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. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. 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. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. But they werent administrators. Casual. 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 would have been extremely warm too. Continued successes could see knights rise higher up the ranks. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. 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. Thanks Benjamin! As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. Your article is really great. Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. There's a few other elements to keep in mind as well, but in most cases it's best not to worry at all, let your imagination go wild and simply create and enjoy what you want to create. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. ), The geographical location of your story. 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. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. 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. Dont worry, thats not a trick question. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! They give you the chance to offer comic relief, a dash of wisdom, and just some good old fashioned friendship., Sidekick characters. The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. The more people that join this thriving group the better it becomes. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. 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. 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. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. But put me in a job interview wearing the same outfit, and youd probably start making new guesses about my intentions. Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. More on that in a bit. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? 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. I tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess. Theyll see it automatically. Sneak around? Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. Required fields are marked *. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. 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 thats the case wherever you go. Im writing a little in the Epic Fantasy genre and there were quite a few useful notes I wasnt aware of here. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. Another quick way of making standard clothing fantasy themed is by converting clothes form the relative future to one that could be created in whichever time period your universe falls under. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. (Find out more). Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. 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. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. 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. I tend to avoid describing clothing. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. Adorable. Thanks, Teresa, and for sharing that great example from the stage. 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? A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. One very important aspect of describing attire well is understanding why youre describing it in the first place. 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. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. Affordable . If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. 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. 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. Ill add it to my to do list . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. The novels protagonist Rodion gives Katerina the last of his money to host a funeral. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. Figurative language . In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. Play with the question of presentation and power! You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Really like your article. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. In a book, none of that is true. Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. If its 1st person you'll describe things from the POV of your character, and I find that that's different than if you're in, for example, 3rd person.