how to describe fantasy clothing how to describe fantasy clothing

In this section, Ive included some more guides on creating fantasy armor designs that you may find useful. Here are five examples: 1. Love this topic!! You dont need it to sign up. 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. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! 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. But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. A band t-shirt. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. 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. The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. Youre still not off the hook. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. 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. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. It's what we're slowly doing today. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. 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. 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. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on 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. Good for the mobile knight. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. 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. And what does she put that cap on for? 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. 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. Its not an aspect of character design that bubbles up naturally from the depths of my creative soul. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. The tragedy of Azincourt, for example, occurred because of a poorly-chosen battleground that had flooded. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. 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. 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. Any suggestions on how to properly do this? Try some colour. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. Finally there's all the little things that can make an outfit look more futuristic. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. Your email address will not be published. Whereas a more confident or attention seeking person might seek out the edges of what's socially acceptable more or just wear more stylish and potentially more colorful or flamboyant clothing. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. 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. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. 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. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. When youre shopping for yourself, you know what you like but you dont know how to describe it. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. Privacy Policy. 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. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. True, it all depends on your purpose. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. Theyll see it automatically. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. Would the fashion designers in your fantasy novel make use of dragon scales? You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. ), The geographical location of your story. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. 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. 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. The fact that But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. - Taboos and nudity. That decorative belt? You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. That was the theory. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? 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. 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. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. In fact, you should be putting lots of thought and development into protagonists because thats who the story is about.But how much thought have you given to your tertiary characters? Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. Dragon scales, fiery furs and feathers and other elements can quickly turn a standard item into a fantasy one. Jeans and a tee it was. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. 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. Consider this example from Hard Times. For example, fur usually wasn't used as a piece of decoration for clothing and if used at all was often worn around the neck and shoulders or underneath other (often hide) clothing to keep warm. 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. Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. More on that in a bit. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. "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.". Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. 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. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. Black and white usually does the trick as well. In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. Are they overalls or coveralls? Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. Leonidas in 300, for instance, almost certainly wore a helmet in the battle with the Persians! What matters more to them: fashion or function? Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of 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. - Christine, on How to describe clothing in a story (with examples), 8 story hook examples (how to grab attention), Story structure examples: How to create payoffs for readers, How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide), How to write deep POV: 8 tips and examples, 9 exposition examples: How to write clear introductions, How to make a plot captivating: 7 strategies, Writing great characters: 5 lessons from modern novels. 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. Chest plates had grand etchings. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. Excuse the on hold background music. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. Lets take a look at how clothing description indicates your characters identity, goals, and culture. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Arisa Nightingale's board "Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs", followed by 456 people on Pinterest. (Where do they buy their clothes? (Cough-cough-cough.) Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. 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. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. 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. Just click the button below to find out more. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. I tend to avoid describing clothing. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. or the world theyre desperately resisting. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. Fancy dresses. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Improve this answer. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. So Id say in films its more for cinematic effect and also for clarity so the viewer can see whos doing what. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. Am I trying to blow the interview? Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. 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. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Then this is their category. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. - Convert future clothing to a historic version. Youre already obsessing over hat styles and what the undergarment situation was at the time of your story. 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. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. 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. Do all your characters embrace it? Those outfits can become iconic. And of course, location provides a clue for what it takes to be comfortable in the world of your story. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. ). The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. This one is simple, right? 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 Baggy. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. Does your character need to hide? Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. 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? - 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). 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. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. 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. 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. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Press J to jump to the feed. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. Youre not infodumping. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing.