At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. 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. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. Our characters are always (mostly!) A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. 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. As a quick question, in film you see a lot of heroes and leaders not wearing helmets. It makes for a more entertaining read. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. Clothing is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to establish an historical setting. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. Not to mention the social status of a person. Advertisements. 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.. Privacy Policy. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. We often express ourselves through our clothing, at least when we have the freedom to do so, so knowing who we're designing for is the first step in creating the perfect outfit for a character. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. Thanks I will be following your blog from now one I just came across it today. You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Using this site means trees will be planted. The time period of your story. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. - Use nudity. And if you dont write historical fiction? 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. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. 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. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. This is great! Creative Words to Describe Outfit & Clothing - INK 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. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. Just click the button below to find out more. 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 . A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. 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. Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. I love to wear baggy trousers in summer. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. Select the most striking details and move on. Now, for the feedbackit depends what POV you're writing in. [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. - 'Stealth'. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. The fact that Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. 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. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. That decorative belt? That fancy Ming dynasty dress looks completely different with exposed shoulders and that medieval set of pants look completely different if you turn them into shorts with exposed legs. 50+ Fashion Terms: Fundamental Words Related to Style So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. Okay, maybe not.Secrets in real life can be a little trickywe all have thembut they have a way of blowing up in our faces, depending on how big they are.Your characters are really no different. Or at least they know what century theyre in. Also, don't feel like you have to include every point I've made. 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. 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? 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Does it Matter What Your Character Wears? - The Write Practice Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Casual. It really doesnt take much. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. But they werent administrators. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! Using the work of Alexander McQueen, this unit guides students through the analysis of a fashion collection, introducing them to the critical language and methodologies needed to evaluate fashion design and runway presentation. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. 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? 70s-inspired. Your email address will not be published. Reddit - Dive into anything 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. In fact, you should be putting lots of thought and development into protagonists because thats who the story is about.But how much thought have you given to your tertiary characters? A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger 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. 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. 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. Does your character need to hide? 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. 100 Words to Describe Clothes - grammarhow.com Good for the mobile knight. One does not refer to "a garb". As I write this, I am wearing jeans that are too big, a gray t-shirt I inherited from a former roommate, and a pilled hoodie from a lighting vendor that works with my friends husbands company. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? So Id say in films its more for cinematic effect and also for clarity so the viewer can see whos doing what. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. 1. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. 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. 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. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. Obviously clothing is extremely varied, especially dresses. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. As such, the contemporary tales that have followed, like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons and everything in between, have paid homage to that era. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. 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. - Convert future clothing to a historic version. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. 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. If there is one thing I hope you take from all of this, its that none of this is about describing what a character looks like. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? Improve this answer. 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. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. The tragedy of Azincourt, for example, occurred because of a poorly-chosen battleground that had flooded. - Diagonal lines: Diagonal lines aren't all that common in historic clothing and they usually only came in the form of neck lines, the edges of unbuttoned jackets or from large pieces of fabric being held up (think ancient Rome). Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. They should be doing that. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. (Huh.). You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? Describing clothing - Creative Writing Forums document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' In visual mediums like TV or comics, cool outfits are on-screen the whole time, and they're the first and most obvious impression you'll get of the character, so they have a big impact on how the character is perceived. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? 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. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. List of Medieval Clothing (91 terms!) - The Medieverse: Tim's Realistic 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. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. How to describe clothing in a story: Creating characters Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? Be specific and accurate. Looking for a word - prince's clothes - English Language Learners Stack Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. 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. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. 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. To make it futuristic you could change where the buttons are, they're normally quite low and form a v-neck line when buttoned up, how about moving them to the top and creating an upside down V shape at the bottom. 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. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. 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. 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. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. 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. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Well, mostly. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. Ill add it to my to do list . You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. 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: Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. Required fields are marked *. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. Press J to jump to the feed. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. - "Digital look". Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. 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. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. Excuse the on hold background music. Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. 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. Troubles with Clothing in Fantasy + Some Ideas - Brielle Andela Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? Read these tips on how (and why) to describe clothes with examples from well-known novels: 1: Use clothing to show status and position 2: Build (or thwart) character expectations with clothing descriptions 3: Describe clothing to contrast characters' personalities 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling 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.
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