Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. Your articles are always very informative. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Do not describe a character's clothing except as that point of view character would do so. Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. and our 70s-inspired. And what does she put that cap on for? Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. I don't mean make your characters walk around naked, but exposing (or covering) body parts in ways we don't today helps make ordinary clothing look different, which in turn helps sell the idea of it being futuristic. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Consider this example from Hard Times. - Change lengths. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. Press J to jump to the feed. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. Now this won't work for every piece of clothing of course, not everything has buttons or edges that allow for simple changes we don't already use today, so here are a few ways that are commonly used to make things look more futuristic: One does not refer to "a garb". Before I delve into the more detailed aspects of creating clothing there's one final thing to keep in mind and that is that fashion repeats itself. Maybe your character heads out on the town wearing a daring leopard print jumpsuit, only to have their best friend immediately ask where they got the kitty costume.. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. So we've covered ways to make clothing look both futuristic and historic, but these are all just guidelines and mostly based on what's been done before. We have all sorts of headphone designs to reflect our clothing styles and just wearing or not wearing a headphone will completely change how a character is often perceived. (Huh.). You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. Lets take a look at some ways you can develop those unique ideas: In this section, well take a look at some cool pieces of knight armor in fantasy that people have designed over the years, to give you even more inspiration for your own designs. Normally I dont dress characters with such complex clothing that takes more than a few sentences to describe but the vest was inspired by a picture I saw and it took at least a paragraph to describe. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. The pieces around the vital organsthe chest and headwere thicker and heavier than those on the arms and legs to try and reduce weight as much as possible. - Convert future clothing to a historic version. Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. 2012 - Showing what your characters are wearing can be a great way to show your readers what they might be up to that day without having to actually narrate anything. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. This is further influenced/confirmed by the show Forged in Fire where the judges were a half step from putting their heads in their hands when a smith put his hot blade in water instead of oil to cool it down. Fancy dresses. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. In a fantasy setting, you may be trying to conjure up a certain feel right off the bat based on how you describe a character's clothing (and the words you use to describe them). Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. In my case my character is new in town and this description of clothing doesnt come until hes getting ready for the party in chapter 4 and its in the context of getting dressed, there are reasons behind it, the party is a very big deal for him getting his foot in the door with other teens in town and he wants to be impressive or maybe wants lot of attention with all the sparklies. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. The shrewd king essentially licensed out parcels of his land as rewards to his warriors in exchange for their military service. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. They were warriors first and foremost. ^.^ Metallic works well too, but make sure any metal bits or metallic looking bits are smooth and clean looking too, otherwise it might look too historic. Another benefit to chain mail, a point which can slip the mind of writers, is that it was cheap and efficient, able to accommodate different-sized warriors, unlike expensive plated armor. It would have been extremely warm too. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. Instead of saying, for example I saw that the station gate was coming down and the last train was about to leave, you could say The station gate is already screeching closed. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. At a quarter to six, Gem pulled off the low-cut top Emma had wolf-whistled and clappedat when theyd met for their usual weekend catch-up. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. 04. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! A velvet scrunchie. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Share. - Diagonal lines: Diagonal lines aren't all that common in historic clothing and they usually only came in the form of neck lines, the edges of unbuttoned jackets or from large pieces of fabric being held up (think ancient Rome). The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. - "Digital look". It's part of culture, so it's definitely something to keep in mind since your fictional universes will have some form of culture as well. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? This is less important for non-visual arts as clothing isn't always described in writing, but it can still be incredibly helpful to have a fully detailed character in your head or written down somewhere for reference and just to make everything feel more real and alive. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. Adding them with intention can help increase tension, make twists hit that much harder, and keep your reader engaged., How to Describe Clothing in Writing Without Boring Everybody, Tertiary Characters: Giving Your Background Players Life, Sidekicks: The Loyal Companion Your Hero Needs. Your email address will not be published. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. Plain: Ordinary clothes of one color like gray, beige, or black. Be specific and accurate. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. But for writers like me who get stuck in the white socks, green dress rut, heres a quick reminder: Details about fabric, fit, quality, and color are super effective when it comes to creating a sense of character, place, or moment. I like the way you wrote this information. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. The answer to this question gives you a ton of clarity. If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. But they werent administrators. It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: But put me in a job interview wearing the same outfit, and youd probably start making new guesses about my intentions. A scarlet pantsuit. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. And of course, location provides a clue for what it takes to be comfortable in the world of your story. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. Another quick way of making standard clothing fantasy themed is by converting clothes form the relative future to one that could be created in whichever time period your universe falls under. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. Sweaters or jumpers? Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? (Cough-cough-cough.) And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Compare this, then, to Dickens description of Gradgrinds wife in the following chapter (Gradgrinds wealthy but poverty-claiming friend has just told Mrs. Gradgrind he was born in a ditch): Mrs. Gradgrind, a little, thin, white, pink-eyed bundle of shawls, of surpassing feebleness, mental and bodily; who was always taking physic without any effect, and who, whenever she showed a symptom of coming to life, was invariably stunned by some weighty piece of fact tumbling on her; Mrs. Gradgrind hoped it was a dry ditch? In most cases simply copying the style of whichever era you've based your story on is enough, but it can be fun to create your own styles and in some cases it'd make sense to have your own styles as well. I tend to avoid describing clothing. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. No problem! One of the first things I learned when I moved to L.A. is that writers do not dress professionally for big meetings in Hollywood. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. In one single piece of clothing description (a pink-eyed bundle of shawls), Dickens conveys how timid and ailing Mrs. Gradgrind is in contrast to her bullish, overbearing husband. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. - Christine, on How to describe clothing in a story (with examples), 8 story hook examples (how to grab attention), Story structure examples: How to create payoffs for readers, How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide), How to write deep POV: 8 tips and examples, 9 exposition examples: How to write clear introductions, How to make a plot captivating: 7 strategies, Writing great characters: 5 lessons from modern novels. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. Youre still not off the hook. ). Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. A simple t-shirt could be cut diagonally in the front, give both shoulder parts a different style from the arms, elongate one side and so on. Allrightsreserved, create an authentic sense of time and place, Use fashion and clothing history archives, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg, 1: Use clothing to show status and position, 2: Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, 3: Describe clothing to contrastcharacters personalities, 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, 5: Change characters clothing to highlight character development, 6: Use clothing details to recreate authentic setting, Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, Describe clothing to contrast character personalities, Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, Change clothing to highlight character development, Use clothing details to create authentic setting. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. - Mix cultures. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. Finally there's all the little things that can make an outfit look more futuristic. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. Also his mother was poor and anyone who knew that might wonder how he could afford such clothing so it hints at the actual story. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. As such, the contemporary tales that have followed, like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons and everything in between, have paid homage to that era. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. What your character wears reveals where they come from, how they rank in society, how they want to be perceived, and even how they feel about themselves. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. Whether its a beekeeping suit, climbing helmet, knee pads, or sun-protective fabric, what your character wears provides a clue about whats at stake in the coming scene. Sneak around? If you tell your readers about Nanettes light pink cardigan and string of pearls, you dont have to say much about the shoes and skirt and silk blouse. Thank you for reading our blog! You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. As soon as the actor enters stage right or left, we have an inkling of whether theyre a wealthy landowner or peasant, an elegant heiress or humble flower-seller. Creating new clothing styles for fictional worlds can be a daunting task, there's just so much out there already and so many elements to play around with to create a fun and unique style, no matter whether the art form is visual or not. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. Okay, maybe not.Secrets in real life can be a little trickywe all have thembut they have a way of blowing up in our faces, depending on how big they are.Your characters are really no different. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). Look how she sits with her mouth open! They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. For example, if a character is going on a date, you could write: Gem wanted to look sexy for her date downtown (but not easy), so she changed into more comfortable clothes. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. Borrowed armor wouldnt fit as well as a suit made for the wearer and wouldnt be as well balanced, so someone in borrowed armor would be more likely to have problems moving in his armor. That also will help readers really experience things through their eyes. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. A knight, by definition, was a lord. Not to pile on, but dont forget to make sure you know which materials wereand werentavailable in the world of your novel. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. The more outlandish the fantasy species your character is the more outlandish you can usually be with clothing, but familiarity is usually still a solid ground for a realistic feel, even if the universe and the creatures are completely unrealistic. Do they strive to be humble before their god or do they want to spend this one and only life as their bold, ostentatious selves? They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. But as the show moved forward the suit got more ragged the jacket was open, then gone, the shirt cuffs undone, half the buttons undone and I think by the end when he was on the cross the shirt was gone. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. Those outfits can become iconic. Maybe a bit of both. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by knights, potential designs, and ways to help you find inspiration for creating your own.
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