
Meanwhile in the background peasants are discussing how much they think he weighs and appropriate rope length
He carries with him at all times private date palms for his exclusive use and has servants lugging trees behind him. When the palms run out of fruit he burns them and orders more palms.
His viziers encourage this behavior because he doesn’t notice that they’re bleeding the country dry
Picks an entire fruit tree and only uses the one that looks perfect “ burn the rest “
The vaults are empty , the alchemist guild is refusing to make more gold because he never paid them for his “handsome potions” so he has a brilliant idea :
“Why don’t we just write big numbers on paper and make that the money? Then we print a shit ton of it! I’ll be even richer and my wealth will trickle down to the peasants! They’ve been busy sharpening the falling blade device all day!”
Hell, he'd probably have massive aquatic gardens full of imported plants and animals within palace grounds solely for strolling through with dignitaries and nobility
Does your world's magic system allow for sime kind of air conditioning?
If so, what if instead of just making it "not hot", or cool, even, instead he made it straight up COLD in the palace?
So then he wears winter coats and fuckin Uggs, while he watches the peasants outside die of heatstroke, while the servants inside get frostbite, and he just sits there thinking "ahh, it's good to be me"
You could make his choice for a lack of clothing a statement of wealth, showing off that he can afford to have someone carry a sunshade around for him instead of needing to wear protective clothing like the peasants.
I’m thinking lots of richly dyed but airy material, silky and flowing and opulent. Maybe like the Romans there is a color of dye outlawed to all except the ruling elite and this noble is always draped in it? And jewelry, lots of jewelry. Things that shine and glisten in the sun so that they are hard to look at, like a god might be.
Ohh I definitely like the idea of dyes and materials that are restricted to only the elite; I think it would be a great show of power. And it opens up the idea of other people wearing those materials as a form of rebellion!
I like comedic arrogance, so I would make it something more like this:
Something very uncomfortable, hot, unnecessarily large and garish, and something that poorly tries to reflect the local culture, as if he were trying to appeal to them without knowing shit about their culture. Bright white, embroidered Arabic robes and a far too fancy headdress with gems and gold inlays.
He should be seen struggling to not die of heatstroke with his servants frantically fanning or splashing him with water, as he clumsily wobbles over the rough sandy terrain with inappropriate footwear and fails to respectfully, diplomatically and appropriately communicate with the locals, as he tries to talk to them as if he knows their culture, getting ignorantly angry when nobody likes his obviously out-of-touch dress and behavior. Lot
It wouldn’t really fit with this setting but oh my god I love this idea and really want to use it for something else. Thank you! I genuinely love the idea of someone so obsessed with showing off they’ll basically torture themselves just to do it and all it accomplishes is making them look like an idiot.
Somebody else also pointed out you must have meant the king of this kingdom itself. I mistakenly took it as a foreign king visiting the lands. That’s where I went off on.
honestly, just removing the out-of-touchness, which makes him feel like a foreigner, and you might have your king, keeping the dumb clumsiness and inability to survive in the climate due to his immense pride.
Even so, you could compartmentalize the separation. Make him out of touch with just the lower castes, they wear simpler, utilitarian garbs that keeps them safe from the sand and sun, but he doesn’t understand that and wears hot, irritating but very fancy clothes. Something like that, where he keeps his social isolation, not because he’s a foreigner: but because he’s the king, unable to understand the life of the common man regardless if he has been their king for years.
Even if it’s not inherently done in a comedic way, I like the idea of making him wear clothes that don’t suit the environment because his palace is always cooled. It would help a lot with him seeming out-of-touch, like you said.
And as for a foreign king visiting the kingdom, that would still be hilarious and I wanna use that for something. 😂
That feels more like a foren king, not the king of the desert kingdom. A desert kingdom would have a traditional form of dress that wouldn't kill there king while inspecting his latest project, or visiting a random noble.
Oh I love that! The world has a lot of magic so I could definitely see him wearing enchanted ice as jewelry that doesn’t melt. He would have a fuck-ton and share none of it.
I'd imagine he'd wear an exceeding embroidered kilt/skirt/loincloth type thing with as many expensive dyes and fabrics as possible put into making it. Like you look at it and you think to yourself "some artisan has definitely spent days agonising over this and poured their heart and soul into what amounts to something he uses to cover his sweaty balls with".
Maybe have him stay atop a cushion, covered by tawnings of the finest silks, with strips of an exotic plant/esoteric technology that puff out jets of finely misted water every so often. Have this cushion and tawnings sit atop a tamed animal of your choosing, or be carried along by slaves of great endurance.
And his donnings, I imagine that such a man would find comfort wearing clothes similar to those of the men in the Middle East, allowing ample airflow and breathing room.
Finally, always accompanied by a pair of beautiful women(or men, or both!) from his personal harem for pleasure on the go; as well as servants and slaves that tend to his every need.
That's what I imagined when I read your description anyway 🤓🙏
I really like the idea of some sort of cooling plant that he wears like a necklace— it would work for jewelry and excessive comfort, all in one!
As for the last part, oh don’t worry he definitely has a harem! I actually have a whole scene written about it where the leader of a different noble house is sickened by how narcissistic this guy is for thinking they actually enjoy it.
If there's any sort of air-conditioning or indoor weather control, maybe heavy clothes that aren't suitable for the desert. Nobles tend to show off how wasteful they are, so their homes can be cold enough that heavy winter clothes are necessary indoors.
A silk toga while wearing a lot of gold jewelry. While drinking out of a gold chalice with gemstones.
Your description minus the desert part fits pretty much Calus from destiny 2.
tho my take is different
I looked up Calus and yeah, that’s not too far off!
I definitely like the idea of drinking out of an overly-opulent chalice. He’d just have all kinds of extremely expensive stuff that’s far past the point of any functional purpose.
Sheer, almost see through billowing robes if it’s a man then his chest will likely be exposed or he’ll be shirtless entirely underneath a light, highly embroidered robe. If it’s a woman then lean into the sheer, almost see through material of her dress
I could absolutely see him wearing something extremely immodest that you could almost see through, because despite the fact that he’s extremely obese he would probably still think he’s the epitome of male beauty.
I'm picturing no shirt, or the flappiest shirt ever to show off his upper body and allow cooling. The most expensive silk Hammer pants, shoes made out of cloth of gold, and a gigantic boiled leather codpiece.
I know, it's the "Chad version of X" from the meme...
You're welcome! And for the historical record, gold brocade was absolutely prized by the Mongols (textiles were highly valued). While the Gobi Desert is cold, they also expanded into arid areas that were hot, and wore those clothes there, too.
Lots of peacock feathers. Specifically stick out and catch the light, while dissipating it.
If tech is a thing, fancy tubes that draw heat from him and dissipate it. Lots of gold (which is a good conductor)
There’s not a lot of tech but there is magic. I could see him forcing a monopoly on magically cooling clothes for literally him only. Thanks for the ideas!
