how to describe fantasy clothing

Improve this answer. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. (Cough-cough-cough.) To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. Are the characters of your dystopian novel forced to make do with burlap and mud? Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! 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. So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. 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. 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. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Writing Tips on Describing Clothes - Pen and the Pad Obviously clothing is extremely varied, especially dresses. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. In one single piece of clothing description (a pink-eyed bundle of shawls), Dickens conveys how timid and ailing Mrs. Gradgrind is in contrast to her bullish, overbearing husband. Select the most striking details and move on. Looking for a word - prince's clothes - English Language Learners Stack Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. In a fantasy setting, you may be trying to conjure up a certain feel right off the bat based on how you describe a character's clothing (and the words you use to describe them). It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. Clothing is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to establish an historical setting. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. Non-visual senses are big, too. 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. I tend to avoid describing clothing. 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. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Required fields are marked *. Impress someone with my indifference? In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. Those outfits can become iconic. More on that in a bit. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. 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. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? - Change lengths. 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. Sneak around? Struggling with describing clothes for a fantasy setting. : r/DnD - reddit 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. Youre not infodumping. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. is because we get stuck on what things look like. It really doesnt take much. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. 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. 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. Fancy dresses. 160 Best Character description ideas | character description, fantasy Fancy clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators Great points. What are some ways to describe a character's clothing? Some helmets had chain attached which hung around and protected the neck, called an aventail, and most were padded inside, for added comfort. Do all your characters embrace it? 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. 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. 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. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. Ragged clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. How to Describe Clothes in English - ESL Advice Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. 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 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. 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. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. 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. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Excuse the on hold background music. Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. The answer to this question gives you a ton of clarity. That would depend on a few things. Or at least they know what century theyre in. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. So Id say in films its more for cinematic effect and also for clarity so the viewer can see whos doing what. Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. Blend in? )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns. 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. Hopefully, you now have more wardrobe ideas for your characters than just red shirt, blue pants. But what about the process of actually sharing these details in your novel? Just click the button below to find out more. Embarrassed by her own inability to dress in finery for the occasion (and by being upstaged), Katerina resorts to scathing mockery of Amalia. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Trendy: Modern, fashionable, and up-to-date outfits. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. These are deep questions. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. Theyll see it automatically. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. Be specific and accurate. But put me in a job interview wearing the same outfit, and youd probably start making new guesses about my intentions. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. 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. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. 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. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. 50+ Fashion Terms: Fundamental Words Related to Style Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. Like Dostoyevsky, think how something as small as a characters change of clothing can affecttheir own or others behaviour. This is a fun one. Well cover everything from helmets and plate armor to chainmail. What matters more to them: fashion or function? Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. They're the ones who are always there to lend a helping hand, crack a joke, or provide some much-needed emotional relief.And let's be real, sometimes they dont go unsung. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. 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. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft. He is old but stylish. Like Borges would say, Love this topic!! (Huh.). Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. - Diagonal lines: Diagonal lines aren't all that common in historic clothing and they usually only came in the form of neck lines, the edges of unbuttoned jackets or from large pieces of fabric being held up (think ancient Rome). Youre still not off the hook. There are some elements which are common among most works of fiction when it comes to clothing, with these elements in mind it becomes a lot easier to turn the clothing we wear today or wore throughout history into a futuristic or more fantasy oriented equivalent. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. Its not an aspect of character design that bubbles up naturally from the depths of my creative soul. Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. 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. [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. In other words, research. Your email address will not be published. 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. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. Note that with the camouflage patterns it's best to use this style, but make them less randomized to avoid the military look, unless that's what you're going for of course. Like say a vest with mirrored sequins and rhinestones, but they all go in a pattern and you feel the need to describe the pattern line by line? They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. Adorable. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. 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. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. Fantasy Armor - The Ultimate Guide - Richie Billing Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. Each lesson breaks down the analysis of one component of a fashion collection, progressing from a consideration of the designer's technique and influences to the . You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. 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. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. What Clothes Say About Your Characters - The Write Practice Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. 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. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. But even regular elements can help with this. Pfoo, the owl! By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. With these two changes alone you already have an item that didn't exist in medieval times, but is familiar enough to work in a fantasy setting. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. You suddenly know which details to include, which to leave out, and whether to call it a blood-red cloak or a goji berry wrap. One does not refer to "a garb". One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. 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. 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. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. A jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. Thanks, Sana. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Would the fashion designers in your fantasy novel make use of dragon scales? Does your character need to hide? Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight We all love a character with a cool set of fantasy armor: the baresark Rek from David Gemmells Legend with his enchanted coat of bronze, or Tomas from Raymond Feists Riftwar Cycle with his gleaming white dragon plate which gifted him incredible power. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. 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. 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. But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. 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. 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. You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. If you look at popular works of fiction you'll find two trends, one is the simplistic and often tight-fit look and the other is the more over the top and extravagant look. "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.". Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. Thanks Chuck! 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. Quarter Horse Bloodlines To Avoid, Patrick Flueger Married, Rush University Human Resources, Mackay Rugby League Grand Final, Amari Cooper Dropped Passes Stats, Articles H