These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. If its 1st person you'll describe things from the POV of your character, and I find that that's different than if you're in, for example, 3rd person. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. They were warriors first and foremost. for any particular parts of an outfit. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. Characters wear more than just clothes. 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. Improve this answer. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Not to mention the social status of a person. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. Ive always wondered that too! Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. Normally I dont dress characters with such complex clothing that takes more than a few sentences to describe but the vest was inspired by a picture I saw and it took at least a paragraph to describe. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. 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. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. Have fun with it. 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. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. 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. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. 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. But thats the case wherever you go. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. If your protagonist is donning a tri-cornered hat, loosening a corset, or strutting through town in a new toga, your reader has a good sense of time period. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. 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? 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. Mail was lightweight and flexible. Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. 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.. 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. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. 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. But even regular elements can help with this. Thank you for reading our blog! If there is one thing I hope you take from all of this, its that none of this is about describing what a character looks like. Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Or theyll be living off soda crackers and peanut butter for the next week because they drained their checking account for a suit to impress at their job interview. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. Adorable. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. 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. The landladys dress highlights, by contrast, the downward spiral of Katerinas fortunes, and she responds to the landladys prideful clothing with her own wounded pride: Look at her, shes making round eyes, she feels that we are talking about her and cant understand. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. 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. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? 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. If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. Really like your article. Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. 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. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. 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. You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. Your email address will not be published. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Using this site means trees will be planted. Community . The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. Well, mostly. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. The easy way to describe the setting is when the characters interact with it, e.g. 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. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. 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. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. Select the most striking details and move on. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. The answer to this question gives you a ton of clarity. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. Like Dostoyevsky, think how something as small as a characters change of clothing can affecttheir own or others behaviour. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. A velvet scrunchie. 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. The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. ^.^ Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. More on that in a bit. Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. 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). Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. The time period of your story. 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 Im writing a little in the Epic Fantasy genre and there were quite a few useful notes I wasnt aware of here. Plain: Ordinary clothes of one color like gray, beige, or black. Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. But it makes a good story. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. 2012 - s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. 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. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. Try some colour. 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. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! Great article. Dragon scales, fiery furs and feathers and other elements can quickly turn a standard item into a fantasy one. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. Ill add it to my to do list . Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. That would depend on a few things. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. True, it all depends on your purpose. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. All cultures have dress codes to some degree, some more so than others and some more stricter than others, but every culture has a range of styles that would be considered normal, 'out there' and unacceptable to most. Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. (Cough-cough-cough.) Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. Here are five examples: 1. 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). Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. Not quite. Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. ). That works. Whereas a more confident or attention seeking person might seek out the edges of what's socially acceptable more or just wear more stylish and potentially more colorful or flamboyant clothing. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. The image you create has to play a role in the narrative.Consider the character arc. Be specific and accurate. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. 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. I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. Here are some classic characteristics you can draw out through clothing description. They mixed more traditional Asian styles with the more Western Industrial Revolution period styles. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. 04. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. When you use clothing to define who your character is, remember that it can also clarify how they feel about themselves and how they fit into the world around them. Those outfits can become iconic. - Change lengths. 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. In this section, Ive included some more guides on creating fantasy armor designs that you may find useful.
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