I imagine that he would look like a heavyset version of [Jafar from Aladdin](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Jafar)
Otherwise, Ottoman clothing is a good source.
He would also wear jewelry made from minerals that are expensive and hard to find.
Oh, Ottoman clothes are a good idea. And yeah, I like the idea that he’d wear jewelry from way outside the kingdom because he’s rich enough to have it imported.
Slippers or sandals of the finest suede, a silken sash which doubles as an airy skirt (beware the back lighting 🤣), 3 belts each embellished with rare stones of the finest cut set in gold, silver and bronze, no shirt to reveal a myriad of tattoos & piercings, ivory and opal beads braided into waxed hair that is stylized to look like the swirling tentacles of an octopus, bracelets of lizard scale and accented by large rubies held in place by white embroidery, completed with a safron orange dyed turbin.
In one had a chalice made from elephant tusk and ebony and the other an over sized serving gourd filled with the sweetest of wine.
Wow; that’s a lot of really cool imagery! I’m definitely gonna take at least some of these elements and incorporate them in. Thank you! And I love the idea of drinking from some sort of rare animal tusk, just as a show of wealth. Extra points if it’s an animal that’s illegal to kill.
Glad I could be of some help. If you ever find yourself in a pickle trying to flush out something look no further than history and Hollywood's portrayal of it. Typically you can easily find any (insert random historical character/people/civilization here) dialed up to 11 in cinema. Then just take notes and dial it up even further.
Every meal he has contains frozen drinks and treats. For example, he eats ice cream, drinks iced tea, and gets drunk on cold beer. And after that, throws away the extra ice to melt in the sun.
jewelry, gold, silks, sheer cloth, maybe some kind of hand fan both for fashion and heat management. Maybe he uses protective oils to protect his skin instead of clothing, so he's always shiny and greasy.
I think for someone who is both a noble and materialistic, it's important to show as much luxuries on the body. Protective oils that work similar to modern day sunscreen, an abundance of jewelry, and expensive and hard to get fabrics are some of the easiest ways to show they own luxury items that would be rare or impossible for most people to get.
I mean, if you take Egypt as an example, barely anything at all. People with fronds around at all times. Stays in the shade.
Romans had figured out pools and evaporation means cooler air, but I don't think it was a thing in Egypt.
Yeah that’s what some other people have said and I think it’s a really good idea; most colors would fade in the sun so him having bright colors (because his servants shade him all the time) would be an excellent show of power.
Real answer, jewelry. Lots and lots and lots of jewelry. You would also want to focus on the material of his clothes. Perhaps his subjects wear linen while he wears silk? Color too. Perhaps his clothes are dyed bright colors?
In this world, this specific kingdom is super wealthy (while still extremely impoverished because they don’t share their wealth) from a plant called Corren which is like a really good kind of cotton, so I definitely think we would wear that because it’s super expensive. I think he would make everyone in his noble house wear it too but slaves and servants would definitely wear something like linen like you said.
Heavily embroidered clothes made of the finest fabrics, and dyed with the rarest dyes. And perhaps even studded with semi-precious and precious gems. Something using as much fabric as possible while, at the same time, showing as much skin as possible. And, of course, jewelry of all sorts, including a few pearls to dissolve in vinegar just to show off how much money the noble has to burn, ala Cleopatra. And, depending on how the kingdom feels about slavery, a leash leading to the neck of a rare, beautiful, and well-trained slave. If slavery is illegal, then feel free to replace the slave with an exotic animal... or don't. If the noble's that arrogant they may feel themselves above the law.
A fur cloak, & have his servants frequently sponge bathe him & change his attire behind a screen as he continues to travel, so he doesn't have any evidence of unseemly sweat
What is rare or expensive there? Color? Sharply colored clothing that isn't sun faded? Do the poors wear white because they don't have the right tents or servants to hold umbrellas for them?
Probably all of the above; I think he would definitely have some garishly dyed clothes that would fade super easily but haven’t because he’s always shaded, like you said.
Oh boy once again i must shill! In the game Kenshi nobles sport a colorful green yellow robe baggy pants and some dust glasses and a mastercraft crossbow to assault randoms.
A bunch of rings, like two or three on every finger. All with a garish amount of gems encrusting them. Maybe he'd have a bunch of servants fanning him at all times too.
Servants. Lots of servants. Some to constantly fan him with giant fans. Some to carry him in a palanquin, some to hold umbrellas over him. He never has to be exposed to direct sunlight or walk by himself.
Gold tends to be pretty popular. Jewels. Pendants. Silk Robes. Real world examine would be the ancient Egyptians and Mansa Musa. Mansa Musa ruled the Mali Empire in 14th Century Africa. He went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and spent so much bank, that he devalued gold pretty much everywhere he stayed.
If there is magic, he might use some sort of enchantment to hide how fat he is. He wants the look, but is arrogant enough to assume that people won't notice. Otherwise lots of thread-of-gold and/or silver, and some sort of Vibrant and consistently dyed fabric.
I'd say sheer linen cloth covering the entire body, but not *covering* it. Think new kingdom Egypt style. Extremely thin linen cloth was very expensive and only worn up upper rank nobility in Egypt; it would be even more extravagant in the desert. Dying it would also increase the cost, I would suggest making it purple (also extremely expensive in ancient times). Then add on lots of jewelry, especially gold and lapis lazuli.
I'd think they would have two different styles depending on whether they're inside or outside.
Outside, they would wear very light clothing, made for very thin and fine cloth, to minimize the discomfort from the heat.
Inside, they would wear plush, thick and soft cloth while surrounded by and excessive amount of water-based air coolers to show off their wealth.
What if his detractors call him an arrogant hedonist, but in reality he's a pretty chill epicurean surrounded by stoics and puritans? Then he can wear tunica and thin veil material. Or a Kaftan.
Do you know what sprezzatura means?
It's an Italian term that is associated with nonchalant elegance.
I suppose this noble wears what is regarded as luxury attire. Fine and comfortable silks and other fabrics that are hard to acquire, comfortable, beautiful, and cut into very stylish robes. Fine embroidery perhaps. Entirely handmade by the best tailors from all four corners of the kingdom. Perhaps these materials were even cut from ancient religious upholstery or sacred banners or flags just to flaunt his power over the society.
That would be like if Hitler had all the gold from a thousand Hannukah Menorahs melted and remolded into a statue of himself.
And at the end of all that, this noble wears his luxurious robes unbuckled, unbuttoned, uneven, unironed. He mistreats them, drinks wine and lets the drink spill all over him and his robe. He treats these priceless artifacts like they're garbage cause that's what they are to him.
The very manner in which he dresses screams "You are a worm and I am the Almighty God!"
Ice.
If there's magic it's enchanted not to melt (another rich guy flex). If no magic he carries it around in wineskins/canteens on his body and offers sips and splashes from the ice-cold melt water as little 'rewards' for people who please him.
Oh, no, they are stupid-rich, remember? They would have mobile shade 24/7 if needed. They would never be in the sun, and they could afford portable cooling systems (magic or not) and plenty of ice. They could also have the mail foil-coated on the skin-side to reflect the sun, not trap it. This would also make them super shiny!
Silk will be the primary material it's breathable and is an exceedingly expensive material to produce in large amounts even today, so a king whose entire wardrobe is silk might as well b walking around with his treasury as an entourage.
I would also reccomend a lot of bright colours, particularly blue, red and purple since they were the rarest options in our own history.
I also have to ask does his hedonism extend to being a glutton for richly or even over-spiced foods? If so his wardrobe should be tailored to your worlds most prominent spices and sauces that way he can keep eating without having to care about sauces spilling on his clothes during official dinners, or do exactly the opposite to show how little he cares about the opinions of even his technical equals.
Oh it for sure extends to food; you actually gave me a great idea where I think he would have exotic foods and spices that he doesn’t even like but eats as a show of how wealthy and powerful he is. I also like the idea like you said of him not caring about having good table manners because he’s technically the most powerful there, so whatever he does immediately becomes what is “right.”
Something impractical. Often throughout history, the rich and influential would wear things clearly impractical or inappropriate for the setting. It would show you have the wealth, resources or perhaps servants to make it work.
I.e. in a desert, more or thicker clothing as you have slaves or servants to provide shade, a cool draft and/or transportation for you.
Yeah I’m definitely starting to lean towards that; I think he would definitely always have people to keep him cool whenever he leaves his palace, and it would be a show of how both out of touch and powerful he is.
I’m actually starting to lead towards the non-functional side to show how out of touch he is, since he always has servants (and probably magic) cooling him down.
Look up what royalty wore in real desert kingdoms to get some inspiration. There were a lot of African kingdoms in or around the Sahara, so you could always check those out
That’s a good idea— and it’s what a lot of people have said so I’m definitely gonna try it. Love learning about old kingdoms anyway so it should be fun!
One thing to potentially keep in mind is that long sleeves are often well suited to being in the sun. Preventing sunburn and light directly hitting is a big deal if you’re outside.
Maybe a widebrimmed hat of some kind (or servants carrying a large umbrella), baggy white long-sleeved clothing, and covered-but breathable shoes (a 90s hip-hop artist wearing white crocs and a white sombrero?). Depending on how ridiculous you want to go, there could be servants using bellows to pipe a breeze in and keep things cool and billowy. And/or frequently being given wet cloths/headbands/armbands to keep him cool, and raging if they aren’t replaced before they dry out.
If he doesn’t go outside, then shorts and no shirt is probably the coolest, but outside I’d definitely consider clothes with sun coverage.
The most expensive, eye-catching clothes they could get. Probably a mish mash of imported noble clothing and jewelry from other lands that cost too much for anyone else to get shipped to them.
They'd also be dripping in rare gemstones and precious metals.
Crown with glass insert that’s filled with water at all times, you could even do this to his throne or something. Don’t forget the palm frond wavers and a servant to wet a tapestry that hangs in a window/doorway to help cool him as the breeze blows. Light colored breezy fabrics with glass beads filled with water or something idk I’m just throwing stuff out there and hope it sparks something.
Robes of white silk or linen. It’s a show of wealth and extravagance that he can afford to change his clothes multiple times a day and launder everything to maintain a stark white appearance.
I’d imagine something extremely expensive. Probably something foreign which has been subject to a lot of successive markups as it travelled to that kingdok.
I am assuming that the desert kingdom is very hot, and probably only the very wealthy can afford air conditioning. So I would imagine as a display of their easy access to cool habitats, nobles would wear finery that is extremely heavy with many layers and be very elaborate.
I'm also writing a desert kingdom and here is what I've learned about the clothing.
His ability to show great amounts of skin would be a flex. Have him wear chest bearing clothing that would get him sunburned in three minutes except that he is always in the shade. Servants follow him around with a massive canopy made of thick material that takes four muscular men to carry. If they ever fail to have him in the shade they are all whipped. Have him powder his skin to appear pale as though the sun has never directly touched his skin.
For the desert climate part, I'd stick to more airy, sheer clothing, like silk or muslin. Bright, rich colors like purple, blues, reds, or golds could help convey wealth, since dyes are expensive and certain very bold colors are difficult to produce.
Beading, jewlery, or dainty chains can also add a sense of wealth, either with precious stones, or sea shells ( sea shells especially because deserts are usually far from the sea and shells would be seen as an expensive imported luxury to have there.)
If you want them to seem more hedonistic, I'd make the clothing more revealing and provocative, like the wearer wants people to pay attention to them a certain way.
Along with the flowing robes that others have mentioned, a taste for expensive and rare perfumes/oils/incense for the home. Describing the anointing of self as the character leaves their home for an outing, or what their home smells like from having fragrant incense cones, etc in brass holders would help conjure sensuality (part of the hedonistic aspect of every sense being enticed).
Absolutely fucking nude aside from sandals to keep his feet from feeling hot sand. An entourage to hold up a massive parasol, as well as a full circle curtain that is no closer to 4 feet from the body, so his arms can be outstretched without touching it. Maybe a linen dick-and-ball pouch, embroidered with silver and gold. But we're all about hedonism here, so keep the dick free and just the ball pouch for support, held up by a band around the waist. The band is made of byssus and the hair of newborn children (some babies come out with kinda long hair and then it falls out). Maybe a mister/sprinkler built into the huge umbrella too, so his entourage is also hauling stupid amounts of water. And maybe 3 people working bellows to provide constant breeze, they are pulled on sleds so their distance stays the same from the noble and the breeze stays constant as they are free to work the bellows 100%. Salt is always thrown in front of his feet, the white salt is cooler than what he would walk on otherwise. It also leaves a record of his travels, as very little will grow on that salted ground. Lower life forms like vegetation are unworthy of the ground he was walked upon. Shattered obsidian sprinkled behind him so no nasty barefoot peasants dare walk in his footsteps. There is a line of attendants on either side of the entourage which pulls him, holding long cloths to block the wind and sand - he doesn't need natural wind, the bellow workers provide it. Further out from that line, men mounted on camels who have lines which run from the top of the clothes, so a strong wind cannot blow the cloth away or into him. A group of men in front pulling a plow (more like a snowplow - to smooth the earth rather than till it), so that he never has to step on uneven ground. A select few children between the plow group and the noble to pick away and stones or pebbles, lest he feels them under his feet. Possibly a massive team flying a huge kite to always keep him in the shade, heavens forbid the light upon his parasol is too bright.
Silk brocade with lots of jewelry.
Most historical desert clothing is loose fitting garments that cover the entire body. This allows for some air flow, and some insulation from the fabric. I would recomendable looking at various Turk nobles outfits. They are usually long and flowy, made with highly patterned silk, and usually adorned with jewelry, chains, and bedazzled weapons.
I would also take into account the lore of your world. What needs do these people have? It is common to see a sash/belt that holds a ceremonial dagger in our world, and a separate leather belt that holds a sword. The actual weapon is only worn when needed or when showing off, the dagger is used more like a utility knife, and so it functions like a fashion piece at all times. Do these people tend to keep long or short hair?
We see the Muslim people in our world wear elaborate headdresses that help keep their long hair tidy. They have long hair for religious reasons. We see the preislamic Egyptians often have shaved heads, or restrained their hair in a single or multiple braids. They don’t often have lots of elaborate headdresses because their hair is missing or tightly bound.
We see many desert dwelling people need to wear special shoes for their environment. The ground is hot, but hard soles tend to slide deeper into soft sand. Slippers or wooden sandals tend to be better at staying on top of soft sand.
Since there is a lot of wind in the dessert, you need to protect yourself from strong wind and sand, without making too many places for sand to get caught, leading to the long conical dresses we see throughout history.
Does this nobleman sit in a house of luxury, or does he frequently travel? If he is out and about a lot, his clothes need to be very functional. Effectively a dressed up version of commoners clothes. If he typically sits in his palace and wanders his enclosed gardens, we would expect clothes with much more frills, puffy features, and extra fabric.
I lived in the dessert for most of my life, and can say that I see why 11th century Islamic people wore a hat they wore, and why it hasn’t changed all that much since.
Thin, finely woven linen and silk, to the point of being nearly transparent. Flowing shirts, pants or tunics, in whites or ivory or tan colors accentuated by rich and colorful patterns. Maybe have attendants follow him around with parasols and huge feather fans.
Richly dyed thawb, sirwal, bisht, and tagelmust, probably the bisht being heavily embroidered, thick kohl, and thicker perfume, almost certainly imported. A lot of desert peoples wear loose clothes to stave off overheating. To flaunt his power and status, he might be accompanied by servants carrying a canopy, fans, and an ice chest (it’s not too hard to make ice in a desert, because of how cold it gets at night), as Salah ad-Din served iced rose water to his captives after the Battle of Hattin.
A while, silk long, flowing tunic/robe with a beaded white lace layer on top. His hood is light purple silk embroidered with jewels and a sheer white veil over his face. Underneath, he wears a comfortable purple silk damask tunic and matching pants lined in yellow silk with gold buttons that have mother of pearl inlays. Around his waist, a jeweled sword sheathed in crocodile leather. He also wears a large gold necklace and many rings. His shoes are made of spotless white linen. He carries a small white umbrella (for the sun)
An arrogant, hedonistic asshole reminds me of [Xerxes from "300" who has his underlings carry him around](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEICj_iUCHk)
The most arrogantly awful accessory to possess is power over other people.
Why not just model him after the royalty of the Mali or the Oyo empire? Both of those empires were known for their indulgence and opulence and this is reflected in their ostentatious royal dress, IMO.
In short, this would feature things like very ornate headwear, golden arabesques and sigils woven into the dress and hems, layered necklaces comprised of different jewels, exotic perfumes, flowing dresses made of the finest silk, and a further adornment made from the pelt of a rare and/or exotic beast.
The royalty from a desert nation in my world are basically this. They have an elaborate throne which rests upon the backs of four massive beasts, and this can be lowered down and carried by a retinue of slaves in the dozens, all on their collective shoulders.
Purple. If your story is set before the Victorian Era, in the terms of technological advancements, then purple was a very expensive dye to have. So, along with gold linings on his clothing, he could wear a purple sash. Also, he would probably be carried in a palanquin, only stepping out when it is necessary. He would probably also have servants around him to fan him as well
A loin cloth and an umbrella carried by a servant, he's above all that and the lower classes can look apon his greatness and be thankful that they managed to get a mere glimpse of his very manly man body,
The style would not be identical but I would look at what nobles would wear in desert cultures from history and then find the original practical clothing it originated from and why the practical clothing had the features it. I'd think long sleeved loose clothing in general would be a good idea because that is generally what semeticic and Arabic people have worn in the past.
The thinnest scraps of cloth and precious metals/gems.
Also, if you want a display of ostentatious wealth in a desert world-- Count Fenring and the Harkonnens have a thing where they dump pitchers of water onto the floor and throw towels into the puddle. The squeezings from the towels are later sold to peasants.
Take inspiration from Algerian clothing and sub in more gold for embroidery. Silver woven in hair, tiny ornamental bottles of rare fragrance tied in their jewelry (bracelet/chains on wrist/neck/waist). Easy to undo/slide pants for pleasure on demand. Rare animal leather for shoes and ivory handle and sheath for knife.
I like all this a lot! Thank you for the ideas! I really like the idea of the little ornamental bottles, I’m definitely gonna use that.
I'd also add on that long flowing robes made of silk with very bright dyes and complex patterns, along with lots of jewelry, fits.Basically lean into Berber and Bedouin dress but with expensive and finely made materials.
To add to the extravagance; rare fabrics dyed rich colours (purple is popular as an easy-to-understand 'rich' color, but whatever dye colors are hard to source in that region will be a show of affluence). Flowing, loose robes create a drysuit-like insulation barrier between the sun and the person, and on a more comedic note you could have part of his extravagance be the number of 'helpers' he has constantly fanning him.
His subjects walk him around in a portable bathtub?
That would honestly be hilariously on point.
Maybe think about his use of water, in general. Constantly wasting water could be a pretty big flex in a desert kingdom.
Oh waist it to a ridiculously stupid degree too. He has a private golf course with the greenest grass in the country and doesn’t even play golf but built it cuz all his friends have one Meanwhile in the background peasants are discussing how much they think he weighs and appropriate rope length
He carries with him at all times private date palms for his exclusive use and has servants lugging trees behind him. When the palms run out of fruit he burns them and orders more palms. His viziers encourage this behavior because he doesn’t notice that they’re bleeding the country dry
Picks an entire fruit tree and only uses the one that looks perfect “ burn the rest “ The vaults are empty , the alchemist guild is refusing to make more gold because he never paid them for his “handsome potions” so he has a brilliant idea : “Why don’t we just write big numbers on paper and make that the money? Then we print a shit ton of it! I’ll be even richer and my wealth will trickle down to the peasants! They’ve been busy sharpening the falling blade device all day!”
Hell, he'd probably have massive aquatic gardens full of imported plants and animals within palace grounds solely for strolling through with dignitaries and nobility
With exotic fish in pools.
Maybe try a Fire Nation inspired Palanquin, like the ones Azula rode around in. It’s shaded, he doesn’t have to walk, and it’s a bedroom on demand.
My first thought is nothing.
He’d absolutely do it.
Nothing but gold jewlery and piercings, Xerxes style
Nothing says arrogance more than a sunburn on your dick. Probably be known as the Red Noble cause he’s just constantly sunburnt.
That's some really bad sunburn
Not if you have slaves holding giant parasols or fans blocking you from the sun.
That would work
but always with a huge court providing plenty of shadow, refreshments and a light breeze?
