"Oh, darling, your reality-shattering robe hem is fabulous! It's just to die for!"

While I love the art that Lady Nerevar posted, I've already noticed in a pattern in the few examples of Altmer clothing. They seem to like uniforms based on robes as we can see here:

Thalmor
http://images.wikia.com/elderscrolls/images/5/50/Thalmor_Wizard.jpg

Psijic Order Mage
http://images.uesp.net/5/53/SR-npc-Quaranir.jpg

A pattern already seems to exist; a hood is almost always present, some type of stylized shoulder pad/covering that is connected by a wide broach, decorative boots, pants, undergarments that form a point somewhere below the groin, ankle-length robes that cover the undergarments, and a belt that holds the exterior robe to the waist with a stylized metal clasp. Furthermore, the clothes are incredibly symmetrical. Something tells me the rest of the caste-based fashion in Alinor follows this pattern.

It's heavily implied they were build by the Sload.

This is not a representative sample.

Elaborate.

Yeah, I agree with dinmenel. It's a good try, but robes are extremely widespread in Tamriel, and the pattern you outlined is pretty basic. The Psijic robes and Thalmor robes also have striking contrasts. The Psijic robes have a smother overall appearance with soft, "engraving" like designs, and if you include this with the passive yellow coloring, you've got yourself a powerful but isolationist wizard. As for the Thalmor robes...could there be a better fantasy fascist uniform?

Dude, the point I was making is that the fundamentals of the robes are essentially the same. Yes, there are differences but in terms of layout, pieces and stylistic variance, they're remarkably similar. I love their robes and I find it fits what little we've been told about Alinor/Summerset Isle, but they are still similar in terms of basic composition.

Perhaps I was too ready to dismiss it, but it still seems a little too basic a pattern (and only these two instances) to say that's what we should expect of Altmer fashion.

We're only seeing what the people that are travelling to other places, at least one group likely being in uniform, are dressing like. That doesn't necessarily say much about those staying at home and taking part in society (high or low) in the Isles. Not to mention it's only two examples out of an entire archipelago, and the official Thalmor one could have been influenced by the Psijic one (or, somewhat less likely, vice-versa).

^ This, except it's not likely that they would have been influenced by each other's clothing, as the Psijics are largely hermetic. I kind of think that the Thalmor want to set themselves aside from (read: above) the rest of Altmer society, and so it could be that they deliberately chose uniforms that differed from whatever fashion is currently in vogue in Alinor.

Tangentially, does it seem suitable that Altmer high fashion would be quite volatile?

You both raise good points, but I counter with established lore and base ID. It has been established that Altmer society is highly stratified and is caste-based. It is also established that they are rather fond of uniforms, hence the separation and complexity in the examples of Altmer robes we see in Skyrim. The robes Quaranir wears are called "Psijic Robes" and the robes all Thalmor except Elenwen and Ancano wear are called "Hooded Thalmor Robes". This would strongly imply that as per High Elf culture, being a part of an organization brings with it a certain uniform/dress code, not unlike ancient Rome. This also fits in with the established lore that says that the Altmer are fond of uniforms and their society is based on castes and organizations.

We're not arguing against a society prolific in uniforms. At least I'm not. It's just that the data is too limited to make generalizations about all of Altmeri society. Not all of the uniforms have to follow the same basic formula as what we've seen. Incidentally, I'd conjecture that the upper class, at the least, gets away without following uniform unless acting in their official capacity.

There's also a strong Islamic influence in the PSJJJJ robes.

Well elven armor is golden and flashy and has leaves and looks as much like jewelry as it does armor. I bet it's very extragant materials in extravagant designs with dragons and eagles and other majestic animals.

Yep I'm willing to bet that most if not all of traditional armor/clothing is just as if not more extravagant than what we saw with their robes in Skyrim.

lol I mean have u seen the Glass armor? Beautiful stuff their.

Lots of traditional Japanese/Chinese influences, with flowing robes, jewels, strings of beads, gold embroidery, etc.

As far as their uniforms are concerned, the Thalmor robes always gave me a very subtle sense of more contemporary military fashion.

No, no there isn't. Maybe Ottoman or Persian or something, I'm not up on their styles, but not Islamic. And if there is a Persian or Ottoman influence, that's cultural it has nothing to do with Islam. The only clothing that could be considered "Islamic" is the sunnah dress of our Prophet (SAW), which is a black imamah (turban) tied with two tails hanging over the right shoulder or left dangling between the shoulder blades, white unslitted qameez (long shirt), and a white izar (kinda like a kilt) tied so it hangs at mid-shin level. Nothing in any TES game resembles that in any way.

As for its volatility, i feel that Altmer are altogether too Anuic to go through rapidly changing trends. Fashion trends are more a Dunmer thing (Mephala). More likely it's traditional designs honed to aesthetic perfection.

Peacocks needs their feathers to show off, so do altmer need their over-the-top clothes to act all high and mighty.

well high elves are pretty buffugly. I bet their clothes covers up their ugly faces.

Its not an act.

Eh... I dunno about this. Especially not the Dunmer bit. That doesn't fit their national character at all. Maybe among the Hlaalu.
Traditional designs I would definitely agree on for most of the society. But for the upper crust? Elenwen paints a picture of a high class that enjoys 'the finer things in life' (though that may not transfer back to Summerset, granted). I'd think that at least some of those millenial aristocrats would get tired of wearing the same thing again and again, as would the thaumatovestors of making them. The refinement would be in the ability to create something new, time after time.

I like the way Altmer & Bosmer have come together. I think it is great lore. It also builds a stronger picture of the Bosmer being a more structured race.

I always think of Summerset Isles as a kind of ancient version of the modern Indonesia and Valenwood as a kind of Cambodia / Burma. A kind of hidden world from the west but is in fact is one of the biggest and most populated power houses of the planet with massive built up cities containing massive wealth and economy and some of the biggest structures in the world.

Same here. I hope the Dominion is here to stay. I'd hate to see everyone back under an empire.... Everyone getting along to an strange degree.... Like in Oblivion lol

With the Dominion we have all the politics we'll ever need. And that's not even bringing up the independent nations which again is something I like.

I hope both the Dominion and the Empire end up collapsing.