Ast shroud

The Ast shroud consists of a modular wrap-style garment and is traditionally worn by both men and women of the outer belt. It is made from vacuum-insulated microfabrics and was originally adopted to serve as a practical inner layer under the early pressure suits. As time went on, it transformed into attire that is culturally and symbolically connected to the outer belt. Due to its origin as a undergarment for pressure suits, and despite it having transformed into a more everyday piece of garment, it still maintains a slight resustence to vacuum exposure, altough only for short durations, 30 to 40 seconds, a short time but in most cases enough to get to safety.   The colour of the Ast shroud can vary, depending on the different habitats, stations and asteroids, but the most common colour is an Ash grey or deep cobalt colour. Each Ast shroud features family or habitat symbols embroidered along its edges in metallic threads. It is typically draped across one shoulder diagonally and then wrapped around the torso, secured by magnetic clasps or belt locks.   They play a role in the marriage ceremonies of the belters as when two are getting married, their Ast shroud are sewn together to form a single piece and it's then wrapped around the couple for a set amount of time.   Across the sol system, other cultures have adopted versions of the Ast shroud, although its mainly settlements outside the asteroid belt that have adopted it, like the habitats around Jupiter and Saturn which have their versions with differnt meanings but is fundamentally the same, The Jupiter version are particular favored by outsiders due to its colour as its contains the same mixture of colours as Jupiter.   A famous artist from the Van Mon habitat made the Ast Shroud famous back on Earth when she wore it during a massive blockbuster movie, and it created a wave of outfits inspired by the Ast shroud.