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Consider this example from Hard Times. (Find out more). Because it actually is possible. To make it futuristic you could change where the buttons are, they're normally quite low and form a v-neck line when buttoned up, how about moving them to the top and creating an upside down V shape at the bottom. Not really. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. Look how she sits with her mouth open! As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. Black and white usually does the trick as well. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. 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. Youre already obsessing over hat styles and what the undergarment situation was at the time of your story. Lets take a look at how clothing description indicates your characters identity, goals, and culture. 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. But even regular elements can help with this. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. 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. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. 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. In a book, none of that is true. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. This usually involves dresses from some time pre-renaissance and a tunic or shirt paired with trousers for men and women who are doing warrior stuff. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. A scarlet pantsuit. 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. 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. 70s-inspired. This one is simple, right? This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? 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. Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. These are usually a little trickier to do well as they can look familiar quickly, but it's a usually a good element to have at your disposal. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. Those outfits can become iconic. True, it all depends on your purpose. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts The image you create has to play a role in the narrative.Consider the character arc. Its a bit OCD of me. Thanks, Teresa, and for sharing that great example from the stage. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. 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. Well come to this below. A pair of starched Wranglers. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. Blend in? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' Whenever other races or species are involved, like elves and trolls, it's often best to give them clothing that differs from whatever humans (and other races) wear, even if those differences are subtle. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. Ideas are forever being shared and discussed. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. Describing armor and clothing. : r/writing - reddit 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. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. 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. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. Who's your rebel, and how does their clothing reflect their defiant spirit? Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. 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. Good for the mobile knight. ). 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. Its not an aspect of character design that bubbles up naturally from the depths of my creative soul. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. Well cover everything from helmets and plate armor to chainmail. 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. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. This is a fun one. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. Improve this answer. Non-visual senses are big, too. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. A man's padded undercoat worn under a doublet and over a shirt; a woman's (often padded) under-tunic or the skirt of her riding habit. 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. Clothes that are suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions. At least in most cases. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. More on that in a bit. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! How to create a fantasy costume design | Creative Bloq Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. Writing Tips on Describing Clothes - Pen and the Pad Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? 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PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Impress someone with my indifference? - "Digital look". But let's take a step back and look at what kind of clothing is usually associated with futuristic settings. Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. 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. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. Although such armor exists in fantasy worlds, its important to understand how things work in the real world, even at a basic level. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. So have fun with that. These are deep questions. From time to time we may use affiliate links to help with the costs of running the site. Great points. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. Lots of gear would have been looted. - Taboos and nudity. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. 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. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. I like the way you wrote this information. And if you dont write historical fiction? 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. Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. Looking for a word - prince's clothes - English Language Learners Stack A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. 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. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. But it provided an odd sense of security. Does your character need to hide? Now, for the feedbackit depends what POV you're writing in. How to Describe Clothing in Writing Without Boring Everybody 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. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. - Convert future clothing to a historic version. 2012 - Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Stylish. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. But for writers like me who get stuck in the white socks, green dress rut, heres a quick reminder: Details about fabric, fit, quality, and color are super effective when it comes to creating a sense of character, place, or moment. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. How to describe scenery ? : r/fantasywriters - reddit.com But thats the case wherever you go. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. (Has denim been invented yet? The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. 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. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? 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. (Huh.). It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. 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. 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.