Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-10380701-20150808021719/@comment-26018514-20150810050635

LiveandSound wrote: Maybe Atlas finally invented shielding technology? As in, Sci-Fy shields, that block bullets and recharge and appear only when hit. Halo, and Mass Effect, for examples.

Or maybe she's of the rank that just gives orders but doesn't actually fight? Those exist, and since they rarely, if ever, will be in combat, there's not as much need for practical clothing.

Now, I know what you will say "If she's in the military, she must wear the uniform", blah blah, but remember, this is RWBY, ruled by the Rule of Cool. And in many other works that follow said rule, important characters that are part of the military do not always use the uniform, or at least not correctly/completely (and don't get any complains because, again, Rule of Cool).

Of course, all that assuming she is part of the military, and not simply working with it. Which would be different, as Commander Shepard would like to remind you but never explain to you.

Her clothing evokes the idea of Royal Knight, in the literal sense: A member of the Royalty, and also a Knight. "Knights were royalty", yeah yeah, no one gives a shit about it, I'm talking of clothing style and the evoked idea, not how obvious it sounds.

The upper part of the clothing, with the exposed shoulders, evokes Royalty, kind of like a princess of some sort. The lower part, especially the greaves, are what evoke Knight. A contrast in between, that gives it an unique touch and makes it stand out.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that Atlas has a military somewhat like China's in that everyone has mandatory military duty at some point, yet only some stay on full time... this would explain the seeming military discipline from those hailing from Atlas, the quasi-militaristic garb of those characters hailing from it, and the Atlesian impulse to remove the "human" element from the battlefield(as they are then protecting their children).

Further, I could see Winter as having been a nice older sister to Weiss, joining "Papa Schnee" in the family business after a brief stint in the military, and having shown Weiss some of the "shady dealings" of their father(having accepted them as necessary evils required for the future of the business herself), likely involving schemes that got Torchwick and Co. the mechs they somehow acquired.

Winter felt they would be an unstoppable pair of corporate titans together, and so was trying to prepare her sister for the reality of their company/family politics, yet Weiss was troubled by this information, deciding she couldn't trust her father or work with her sister and so chose to apply as a huntress instead(possibly stalling her own military conscription on a student/huntsman Visa). This would be why she joined Beacon and refuses to talk with Winter, meanwhile Winter would think Weiss snubbed her and we could have the set-up for a relationship that could end up either great or very antagonistic.

Though tbh the first paragraph there stands on it's own, the rest is just head canon.