how to describe fantasy clothing
The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. 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. A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? Lets take a look at some ways you can develop those unique ideas: In this section, well take a look at some cool pieces of knight armor in fantasy that people have designed over the years, to give you even more inspiration for your own designs. But thats the case wherever you go. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? Ideas are forever being shared and discussed. But it makes a good story. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. 2012 - Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. - Use nudity. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. 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All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. 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. A band t-shirt. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. 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. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. Clothing creation guide - Roll for Fantasy Baggy jeans. Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. Really like your article. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. 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. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. The jacket has a narrow, rectangular neckline which reveals part of the fancy shirt worn below it and is worn with a light rope belt, which is held together by a simple knot. 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. All cultures have dress codes to some degree, some more so than others and some more stricter than others, but every culture has a range of styles that would be considered normal, 'out there' and unacceptable to most. Which brings me to my next point. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. Troubles with Clothing in Fantasy + Some Ideas - Brielle Andela A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. Im writing a little in the Epic Fantasy genre and there were quite a few useful notes I wasnt aware of here. In this section, Ive included some more guides on creating fantasy armor designs that you may find useful. And lets not forget the trusty steed. Besides knowing who we design for we also have to know what the rules for designing are within the universe of our characters. These elements are very important when taking into account the previous point. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. From time to time we may use affiliate links to help with the costs of running the site. 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. Reeking of piss on the battlefield was another weapon in the arsenal I suppose. Affordable . It took a while to get ready, with the help of somebody else needed, usually squires, who began with the feet and worked up from there. You dont need it to sign up. Each suit was tailored to the individual. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. Finally there's all the little things that can make an outfit look more futuristic. 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. Pfoo, the owl! 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. It really doesnt take much. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Arisa Nightingale's board "Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs", followed by 456 people on Pinterest. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. Improve this answer. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. Describing clothing - Creative Writing Forums Adding them with intention can help increase tension, make twists hit that much harder, and keep your reader engaged., How to Describe Clothing in Writing Without Boring Everybody, Tertiary Characters: Giving Your Background Players Life, Sidekicks: The Loyal Companion Your Hero Needs. 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. Am I trying to blow the interview? 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 tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess. Your email address will not be published. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. And of course, location provides a clue for what it takes to be comfortable in the world of your story. These aren't the only elements either, pretty much every part of clothing changes with the times and depend heavily upon what's fashionable at the time. 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. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts True, it all depends on your purpose. 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. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! Looking for a word - prince's clothes - English Language Learners Stack They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. 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. Well, mostly. Lets take a look at how clothing description indicates your characters identity, goals, and culture. Now this won't work for every piece of clothing of course, not everything has buttons or edges that allow for simple changes we don't already use today, so here are a few ways that are commonly used to make things look more futuristic: 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. 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? Characters wear more than just clothes. Do they strive to be humble before their god or do they want to spend this one and only life as their bold, ostentatious selves? Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. Thanks Chuck! To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Read these tips on how (and why) to describe clothes with examples from well-known novels: 1: Use clothing to show status and position 2: Build (or thwart) character expectations with clothing descriptions 3: Describe clothing to contrast characters' personalities 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling 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. 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 would have been extremely warm too. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. 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. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? 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. Need help with clothing description in Fantasy | Royal Road Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. This is great! I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight Not to mention the social status of a person. Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. 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. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? As for showing with clothing rather than telling, a writer could say, He was lazy and inattentive to his appearance about a character, or they could say his clothes always looked like hed just pulled them out of a pile in some corner of his bedroom and had thrown them on without a glance in the mirror. Embarrassed by her own inability to dress in finery for the occasion (and by being upstaged), Katerina resorts to scathing mockery of Amalia. Whether its a beekeeping suit, climbing helmet, knee pads, or sun-protective fabric, what your character wears provides a clue about whats at stake in the coming scene. 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. 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. Thanks, Sana. 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. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Black and white usually does the trick as well. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. When youre shopping for yourself, you know what you like but you dont know how to describe it. The more outlandish the fantasy species your character is the more outlandish you can usually be with clothing, but familiarity is usually still a solid ground for a realistic feel, even if the universe and the creatures are completely unrealistic. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. 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. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. Writing Tips on Describing Clothes - Pen and the Pad This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. Its a bit OCD of me. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. These are deep questions. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? Sneak around? It's what we're slowly doing today. If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. 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. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? Dragon scales, fiery furs and feathers and other elements can quickly turn a standard item into a fantasy one. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. Thank you for reading our blog! Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. The unsung hero of so many stories. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! Lots of gear would have been looted. Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. Will using real-world cultural vocabulary in a fantasy setting 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. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. 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? 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 . I second the idea of describing the reactions of the characters to the city. The fact that The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. How to describe clothing in a story: Creating characters 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. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? This is a heavy generalization of course and entirely based on Western culture of today, but these rules may not apply at all in a fictional universe, no matter if it's futuristic or based on a historic setting. Have fun with it. 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. The shrewd king essentially licensed out parcels of his land as rewards to his warriors in exchange for their military service. - 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). It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. One does not refer to "a garb". The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. This may seem like a tricky thing to do as there's so much out there already, but it can often be as simple as simply changing a texture, the patterns used or the amount of fabric. One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) Fashion photographer Bill Cunningham said, Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. Try applying this philosophy to clothing descriptions in your writing and see what happens. Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. 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. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. 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. 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. Its not an aspect of character design that bubbles up naturally from the depths of my creative soul. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Not really. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. The tragedy of Azincourt, for example, occurred because of a poorly-chosen battleground that had flooded. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? Using a squared, pixelated look or circuitry patterns usually works great too, which can even be combined with layered clothing to create the circuitry feel. Love this topic!! This is a fun one. (Cough-cough-cough.) 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. Is your character trying to attract positive attention? Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. 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. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. - Mix cultures. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. 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. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Ha-ha! And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Trendy: Modern, fashionable, and up-to-date outfits. (Huh.). This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women.
