Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? Sneak around? My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. (Find out more). They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' 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. 04. for any particular parts of an outfit. And if you dont write historical fiction? Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. Then this is their category. Ive always wondered that too! Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. Each lesson breaks down the analysis of one component of a fashion collection, progressing from a consideration of the designer's technique and influences to the . Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. Characters wear more than just clothes. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. Baggy. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. - 'Stealth'. But it provided an odd sense of security. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. As with mail, steel was the best material due to its hardness, which was obtained by heating the steel to extreme temperatures and then submerging it into cold water, a process known as quenching. 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 specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. Maybe a bit of both. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. It would have been extremely warm too. Sci-fi and fantasy don't necessarily have to be futuristic and historic respectively, but they're commonly associated as such, so for the sake of simplicity that's what I'm going with for the purposes of this guide. A jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. 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Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? 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. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. Your article is really great. Sweaters or jumpers? 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. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. In visual mediums like TV or comics, cool outfits are on-screen the whole time, and they're the first and most obvious impression you'll get of the character, so they have a big impact on how the character is perceived. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. I like the way you wrote this information. That decorative belt? One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. What are the rules of your characters world? One way is to avoid what we call filter words. 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. Cookie Notice 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. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. Other elements you could include are mood-based changes (exists today), clothing that uses lights or glowing elements (exists today), clothing that can be repaired or changed on the go (exists today), smart technology woven into the fabric of clothing (exists today), changing colors (think chameleons) whenever you feel like it (exists today, kind of). Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. But let's take a step back and look at what kind of clothing is usually associated with futuristic settings. They were warriors first and foremost. Youre still not off the hook. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. Jeans and a tee it was. Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. A velvet scrunchie. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. In some cases because they simply didn't have the technology for it, in others because it was too expensive and/or time consuming for the average person. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. Its a good time. Reeking of piss on the battlefield was another weapon in the arsenal I suppose. Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. Instead of a nobleman being described as wearing red silk slippers, parachute pants, a bejeweled cloth belt, a flowing blouse and an ascot; you can simply describe him as wear very fancy and extravagant clothing befitting his high status in society. That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. 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. 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. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. Are they overalls or coveralls? Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! is because we get stuck on what things look like. And what does she put that cap on for? clothed and we should definitely be using them to portray our characters personalities. - Use nudity. 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. Good for the mobile knight. 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. Black and white usually does the trick as well. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. Also, don't feel like you have to include every point I've made. Mail was lightweight and flexible. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. They should be doing that. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. 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. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. 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. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. If you look at popular works of fiction you'll find two trends, one is the simplistic and often tight-fit look and the other is the more over the top and extravagant look. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. He is old but stylish. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. 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. Lets take a look at how clothing description indicates your characters identity, goals, and culture. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Arisa Nightingale's board "Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs", followed by 456 people on Pinterest. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. Your email address will not be published. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. Chest plates had grand etchings. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. 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. Send private message Achievements: Need help with clothing description in Fantasy #1 I'm writing a Fantasy Novel in the middle ages, filled with swords and magic However, I realize I have trouble trying to convey how the characters look, like what the nobles' attire, the bandit's armor. 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. Separate and enlarge it, turn down the Opacity of the layer . Adorable. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. Note that with the camouflage patterns it's best to use this style, but make them less randomized to avoid the military look, unless that's what you're going for of course. 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. Try some colour. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. Be specific and accurate. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. - Mix cultures. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. Affordable . Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. Play with the question of presentation and power! Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. or the world theyre desperately resisting. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up.
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