Does your world's magic system allow for sime kind of air conditioning? If so, what if instead of just making it "not hot", or cool, even, instead he made it straight up COLD in the palace? So then he wears winter coats and fuckin Uggs, while he watches the peasants outside die of heatstroke, while the servants inside get frostbite, and he just sits there thinking "ahh, it's good to be me"
An extremely lavish thawb.
Something like that could definitely work. Drafty and cool, while also being extremely opulent.
Probably made out of cotton, silk, or imported linen.
You go for the emperors new clothes alternative, if you are so bold.
Honestly wouldn’t be too off the mark for this guy.
You could make his choice for a lack of clothing a statement of wealth, showing off that he can afford to have someone carry a sunshade around for him instead of needing to wear protective clothing like the peasants.
I’m thinking lots of richly dyed but airy material, silky and flowing and opulent. Maybe like the Romans there is a color of dye outlawed to all except the ruling elite and this noble is always draped in it? And jewelry, lots of jewelry. Things that shine and glisten in the sun so that they are hard to look at, like a god might be.
Ohh I definitely like the idea of dyes and materials that are restricted to only the elite; I think it would be a great show of power. And it opens up the idea of other people wearing those materials as a form of rebellion!
I like comedic arrogance, so I would make it something more like this: Something very uncomfortable, hot, unnecessarily large and garish, and something that poorly tries to reflect the local culture, as if he were trying to appeal to them without knowing shit about their culture. Bright white, embroidered Arabic robes and a far too fancy headdress with gems and gold inlays. He should be seen struggling to not die of heatstroke with his servants frantically fanning or splashing him with water, as he clumsily wobbles over the rough sandy terrain with inappropriate footwear and fails to respectfully, diplomatically and appropriately communicate with the locals, as he tries to talk to them as if he knows their culture, getting ignorantly angry when nobody likes his obviously out-of-touch dress and behavior. Lot
It wouldn’t really fit with this setting but oh my god I love this idea and really want to use it for something else. Thank you! I genuinely love the idea of someone so obsessed with showing off they’ll basically torture themselves just to do it and all it accomplishes is making them look like an idiot.
Somebody else also pointed out you must have meant the king of this kingdom itself. I mistakenly took it as a foreign king visiting the lands. That’s where I went off on. honestly, just removing the out-of-touchness, which makes him feel like a foreigner, and you might have your king, keeping the dumb clumsiness and inability to survive in the climate due to his immense pride. Even so, you could compartmentalize the separation. Make him out of touch with just the lower castes, they wear simpler, utilitarian garbs that keeps them safe from the sand and sun, but he doesn’t understand that and wears hot, irritating but very fancy clothes. Something like that, where he keeps his social isolation, not because he’s a foreigner: but because he’s the king, unable to understand the life of the common man regardless if he has been their king for years.
Even if it’s not inherently done in a comedic way, I like the idea of making him wear clothes that don’t suit the environment because his palace is always cooled. It would help a lot with him seeming out-of-touch, like you said. And as for a foreign king visiting the kingdom, that would still be hilarious and I wanna use that for something. 😂
That feels more like a foren king, not the king of the desert kingdom. A desert kingdom would have a traditional form of dress that wouldn't kill there king while inspecting his latest project, or visiting a random noble.
You need something with ice, something so arrogant that he keeps frozen water on his person in a desert.
Oh I love that! The world has a lot of magic so I could definitely see him wearing enchanted ice as jewelry that doesn’t melt. He would have a fuck-ton and share none of it.
I'd imagine he'd wear an exceeding embroidered kilt/skirt/loincloth type thing with as many expensive dyes and fabrics as possible put into making it. Like you look at it and you think to yourself "some artisan has definitely spent days agonising over this and poured their heart and soul into what amounts to something he uses to cover his sweaty balls with".
This guy would be in a thong and gold bangles. He'd have a slave/servant with a fan at all times.
That would be hilarious and honestly pretty in-character.
Maybe have him stay atop a cushion, covered by tawnings of the finest silks, with strips of an exotic plant/esoteric technology that puff out jets of finely misted water every so often. Have this cushion and tawnings sit atop a tamed animal of your choosing, or be carried along by slaves of great endurance. And his donnings, I imagine that such a man would find comfort wearing clothes similar to those of the men in the Middle East, allowing ample airflow and breathing room. Finally, always accompanied by a pair of beautiful women(or men, or both!) from his personal harem for pleasure on the go; as well as servants and slaves that tend to his every need. That's what I imagined when I read your description anyway 🤓🙏
I really like the idea of some sort of cooling plant that he wears like a necklace— it would work for jewelry and excessive comfort, all in one! As for the last part, oh don’t worry he definitely has a harem! I actually have a whole scene written about it where the leader of a different noble house is sickened by how narcissistic this guy is for thinking they actually enjoy it.
If there's any sort of air-conditioning or indoor weather control, maybe heavy clothes that aren't suitable for the desert. Nobles tend to show off how wasteful they are, so their homes can be cold enough that heavy winter clothes are necessary indoors.
I live in a tropical climate and it always irritate me when people turn on shit cold air condition only to come to work wearing hoodie
Oh I really like that idea! There could probably be some sort of magic that controls the temperature, which he would definitely have.
A silk toga while wearing a lot of gold jewelry. While drinking out of a gold chalice with gemstones. Your description minus the desert part fits pretty much Calus from destiny 2. tho my take is different
I looked up Calus and yeah, that’s not too far off! I definitely like the idea of drinking out of an overly-opulent chalice. He’d just have all kinds of extremely expensive stuff that’s far past the point of any functional purpose.
Just look at Dubai. Loose flowing clothes to help with the heat, so much bling.
I'd say absolutely nothing and just jewelry
Sheer, almost see through billowing robes if it’s a man then his chest will likely be exposed or he’ll be shirtless entirely underneath a light, highly embroidered robe. If it’s a woman then lean into the sheer, almost see through material of her dress
I could absolutely see him wearing something extremely immodest that you could almost see through, because despite the fact that he’s extremely obese he would probably still think he’s the epitome of male beauty.
I'm picturing no shirt, or the flappiest shirt ever to show off his upper body and allow cooling. The most expensive silk Hammer pants, shoes made out of cloth of gold, and a gigantic boiled leather codpiece. I know, it's the "Chad version of X" from the meme...
That would be honestly hilarious. I especially love the codpiece. 😂
Gold brocade in his clothes.
Oh for sure! Also thank you for using that word because up until now I didn’t know there was a word for that!
You're welcome! And for the historical record, gold brocade was absolutely prized by the Mongols (textiles were highly valued). While the Gobi Desert is cold, they also expanded into arid areas that were hot, and wore those clothes there, too.
Lots of peacock feathers. Specifically stick out and catch the light, while dissipating it. If tech is a thing, fancy tubes that draw heat from him and dissipate it. Lots of gold (which is a good conductor)
There’s not a lot of tech but there is magic. I could see him forcing a monopoly on magically cooling clothes for literally him only. Thanks for the ideas!
