how to describe fantasy clothing

Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. Cookie Notice - Gadgets, hair styles and accessories. 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. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. Great idea. 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. Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. Really like your article. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. Like Borges would say, This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. Non-visual senses are big, too. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. Sneak around? For a bigger image, just click on the link above. Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. 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. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. Does your character need to hide? And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. Your articles are always very informative. Lots of gear would have been looted. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. 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. 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. 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. Fancy dresses. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. 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. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. What matters more to them: fashion or function? Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. Fashionable: Clothes representing a current style in fashion. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. Thanks Benjamin! Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. 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. 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. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. Other clothing pieces could be various types of hats and scarves, (trench) coats and even something as simple as pockets or buttons used for fastening rather than as decoration to name just a few. The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. Those outfits can become iconic. 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. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. 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. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. Figurative language . You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. 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. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. They were warriors first and foremost. 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. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Costume is a large part of a character. Love this topic!! Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. 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. The landladys dress highlights, by contrast, the downward spiral of Katerinas fortunes, and she responds to the landladys prideful clothing with her own wounded pride: Look at her, shes making round eyes, she feels that we are talking about her and cant understand. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. is because we get stuck on what things look like. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. 1. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. 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. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. Ive always wondered that too! Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight The time period of your story. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. (Has denim been invented yet? Try some colour. A few easy changes are to make one side longer than the other, so basically creating a diagonal cut instead of the standard horizontal one. 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. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. That was the theory. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Great points. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? Whenever other races or species are involved, like elves and trolls, it's often best to give them clothing that differs from whatever humans (and other races) wear, even if those differences are subtle. Those of us who dont get all jazzed about writing clothing descriptions often fail to consider that a good wardrobe has layers. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. Youre already obsessing over hat styles and what the undergarment situation was at the time of your story. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Clothes that are suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions. 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? Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. Because it actually is possible. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. But they werent administrators. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. 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. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? So Id say in films its more for cinematic effect and also for clarity so the viewer can see whos doing what. Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. - Taboos and nudity. Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. 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. One does not refer to "a garb". Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. Theyre just too important defensively. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. 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. 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. 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. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. With these two changes alone you already have an item that didn't exist in medieval times, but is familiar enough to work in a fantasy setting. 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: Clothing is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to establish an historical setting. Other elements you could include are mood-based changes (exists today), clothing that uses lights or glowing elements (exists today), clothing that can be repaired or changed on the go (exists today), smart technology woven into the fabric of clothing (exists today), changing colors (think chameleons) whenever you feel like it (exists today, kind of). One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. Now add a thick, layered scarf or attach a hood to this tunic and you're already well on your way to a customized look. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? 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? Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. This is mostly something to keep in mind when designing for characters living in the future, but it could work for alternative historic universes as well. Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. 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. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Your email address will not be published. True, it all depends on your purpose. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. 80s-inspired. You can keep track of your characters signature style, upload photos, note how their style evolves, and keep these ideas right at your fingertips as you write. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. 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. A knight, by definition, was a lord. Community . Baggy jeans. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. Someone jumps down from a boundary wall wearing dark clothes and clutching a bag, that's enough of a clue they're a burglar, and if the protagonist now has to chase them then a description of the form those clothes take down to the buckles on the shoes is going to break the flow. What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? - Geometry. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. 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. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? So have fun with that. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. 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. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. 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. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. When youre shopping for yourself, you know what you like but you dont know how to describe it. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. Your article is really great. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage 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. Theyll see it automatically. The pieces around the vital organsthe chest and headwere thicker and heavier than those on the arms and legs to try and reduce weight as much as possible. 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. Each lesson breaks down the analysis of one component of a fashion collection, progressing from a consideration of the designer's technique and influences to the . Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. Affordable . - Mix cultures. Ideas are forever being shared and discussed. The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. In both of these it was mostly the rich who had the extravagant clothing, which brings back the earlier point of how culture influences what a character might wear. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. Its a good time. Ha-ha! It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. 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 pride, though justifiable, displeased Katerina Ivanovna for some reason. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. I love the way clothes can describe a character. They looked something like this: One of the main defensive strengths of plated armor came from its curved design, which deflected both blades and arrows. 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. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! - Change lengths. for any particular parts of an outfit. Which brings me to my next point. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. And if you dont write historical fiction? 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. Maybe a bit of both. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. (Cough-cough-cough.) To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. 60s-inspired. Look how she sits with her mouth open! These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. - 'Stealth'. clothed and we should definitely be using them to portray our characters personalities. and our The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. Do all your characters embrace it? Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. Well 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. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. 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. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. Send private message Achievements: Need help with clothing description in Fantasy #1 I'm writing a Fantasy Novel in the middle ages, filled with swords and magic However, I realize I have trouble trying to convey how the characters look, like what the nobles' attire, the bandit's armor. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. But put me in a job interview wearing the same outfit, and youd probably start making new guesses about my intentions. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. A scarlet pantsuit. 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. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. And what does she put that cap on for? Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. 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. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. 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. But it makes a good story. The unsung hero of so many stories. Required fields are marked *. The fact that That works. But thats the case wherever you go. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for.

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