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. Struggling with describing clothes for a fantasy setting. : r/DnD - reddit 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. Describing armor and clothing. : r/writing - reddit Very informative. 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. 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. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. In some cases because they simply didn't have the technology for it, in others because it was too expensive and/or time consuming for the average person. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. 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. This article has compiled 100 different words you can use to describe clothes, and below the main list of 100 words we've explained our reasoning for a lot of the top picks from that very list, for your personal enjoyment. for any particular parts of an outfit. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. Nudity was often either a complete taboo or just common place in many cultures throughout history, so by changing these taboos (and others) you immediately create a fictional piece. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. Reddit - Dive into anything Just click the button below to find out more. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! 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. Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. 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. Maybe a bit of both. is because we get stuck on what things look like. Characters wear more than just clothes. 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. 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. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. Lets take a look at how clothing description indicates your characters identity, goals, and culture. Great points. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. Perhaps its because the genre was born out of stories that emerged from the Middle Ages like Beowulf and King Arthur (around the 10th-11th century). Adorable. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. How to Give Your Characters Style: Describing Clothing in Writing This includes things like a pilots uniform, a tiara, or a Pink Ladies jacket. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. 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. 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. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. How do you describe this dress - Writing Forums Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? I love the way clothes can describe a character. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. 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. Impress someone with my indifference? Thank you for sharing this valuable information. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. Lots of gear would have been looted. Which brings me to my next point. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: 2012 - Odds are, youve got a character who dresses to stay alive. - 'Stealth'. How to describe clothing in a story: Creating characters Sneak around? Because it actually is possible. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. 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. Blunt, Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. For instance, if I'm reading a story and the narrative mentions jeans right off, I'm thinking mid twentieth century or later (while dungarees would be late nineteenth . Try some colour. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? Or at least they know what century theyre in. Separate and enlarge it, turn down the Opacity of the layer . That was the theory. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. How to Describe Clothing in Writing Without Boring Everybody In my case my character is new in town and this description of clothing doesnt come until hes getting ready for the party in chapter 4 and its in the context of getting dressed, there are reasons behind it, the party is a very big deal for him getting his foot in the door with other teens in town and he wants to be impressive or maybe wants lot of attention with all the sparklies. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? Those outfits can become iconic. 100 Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs ideas | fantasy clothing Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Clothing in fantasy novel | Absolute Write Water Cooler Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. It would have been extremely warm too. When shes not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that. List of Medieval Clothing (91 terms!) - The Medieverse: Tim's Realistic There is simply more characterization, not only of Gem but the other characters, too. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. and our I tend to avoid describing clothing. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. This is less important for non-visual arts as clothing isn't always described in writing, but it can still be incredibly helpful to have a fully detailed character in your head or written down somewhere for reference and just to make everything feel more real and alive. Great article. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). Non-visual senses are big, too. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? Mail was lightweight and flexible. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. Well, mostly. True, it all depends on your purpose. Heres how to describe clothing in writing to show your readers the world to which your character belongs. However, you can show and imply a characters intention without spelling it out: Theyd agreed to meet downtown at six. - Taboos and nudity. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. They should be doing that. 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. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. Its a good time. Fully geared up, you were a walking fortress. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. 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. Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. In reality, a medieval lord could pretty much do what they liked. Looking for a word - prince's clothes - English Language Learners Stack Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. 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. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. 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.