Youre not infodumping. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. 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Stylish. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? 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. Thanks, Sana. Its a bit OCD of me. 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. Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. Thank you for reading our blog! Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. Fashionable: Clothes representing a current style in fashion. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. 70s-inspired. 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. For more information, please see our 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. Each suit was tailored to the individual. 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.. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. Not to mention the social status of a person. 2012 - show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. The easy way to describe the setting is when the characters interact with it, e.g. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. If you stopped to think about it, you may even notice yourself imagining things as specific as age, hobbies, and ambitions. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. It makes for a more entertaining read. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. Here are five examples: 1. Lets talk about how to use clothing description as a storytelling tool, how to dress your character for their personality and setting, and how to make clothes interesting to anyone. 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. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. Knights were, indeed, hard to defeat in battle. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? What also worries me is that in Chapter 3 I used a lot of descriptions of the house, like the main characters room and then I had him go to various other rooms, looked at pictures of his family he has yet to meet so chapter 3 had the least story development or social scenes but the ones it had were good ones and I ended it with a scene that creates more development and story hype. 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. Ive always wondered that too! Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. Using a squared, pixelated look or circuitry patterns usually works great too, which can even be combined with layered clothing to create the circuitry feel. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. - Furs and other animal parts: A quick and obvious way of making something look more fantasy-themed is by simply adding elements of fantasy creatures. Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. That also will help readers really experience things through their eyes. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Also bear in mind that not all clothing descriptions have to be presented as She put on x or He was wearing y. You can draw your readers attention to an item of clothing by having your character draw on their jeans or fiddle with their collar. 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? 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. Fancy dresses. If Im wearing lipstick with no plans of going out, one of two things is happening: Im in a great mood or Im feeling like I have zero control over my life and failure is inevitable. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. All cultures have dress codes to some degree, some more so than others and some more stricter than others, but every culture has a range of styles that would be considered normal, 'out there' and unacceptable to most. Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. You can keep track of your characters signature style, upload photos, note how their style evolves, and keep these ideas right at your fingertips as you write. Read these tips on how (and why) to describe clothes with examples from well-known novels: 1: Use clothing to show status and position 2: Build (or thwart) character expectations with clothing descriptions 3: Describe clothing to contrast characters' personalities 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. For a bigger image, just click on the link above. One thing Ive always wondered is if someone wearing plate could fall down just right in a muddy battlefield, and get stuck there in the same way a large flat rock gets stuck laying in mud. Or theyll be living off soda crackers and peanut butter for the next week because they drained their checking account for a suit to impress at their job interview. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. Which is to say, if you write from the point of view of a character who thinks of clothing only in terms of the simplest descriptors, that's just fine. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. 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. Sneak around? The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. "He was wearing a spandex tank top" is an improvement from just mentioning that your character's wearing a shirt; but consider adding the element of color: "He was wearing a black-and-yellow-striped spandex tank top.". - Mix cultures. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Your article is really great. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. Ill add it to my to do list . Consider this example from Hard Times. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. - As far as colors go they often seem to be either toned down or bright and happy (or even over the top), depending on the style. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. Black and white usually does the trick as well. - Geometry. Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. Other clothing pieces could be various types of hats and scarves, (trench) coats and even something as simple as pockets or buttons used for fastening rather than as decoration to name just a few. We'll 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. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. In this section, Ive included some more guides on creating fantasy armor designs that you may find useful. One major element that makes creating more futuristic clothing easier is to make sure it doesn't look familiar, to make sure it doesn't look like something you'd come across today. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. Try some colour. Whereas a more confident or attention seeking person might seek out the edges of what's socially acceptable more or just wear more stylish and potentially more colorful or flamboyant clothing. As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? If your protagonist is donning a tri-cornered hat, loosening a corset, or strutting through town in a new toga, your reader has a good sense of time period. As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. The landladys dress highlights, by contrast, the downward spiral of Katerinas fortunes, and she responds to the landladys prideful clothing with her own wounded pride: Look at her, shes making round eyes, she feels that we are talking about her and cant understand. Nudity was often either a complete taboo or just common place in many cultures throughout history, so by changing these taboos (and others) you immediately create a fictional piece. Not quite. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? Or at least they know what century theyre in. Thanks Benjamin! Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. Both doublets and chain mail were worn in conjunction with plated armor for that added protection, particularly for areas plate could not cover, such as arms and the groin. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. - Gadgets, hair styles and accessories. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. its obviously black with a centered zipper is easy but then the various pieces, the shapes, the colors, like two rows of this then a row of that, you get what I mean? They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. or the world theyre desperately resisting. (Huh.). For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. Beyond medieval Europe, you have the Far East, the Romans, Viking Before you know it youll have designed a full set of fantasy roman or viking armor. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. Not to pile on, but dont forget to make sure you know which materials wereand werentavailable in the world of your novel. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. If its 1st person you'll describe things from the POV of your character, and I find that that's different than if you're in, for example, 3rd person. and our How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? They mixed more traditional Asian styles with the more Western Industrial Revolution period styles. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. The more people that join this thriving group the better it becomes. Now add a thick, layered scarf or attach a hood to this tunic and you're already well on your way to a customized look. For example, fur usually wasn't used as a piece of decoration for clothing and if used at all was often worn around the neck and shoulders or underneath other (often hide) clothing to keep warm. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. is because we get stuck on what things look like. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. 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. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. Using this site means trees will be planted. Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. This usually involves dresses from some time pre-renaissance and a tunic or shirt paired with trousers for men and women who are doing warrior stuff. Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. Trendy: Modern, fashionable, and up-to-date outfits. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. This article has compiled 100 different words you can use to describe clothes, and below the main list of 100 words we've explained our reasoning for a lot of the top picks from that very list, for your personal enjoyment. These aren't the only elements either, pretty much every part of clothing changes with the times and depend heavily upon what's fashionable at the time. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. 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. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. Clothing tells your reader a lot about your characters goals and motivations within a given scenario. Theyll see it automatically. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. Required fields are marked *. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? Youre still not off the hook. That works. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. We often express ourselves through our clothing, at least when we have the freedom to do so, so knowing who we're designing for is the first step in creating the perfect outfit for a character. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. (Where do they buy their clothes? Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Clothes that are suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions. Every time we got separated in a public space, I discovered myself in a sea of mature women with the same haircut and pastel tops. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. One does not refer to "a garb". A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. If a knight fell from a horse, he could quite easily pick himself up, not stuck on the ground like a tortoise knocked on its shell. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. A scarlet pantsuit. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. The changes and improvements made by technology will often create new trends or alter old ones to the point you may as well consider them a new one, so depending on the technology available in your fictional universe you may wish to create a completely new trend. Because it actually is possible. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. But thats the case wherever you go. From time to time we may use affiliate links to help with the costs of running the site. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. As well see below, one of the best things about using medieval armor in a fantasy story is the freedom to elevate it in some way. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. 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. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. (Has denim been invented yet? Thanks, Teresa, and for sharing that great example from the stage. That said, once you describe how a person dresses you shouldn't really keep doing it unless it is relevant to the plot.