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. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). 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. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. A knight, by definition, was a lord. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. 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. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. Dostoyevsky describes how Katerinas landlady, Amalia Ivanovna, dresses for the funeral: the table was properly laid at the time and fixed, and Amalia Ivanovna, feeling she had done her work well, had put on a black silk dress and a cap with new mourning ribbons and met the returning party with some pride. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. 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. Ha-ha! Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. 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. (Find out more). By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. Non-visual senses are big, too. Lets talk about how to use clothing description as a storytelling tool, how to dress your character for their personality and setting, and how to make clothes interesting to anyone. Affordable . 1. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? 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. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. 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. 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. Reeking of piss on the battlefield was another weapon in the arsenal I suppose. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. They should be doing that. A simple t-shirt could be cut diagonally in the front, give both shoulder parts a different style from the arms, elongate one side and so on. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. True, it all depends on your purpose. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. The front part of helmets, or the visors, were there to raise or open so the wearer could breathe during taxing hand-to-hand combat or scan around the battlefield. 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. They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. 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Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. Stylish. - Change lengths. 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. It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. 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. Other elements you could include are mood-based changes (exists today), clothing that uses lights or glowing elements (exists today), clothing that can be repaired or changed on the go (exists today), smart technology woven into the fabric of clothing (exists today), changing colors (think chameleons) whenever you feel like it (exists today, kind of). But it makes a good story. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. Odds are, youve got a character who dresses to stay alive. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. - 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. Maybe a bit of both. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. A scarlet pantsuit. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Would the fashion designers in your fantasy novel make use of dragon scales? Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. Then this is their category. 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. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? It can genuinely be tough to come up with cool ideas for epic fantasy armor without drifting back to things that weve seen in the likes of Dungeons and Dragons, The Elder Scrolls and movies like Lord of the Rings. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. However, you can show and imply a characters intention without spelling it out: Theyd agreed to meet downtown at six. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. Chest plates had grand etchings. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. is because we get stuck on what things look like. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! You dont need it to sign up. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Arisa Nightingale's board "Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs", followed by 456 people on Pinterest. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. - Convert future clothing to a historic version. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. Lots of gear would have been looted. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. And if you dont write historical fiction? Our characters are always (mostly!) Try some colour. 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. But put me in a job interview wearing the same outfit, and youd probably start making new guesses about my intentions. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. Use the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. If you stopped to think about it, you may even notice yourself imagining things as specific as age, hobbies, and ambitions. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. 70s-inspired. But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. Good for the mobile knight. Do all your characters embrace it? Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. That also will help readers really experience things through their eyes. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. Blunt, Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. 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. 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. - Mix cultures. The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. When describing clothing in writing, consider: You can also use this aspect of clothing description to paint a vivid picture of the world you imagined. Theyll see it automatically. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. It makes for a more entertaining read. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. - 'Stealth'. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? Your article is really great. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. Just click the button below to find out more. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? 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. 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. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. Those outfits can become iconic. Not to mention the social status of a person. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. 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. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail.