Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. I tend to avoid describing clothing. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! In my case my character is new in town and this description of clothing doesnt come until hes getting ready for the party in chapter 4 and its in the context of getting dressed, there are reasons behind it, the party is a very big deal for him getting his foot in the door with other teens in town and he wants to be impressive or maybe wants lot of attention with all the sparklies. But it provided an odd sense of security. With these two changes alone you already have an item that didn't exist in medieval times, but is familiar enough to work in a fantasy setting. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. 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. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. 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. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. Well 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. 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. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. Great points. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. Lots of gear would have been looted. 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? Pfoo, the owl! The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. True, it all depends on your purpose. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. Play with the question of presentation and power! 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. for any particular parts of an outfit. 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. (Where do they buy their clothes? Reeking of piss on the battlefield was another weapon in the arsenal I suppose. This is less important for non-visual arts as clothing isn't always described in writing, but it can still be incredibly helpful to have a fully detailed character in your head or written down somewhere for reference and just to make everything feel more real and alive. 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. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. I used to be under the mindset that describing attire was boring and it was better to let the reader fill in those details but especially with the novel Im working on now, I have used clothing to portray more about their character. Baggy jeans. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. 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. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? And when Mother Nature gets involved, even the best suit of armor can have problems. They give you the chance to offer comic relief, a dash of wisdom, and just some good old fashioned friendship., Sidekick characters. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. No problem! They should be doing that. Community . When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. 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. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. Am I trying to blow the interview? If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. You dont need it to sign up. Cookie Notice If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. They're the ones who are always there to lend a helping hand, crack a joke, or provide some much-needed emotional relief.And let's be real, sometimes they dont go unsung. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. 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Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. (Has denim been invented yet? Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. - Furs and other animal parts: A quick and obvious way of making something look more fantasy-themed is by simply adding elements of fantasy creatures. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. So Id say in films its more for cinematic effect and also for clarity so the viewer can see whos doing what. But they werent administrators. 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. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Privacy Policy. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. Required fields are marked *. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. is because we get stuck on what things look like. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. 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. ). The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. The shrewd king essentially licensed out parcels of his land as rewards to his warriors in exchange for their military service. Because it actually is possible. Like Borges would say, A simple t-shirt could be cut diagonally in the front, give both shoulder parts a different style from the arms, elongate one side and so on. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. 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. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight 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. Costume is a large part of a character. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? 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. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. 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. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. 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). 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. 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. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. 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. - As far as colors go they often seem to be either toned down or bright and happy (or even over the top), depending on the style. Ive always wondered that too! Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. More on that in a bit. 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's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. Fashionable: Clothes representing a current style in fashion. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. I love to wear baggy trousers in summer. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. The jacket has a narrow, rectangular neckline which reveals part of the fancy shirt worn below it and is worn with a light rope belt, which is held together by a simple knot. I like the way you wrote this information. What matters more to them: fashion or function? It would have been extremely warm too. 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. In fact, you should be putting lots of thought and development into protagonists because thats who the story is about.But how much thought have you given to your tertiary characters? So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. It really doesnt take much. 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. They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. The easy way to describe the setting is when the characters interact with it, e.g. One of the first things I learned when I moved to L.A. is that writers do not dress professionally for big meetings in Hollywood. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's 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. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. 70s-inspired. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. Are they overalls or coveralls? Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. That was the theory. I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. In a fantasy setting, you may be trying to conjure up a certain feel right off the bat based on how you describe a character's clothing (and the words you use to describe them). The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? 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'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. 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 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. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. For more information, please see our Leonidas in 300, for instance, almost certainly wore a helmet in the battle with the Persians! Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. Great idea. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Creating new clothing styles for fictional worlds can be a daunting task, there's just so much out there already and so many elements to play around with to create a fun and unique style, no matter whether the art form is visual or not. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. And lets not forget the trusty steed. Not a Dabble user? They looked something like this: One of the main defensive strengths of plated armor came from its curved design, which deflected both blades and arrows. 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. 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.