For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. Here are five examples: 1. Conveniently, a lot of high status positions come with outfits or accessories that telegraph a persons position in the hierarchy. Designing fantasy armor for your characters can be an awful lot of fun. Sweaters or jumpers? Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. This one is simple, right? I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. - Taboos and nudity. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Using a squared, pixelated look or circuitry patterns usually works great too, which can even be combined with layered clothing to create the circuitry feel. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. Creative Words to Describe Outfit & Clothing - INK Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. 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. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. 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. 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. 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. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. In other words take what exists and apply it differently. This pride, though justifiable, displeased Katerina Ivanovna for some reason. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Military service was always well-rewarded and violence applauded. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? - Use nudity. Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. 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 . To illustrate this in a way we did with the futuristic shirt example let's take a standard medieval tunic and turn it into a fantasy-themed version. It would have been extremely warm too. Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. What your character wears reveals where they come from, how they rank in society, how they want to be perceived, and even how they feel about themselves. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. Ragged clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. I tend to avoid describing clothing. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. True, it all depends on your purpose. Share. - 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). s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. So Id say in films its more for cinematic effect and also for clarity so the viewer can see whos doing what. 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. Your trust fund character might be completely confident showing up to a party in board shorts and flip-flops. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Cookie Notice 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. That works. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. 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. Dont worry, thats not a trick question. You can keep track of your characters signature style, upload photos, note how their style evolves, and keep these ideas right at your fingertips as you write. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. Youre already obsessing over hat styles and what the undergarment situation was at the time of your story. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. 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 the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. Youre still not off the hook. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts 04. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? Thanks, Teresa, and for sharing that great example from the stage. Blend in? Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. 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? Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. Describing clothes? : r/writing - reddit They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. 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. With these two changes alone you already have an item that didn't exist in medieval times, but is familiar enough to work in a fantasy setting. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. Instead of saying, for example I saw that the station gate was coming down and the last train was about to leave, you could say The station gate is already screeching closed. For example, if a character is going on a date, you could write: Gem wanted to look sexy for her date downtown (but not easy), so she changed into more comfortable clothes. Black and white usually does the trick as well. [Help] Coming up with Fantasy Outfits : r/fantasywriters - reddit Select the most striking details and move on. 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. And when Mother Nature gets involved, even the best suit of armor can have problems. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? 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. 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. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. 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. 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. And of course, location provides a clue for what it takes to be comfortable in the world of your story. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. 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. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? One does not refer to "a garb". Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. At least in most cases. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? Excuse the on hold background music. But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. 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. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. 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. Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. In this section, Ive included some more guides on creating fantasy armor designs that you may find useful. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! and our That was the theory. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. Your articles are always very informative. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. I love the way clothes can describe a character. ^.^ Great article. Its a bit OCD of me. To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. or the world theyre desperately resisting. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. 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. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? Think of other interesting combinations: A teacher who dresses provocatively; a beggar with an innate sense of style. These aren't the only elements either, pretty much every part of clothing changes with the times and depend heavily upon what's fashionable at the time. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. How long do they need their clothes to last? A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. 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. The good news is that attire is not only important, its also kind of fun when you start digging into it. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure.
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