Only in certain situations is a description even needed. 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? But let's take a step back and look at what kind of clothing is usually associated with futuristic settings. Describing clothes? : r/writing - reddit A scarlet pantsuit. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. And lets not forget the trusty steed. Ill add it to my to do list . Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. 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 Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! Really like your article. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. 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). Use the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. One major element that makes creating more futuristic clothing easier is to make sure it doesn't look familiar, to make sure it doesn't look like something you'd come across today. Cookie Notice I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. What matters more to them: fashion or function? Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. One does not refer to "a garb". 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. Required fields are marked *. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. 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 . 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. 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. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. Not a Dabble user? Good for the mobile knight. Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. - Furs and other animal parts: A quick and obvious way of making something look more fantasy-themed is by simply adding elements of fantasy creatures. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. 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. 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. Another quick way of making standard clothing fantasy themed is by converting clothes form the relative future to one that could be created in whichever time period your universe falls under. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. 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. (Huh.). An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. 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. Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. Nudity was often either a complete taboo or just common place in many cultures throughout history, so by changing these taboos (and others) you immediately create a fictional piece. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. 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. Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. 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. Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. 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. and our Blunt, Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. Affordable . Have fun with it. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. 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. Every time we got separated in a public space, I discovered myself in a sea of mature women with the same haircut and pastel tops. However, you can show and imply a characters intention without spelling it out: Theyd agreed to meet downtown at six. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Perhaps its because the genre was born out of stories that emerged from the Middle Ages like Beowulf and King Arthur (around the 10th-11th century). Any suggestions on how to properly do this? I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns. Also his mother was poor and anyone who knew that might wonder how he could afford such clothing so it hints at the actual story. - "Digital look". 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. Your email address will not be published. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. Its a bit OCD of me. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. Also, don't feel like you have to include every point I've made. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. 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. But even regular elements can help with this. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. Well cover everything from helmets and plate armor to chainmail. How to Describe Clothing in a Story (with Examples) | Now Novel Sweaters or jumpers? What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? But thats the case wherever you go. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. 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. Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. 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. Using the work of Alexander McQueen, this unit guides students through the analysis of a fashion collection, introducing them to the critical language and methodologies needed to evaluate fashion design and runway presentation. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. 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. 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? To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. 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. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. Ive always wondered that too! With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. No problem! 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. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. 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. I second the idea of describing the reactions of the characters to the city. Looking for a word - prince's clothes - English Language Learners Stack I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. The more people that join this thriving group the better it becomes. Not to pile on, but dont forget to make sure you know which materials wereand werentavailable in the world of your novel. 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. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. Fantasy Armor - The Ultimate Guide - Richie Billing You dont need it to sign up. Improve this answer. The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. Maybe a bit of both. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from.