how to describe fantasy clothing
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. Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? Do all your characters embrace it? Play with the question of presentation and power! Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. In a book, none of that is true. And if you dont write historical fiction? Cookie Notice 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? Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. Impress someone with my indifference? Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. 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. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. 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. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. 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? Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. 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. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. In Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Love in the Time of Cholera (1985), we learn of a doctors status through his being the only person at an event who is not smartly dressed: Although it was not customary for invitations to request special attire, least of all for a luncheon in the country, the women wore evening gowns and precious jewels and most of the men were dressed in dinner jackets with black ties, and some even wore frock coats. They give you the chance to offer comic relief, a dash of wisdom, and just some good old fashioned friendship., Sidekick characters. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. Excuse the on hold background music. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Maybe a bit of both. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. Now, for the feedbackit depends what POV you're writing in. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. However, you can show and imply a characters intention without spelling it out: Theyd agreed to meet downtown at six. 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. Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. "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.". You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. (Find out more). Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. There are some elements which are common among most works of fiction when it comes to clothing, with these elements in mind it becomes a lot easier to turn the clothing we wear today or wore throughout history into a futuristic or more fantasy oriented equivalent. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. Baggy. 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. How to describe clothing: 6 simple tips Use clothing to show status and position 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 Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. Someone jumps down from a boundary wall wearing dark clothes and clutching a bag, that's enough of a clue they're a burglar, and if the protagonist now has to chase them then a description of the form those clothes take down to the buckles on the shoes is going to break the flow. The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. That decorative belt? The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. Clothing tells your reader a lot about your characters goals and motivations within a given scenario. Required fields are marked *. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. This one is simple, right? Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. No problem! One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. In this section, Ive included some more guides on creating fantasy armor designs that you may find useful. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. 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. 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. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). 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. You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. - 'Stealth'. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. 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. Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. The unsung hero of so many stories. But thats the case wherever you go. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. A jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. It took a while to get ready, with the help of somebody else needed, usually squires, who began with the feet and worked up from there. Because it actually is possible. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? 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. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. 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. Well, mostly. This is great! 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. 2012 - Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. and our Chest plates had grand etchings. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. What matters more to them: fashion or function? - Mix cultures. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? 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. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? 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. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. He is old but stylish. If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. 70s-inspired. In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. is because we get stuck on what things look like. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. Or at least they know what century theyre in. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. 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. Consider this example from Hard Times. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. 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. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. 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