The Logic of Safehands

[Renarin Kholin he/him]

On Roshar, symmetry is seen as holy. However, it is seen as pretentious to subtly claim perfection through use of symmetry. For example, Ialai Sadeas has a symmetric name, which if I remember correctly, Navani comments on negatively.

Considering that Rosharans don't even like names (aside from religious figures and lore) to be symmetrical, it follows that symmetric fashion would be similarly frowned upon. As evidence for this, most of the outfits we've seen in folios or on the Stormlight minis are asymmetrical. Most of the men have suits or vests that button up slightly to one side, not directly in the middle. And every female outfit is asymmetric because of the safehand sleeve (or glove).

Maybe the reason that safehands became a part of Vorin culture was in order to make sure that women's outfits were never perfectly symmetrical, preventing presumptuous claims of holiness.

[S. Stormy she/her]

Good point. And that might explain why Chanaranach has no safehand cover in the RoW endpaper art, because she is "holy".