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. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. Who's your rebel, and how does their clothing reflect their defiant spirit? Thanks Chuck! 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. And of course, location provides a clue for what it takes to be comfortable in the world of your story. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. It makes for a more entertaining read. Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. 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. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. - "Digital look". - Use nudity. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. 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. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. 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. [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. Use the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. 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. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. The more people that join this thriving group the better it becomes. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. - Taboos and nudity. Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. A scarlet pantsuit. 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). But they werent administrators. Sneak around? 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 answer to this question gives you a ton of clarity. They give you the chance to offer comic relief, a dash of wisdom, and just some good old fashioned friendship., Sidekick characters. 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. 04. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? 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. Press J to jump to the feed. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? Using this site means trees will be planted. 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. Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. Other clothing pieces could be various types of hats and scarves, (trench) coats and even something as simple as pockets or buttons used for fastening rather than as decoration to name just a few. Not to pile on, but dont forget to make sure you know which materials wereand werentavailable in the world of your novel. Blend in? for any particular parts of an outfit. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. 80s-inspired. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. 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? 60s-inspired. This is great! If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. 70s-inspired. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. 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. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. 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. I tend to avoid describing clothing. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. 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.. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. I'll allow my fangirl side to shine for a second and use the Legend of Korra as an example of how mixing styles can work amazingly well. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? 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 about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. Consider this example from Hard Times. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. - 'Stealth'. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. Stylish. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? 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. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. What also worries me is that in Chapter 3 I used a lot of descriptions of the house, like the main characters room and then I had him go to various other rooms, looked at pictures of his family he has yet to meet so chapter 3 had the least story development or social scenes but the ones it had were good ones and I ended it with a scene that creates more development and story hype. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. So we've covered ways to make clothing look both futuristic and historic, but these are all just guidelines and mostly based on what's been done before. 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. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? They mixed more traditional Asian styles with the more Western Industrial Revolution period styles. The novels protagonist Rodion gives Katerina the last of his money to host a funeral. ), The geographical location of your story. Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. 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. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. 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. But even regular elements can help with this. Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. Good for the mobile knight. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. Have fun with it. Your email address will not be published. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. A few easy changes are to make one side longer than the other, so basically creating a diagonal cut instead of the standard horizontal one. Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. is because we get stuck on what things look like. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. Cookie Notice So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. The unsung hero of so many stories. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. But it provided an odd sense of security. Baggy jeans. 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. Casual. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! Love this topic!! Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Which is to say, if you write from the point of view of a character who thinks of clothing only in terms of the simplest descriptors, that's just fine. And when Mother Nature gets involved, even the best suit of armor can have problems. 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. 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. Now, for the feedbackit depends what POV you're writing in. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. Required fields are marked *. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. At least in most cases. 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. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. 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. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. 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 Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. 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. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. Dragon scales, fiery furs and feathers and other elements can quickly turn a standard item into a fantasy one. Well, mostly. 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. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. These are deep questions. 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. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. More on that in a bit. 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. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns. Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. He is old but stylish. But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. Showing what your characters are wearing can be a great way to show your readers what they might be up to that day without having to actually narrate anything. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. 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. Dostoyevsky describes how Katerinas landlady, Amalia Ivanovna, dresses for the funeral: the table was properly laid at the time and fixed, and Amalia Ivanovna, feeling she had done her work well, had put on a black silk dress and a cap with new mourning ribbons and met the returning party with some pride. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. 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. One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) Youre not infodumping. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Because it actually is possible. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. Theyll see it automatically. Non-visual senses are big, too. 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. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. The first time I joined my family for our biannual Minnesota fishing trip after moving to L.A. from the Midwest, I found myself constantly losing my aunt and mother.
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