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. for any particular parts of an outfit. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? Dragon scales, fiery furs and feathers and other elements can quickly turn a standard item into a fantasy one. Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. Characters wear more than just clothes. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. 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. Send private message Achievements: Need help with clothing description in Fantasy #1 I'm writing a Fantasy Novel in the middle ages, filled with swords and magic However, I realize I have trouble trying to convey how the characters look, like what the nobles' attire, the bandit's armor. This is further influenced/confirmed by the show Forged in Fire where the judges were a half step from putting their heads in their hands when a smith put his hot blade in water instead of oil to cool it down. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. Scarves as we know them today weren't really a thing in the middle ages (they were way different) and hoods pretty much came in the form of chaperons and liripipes (Google for reference if needed), not as part of a piece of clothing. From time to time we may use affiliate links to help with the costs of running the site. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. Using the work of Alexander McQueen, this unit guides students through the analysis of a fashion collection, introducing them to the critical language and methodologies needed to evaluate fashion design and runway presentation. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. Not to pile on, but dont forget to make sure you know which materials wereand werentavailable in the world of your novel. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. 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. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. Blend in? Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. Consider this example from Hard Times. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. Besides knowing who we design for we also have to know what the rules for designing are within the universe of our characters. Im writing a little in the Epic Fantasy genre and there were quite a few useful notes I wasnt aware of here. Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. 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. 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. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. 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. 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. Mail was one of the first types of metal armor developed, arguably by the Celts, though other sources say its origins came from Eastern Europe. The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? 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). Ideas are forever being shared and discussed. The fact that Look how she sits with her mouth open! A pair of starched Wranglers. (Would people living in this area have access to leather goods? As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. Select the most striking details and move on. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. 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. Excuse the on hold background music. Which brings me to my next point. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. 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? A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. Plain: Ordinary clothes of one color like gray, beige, or black. But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? Well, mostly. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. 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. That would depend on a few things. ), The geographical location of your story. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? Be specific and accurate. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. Using this site means trees will be planted. 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. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. 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. 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? Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. Your article is really great. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. 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. Fancy dresses. The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. 2012 - An owl, a real owl! PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. And when Mother Nature gets involved, even the best suit of armor can have problems. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. - Diagonal lines: Diagonal lines aren't all that common in historic clothing and they usually only came in the form of neck lines, the edges of unbuttoned jackets or from large pieces of fabric being held up (think ancient Rome). Advertisements. It really doesnt take much. Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. 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. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. His writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 80s-inspired. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. 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? As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. 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. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. 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. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. Try some colour. Great points. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. Play with the question of presentation and power! Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft. Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! Designing fantasy armor for your characters can be an awful lot of fun. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. Your email address will not be published. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. 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. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. Instead of a nobleman being described as wearing red silk slippers, parachute pants, a bejeweled cloth belt, a flowing blouse and an ascot; you can simply describe him as wear very fancy and extravagant clothing befitting his high status in society. However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. This pride, though justifiable, displeased Katerina Ivanovna for some reason. 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. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. Privacy Policy. It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. 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.