Are they overalls or coveralls? 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. Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. In most cases simply copying the style of whichever era you've based your story on is enough, but it can be fun to create your own styles and in some cases it'd make sense to have your own styles as well. Great article. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. 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. Privacy Policy. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. - 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). 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. Sweaters or jumpers? Good for the mobile knight. In visual mediums like TV or comics, cool outfits are on-screen the whole time, and they're the first and most obvious impression you'll get of the character, so they have a big impact on how the character is perceived. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Ideas are forever being shared and discussed. 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. Required fields are marked *. Use the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. One of the first things I learned when I moved to L.A. is that writers do not dress professionally for big meetings in Hollywood. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. This is great! 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. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. Pfoo, the owl! The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. The time period of your story. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one 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. Leonidas in 300, for instance, almost certainly wore a helmet in the battle with the Persians! 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. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. In other words take what exists and apply it differently. How long do they need their clothes to last? That decorative belt? The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. This one is simple, right? If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. Affordable . But as the show moved forward the suit got more ragged the jacket was open, then gone, the shirt cuffs undone, half the buttons undone and I think by the end when he was on the cross the shirt was gone. Are the characters of your dystopian novel forced to make do with burlap and mud? Costume is a large part of a character. Send private message Achievements: Need help with clothing description in Fantasy #1 I'm writing a Fantasy Novel in the middle ages, filled with swords and magic However, I realize I have trouble trying to convey how the characters look, like what the nobles' attire, the bandit's armor. That said, once you describe how a person dresses you shouldn't really keep doing it unless it is relevant to the plot. Some helmets had chain attached which hung around and protected the neck, called an aventail, and most were padded inside, for added comfort. Theyll see it automatically. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. Love this topic!! 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. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. Really like your article. (Would people living in this area have access to leather goods? Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. 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. Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. Youre still not off the hook. 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. Or at least they know what century theyre in. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. The fact that Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. Be specific and accurate. Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. Read these tips on how (and why) to describe clothes with examples from well-known novels: 1: Use clothing to show status and position 2: Build (or thwart) character expectations with clothing descriptions 3: Describe clothing to contrast characters' personalities 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. 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. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. Each suit was tailored to the individual. 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. Consider this example from Hard Times. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. 2012 - It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. 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. Lets take a look at how clothing description indicates your characters identity, goals, and culture. In other words, research. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Knights were, indeed, hard to defeat in battle. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Compare this, then, to Dickens description of Gradgrinds wife in the following chapter (Gradgrinds wealthy but poverty-claiming friend has just told Mrs. Gradgrind he was born in a ditch): Mrs. Gradgrind, a little, thin, white, pink-eyed bundle of shawls, of surpassing feebleness, mental and bodily; who was always taking physic without any effect, and who, whenever she showed a symptom of coming to life, was invariably stunned by some weighty piece of fact tumbling on her; Mrs. Gradgrind hoped it was a dry ditch? Adorable. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. Now, for the feedbackit depends what POV you're writing in. Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. Is your character trying to attract positive attention? Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. Who's your rebel, and how does their clothing reflect their defiant spirit? Do not describe a character's clothing except as that point of view character would do so. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. Adding them with intention can help increase tension, make twists hit that much harder, and keep your reader engaged., How to Describe Clothing in Writing Without Boring Everybody, Tertiary Characters: Giving Your Background Players Life, Sidekicks: The Loyal Companion Your Hero Needs. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. 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. 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. It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. 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. If you tell your readers about Nanettes light pink cardigan and string of pearls, you dont have to say much about the shoes and skirt and silk blouse. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. That works. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. 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Baggy jeans. 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. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. 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). What matters more to them: fashion or function? Clothes that are suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Lots of gear would have been looted. 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. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. Like Borges would say, That was the theory. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. 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. The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. Thanks, Teresa, and for sharing that great example from the stage. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. Characters wear more than just clothes. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. 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. So Id say in films its more for cinematic effect and also for clarity so the viewer can see whos doing what. 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. 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? As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Casual. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. But they werent administrators. - Use nudity. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. 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. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. Ive always wondered that too! Think noble King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable. 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. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Try some colour. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. Here are five examples: 1. - 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. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. I tend to avoid describing clothing. How to describe clothing: 6 simple tips Use clothing to show status and position 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 The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. 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. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. Thank you for reading our blog! At least in most cases. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. 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? - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. But it provided an odd sense of security. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. Stylish. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. - As far as colors go they often seem to be either toned down or bright and happy (or even over the top), depending on the style. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. Now add a thick, layered scarf or attach a hood to this tunic and you're already well on your way to a customized look. 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? Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. Im writing a little in the Epic Fantasy genre and there were quite a few useful notes I wasnt aware of here. Also his mother was poor and anyone who knew that might wonder how he could afford such clothing so it hints at the actual story. And lets not forget the trusty steed. 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. So why not join the gang? Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. Advertisements. You dont need it to sign up. Your email address will not be published. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. Mail was lightweight and flexible. But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. Your email address will not be published. I tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. 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. Improve this answer. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. One does not refer to "a garb". Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? Every time we got separated in a public space, I discovered myself in a sea of mature women with the same haircut and pastel tops. 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. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. ), The geographical location of your story. This is mostly something to keep in mind when designing for characters living in the future, but it could work for alternative historic universes as well. 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. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. True, it all depends on your purpose. "He was wearing a spandex tank top" is an improvement from just mentioning that your character's wearing a shirt; but consider adding the element of color: "He was wearing a black-and-yellow-striped spandex tank top.".