60s-inspired. It would have been extremely warm too. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. 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 padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. Well come to this below. Really like your article. Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. 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. Your email address will not be published. Theyre just too important defensively. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? But thats the case wherever you go. Thanks, Sana. 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 description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. 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. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. 04. One thing Ive always wondered is if someone wearing plate could fall down just right in a muddy battlefield, and get stuck there in the same way a large flat rock gets stuck laying in mud. 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. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. And if you dont write historical fiction? Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. The unsung hero of so many stories. (Huh.). Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. Fancy dresses. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. And what does she put that cap on for? 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.. Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. 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. In most cases simply copying the style of whichever era you've based your story on is enough, but it can be fun to create your own styles and in some cases it'd make sense to have your own styles as well. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. its obviously black with a centered zipper is easy but then the various pieces, the shapes, the colors, like two rows of this then a row of that, you get what I mean? Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. Obviously clothing is extremely varied, especially dresses. 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. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. 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. Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. Our characters are always (mostly!) As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. So have fun with that. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. 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. A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. Youre still not off the hook. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. Ha-ha! Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. 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. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. Non-visual senses are big, too. Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. 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. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. In some cases because they simply didn't have the technology for it, in others because it was too expensive and/or time consuming for the average person. What matters more to them: fashion or function? - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. No problem! Also bear in mind that not all clothing descriptions have to be presented as She put on x or He was wearing y. You can draw your readers attention to an item of clothing by having your character draw on their jeans or fiddle with their collar. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Your articles are always very informative. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. Every time we got separated in a public space, I discovered myself in a sea of mature women with the same haircut and pastel tops. What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? 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. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: Knights were, indeed, hard to defeat in battle. One does not refer to "a garb". - 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. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. These elements are very important when taking into account the previous point. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? - Taboos and nudity. Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. Do all your characters embrace it? 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. Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. 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. Any suggestions on how to properly do this? To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. or the world theyre desperately resisting. 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. Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. These are deep questions. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. In a book, none of that is true. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. This usually involves dresses from some time pre-renaissance and a tunic or shirt paired with trousers for men and women who are doing warrior stuff. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. Would the fashion designers in your fantasy novel make use of dragon scales? Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. The answer to this question gives you a ton of clarity. Your email address will not be published. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. Its not an aspect of character design that bubbles up naturally from the depths of my creative soul. Meanwhile, the character who works two jobs while going to school full-time might scour the Goodwill rack for a designer tag to help them fit in at the same party. From time to time we may use affiliate links to help with the costs of running the site. They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. 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. Not really. 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. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. 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. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. is because we get stuck on what things look like. 1. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. - "Digital look". Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. 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. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. Here are five examples: 1. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. 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. Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. 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). Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. 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. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. If you stopped to think about it, you may even notice yourself imagining things as specific as age, hobbies, and ambitions. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. 80s-inspired. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. 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. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. 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 Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. Sneak around? Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. 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. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Community . Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. They should be doing that. Have fun with it. 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. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. It really doesnt take much. Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. We already have spray on clothing technology. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. 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. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. Consider this example from Hard Times. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. 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. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. Black and white usually does the trick as well. I like the way you wrote this information. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. This article has compiled 100 different words you can use to describe clothes, and below the main list of 100 words we've explained our reasoning for a lot of the top picks from that very list, for your personal enjoyment. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. Required fields are marked *. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? For more information, please see our Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. 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. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. Youre not infodumping. Although such armor exists in fantasy worlds, its important to understand how things work in the real world, even at a basic level. 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. 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. Each suit was tailored to the individual. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. 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. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. Then this is their category. - Geometry. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. At least in most cases. 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. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. Share. (Cough-cough-cough.) They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. 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. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. 70s-inspired. and our Great article. Privacy Policy. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight - Use nudity. More on that in a bit. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. Great idea. Its a good time. And of course, location provides a clue for what it takes to be comfortable in the world of your story. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Cookie Notice That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. There's a few other elements to keep in mind as well, but in most cases it's best not to worry at all, let your imagination go wild and simply create and enjoy what you want to create. 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. I love to wear baggy trousers in summer. Be specific and accurate. ^.^ Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. Not quite. The fact that On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. A jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. 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. Lots of gear would have been looted. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? Its a bit OCD of me. 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. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. clothed and we should definitely be using them to portray our characters personalities. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. How long do they need their clothes to last? That decorative belt? Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. So why not join the gang? But they werent administrators. Not a Dabble user? It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. Excuse the on hold background music. I tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess.
