The time period of your story. 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. When you use clothing to define who your character is, remember that it can also clarify how they feel about themselves and how they fit into the world around them. Thank you for reading our blog! Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. 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. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. - Mix cultures. Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. Whenever other races or species are involved, like elves and trolls, it's often best to give them clothing that differs from whatever humans (and other races) wear, even if those differences are subtle. Costume is a large part of a character. 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. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. Perhaps its because the genre was born out of stories that emerged from the Middle Ages like Beowulf and King Arthur (around the 10th-11th century). Great points. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. A knight, by definition, was a lord. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. Some materials are used more than others, some colors are more desirable than others and some accessories are more desirable than others and these all changed throughout time. How to Describe Clothing in a Story (with Examples) | Now Novel Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. [Help] Coming up with Fantasy Outfits : r/fantasywriters - reddit What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. 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. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. Do not describe a character's clothing except as that point of view character would do so. Select the most striking details and move on. Lots of gear would have been looted. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. How to Describe Clothing in Writing Without Boring Everybody and our However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. Cookie Notice Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. 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. ), The geographical location of your story. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. Very informative. Clothes that are suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions. The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. for any particular parts of an outfit. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. We already have spray on clothing technology. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. 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. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. - Taboos and nudity. How long do they need their clothes to last? A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts This is a heavy generalization of course and entirely based on Western culture of today, but these rules may not apply at all in a fictional universe, no matter if it's futuristic or based on a historic setting. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? But they werent administrators. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Arisa Nightingale's board "Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs", followed by 456 people on Pinterest. "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.". Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. This may seem like a tricky thing to do as there's so much out there already, but it can often be as simple as simply changing a texture, the patterns used or the amount of fabric. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. - Gadgets, hair styles and accessories. So have fun with that. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Great article. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? So why not join the gang? Improve this answer. Ive always wondered that too! Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. Great idea. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. As for showing with clothing rather than telling, a writer could say, He was lazy and inattentive to his appearance about a character, or they could say his clothes always looked like hed just pulled them out of a pile in some corner of his bedroom and had thrown them on without a glance in the mirror. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. He is old but stylish. These are usually a little trickier to do well as they can look familiar quickly, but it's a usually a good element to have at your disposal. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. The front part of helmets, or the visors, were there to raise or open so the wearer could breathe during taxing hand-to-hand combat or scan around the battlefield. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Trendy: Modern, fashionable, and up-to-date outfits. 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. 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. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. 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. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. Fancy clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. 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. The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. Play with the question of presentation and power! You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. Thanks, Sana. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. You can continue to alter it to add cultural elements, like the previously mentioned elvish elements or you could stick with this and keep it simple. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. Although such armor exists in fantasy worlds, its important to understand how things work in the real world, even at a basic level. Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. When describing clothing in writing, consider: You can also use this aspect of clothing description to paint a vivid picture of the world you imagined. Casual. Some helmets had chain attached which hung around and protected the neck, called an aventail, and most were padded inside, for added comfort. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? Those outfits can become iconic. Describing armor and clothing. : r/writing - reddit This is mostly something to keep in mind when designing for characters living in the future, but it could work for alternative historic universes as well. Fashion photographer Bill Cunningham said, Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. Try applying this philosophy to clothing descriptions in your writing and see what happens. - 'Stealth'. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. That said, once you describe how a person dresses you shouldn't really keep doing it unless it is relevant to the plot. Ragged clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators His writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. There is simply more characterization, not only of Gem but the other characters, too. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. A man's padded undercoat worn under a doublet and over a shirt; a woman's (often padded) under-tunic or the skirt of her riding habit. Each suit was tailored to the individual. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. Ha-ha! And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. I'll allow my fangirl side to shine for a second and use the Legend of Korra as an example of how mixing styles can work amazingly well. Any suggestions on how to properly do this? 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. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. 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. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. Fashionable: Clothes representing a current style in fashion. Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. In this scene, Gradgrind returns home to find his children playing outside: A space of stunted grass and dry rubbish being between him and the young rabble, he took his eyeglass out of his waistcoat to look for any child he knew by name, and might order off. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. You suddenly know which details to include, which to leave out, and whether to call it a blood-red cloak or a goji berry wrap. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. 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. Theyll see it automatically. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. Not really. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. Chest plates had grand etchings. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Mail was one of the first types of metal armor developed, arguably by the Celts, though other sources say its origins came from Eastern Europe. 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 reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. An owl, a real owl! What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. That decorative belt? Really, the topic of this article is not how to describe clothing in writing as much as it is how to tell a story with clothes. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. No problem! How to design clothes with a sci-fi feel | Creative Bloq Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. More on that in a bit. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. The fact that (Where do they buy their clothes? You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. Let your mind fill in the details, always checking back in with your adjectives to make sure the concept is moving in the right direction. Mail was lightweight and flexible. That fancy Ming dynasty dress looks completely different with exposed shoulders and that medieval set of pants look completely different if you turn them into shorts with exposed legs. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. Describing clothes? : r/writing - reddit Privacy Policy. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems.