Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood is a tale adapted by the Brothers Grimm, it’s set in a nondescript time, and place; merely daytime and a village set near the woods. It tells the tale of a young girl on the verge of womanhood as she brings her grandmother some things to make her well again; and the trouble she runs into on the journey. The tale is supposed to warn children of the perils of the woods and strangers, and that fear can be found even in the light of day.

I have chosen to set this particular variation of Little Red Riding Hood in Germany, the country of the Brothers Grimm, during the 14th Century. My research into the Red Hood that the main character is named for brought me initially to time periods were a red cape was all the trend, however I soon came to the realization that the main character is known for her hood, so therefore it should be an item that might be considered unusual for the time period. So I researched the history of Red, and when it was less commonly used, and then researched velvet to find when it was popular but hard to acquire. All of these facets of textiles and color lead me to the 14th Century. 

The main character will be featured as a youth on the brink of woman hood which is indicated by both the style of clothing she’ll be wearing and the fact her hair will be down and minimally styled. While her mother will be featured with her hair pinned up and in slightly more adult like variations of similar garb. The Grandmother’s clothing will be slightly more old fashioned, from earlier in the same time period, and will feature her titular cap.

The color choices will feature around Little Red’s Red color, while the mother will wear muted tones, of a similar nature to her daughter, as will the grandmother to link them intrinsically. The Huntsman will be in tones of nature, greens, and browns, common for a man of his station during the time. The wolves will be featured in the deepest darkest of Black tones, followed by the second wolf in shades of gray, to represent Red’s fear of the wolf and wariness of what they are capable of. 

The silhouette’s will ring true to the medieval era’s with perhaps a touch of modernity to make them more relatable, and many of the colors will be in tune with the naivety of a girl transitioning into womanhood and becoming aware of the dangers that exist in the world.