Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. - As far as colors go they often seem to be either toned down or bright and happy (or even over the top), depending on the style. A knight, by definition, was a lord. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. Pfoo, the owl! Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. A band t-shirt. Baggy jeans. Here are some classic characteristics you can draw out through clothing description. If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. Normally I dont dress characters with such complex clothing that takes more than a few sentences to describe but the vest was inspired by a picture I saw and it took at least a paragraph to describe. Dont worry, thats not a trick question. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. And if you dont write historical fiction? Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. Dragon scales, fiery furs and feathers and other elements can quickly turn a standard item into a fantasy one. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. 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. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Try some colour. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. 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. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. Blunt, Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. And what does she put that cap on for? Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. Those outfits can become iconic. (Has denim been invented yet? Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. But thats the case wherever you go. There is simply more characterization, not only of Gem but the other characters, too. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. We'll also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by knights, potential designs, and ways to help you find inspiration for creating your own. Play with the question of presentation and power! What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. And of course, location provides a clue for what it takes to be comfortable in the world of your story. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. 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. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. Are the characters of your dystopian novel forced to make do with burlap and mud? It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. The easy way to describe the setting is when the characters interact with it, e.g. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. 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. 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. One very important aspect of describing attire well is understanding why youre describing it in the first place. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. 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. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. Leonidas in 300, for instance, almost certainly wore a helmet in the battle with the Persians! Improve this answer. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. 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. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. So have fun with that. 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. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. In other words, research. We already have spray on clothing technology. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. ^.^ One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. Like Borges would say, Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. As such, the contemporary tales that have followed, like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons and everything in between, have paid homage to that era. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? If Im wearing lipstick with no plans of going out, one of two things is happening: Im in a great mood or Im feeling like I have zero control over my life and failure is inevitable. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. Advertisements. Which brings me to my next point. That also will help readers really experience things through their eyes. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. 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. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight 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. Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? But it provided an odd sense of security. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. Consider this example from Hard Times. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. 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. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. - 'Stealth'. These are deep questions. This is great! Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. Great points. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. 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. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. 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 PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Any suggestions on how to properly do this? Very informative. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. (Huh.). Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection.