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. The tragedy of Azincourt, for example, occurred because of a poorly-chosen battleground that had flooded. What matters more to them: fashion or function? 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. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. Showing what your characters are wearing can be a great way to show your readers what they might be up to that day without having to actually narrate anything. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. 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. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. Love this topic!! A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. - Furs and other animal parts: A quick and obvious way of making something look more fantasy-themed is by simply adding elements of fantasy creatures. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. 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. Be specific and accurate. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. 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? 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Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. 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. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? Not to mention the social status of a person. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. A velvet scrunchie. 60s-inspired. Any suggestions on how to properly do this? Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. Non-visual senses are big, too. Good for the mobile knight. It's what we're slowly doing today. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. Thanks, Sana. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. 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.. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Other clothing pieces could be various types of hats and scarves, (trench) coats and even something as simple as pockets or buttons used for fastening rather than as decoration to name just a few. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. Which is to say, if you write from the point of view of a character who thinks of clothing only in terms of the simplest descriptors, that's just fine. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. Mail was lightweight and flexible. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. 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: What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. Not a Dabble user? And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. I love the way clothes can describe a character. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. 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. 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). The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. Like Dostoyevsky, think how something as small as a characters change of clothing can affecttheir own or others behaviour. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. 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. 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. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. Fashion photographer Bill Cunningham said, Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. Try applying this philosophy to clothing descriptions in your writing and see what happens. Great idea. But they werent administrators. Are they overalls or coveralls? Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). 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. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. Clothing tells your reader a lot about your characters goals and motivations within a given scenario. Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. 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. It took a while to get ready, with the help of somebody else needed, usually squires, who began with the feet and worked up from there. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. Plain: Ordinary clothes of one color like gray, beige, or black. The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. Maybe a bit of both. Normally I dont dress characters with such complex clothing that takes more than a few sentences to describe but the vest was inspired by a picture I saw and it took at least a paragraph to describe. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. But thats the case wherever you go. If you stopped to think about it, you may even notice yourself imagining things as specific as age, hobbies, and ambitions. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. 04. Figurative language . Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. Ha-ha! This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). - Mix cultures. I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. 1. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. 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. Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. An owl, a real owl! So why not join the gang? But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. 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. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. Press J to jump to the feed. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? That was the theory. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. 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. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. 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. 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. Community . Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. Excuse the on hold background music. Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. It really doesnt take much. Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. and our Now, for the feedbackit depends what POV you're writing in. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. Youre still not off the hook. As soon as the actor enters stage right or left, we have an inkling of whether theyre a wealthy landowner or peasant, an elegant heiress or humble flower-seller. The more people that join this thriving group the better it becomes. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. And lets not forget the trusty steed. (Would people living in this area have access to leather goods? This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. Sweaters or jumpers? Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. The shrewd king essentially licensed out parcels of his land as rewards to his warriors in exchange for their military service. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? 70s-inspired. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. In other words, research. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! Its a good time. Allrightsreserved, create an authentic sense of time and place, Use fashion and clothing history archives, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg, 1: Use clothing to show status and position, 2: Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, 3: Describe clothing to contrastcharacters personalities, 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, 5: Change characters clothing to highlight character development, 6: Use clothing details to recreate authentic setting, Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, Describe clothing to contrast character personalities, Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, Change clothing to highlight character development, Use clothing details to create authentic setting. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. That works. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. 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? Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Not really. You can also check out some of my other guides too, like: If you have any questions about this guide on fantasy armor, please get in touch. Thank you for reading our blog! s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? 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. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. Well, mostly. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. ), The geographical location of your story. The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. Then this is their category. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. clothed and we should definitely be using them to portray our characters personalities. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. (Find out more). The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? 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. 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. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. Lets take a look at some ways you can develop those unique ideas: In this section, well take a look at some cool pieces of knight armor in fantasy that people have designed over the years, to give you even more inspiration for your own designs. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. His writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. I tend to avoid describing clothing. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. Baggy jeans. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. The fact that The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not.
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