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. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. How to design clothes with a sci-fi feel | Creative Bloq Advertisements. This pride, though justifiable, displeased Katerina Ivanovna for some reason. Does it Matter What Your Character Wears? - The Write Practice Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. A pair of starched Wranglers. Whether its a beekeeping suit, climbing helmet, knee pads, or sun-protective fabric, what your character wears provides a clue about whats at stake in the coming scene. For more information, please see our Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. That was the theory. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. and our I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. That also will help readers really experience things through their eyes. [Help] Coming up with Fantasy Outfits : r/fantasywriters - reddit If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. A knight, by definition, was a lord. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. 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. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. 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. 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. We have all sorts of headphone designs to reflect our clothing styles and just wearing or not wearing a headphone will completely change how a character is often perceived. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. 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. SHIRT AND PANTS | Fantasy-Writers.org That decorative belt? Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. 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. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. One of the first things I learned when I moved to L.A. is that writers do not dress professionally for big meetings in Hollywood. They give you the chance to offer comic relief, a dash of wisdom, and just some good old fashioned friendship., Sidekick characters. Ha-ha! So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. Our characters are always (mostly!) I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. 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. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. Because it actually is possible. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. But they werent administrators. 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? But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. Not a Dabble user? The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. A scarlet pantsuit. The geographical setting might suggest that your characters are expected to abide by strict rules for modesty or are celebrated for being wild and free. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. 50+ Fashion Terms: Fundamental Words Related to Style It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! Describing armor and clothing. : r/writing - reddit Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. 80s-inspired. But it makes a good story. Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. That works. 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. 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. Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. 70s-inspired. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. This one is simple, right? William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. 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. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. Those of us who dont get all jazzed about writing clothing descriptions often fail to consider that a good wardrobe has layers. Finally there's all the little things that can make an outfit look more futuristic. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. I used to be under the mindset that describing attire was boring and it was better to let the reader fill in those details but especially with the novel Im working on now, I have used clothing to portray more about their character. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. 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). Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. 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. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. Pfoo, the owl! The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. 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. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. But even regular elements can help with this. If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? 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. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Also, don't feel like you have to include every point I've made. It's what we're slowly doing today. But it provided an odd sense of security. Thanks Benjamin! Fancy dresses. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. 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. Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. 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. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. 60s-inspired. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. 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. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. 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. 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. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing.