how to describe fantasy clothing

To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). 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. What are some ways to describe a character's clothing? Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. This one is simple, right? 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? The padded material could absorb blows from blunt, A Guide To Writing Stories That Genuinely Helps, "Helped me land my first book deal" - Jack Shannon, Author, Get More Writing Support From Fellow Fantasy Writers, A complete guide to worldbuilding, with a template. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. In other words, research. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. 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. As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. Creating new clothing styles for fictional worlds can be a daunting task, there's just so much out there already and so many elements to play around with to create a fun and unique style, no matter whether the art form is visual or not. 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. Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. 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. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. Finally there's all the little things that can make an outfit look more futuristic. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. Press J to jump to the feed. Sneak around? Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. This pride, though justifiable, displeased Katerina Ivanovna for some reason. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? Are the characters of your dystopian novel forced to make do with burlap and mud? But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. 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. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. Another benefit to chain mail, a point which can slip the mind of writers, is that it was cheap and efficient, able to accommodate different-sized warriors, unlike expensive plated armor. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. 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. Besides knowing who we design for we also have to know what the rules for designing are within the universe of our characters. 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. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. And what does she put that cap on for? How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. 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. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. 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. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Am I trying to blow the interview? In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. 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. Both doublets and chain mail were worn in conjunction with plated armor for that added protection, particularly for areas plate could not cover, such as arms and the groin. Costume is a large part of a character. Need help with clothing description in Fantasy | Royal Road - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Well cover everything from helmets and plate armor to chainmail. And lets not forget the trusty steed. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. They were warriors first and foremost. They're the ones who are always there to lend a helping hand, crack a joke, or provide some much-needed emotional relief.And let's be real, sometimes they dont go unsung. - 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. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. 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. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. 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. [Help] Coming up with Fantasy Outfits : r/fantasywriters - reddit One way is to avoid what we call filter words. That works. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. ^.^ 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. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. Required fields are marked *. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. If you stopped to think about it, you may even notice yourself imagining things as specific as age, hobbies, and ambitions. 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. 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. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. (Would people living in this area have access to leather goods? You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. Or theyll be living off soda crackers and peanut butter for the next week because they drained their checking account for a suit to impress at their job interview. Stylish. So we've covered ways to make clothing look both futuristic and historic, but these are all just guidelines and mostly based on what's been done before. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. For example, the corset wasn't popular until the 16th century and while earlier versions can be found incredibly early they weren't common place. 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. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. 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. One thing Ive always wondered is if someone wearing plate could fall down just right in a muddy battlefield, and get stuck there in the same way a large flat rock gets stuck laying in mud. Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. In my case my character is new in town and this description of clothing doesnt come until hes getting ready for the party in chapter 4 and its in the context of getting dressed, there are reasons behind it, the party is a very big deal for him getting his foot in the door with other teens in town and he wants to be impressive or maybe wants lot of attention with all the sparklies. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. 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. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. I tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess. Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. And if you dont write historical fiction? That decorative belt? 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. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. Sweaters or jumpers? Love this topic!! The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. Great idea. Affordable . Maybe your character heads out on the town wearing a daring leopard print jumpsuit, only to have their best friend immediately ask where they got the kitty costume.. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. Theyll see it automatically. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. Our characters are always (mostly!) 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. Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. Its a good time. 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. 160 Best Character description ideas | character description, fantasy Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. Improve this answer. 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. 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. Fancy dresses. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. But as the show moved forward the suit got more ragged the jacket was open, then gone, the shirt cuffs undone, half the buttons undone and I think by the end when he was on the cross the shirt was gone. For a bigger image, just click on the link above. The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. - Use nudity. It's what we're slowly doing today. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. A band t-shirt. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. We'll also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by knights, potential designs, and ways to help you find inspiration for creating your own. 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. A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. 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. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. Excuse the on hold background music. Characters wear more than just clothes. Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. Jeans and a tee it was. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. 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. 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. Creative Words to Describe Outfit & Clothing - INK 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. Let your mind fill in the details, always checking back in with your adjectives to make sure the concept is moving in the right direction. - Geometry. 70s-inspired. Reeking of piss on the battlefield was another weapon in the arsenal I suppose. This article has compiled 100 different words you can use to describe clothes, and below the main list of 100 words we've explained our reasoning for a lot of the top picks from that very list, for your personal enjoyment. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. Theyre just too important defensively. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. An owl, a real owl! I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Leonidas in 300, for instance, almost certainly wore a helmet in the battle with the Persians! What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? Ideas are forever being shared and discussed. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? Those outfits can become iconic. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. But even regular elements can help with this. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. clothed and we should definitely be using them to portray our characters personalities. 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. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. In most cases simply copying the style of whichever era you've based your story on is enough, but it can be fun to create your own styles and in some cases it'd make sense to have your own styles as well. More on that in a bit. Some helmets had chain attached which hung around and protected the neck, called an aventail, and most were padded inside, for added comfort. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? 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. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. What also worries me is that in Chapter 3 I used a lot of descriptions of the house, like the main characters room and then I had him go to various other rooms, looked at pictures of his family he has yet to meet so chapter 3 had the least story development or social scenes but the ones it had were good ones and I ended it with a scene that creates more development and story hype. - Taboos and nudity. It can genuinely be tough to come up with cool ideas for epic fantasy armor without drifting back to things that weve seen in the likes of Dungeons and Dragons, The Elder Scrolls and movies like Lord of the Rings. (Where do they buy their clothes? Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. 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. Each suit was tailored to the individual. Ive always wondered that too! 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? 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. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Allrightsreserved, create an authentic sense of time and place, Use fashion and clothing history archives, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg, 1: Use clothing to show status and position, 2: Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, 3: Describe clothing to contrastcharacters personalities, 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, 5: Change characters clothing to highlight character development, 6: Use clothing details to recreate authentic setting, 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. (Find out more). What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. Although such armor exists in fantasy worlds, its important to understand how things work in the real world, even at a basic level. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. Select the most striking details and move on. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Meanwhile, the character who works two jobs while going to school full-time might scour the Goodwill rack for a designer tag to help them fit in at the same party. His writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. 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. The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? and our Ill add it to my to do list . Writing Tips on Describing Clothes - Pen and the Pad Thanks Chuck! 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. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. Describing clothing - Creative Writing Forums What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? I love the way clothes can describe a character. - Change lengths. Great points. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. So why not join the gang? Describing clothes : writing - reddit 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. Community . A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! 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 This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. 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. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. Play with the question of presentation and power! Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? This is a fun one. 100 Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs ideas | fantasy clothing Odds are, youve got a character who dresses to stay alive. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life.

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