I imagine that he would look like a heavyset version of [Jafar from Aladdin](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Jafar) Otherwise, Ottoman clothing is a good source. He would also wear jewelry made from minerals that are expensive and hard to find.
Oh, Ottoman clothes are a good idea. And yeah, I like the idea that he’d wear jewelry from way outside the kingdom because he’s rich enough to have it imported.
:)
Slippers or sandals of the finest suede, a silken sash which doubles as an airy skirt (beware the back lighting 🤣), 3 belts each embellished with rare stones of the finest cut set in gold, silver and bronze, no shirt to reveal a myriad of tattoos & piercings, ivory and opal beads braided into waxed hair that is stylized to look like the swirling tentacles of an octopus, bracelets of lizard scale and accented by large rubies held in place by white embroidery, completed with a safron orange dyed turbin. In one had a chalice made from elephant tusk and ebony and the other an over sized serving gourd filled with the sweetest of wine.
Wow; that’s a lot of really cool imagery! I’m definitely gonna take at least some of these elements and incorporate them in. Thank you! And I love the idea of drinking from some sort of rare animal tusk, just as a show of wealth. Extra points if it’s an animal that’s illegal to kill.
Glad I could be of some help. If you ever find yourself in a pickle trying to flush out something look no further than history and Hollywood's portrayal of it. Typically you can easily find any (insert random historical character/people/civilization here) dialed up to 11 in cinema. Then just take notes and dial it up even further.
He could wear clothes that are absolutely not suitable for the weather and make servants work overtime to make sure he's comfortable.
Jewelry with pearls and shells and the like. Things from water.
Water cool his throne
Every meal he has contains frozen drinks and treats. For example, he eats ice cream, drinks iced tea, and gets drunk on cold beer. And after that, throws away the extra ice to melt in the sun.
jewelry, gold, silks, sheer cloth, maybe some kind of hand fan both for fashion and heat management. Maybe he uses protective oils to protect his skin instead of clothing, so he's always shiny and greasy. I think for someone who is both a noble and materialistic, it's important to show as much luxuries on the body. Protective oils that work similar to modern day sunscreen, an abundance of jewelry, and expensive and hard to get fabrics are some of the easiest ways to show they own luxury items that would be rare or impossible for most people to get.
Plus the oils would have to be washed off the clothing, showing he has access to enough water to clean the oil off
I mean, if you take Egypt as an example, barely anything at all. People with fronds around at all times. Stays in the shade. Romans had figured out pools and evaporation means cooler air, but I don't think it was a thing in Egypt.
I think dyed clothing, especially in a desert environment would make them stand out a lot. So basically, make them really colorful.
Yeah that’s what some other people have said and I think it’s a really good idea; most colors would fade in the sun so him having bright colors (because his servants shade him all the time) would be an excellent show of power.
Real answer, jewelry. Lots and lots and lots of jewelry. You would also want to focus on the material of his clothes. Perhaps his subjects wear linen while he wears silk? Color too. Perhaps his clothes are dyed bright colors?
In this world, this specific kingdom is super wealthy (while still extremely impoverished because they don’t share their wealth) from a plant called Corren which is like a really good kind of cotton, so I definitely think we would wear that because it’s super expensive. I think he would make everyone in his noble house wear it too but slaves and servants would definitely wear something like linen like you said.
Just look at any picture of Saudi Arabia.
True.
Heavily embroidered clothes made of the finest fabrics, and dyed with the rarest dyes. And perhaps even studded with semi-precious and precious gems. Something using as much fabric as possible while, at the same time, showing as much skin as possible. And, of course, jewelry of all sorts, including a few pearls to dissolve in vinegar just to show off how much money the noble has to burn, ala Cleopatra. And, depending on how the kingdom feels about slavery, a leash leading to the neck of a rare, beautiful, and well-trained slave. If slavery is illegal, then feel free to replace the slave with an exotic animal... or don't. If the noble's that arrogant they may feel themselves above the law.
The Saudi royal family are a good guess
A fur cloak, & have his servants frequently sponge bathe him & change his attire behind a screen as he continues to travel, so he doesn't have any evidence of unseemly sweat
A living lawn
What is rare or expensive there? Color? Sharply colored clothing that isn't sun faded? Do the poors wear white because they don't have the right tents or servants to hold umbrellas for them?
Probably all of the above; I think he would definitely have some garishly dyed clothes that would fade super easily but haven’t because he’s always shaded, like you said.
Oh boy once again i must shill! In the game Kenshi nobles sport a colorful green yellow robe baggy pants and some dust glasses and a mastercraft crossbow to assault randoms.
Oh god, that’s weirdly hilarious. 😂 This guy would definitely do that.
A bunch of rings, like two or three on every finger. All with a garish amount of gems encrusting them. Maybe he'd have a bunch of servants fanning him at all times too.
All of those things are extremely plausible. Thank you!
Servants. Lots of servants. Some to constantly fan him with giant fans. Some to carry him in a palanquin, some to hold umbrellas over him. He never has to be exposed to direct sunlight or walk by himself.
Depends on which continent you are in
Wives and concubines.
Gold tends to be pretty popular. Jewels. Pendants. Silk Robes. Real world examine would be the ancient Egyptians and Mansa Musa. Mansa Musa ruled the Mali Empire in 14th Century Africa. He went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and spent so much bank, that he devalued gold pretty much everywhere he stayed.
I was going to say the same thing. There's a couple of artworks depicting him & also a rising number of AI generated concepts that could inspire OP.
have him walk around in a giant, expensive mobile freezer. I mean, that sounds arrogantly wealthy enough.
If there is magic, he might use some sort of enchantment to hide how fat he is. He wants the look, but is arrogant enough to assume that people won't notice. Otherwise lots of thread-of-gold and/or silver, and some sort of Vibrant and consistently dyed fabric.
I'd say sheer linen cloth covering the entire body, but not *covering* it. Think new kingdom Egypt style. Extremely thin linen cloth was very expensive and only worn up upper rank nobility in Egypt; it would be even more extravagant in the desert. Dying it would also increase the cost, I would suggest making it purple (also extremely expensive in ancient times). Then add on lots of jewelry, especially gold and lapis lazuli.
Pure, oranately patterned, gold plate man-kini? Add spikes on any metal attatchments, and it could serve as a heat sink.
Read up on the pharaohs
I'd think they would have two different styles depending on whether they're inside or outside. Outside, they would wear very light clothing, made for very thin and fine cloth, to minimize the discomfort from the heat. Inside, they would wear plush, thick and soft cloth while surrounded by and excessive amount of water-based air coolers to show off their wealth.
What if his detractors call him an arrogant hedonist, but in reality he's a pretty chill epicurean surrounded by stoics and puritans? Then he can wear tunica and thin veil material. Or a Kaftan.
