clothed and we should definitely be using them to portray our characters personalities. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. Great idea. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. Ideas are forever being shared and discussed. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. 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. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. 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. 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. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. We all love a character with a cool set of fantasy armor: the baresark Rek from David Gemmells Legend with his enchanted coat of bronze, or Tomas from Raymond Feists Riftwar Cycle with his gleaming white dragon plate which gifted him incredible power. 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? Excuse the on hold background music. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. A jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. One does not refer to "a garb". (Cough-cough-cough.) When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. And lets not forget the trusty steed. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. Have fun with it. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. 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. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. 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. You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. Does your character need to hide? By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. Metallic works well too, but make sure any metal bits or metallic looking bits are smooth and clean looking too, otherwise it might look too historic. Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. Your email address will not be published. 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. In other words, research. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. Blunt, Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? As I write this, I am wearing jeans that are too big, a gray t-shirt I inherited from a former roommate, and a pilled hoodie from a lighting vendor that works with my friends husbands company. Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. Creating new clothing styles for fictional worlds can be a daunting task, there's just so much out there already and so many elements to play around with to create a fun and unique style, no matter whether the art form is visual or not. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. Casual. - Change lengths. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Those of us who dont get all jazzed about writing clothing descriptions often fail to consider that a good wardrobe has layers. The landladys dress highlights, by contrast, the downward spiral of Katerinas fortunes, and she responds to the landladys prideful clothing with her own wounded pride: Look at her, shes making round eyes, she feels that we are talking about her and cant understand. - Gadgets, hair styles and accessories. Its a good time. Its a bit OCD of me. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. 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. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. 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. 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. Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. In both of these it was mostly the rich who had the extravagant clothing, which brings back the earlier point of how culture influences what a character might wear. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. The first time I joined my family for our biannual Minnesota fishing trip after moving to L.A. from the Midwest, I found myself constantly losing my aunt and mother. My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. 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. Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. I love to wear baggy trousers in summer. 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. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. - Mix cultures. 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. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. Press J to jump to the feed. But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. 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. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. Theyll see it automatically. Consider this example from Hard Times. Is this purely for cinematic effect or would some leaders remove their helmets to show their faces to their soldiers? 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Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. Adorable. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. 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. If you stopped to think about it, you may even notice yourself imagining things as specific as age, hobbies, and ambitions. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns.

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