The fact that William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. What matters more to them: fashion or function? Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. 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. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. 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. 80s-inspired. 04. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. Thanks, Sana. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. 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. 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. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. Describing clothes : writing - reddit One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. 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. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. Hopefully, you now have more wardrobe ideas for your characters than just red shirt, blue pants. But what about the process of actually sharing these details in your novel? To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. 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. A knight, by definition, was a lord. Not quite. Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. is because we get stuck on what things look like. You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. How to describe clothing in a story: Creating characters In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. Is your character trying to attract positive attention? stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. 70s-inspired. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? Sweaters or jumpers? And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Continued successes could see knights rise higher up the ranks. Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. These are deep questions. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? 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 It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. 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. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. 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. To illustrate this in a way we did with the futuristic shirt example let's take a standard medieval tunic and turn it into a fantasy-themed version. 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. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. Black and white usually does the trick as well. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. Separate and enlarge it, turn down the Opacity of the layer . The easy way to describe the setting is when the characters interact with it, e.g. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. All of these advancements will become more and more common as time goes on, so it'd make sense for them to be part of our clothing in the future. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. Blunt, Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. 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.. Casual. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. Would the fashion designers in your fantasy novel make use of dragon scales? This is great! If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? A scarlet pantsuit. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. This is a fun one. Here are five examples: 1. Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. Impress someone with my indifference? Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. Fashionable: Clothes representing a current style in fashion. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight It can genuinely be tough to come up with cool ideas for epic fantasy armor without drifting back to things that weve seen in the likes of Dungeons and Dragons, The Elder Scrolls and movies like Lord of the Rings. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. 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. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. He is old but stylish. - Taboos and nudity. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Mention the familiar swooshing of the neighbors tracksuit as he runs by the house every morning or how the aunts jacket always smells like cold air and pine needles. Cookie Notice Pingback: The Life of the Medieval Lord - Richie Billing, Pingback: How To Create Your Very Own Living Breathing Fantasy World - Richie Billing, Pingback: Fantasy Races - The Ultimate Guide To Elves, Orcs and Dwarves | Richie Billing, Pingback: Killer Diseases of the Middle Ages | Richie Billing, Pingback: Medieval Cannons: The Essential Guide | Richie Billing, Pingback: On Writing: Fantasy Without Magic Of Metal and Magic Publishing, Pingback: The Lives Of Medieval Peasants - Richie Billing. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). Blend in? For instance, if I'm reading a story and the narrative mentions jeans right off, I'm thinking mid twentieth century or later (while dungarees would be late nineteenth . [Help] Coming up with Fantasy Outfits : r/fantasywriters - reddit An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! Like say a vest with mirrored sequins and rhinestones, but they all go in a pattern and you feel the need to describe the pattern line by line? Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. (Has denim been invented yet? Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. It makes for a more entertaining read. 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. Those of us who dont get all jazzed about writing clothing descriptions often fail to consider that a good wardrobe has layers. 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. Good for the mobile knight. It would have been extremely warm too. Well, mostly. As I write this, I am wearing jeans that are too big, a gray t-shirt I inherited from a former roommate, and a pilled hoodie from a lighting vendor that works with my friends husbands company. 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. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. That decorative belt? s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. Not a Dabble user? 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. Describing armor and clothing. : r/writing - reddit Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. Love this topic!! - 'Stealth'. Advertisements. He took off his helmet and a Norman archer made a lucky shot that put out Harolds eye and ended the battle.It should be noted that, with the helmets of the time, it wasnt necessary for Harold to take off his helmet, either to be seen or to get his eye shot out. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. The novels protagonist Rodion gives Katerina the last of his money to host a funeral. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. How do you describe this dress - Writing Forums Dragon scales, fiery furs and feathers and other elements can quickly turn a standard item into a fantasy one. List of Medieval Clothing (91 terms!) - The Medieverse: Tim's Realistic It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Hello, I am attempting to write my first fantasy novel (and my first novel), and I'm having difficulty visualizing what kind of clothes my characters should be wearing. 50+ Fashion Terms: Fundamental Words Related to Style Share. 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 as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. For more information, please see our Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. 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. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. Characters wear more than just clothes. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. Obviously clothing is extremely varied, especially dresses. I like the way you wrote this information. 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. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. 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. So have fun with that. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. Are the characters of your dystopian novel forced to make do with burlap and mud? He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. The geographical setting might suggest that your characters are expected to abide by strict rules for modesty or are celebrated for being wild and free. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. 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. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. I tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. Its a good time. Play with the question of presentation and power! Thanks Chuck! Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. You dont need it to sign up. How to Give Your Characters Style: Describing Clothing in Writing Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. We already have spray on clothing technology. 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). So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. Baggy. 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 Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Lots of gear would have been looted. For example, the corset wasn't popular until the 16th century and while earlier versions can be found incredibly early they weren't common place. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. Chest plates had grand etchings. Elsewhere, Mantels novel is full of descriptions of garments for specific, era-appropriate purposes: Riding cloaks, town coats, and other clothing people of means would have worn at this time. Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. What are some ways to describe a character's clothing? But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Pfoo, the owl! Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. Select the most striking details and move on. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. Improve this answer. 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 . I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. "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.". One does not refer to "a garb". 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. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. 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. Really like your article. But even regular elements can help with this. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. The unsung hero of so many stories. - Mix cultures. Youre already obsessing over hat styles and what the undergarment situation was at the time of your story. How to Describe Clothes in English - ESL Advice Or at least they know what century theyre in. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. Look how she sits with her mouth open! Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. 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. Reeking of piss on the battlefield was another weapon in the arsenal I suppose. Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. Baggy jeans. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. 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. Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. Then this is their category. Its a bit OCD of me. Costume is a large part of a character. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. Your email address will not be published. Those outfits can become iconic. - 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.