But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. Dr. Urbino in Marquezs example above fits the latter category. Fancy dresses. 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. These are deep questions. 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. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. This is a fun one. Fashionable: Clothes representing a current style in fashion. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. Also, don't feel like you have to include every point I've made. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. (Would people living in this area have access to leather goods? This is further influenced/confirmed by the show Forged in Fire where the judges were a half step from putting their heads in their hands when a smith put his hot blade in water instead of oil to cool it down. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. 60s-inspired. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. In other words take what exists and apply it differently. 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. Well, mostly. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. 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. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? Like Dostoyevsky, think how something as small as a characters change of clothing can affecttheir own or others behaviour. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. Baggy. Which brings me to my next point. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. Mention the familiar swooshing of the neighbors tracksuit as he runs by the house every morning or how the aunts jacket always smells like cold air and pine needles. 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? How to Give Your Characters Style: Describing Clothing in Writing Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. How to Analyze a Fashion Collection - Bloomsbury Fashion Central What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? Another important function of clothing description in stories is to create an authentic sense of time and place. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. [Help] Coming up with Fantasy Outfits : r/fantasywriters - reddit Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Blend in? Fancy clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators Describing clothes : writing - reddit 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. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. Baggy jeans. Maybe your character heads out on the town wearing a daring leopard print jumpsuit, only to have their best friend immediately ask where they got the kitty costume.. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? 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. Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. 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. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Great points. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. How to Describe Clothing in a Story (with Examples) | Now Novel See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. - Christine, on How to describe clothing in a story (with examples), 8 story hook examples (how to grab attention), Story structure examples: How to create payoffs for readers, How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide), How to write deep POV: 8 tips and examples, 9 exposition examples: How to write clear introductions, How to make a plot captivating: 7 strategies, Writing great characters: 5 lessons from modern novels. Separate and enlarge it, turn down the Opacity of the layer . Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. That works. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. You dont need it to sign up. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. 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. This is great! New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. In this scene, Gradgrind returns home to find his children playing outside: A space of stunted grass and dry rubbish being between him and the young rabble, he took his eyeglass out of his waistcoat to look for any child he knew by name, and might order off. Or theyll be living off soda crackers and peanut butter for the next week because they drained their checking account for a suit to impress at their job interview. 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. 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. As well see below, one of the best things about using medieval armor in a fantasy story is the freedom to elevate it in some way. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. Are they overalls or coveralls? Now this won't work for every piece of clothing of course, not everything has buttons or edges that allow for simple changes we don't already use today, so here are a few ways that are commonly used to make things look more futuristic: One major element that makes creating more futuristic clothing easier is to make sure it doesn't look familiar, to make sure it doesn't look like something you'd come across today. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. Then this is their category. 100 Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs ideas | fantasy clothing The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. That decorative belt? Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. 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. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. - "Digital look". Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. Heres a cool video on making leather fantasy armor by YouTuber, Prince Armory. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Our characters are always (mostly!) 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. and our He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers.
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