The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. They give you the chance to offer comic relief, a dash of wisdom, and just some good old fashioned friendship., Sidekick characters. Each suit was tailored to the individual. A band t-shirt. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. 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. 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. Beyond medieval Europe, you have the Far East, the Romans, Viking Before you know it youll have designed a full set of fantasy roman or viking armor. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. 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. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. 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. Very informative. 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. 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. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. 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. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. I don't mean make your characters walk around naked, but exposing (or covering) body parts in ways we don't today helps make ordinary clothing look different, which in turn helps sell the idea of it being futuristic. It makes for a more entertaining read. For instance, if I'm reading a story and the narrative mentions jeans right off, I'm thinking mid twentieth century or later (while dungarees would be late nineteenth . Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. 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. 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. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. 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. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? Lets talk about how to use clothing description as a storytelling tool, how to dress your character for their personality and setting, and how to make clothes interesting to anyone. Is your character trying to attract positive attention? 2012 - Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. Not quite. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. 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. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. 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. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Leonidas in 300, for instance, almost certainly wore a helmet in the battle with the Persians! This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. 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. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt, A Guide To Writing Stories That Genuinely Helps, "Helped me land my first book deal" - Jack Shannon, Author, Get More Writing Support From Fellow Fantasy Writers, A complete guide to worldbuilding, with a template. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. Excuse the on hold background music. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. Be specific and accurate. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? He is old but stylish. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. Any suggestions on how to properly do this? Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. 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. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. As soon as the actor enters stage right or left, we have an inkling of whether theyre a wealthy landowner or peasant, an elegant heiress or humble flower-seller. 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. Try some colour. Ha-ha! For example, if a character is going on a date, you could write: Gem wanted to look sexy for her date downtown (but not easy), so she changed into more comfortable clothes. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. 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. 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. 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. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. 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? A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. I mean what your character wears provides a clue to how they see themselves, how they want to be seen, and even how others see them. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. 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. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. 80s-inspired. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. 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. 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. Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. From time to time we may use affiliate links to help with the costs of running the site. ^.^ They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight 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. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. Because it actually is possible. A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. 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. 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. 70s-inspired. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! 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. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? But it makes a good story. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. (Where do they buy their clothes? It's what we're slowly doing today. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. His writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. 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. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. How long do they need their clothes to last? 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. 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. 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. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. 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. One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) For example, the corset wasn't popular until the 16th century and while earlier versions can be found incredibly early they weren't common place. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. Our characters are always (mostly!) Allrightsreserved, create an authentic sense of time and place, Use fashion and clothing history archives, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg, 1: Use clothing to show status and position, 2: Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, 3: Describe clothing to contrastcharacters personalities, 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, 5: Change characters clothing to highlight character development, 6: Use clothing details to recreate authentic setting, 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. Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. Great article. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? Its not an aspect of character design that bubbles up naturally from the depths of my creative soul. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? That works. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. Mail was lightweight and flexible. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. Mention the familiar swooshing of the neighbors tracksuit as he runs by the house every morning or how the aunts jacket always smells like cold air and pine needles. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. The tragedy of Azincourt, for example, occurred because of a poorly-chosen battleground that had flooded. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. - Gadgets, hair styles and accessories. Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. The answer to this question gives you a ton of clarity. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. Great idea. Those outfits can become iconic. 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 four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. 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. Another benefit to chain mail, a point which can slip the mind of writers, is that it was cheap and efficient, able to accommodate different-sized warriors, unlike expensive plated armor. Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. - Use nudity. 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. 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. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. If you tell your readers about Nanettes light pink cardigan and string of pearls, you dont have to say much about the shoes and skirt and silk blouse. ), The geographical location of your story. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. This is mostly something to keep in mind when designing for characters living in the future, but it could work for alternative historic universes as well. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. 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. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. These are deep questions. This one is simple, right? There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. How to Give Your Characters Style: Describing Clothing in Writing Written by MasterClass Last updated: Aug 19, 2021 3 min read Creating vivid descriptions for a story or character is a mark of a great writer. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. Not really. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. Are they overalls or coveralls? Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. This is great! Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. 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. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. Do all your characters embrace it? These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. - Geometry. Theyll see it automatically. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Thanks, Sana. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Its a bit OCD of me. It would have been extremely warm too. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. Not a Dabble user? It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. is because we get stuck on what things look like. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. That would depend on a few things. When describing clothing in writing, consider: You can also use this aspect of clothing description to paint a vivid picture of the world you imagined. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. They were warriors first and foremost. You can also check out some of my other guides too, like: If you have any questions about this guide on fantasy armor, please get in touch. Good for the mobile knight. 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 any particular parts of an outfit. Blend in? Besides knowing who we design for we also have to know what the rules for designing are within the universe of our characters. Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. "He was wearing a spandex tank top" is an improvement from just mentioning that your character's wearing a shirt; but consider adding the element of color: "He was wearing a black-and-yellow-striped spandex tank top.". Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. 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. Just click the button below to find out more. 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.
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