Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? But it provided an odd sense of security. You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. Excuse the on hold background music. Theyll see it automatically. 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. To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy 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. Maybe a bit of both. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. 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 jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Baggy. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. A band t-shirt. Improve this answer. They should be doing that. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. This is great! As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft. Compare this, then, to Dickens description of Gradgrinds wife in the following chapter (Gradgrinds wealthy but poverty-claiming friend has just told Mrs. Gradgrind he was born in a ditch): Mrs. Gradgrind, a little, thin, white, pink-eyed bundle of shawls, of surpassing feebleness, mental and bodily; who was always taking physic without any effect, and who, whenever she showed a symptom of coming to life, was invariably stunned by some weighty piece of fact tumbling on her; Mrs. Gradgrind hoped it was a dry ditch? If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. This is further influenced/confirmed by the show Forged in Fire where the judges were a half step from putting their heads in their hands when a smith put his hot blade in water instead of oil to cool it down. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. 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. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. 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. Sneak around? A person who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves would dress completely differently today than they would even a few decades ago. These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. How long do they need their clothes to last? Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. 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 . Great idea. "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.". Your email address will not be published. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. Lets talk about how to use clothing description as a storytelling tool, how to dress your character for their personality and setting, and how to make clothes interesting to anyone. Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. 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. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. 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. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! (Where do they buy their clothes? Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. Your email address will not be published. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns. Those of us who dont get all jazzed about writing clothing descriptions often fail to consider that a good wardrobe has layers. Ive always wondered that too! Your articles are always very informative. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. 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. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. Although such armor exists in fantasy worlds, its important to understand how things work in the real world, even at a basic level. In other words take what exists and apply it differently. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. 04. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. For more information, please see our I tend to avoid describing clothing. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. Its a bit OCD of me. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. 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. 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). When youre shopping for yourself, you know what you like but you dont know how to describe it. Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. 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. That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. These elements are very important when taking into account the previous point. 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. But they werent administrators. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. 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. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. 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. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? 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. If your protagonist is donning a tri-cornered hat, loosening a corset, or strutting through town in a new toga, your reader has a good sense of time period. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? That decorative belt? 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. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. You dont need it to sign up. The shrewd king essentially licensed out parcels of his land as rewards to his warriors in exchange for their military service. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. 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. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. 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 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. Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. 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. Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. 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. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. Not to pile on, but dont forget to make sure you know which materials wereand werentavailable in the world of your novel. Well come to this below. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. 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. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. Great points. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. These are deep questions. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. 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. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. Lots of gear would have been looted. This one is simple, right? 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. 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. To illustrate this in a way we did with the futuristic shirt example let's take a standard medieval tunic and turn it into a fantasy-themed version. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. Is your character trying to attract positive attention? ), Your character and communitys financial resources. By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. 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. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. In a book, none of that is true. But thats the case wherever you go. A pair of starched Wranglers. In other words, research. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. Share. Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. is because we get stuck on what things look like. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Fancy dresses. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? Not quite. 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. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. 1. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. They mixed more traditional Asian styles with the more Western Industrial Revolution period styles. 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. Required fields are marked *. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. 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. Separate and enlarge it, turn down the Opacity of the layer . What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. Dragon scales, fiery furs and feathers and other elements can quickly turn a standard item into a fantasy one. I don't mean make your characters walk around naked, but exposing (or covering) body parts in ways we don't today helps make ordinary clothing look different, which in turn helps sell the idea of it being futuristic. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. The unsung hero of so many stories. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He is old but stylish. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. 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 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. or the world theyre desperately resisting. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? Love this topic!! [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. Thanks Benjamin! Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. Clothing is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to establish an historical setting. Plain: Ordinary clothes of one color like gray, beige, or black. At least in most cases. Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? Do all your characters embrace it? 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. 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). Pingback: The Life of the Medieval Lord - Richie Billing, Pingback: How To Create Your Very Own Living Breathing Fantasy World - Richie Billing, Pingback: Fantasy Races - The Ultimate Guide To Elves, Orcs and Dwarves | Richie Billing, Pingback: Killer Diseases of the Middle Ages | Richie Billing, Pingback: Medieval Cannons: The Essential Guide | Richie Billing, Pingback: On Writing: Fantasy Without Magic Of Metal and Magic Publishing, Pingback: The Lives Of Medieval Peasants - Richie Billing. I love the way clothes can describe a character. 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. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. 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. 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. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. 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. Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. Try some colour. The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. They give you the chance to offer comic relief, a dash of wisdom, and just some good old fashioned friendship., Sidekick characters. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? 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. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. 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. Really like your article. Does your character need to hide? Blunt, Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Some materials are used more than others, some colors are more desirable than others and some accessories are more desirable than others and these all changed throughout time. Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. - Use nudity. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? Its not an aspect of character design that bubbles up naturally from the depths of my creative soul. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. More on that in a bit. Do not describe a character's clothing except as that point of view character would do so. The time period of your story. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. for any particular parts of an outfit. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness.