Do not describe a character's clothing except as that point of view character would do so. 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. Instead of a nobleman being described as wearing red silk slippers, parachute pants, a bejeweled cloth belt, a flowing blouse and an ascot; you can simply describe him as wear very fancy and extravagant clothing befitting his high status in society. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. I like the way you wrote this information. A knight, by definition, was a lord. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Here are some classic characteristics you can draw out through clothing description. 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. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Play with the question of presentation and power! Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? Cookie Notice Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. - Geometry. All of these advancements will become more and more common as time goes on, so it'd make sense for them to be part of our clothing in the future. 80s-inspired. However, you can show and imply a characters intention without spelling it out: Theyd agreed to meet downtown at six. Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. Be specific and accurate. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. 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. Because it actually is possible. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. Not to mention the social status of a person. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. 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. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Arisa Nightingale's board "Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs", followed by 456 people on Pinterest. Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. I love the way clothes can describe a character. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. Blend in? Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. Dostoyevsky describes how Katerinas landlady, Amalia Ivanovna, dresses for the funeral: the table was properly laid at the time and fixed, and Amalia Ivanovna, feeling she had done her work well, had put on a black silk dress and a cap with new mourning ribbons and met the returning party with some pride. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. A band t-shirt. 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). As soon as the actor enters stage right or left, we have an inkling of whether theyre a wealthy landowner or peasant, an elegant heiress or humble flower-seller. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. 70s-inspired. It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. But they werent administrators. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. - Taboos and nudity. - 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. 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. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. Required fields are marked *. Not quite. Like Borges would say, Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. 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. Ill add it to my to do list . Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. 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. In other words take what exists and apply it differently. Your email address will not be published. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). Only in certain situations is a description even needed. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. 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. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. Have fun with it. Baggy. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. 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. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. Clothing is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to establish an historical setting. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. Are they overalls or coveralls? Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. 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. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. In a book, none of that is true. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. Not a Dabble user? Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. Privacy Policy. It really doesnt take much. Plain: Ordinary clothes of one color like gray, beige, or black. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. Clothing tells your reader a lot about your characters goals and motivations within a given scenario. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. 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. 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 writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. 1. We already have spray on clothing technology. Your articles are always very informative. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? The fact that Affordable . One very important aspect of describing attire well is understanding why youre describing it in the first place. - Change lengths. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. 04. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. That would depend on a few things. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. 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. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. 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. 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. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. 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. - 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. Fancy dresses. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. 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: I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Well come to this below. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. 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. A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. and our 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. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall.
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