Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. 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. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. Thanks Chuck! Theyre just too important defensively. There is simply more characterization, not only of Gem but the other characters, too. - Mix cultures. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Community . That works. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. 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. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. Lots of gear would have been looted. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Black and white usually does the trick as well. I love to wear baggy trousers in summer. 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. Am I trying to blow the interview? The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Consider this example from Hard Times. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. Press J to jump to the feed. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. The novels protagonist Rodion gives Katerina the last of his money to host a funeral. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. 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. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. 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. Are they overalls or coveralls? And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Required fields are marked *. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. Ha-ha! - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Try some colour. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. 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. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. 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. As for showing with clothing rather than telling, a writer could say, He was lazy and inattentive to his appearance about a character, or they could say his clothes always looked like hed just pulled them out of a pile in some corner of his bedroom and had thrown them on without a glance in the mirror. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. Leonidas in 300, for instance, almost certainly wore a helmet in the battle with the Persians! It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. 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? Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. That also will help readers really experience things through their eyes. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. Improving Google Rankings With Keywords And Content, Tips On How To Make An Essay More Engaging, A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing, A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing, The Life of the Medieval Lord - Richie Billing, How To Create Your Very Own Living Breathing Fantasy World - Richie Billing, Fantasy Races - The Ultimate Guide To Elves, Orcs and Dwarves | Richie Billing, Killer Diseases of the Middle Ages | Richie Billing, Medieval Cannons: The Essential Guide | Richie Billing, On Writing: Fantasy Without Magic Of Metal and Magic Publishing, The Lives Of Medieval Peasants - Richie Billing, Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Great Examples Of The 5 Senses In Writing, 5 Mistakes Men Can Make Writing Women Characters, The Power of Words: Essay Writing Techniques, Mastering Body Language With Former FBI Agent Joe Navarro, A Lawyer's Perspective On Writing Fantasy, Do you want to grow your mailing list, check out. 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. As far as guidelines go this is the first to be broken though, consider this one more of a starting point rather than something to necessarily end on. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? 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. Do all your characters embrace it? Have fun with it. - Taboos and nudity. Your articles are always very informative. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. 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. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. 70s-inspired. A pair of starched Wranglers. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. 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. But it provided an odd sense of security. All of these advancements will become more and more common as time goes on, so it'd make sense for them to be part of our clothing in the future. 1. 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. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. Cookie Notice Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. Great article. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. 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. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. It's what we're slowly doing today. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. Like Borges would say, Mail was lightweight and flexible. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. - Christine, on How to describe clothing in a story (with examples), 8 story hook examples (how to grab attention), Story structure examples: How to create payoffs for readers, How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide), How to write deep POV: 8 tips and examples, 9 exposition examples: How to write clear introductions, How to make a plot captivating: 7 strategies, Writing great characters: 5 lessons from modern novels. 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. is because we get stuck on what things look like. 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 the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. 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. - Geometry. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. Beyond medieval Europe, you have the Far East, the Romans, Viking Before you know it youll have designed a full set of fantasy roman or viking armor. But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. Excuse the on hold background music. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. Here are some classic characteristics you can draw out through clothing description. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. A scarlet pantsuit. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. 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. In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. Baggy jeans. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. For example, fur usually wasn't used as a piece of decoration for clothing and if used at all was often worn around the neck and shoulders or underneath other (often hide) clothing to keep warm. I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. That would depend on a few things. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. - 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). One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. The unsung hero of so many stories. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. 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. So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. Not a Dabble user? or the world theyre desperately resisting. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. (Huh.). 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. Jeans and a tee it was. 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. 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. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: 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. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? In other words take what exists and apply it differently. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. Very informative. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft. 60s-inspired. 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. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. 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. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. It really doesnt take much. We already have spray on clothing technology. 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. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. A man's padded undercoat worn under a doublet and over a shirt; a woman's (often padded) under-tunic or the skirt of her riding habit. Its a good time. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. 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. And lets not forget the trusty steed. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. 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? Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! 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. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. What are the rules of your characters world? Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. (Find out more). Our characters are always (mostly!) And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. The changes and improvements made by technology will often create new trends or alter old ones to the point you may as well consider them a new one, so depending on the technology available in your fictional universe you may wish to create a completely new trend. 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. This pride, though justifiable, displeased Katerina Ivanovna for some reason. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. 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. Thanks, Sana. 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. Your email address will not be published. Privacy Policy. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. Fashionable: Clothes representing a current style in fashion. 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. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. Its a bit OCD of me. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. 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. Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. 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 . Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board.