Some helmets had chain attached which hung around and protected the neck, called an aventail, and most were padded inside, for added comfort. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. 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. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. A pair of starched Wranglers. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. These are deep questions. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. For example, the corset wasn't popular until the 16th century and while earlier versions can be found incredibly early they weren't common place. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. All cultures have dress codes to some degree, some more so than others and some more stricter than others, but every culture has a range of styles that would be considered normal, 'out there' and unacceptable to most. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on 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. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. 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If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. A few easy changes are to make one side longer than the other, so basically creating a diagonal cut instead of the standard horizontal one. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. 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. If a knight fell from a horse, he could quite easily pick himself up, not stuck on the ground like a tortoise knocked on its shell. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. 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? Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. A scarlet pantsuit. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. Ill add it to my to do list . The image you create has to play a role in the narrative.Consider the character arc. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. But even regular elements can help with this. The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. In a fantasy setting, you may be trying to conjure up a certain feel right off the bat based on how you describe a character's clothing (and the words you use to describe them). Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. Whether its a beekeeping suit, climbing helmet, knee pads, or sun-protective fabric, what your character wears provides a clue about whats at stake in the coming scene. But it makes a good story. It really doesnt take much. Am I trying to blow the interview? It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. 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. 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. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. Pingback: The Life of the Medieval Lord - Richie Billing, Pingback: How To Create Your Very Own Living Breathing Fantasy World - Richie Billing, Pingback: Fantasy Races - The Ultimate Guide To Elves, Orcs and Dwarves | Richie Billing, Pingback: Killer Diseases of the Middle Ages | Richie Billing, Pingback: Medieval Cannons: The Essential Guide | Richie Billing, Pingback: On Writing: Fantasy Without Magic Of Metal and Magic Publishing, Pingback: The Lives Of Medieval Peasants - Richie Billing. Also, don't feel like you have to include every point I've made. 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. Because it actually is possible. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. If its 1st person you'll describe things from the POV of your character, and I find that that's different than if you're in, for example, 3rd person. Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. This one is simple, right? The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. 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. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. Characters wear more than just clothes. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. Chest plates had grand etchings. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. 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. They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. But thats the case wherever you go. 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. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. This is a fun one. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. 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. Sci-fi and fantasy don't necessarily have to be futuristic and historic respectively, but they're commonly associated as such, so for the sake of simplicity that's what I'm going with for the purposes of this guide. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. 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. 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 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. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. 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. Embarrassed by her own inability to dress in finery for the occasion (and by being upstaged), Katerina resorts to scathing mockery of Amalia. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. What matters more to them: fashion or function? And lets not forget the trusty steed. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. Stylish. If you look at popular works of fiction you'll find two trends, one is the simplistic and often tight-fit look and the other is the more over the top and extravagant look. Those outfits can become iconic. Youre not infodumping. As for showing with clothing rather than telling, a writer could say, He was lazy and inattentive to his appearance about a character, or they could say his clothes always looked like hed just pulled them out of a pile in some corner of his bedroom and had thrown them on without a glance in the mirror. 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. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt, A Guide To Writing Stories That Genuinely Helps, "Helped me land my first book deal" - Jack Shannon, Author, Get More Writing Support From Fellow Fantasy Writers, A complete guide to worldbuilding, with a template. - 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). Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. Select the most striking details and move on. But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. 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. Each suit was tailored to the individual. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. 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. 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. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. This is a heavy generalization of course and entirely based on Western culture of today, but these rules may not apply at all in a fictional universe, no matter if it's futuristic or based on a historic setting. But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. - Gadgets, hair styles and accessories. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. Continued successes could see knights rise higher up the ranks. The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. The tragedy of Azincourt, for example, occurred because of a poorly-chosen battleground that had flooded. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Mail was one of the first types of metal armor developed, arguably by the Celts, though other sources say its origins came from Eastern Europe. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. 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. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. Maybe a bit of both. Clothing tells your reader a lot about your characters goals and motivations within a given scenario. Dont worry, thats not a trick question. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. 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. - Mix cultures. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. As well see below, medieval armor developed through necessitypeople needed to protect themselves from those wicked blades and needle-sharp darts. Your article is really great. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? 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 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. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing. 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. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. 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. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? 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. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. - 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. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. (Has denim been invented yet? However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. - 'Stealth'. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. The shrewd king essentially licensed out parcels of his land as rewards to his warriors in exchange for their military service. 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. Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. Casual. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. So Id say in films its more for cinematic effect and also for clarity so the viewer can see whos doing what. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. Any suggestions on how to properly do this? Knights were, indeed, hard to defeat in battle. Is your character trying to attract positive attention? Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above.
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