Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. Well cover everything from helmets and plate armor to chainmail. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. 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. Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. And what does she put that cap on for? Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. 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. We already have spray on clothing technology. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. Thanks Chuck! Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. 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. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. 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.. 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. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. 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. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. He is old but stylish. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. Using this site means trees will be planted. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. Be specific and accurate. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. Great idea. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. 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. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? An owl, a real owl! Clothes that are suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. In other words take what exists and apply it differently. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. 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. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? A knight, by definition, was a lord. You can keep track of your characters signature style, upload photos, note how their style evolves, and keep these ideas right at your fingertips as you write. I second the idea of describing the reactions of the characters to the city. The unsung hero of so many stories. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. Here are some classic characteristics you can draw out through clothing description. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. A scarlet pantsuit. Community . The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. One very important aspect of describing attire well is understanding why youre describing it in the first place. - 'Stealth'. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. (Huh.). Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. Improve this answer. Not to mention the social status of a person. It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. for any particular parts of an outfit. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. 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. 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. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. 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. Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. Ha-ha! Required fields are marked *. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. 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. One does not refer to "a garb". But put me in a job interview wearing the same outfit, and youd probably start making new guesses about my intentions. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? 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. Affordable . To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. 04. [Help] Coming up with Fantasy Outfits : r/fantasywriters - reddit Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. His writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. 1. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. Excuse the on hold background music. 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. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. 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. Because it actually is possible. Black and white usually does the trick as well. 70s-inspired. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? 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. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. They were warriors first and foremost. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. 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. Good for the mobile knight. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. 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. A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. That was the theory. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. A velvet scrunchie. 2012 - The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. This pride, though justifiable, displeased Katerina Ivanovna for some reason. Chest plates had grand etchings. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? Then this is their category. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. Sweaters or jumpers? Will using real-world cultural vocabulary in a fantasy setting Besides knowing who we design for we also have to know what the rules for designing are within the universe of our characters. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. 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. Ragged clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators Do not describe a character's clothing except as that point of view character would do so. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. A jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. Some materials are used more than others, some colors are more desirable than others and some accessories are more desirable than others and these all changed throughout time. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. Play with the question of presentation and power! This is a fun one. 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. Creative Words to Describe Outfit & Clothing - INK 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. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. All of these advancements will become more and more common as time goes on, so it'd make sense for them to be part of our clothing in the future. Are the characters of your dystopian novel forced to make do with burlap and mud? And lets not forget the trusty steed. Knights were, indeed, hard to defeat in battle. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. Youre still not off the hook. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. As far as guidelines go this is the first to be broken though, consider this one more of a starting point rather than something to necessarily end on. The easy way to describe the setting is when the characters interact with it, e.g. 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. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. 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. 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. 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? It would have been extremely warm too. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. 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. Consider this example from Hard Times. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. Your email address will not be published. Clothing is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to establish an historical setting. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. But they werent administrators. 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 Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. 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. Like Borges would say, Its a bit OCD of me. In this scene, Gradgrind returns home to find his children playing outside: A space of stunted grass and dry rubbish being between him and the young rabble, he took his eyeglass out of his waistcoat to look for any child he knew by name, and might order off. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. There is simply more characterization, not only of Gem but the other characters, too. What matters more to them: fashion or function? Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? 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. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. More on that in a bit. Figurative language . You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. Compare this, then, to Dickens description of Gradgrinds wife in the following chapter (Gradgrinds wealthy but poverty-claiming friend has just told Mrs. Gradgrind he was born in a ditch): Mrs. Gradgrind, a little, thin, white, pink-eyed bundle of shawls, of surpassing feebleness, mental and bodily; who was always taking physic without any effect, and who, whenever she showed a symptom of coming to life, was invariably stunned by some weighty piece of fact tumbling on her; Mrs. Gradgrind hoped it was a dry ditch? The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. Fantasy Armor - The Ultimate Guide - Richie Billing Thanks, Teresa, and for sharing that great example from the stage.

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