how to describe fantasy 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. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. 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. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. One does not refer to "a garb". When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. When shes not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. 60s-inspired. Your email address will not be published. (Where do they buy their clothes? 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. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. 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. 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. 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. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. Great points. 04. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. The novels protagonist Rodion gives Katerina the last of his money to host a funeral. Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. 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. Figurative language . Borrowed armor wouldnt fit as well as a suit made for the wearer and wouldnt be as well balanced, so someone in borrowed armor would be more likely to have problems moving in his armor. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. 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. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. Continued successes could see knights rise higher up the ranks. Each suit was tailored to the individual. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. Also, don't feel like you have to include every point I've made. 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. Theyre just too important defensively. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. Select the most striking details and move on. I mean what your character wears provides a clue to how they see themselves, how they want to be seen, and even how others see them. 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. Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. 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 . Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. Ill add it to my to do list . 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. Thanks Chuck! Pfoo, the owl! Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. I love to wear baggy trousers in summer. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. Community . The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. Because it actually is possible. 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. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. More on that in a bit. But they werent administrators. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? 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. They mixed more traditional Asian styles with the more Western Industrial Revolution period styles. The shrewd king essentially licensed out parcels of his land as rewards to his warriors in exchange for their military service. Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. 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. Would the fashion designers in your fantasy novel make use of dragon scales? 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. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. 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. Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. 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. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. Are they overalls or coveralls? Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. Dostoyevsky describes how Katerinas landlady, Amalia Ivanovna, dresses for the funeral: the table was properly laid at the time and fixed, and Amalia Ivanovna, feeling she had done her work well, had put on a black silk dress and a cap with new mourning ribbons and met the returning party with some pride. Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. 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. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. 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. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. 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. It's your creation, your imagination and your time you use and spend, so make sure you use and spend it on something you enjoy. "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.". Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. Not to pile on, but dont forget to make sure you know which materials wereand werentavailable in the world of your novel. 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. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. And if you dont write historical fiction? I don't mean make your characters walk around naked, but exposing (or covering) body parts in ways we don't today helps make ordinary clothing look different, which in turn helps sell the idea of it being futuristic. Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. 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. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). Privacy Policy. Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. Theyll see it automatically. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. Costume is a large part of a character. 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 . A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! In other words take what exists and apply it differently. Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. Thanks, Sana. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? - Geometry. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. 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 scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. - 'Stealth'. At a quarter to six, Gem pulled off the low-cut top Emma had wolf-whistled and clappedat when theyd met for their usual weekend catch-up. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. Lets take a look at how clothing description indicates your characters identity, goals, and culture. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. 1. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? Maybe a bit of both. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. That decorative belt? - 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. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. - Use nudity. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? The padded material could absorb blows from blunt, A Guide To Writing Stories That Genuinely Helps, "Helped me land my first book deal" - Jack Shannon, Author, Get More Writing Support From Fellow Fantasy Writers, A complete guide to worldbuilding, with a template. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. But it makes a good story. The more people that join this thriving group the better it becomes. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. 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. Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. ), The geographical location of your story. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. Use the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. 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? 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. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. And what does she put that cap on for? One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. That said, once you describe how a person dresses you shouldn't really keep doing it unless it is relevant to the plot. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. Not really. As such, the contemporary tales that have followed, like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons and everything in between, have paid homage to that era. Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. Do all your characters embrace it? First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. 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. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. 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. This is a fun one. Are the characters of your dystopian novel forced to make do with burlap and mud? The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Chest plates had grand etchings. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. Non-visual senses are big, too. What matters more to them: fashion or function? In both of these it was mostly the rich who had the extravagant clothing, which brings back the earlier point of how culture influences what a character might wear. And of course, location provides a clue for what it takes to be comfortable in the world of your story. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. You can also check out some of my other guides too, like: If you have any questions about this guide on fantasy armor, please get in touch. These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. Designing fantasy armor for your characters can be an awful lot of fun. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. 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. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. 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. 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.

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