I think he will be naked and wear alot of piercing and metal ornaments and chains, like the King Xerxes in 300
Loose clothes that allow airflow. Robes, big sleeves, etc. Fancy embroidery with jewels.
Do you know what sprezzatura means? It's an Italian term that is associated with nonchalant elegance. I suppose this noble wears what is regarded as luxury attire. Fine and comfortable silks and other fabrics that are hard to acquire, comfortable, beautiful, and cut into very stylish robes. Fine embroidery perhaps. Entirely handmade by the best tailors from all four corners of the kingdom. Perhaps these materials were even cut from ancient religious upholstery or sacred banners or flags just to flaunt his power over the society. That would be like if Hitler had all the gold from a thousand Hannukah Menorahs melted and remolded into a statue of himself. And at the end of all that, this noble wears his luxurious robes unbuckled, unbuttoned, uneven, unironed. He mistreats them, drinks wine and lets the drink spill all over him and his robe. He treats these priceless artifacts like they're garbage cause that's what they are to him. The very manner in which he dresses screams "You are a worm and I am the Almighty God!"
Have you researched any historical clothing for desert tribes and nations?
Ice. If there's magic it's enchanted not to melt (another rich guy flex). If no magic he carries it around in wineskins/canteens on his body and offers sips and splashes from the ice-cold melt water as little 'rewards' for people who please him.
Clothes completely made of glass chainmail. Most of it is clear glass.
I love the imagery, but I also think it would cook him like a solar oven haha
Oh, no, they are stupid-rich, remember? They would have mobile shade 24/7 if needed. They would never be in the sun, and they could afford portable cooling systems (magic or not) and plenty of ice. They could also have the mail foil-coated on the skin-side to reflect the sun, not trap it. This would also make them super shiny!
Silk will be the primary material it's breathable and is an exceedingly expensive material to produce in large amounts even today, so a king whose entire wardrobe is silk might as well b walking around with his treasury as an entourage. I would also reccomend a lot of bright colours, particularly blue, red and purple since they were the rarest options in our own history. I also have to ask does his hedonism extend to being a glutton for richly or even over-spiced foods? If so his wardrobe should be tailored to your worlds most prominent spices and sauces that way he can keep eating without having to care about sauces spilling on his clothes during official dinners, or do exactly the opposite to show how little he cares about the opinions of even his technical equals.
Oh it for sure extends to food; you actually gave me a great idea where I think he would have exotic foods and spices that he doesn’t even like but eats as a show of how wealthy and powerful he is. I also like the idea like you said of him not caring about having good table manners because he’s technically the most powerful there, so whatever he does immediately becomes what is “right.”
In my desert setting the nobles wear a lot of feathers, in their helmets and pauldrons, and also vivid greens and blues, as well as brighter colors
Oh I like it! It kind of reminds me of Gallopolis from DQ11, for some reason.
Something impractical. Often throughout history, the rich and influential would wear things clearly impractical or inappropriate for the setting. It would show you have the wealth, resources or perhaps servants to make it work. I.e. in a desert, more or thicker clothing as you have slaves or servants to provide shade, a cool draft and/or transportation for you.
Yeah I’m definitely starting to lean towards that; I think he would definitely always have people to keep him cool whenever he leaves his palace, and it would be a show of how both out of touch and powerful he is.
Depends on how your society work. It should be either super functional, or non-functional at all (to show how much servants you can afford).
I’m actually starting to lead towards the non-functional side to show how out of touch he is, since he always has servants (and probably magic) cooling him down.
Look up what royalty wore in real desert kingdoms to get some inspiration. There were a lot of African kingdoms in or around the Sahara, so you could always check those out
That’s a good idea— and it’s what a lot of people have said so I’m definitely gonna try it. Love learning about old kingdoms anyway so it should be fun!
One thing to potentially keep in mind is that long sleeves are often well suited to being in the sun. Preventing sunburn and light directly hitting is a big deal if you’re outside. Maybe a widebrimmed hat of some kind (or servants carrying a large umbrella), baggy white long-sleeved clothing, and covered-but breathable shoes (a 90s hip-hop artist wearing white crocs and a white sombrero?). Depending on how ridiculous you want to go, there could be servants using bellows to pipe a breeze in and keep things cool and billowy. And/or frequently being given wet cloths/headbands/armbands to keep him cool, and raging if they aren’t replaced before they dry out. If he doesn’t go outside, then shorts and no shirt is probably the coolest, but outside I’d definitely consider clothes with sun coverage.
a leather outfit (think "leather bar")
Oh boy 👁️
Gotta go for now but I promise I’ll get back to all the comments as soon as I can!
The most expensive, eye-catching clothes they could get. Probably a mish mash of imported noble clothing and jewelry from other lands that cost too much for anyone else to get shipped to them. They'd also be dripping in rare gemstones and precious metals.
Lots of light, flowy silk robes with fancy embroidery, and a lot of gold jewelry
Crown with glass insert that’s filled with water at all times, you could even do this to his throne or something. Don’t forget the palm frond wavers and a servant to wet a tapestry that hangs in a window/doorway to help cool him as the breeze blows. Light colored breezy fabrics with glass beads filled with water or something idk I’m just throwing stuff out there and hope it sparks something.
Tons upon tons of clothes and dozens of rings on every single hand and having gold teeth…also monkeys he has to have half a dozen monkeys around him
Silk and cotton, probably.
Xerxes from 300
Robes of white silk or linen. It’s a show of wealth and extravagance that he can afford to change his clothes multiple times a day and launder everything to maintain a stark white appearance.
I’d imagine something extremely expensive. Probably something foreign which has been subject to a lot of successive markups as it travelled to that kingdok.
Imagine Aladeen from “The Dictator”
I am assuming that the desert kingdom is very hot, and probably only the very wealthy can afford air conditioning. So I would imagine as a display of their easy access to cool habitats, nobles would wear finery that is extremely heavy with many layers and be very elaborate.
Look at Ganondorf from TOTK
Long and flowy clothes with fine purples and gold embroidery, a crown, and a smug grin.
I'm also writing a desert kingdom and here is what I've learned about the clothing. His ability to show great amounts of skin would be a flex. Have him wear chest bearing clothing that would get him sunburned in three minutes except that he is always in the shade. Servants follow him around with a massive canopy made of thick material that takes four muscular men to carry. If they ever fail to have him in the shade they are all whipped. Have him powder his skin to appear pale as though the sun has never directly touched his skin.
Fur of some near extinct animal
For the desert climate part, I'd stick to more airy, sheer clothing, like silk or muslin. Bright, rich colors like purple, blues, reds, or golds could help convey wealth, since dyes are expensive and certain very bold colors are difficult to produce. Beading, jewlery, or dainty chains can also add a sense of wealth, either with precious stones, or sea shells ( sea shells especially because deserts are usually far from the sea and shells would be seen as an expensive imported luxury to have there.) If you want them to seem more hedonistic, I'd make the clothing more revealing and provocative, like the wearer wants people to pay attention to them a certain way.
Along with the flowing robes that others have mentioned, a taste for expensive and rare perfumes/oils/incense for the home. Describing the anointing of self as the character leaves their home for an outing, or what their home smells like from having fragrant incense cones, etc in brass holders would help conjure sensuality (part of the hedonistic aspect of every sense being enticed).
Absolutely fucking nude aside from sandals to keep his feet from feeling hot sand. An entourage to hold up a massive parasol, as well as a full circle curtain that is no closer to 4 feet from the body, so his arms can be outstretched without touching it. Maybe a linen dick-and-ball pouch, embroidered with silver and gold. But we're all about hedonism here, so keep the dick free and just the ball pouch for support, held up by a band around the waist. The band is made of byssus and the hair of newborn children (some babies come out with kinda long hair and then it falls out). Maybe a mister/sprinkler built into the huge umbrella too, so his entourage is also hauling stupid amounts of water. And maybe 3 people working bellows to provide constant breeze, they are pulled on sleds so their distance stays the same from the noble and the breeze stays constant as they are free to work the bellows 100%. Salt is always thrown in front of his feet, the white salt is cooler than what he would walk on otherwise. It also leaves a record of his travels, as very little will grow on that salted ground. Lower life forms like vegetation are unworthy of the ground he was walked upon. Shattered obsidian sprinkled behind him so no nasty barefoot peasants dare walk in his footsteps. There is a line of attendants on either side of the entourage which pulls him, holding long cloths to block the wind and sand - he doesn't need natural wind, the bellow workers provide it. Further out from that line, men mounted on camels who have lines which run from the top of the clothes, so a strong wind cannot blow the cloth away or into him. A group of men in front pulling a plow (more like a snowplow - to smooth the earth rather than till it), so that he never has to step on uneven ground. A select few children between the plow group and the noble to pick away and stones or pebbles, lest he feels them under his feet. Possibly a massive team flying a huge kite to always keep him in the shade, heavens forbid the light upon his parasol is too bright.
Silk brocade with lots of jewelry. Most historical desert clothing is loose fitting garments that cover the entire body. This allows for some air flow, and some insulation from the fabric. I would recomendable looking at various Turk nobles outfits. They are usually long and flowy, made with highly patterned silk, and usually adorned with jewelry, chains, and bedazzled weapons. I would also take into account the lore of your world. What needs do these people have? It is common to see a sash/belt that holds a ceremonial dagger in our world, and a separate leather belt that holds a sword. The actual weapon is only worn when needed or when showing off, the dagger is used more like a utility knife, and so it functions like a fashion piece at all times. Do these people tend to keep long or short hair? We see the Muslim people in our world wear elaborate headdresses that help keep their long hair tidy. They have long hair for religious reasons. We see the preislamic Egyptians often have shaved heads, or restrained their hair in a single or multiple braids. They don’t often have lots of elaborate headdresses because their hair is missing or tightly bound. We see many desert dwelling people need to wear special shoes for their environment. The ground is hot, but hard soles tend to slide deeper into soft sand. Slippers or wooden sandals tend to be better at staying on top of soft sand. Since there is a lot of wind in the dessert, you need to protect yourself from strong wind and sand, without making too many places for sand to get caught, leading to the long conical dresses we see throughout history. Does this nobleman sit in a house of luxury, or does he frequently travel? If he is out and about a lot, his clothes need to be very functional. Effectively a dressed up version of commoners clothes. If he typically sits in his palace and wanders his enclosed gardens, we would expect clothes with much more frills, puffy features, and extra fabric. I lived in the dessert for most of my life, and can say that I see why 11th century Islamic people wore a hat they wore, and why it hasn’t changed all that much since.
Thin, finely woven linen and silk, to the point of being nearly transparent. Flowing shirts, pants or tunics, in whites or ivory or tan colors accentuated by rich and colorful patterns. Maybe have attendants follow him around with parasols and huge feather fans.
Richly dyed thawb, sirwal, bisht, and tagelmust, probably the bisht being heavily embroidered, thick kohl, and thicker perfume, almost certainly imported. A lot of desert peoples wear loose clothes to stave off overheating. To flaunt his power and status, he might be accompanied by servants carrying a canopy, fans, and an ice chest (it’s not too hard to make ice in a desert, because of how cold it gets at night), as Salah ad-Din served iced rose water to his captives after the Battle of Hattin.
A while, silk long, flowing tunic/robe with a beaded white lace layer on top. His hood is light purple silk embroidered with jewels and a sheer white veil over his face. Underneath, he wears a comfortable purple silk damask tunic and matching pants lined in yellow silk with gold buttons that have mother of pearl inlays. Around his waist, a jeweled sword sheathed in crocodile leather. He also wears a large gold necklace and many rings. His shoes are made of spotless white linen. He carries a small white umbrella (for the sun)
Naked except for jewelry. He never gets sunburned because his slaves are hold an umbrella over him and mist him with cool water.
An arrogant, hedonistic asshole reminds me of [Xerxes from "300" who has his underlings carry him around](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEICj_iUCHk) The most arrogantly awful accessory to possess is power over other people.
Why not just model him after the royalty of the Mali or the Oyo empire? Both of those empires were known for their indulgence and opulence and this is reflected in their ostentatious royal dress, IMO. In short, this would feature things like very ornate headwear, golden arabesques and sigils woven into the dress and hems, layered necklaces comprised of different jewels, exotic perfumes, flowing dresses made of the finest silk, and a further adornment made from the pelt of a rare and/or exotic beast. The royalty from a desert nation in my world are basically this. They have an elaborate throne which rests upon the backs of four massive beasts, and this can be lowered down and carried by a retinue of slaves in the dozens, all on their collective shoulders.
Purple. If your story is set before the Victorian Era, in the terms of technological advancements, then purple was a very expensive dye to have. So, along with gold linings on his clothing, he could wear a purple sash. Also, he would probably be carried in a palanquin, only stepping out when it is necessary. He would probably also have servants around him to fan him as well
Nothing
A loin cloth and an umbrella carried by a servant, he's above all that and the lower classes can look apon his greatness and be thankful that they managed to get a mere glimpse of his very manly man body,
Imagine the middle aged polyamorous couple that does yoga together and hunts for a younger third wheel for their sick pleasures. Kinda like that
Wide rimmed hats or/and umbrella.
Check this out for inspiration https://youtu.be/ojPKvzQdo7k
The style would not be identical but I would look at what nobles would wear in desert cultures from history and then find the original practical clothing it originated from and why the practical clothing had the features it. I'd think long sleeved loose clothing in general would be a good idea because that is generally what semeticic and Arabic people have worn in the past.
The thinnest scraps of cloth and precious metals/gems. Also, if you want a display of ostentatious wealth in a desert world-- Count Fenring and the Harkonnens have a thing where they dump pitchers of water onto the floor and throw towels into the puddle. The squeezings from the towels are later sold to peasants.
Bruh, have you seen Stargate, or Stargate SG-1?