). If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. Also bear in mind that not all clothing descriptions have to be presented as She put on x or He was wearing y. You can draw your readers attention to an item of clothing by having your character draw on their jeans or fiddle with their collar. And as a reader, nothing bores me like an entire paragraph of detailed clothing description. Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight 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. Pfoo, the owl! So we've covered ways to make clothing look both futuristic and historic, but these are all just guidelines and mostly based on what's been done before. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. - Geometry. - Use nudity. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. (Would people living in this area have access to leather goods? Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? You walk down the usual street and suddenly some old memory hits you. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. stylish, expensive clothing, yet not specific to a certain time or place. For a bigger image, just click on the link above. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. 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. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. 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. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. 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. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. Some helmets had chain attached which hung around and protected the neck, called an aventail, and most were padded inside, for added comfort. It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) This is great! Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. - 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. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. Impress someone with my indifference? Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. They're the ones who are always there to lend a helping hand, crack a joke, or provide some much-needed emotional relief.And let's be real, sometimes they dont go unsung. But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. ^.^ Chest plates had grand etchings. In this section, Ive included some more guides on creating fantasy armor designs that you may find useful. Improve this answer. Those of us who dont get all jazzed about writing clothing descriptions often fail to consider that a good wardrobe has layers. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Like all forms of exposition, your goal is to deliver this information without pulling the reader out of the story. 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. Community . If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. Blend in? I second the idea of describing the reactions of the characters to the city. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. That was the theory. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. That works. [Find more articles on character description in our complete guide to character creation.]. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. 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. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. 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. Its a bit OCD of me. The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. And ninety-nine percent of the clothing descriptions in your first draft are just jeans. I get it. (Has denim been invented yet? But let's take a step back and look at what kind of clothing is usually associated with futuristic settings. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. I mean what your character wears provides a clue to how they see themselves, how they want to be seen, and even how others see them. Let your mind fill in the details, always checking back in with your adjectives to make sure the concept is moving in the right direction. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. Your articles are always very informative. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Then this is their category. To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. 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. Not to pile on, but dont forget to make sure you know which materials wereand werentavailable in the world of your novel. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. A vintage polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. 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. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. Clothing tells your reader a lot about your characters goals and motivations within a given scenario. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. 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? 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. 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. 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. Have fun with it. Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. Lets take a look at how clothing description indicates your characters identity, goals, and culture. How do they change, and how does their clothing reflect that change? I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. 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. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. But it makes a good story. Obviously clothing is extremely varied, especially dresses. Ha-ha! Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. If your protagonist is donning a tri-cornered hat, loosening a corset, or strutting through town in a new toga, your reader has a good sense of time period. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! 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. Jeans and a tee it was. But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. Really like your article. These elements are very important when taking into account the previous point. Play with the question of presentation and power! It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Select the most striking details and move on. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. 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. But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. The front part of helmets, or the visors, were there to raise or open so the wearer could breathe during taxing hand-to-hand combat or scan around the battlefield. I tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. A knight, by definition, was a lord. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? 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. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. Get an image of a blank shirt and simply draw the lines on it, it'll form a great base to work with. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Sneak around? Sweaters or jumpers? 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. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. You can continue to alter it to add cultural elements, like the previously mentioned elvish elements or you could stick with this and keep it simple. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. They can be important too.If you want to breathe life into your stories, it's time to give tertiary characters a little love. 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. Would the fashion designers in your fantasy novel make use of dragon scales? In other words take what exists and apply it differently. A jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. As such, the contemporary tales that have followed, like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons and everything in between, have paid homage to that era. The easy way to describe the setting is when the characters interact with it, e.g. 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. Am I trying to blow the interview? Not a Dabble user? I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. Nylon and polyester fabrics weren't invented until almost the mid 20th century for example. Thanks Benjamin! These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. Note that with the camouflage patterns it's best to use this style, but make them less randomized to avoid the military look, unless that's what you're going for of course. The geographical setting might suggest that your characters are expected to abide by strict rules for modesty or are celebrated for being wild and free. 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. Thanks Chuck! In a book, none of that is true. It can genuinely be tough to come up with cool ideas for epic fantasy armor without drifting back to things that weve seen in the likes of Dungeons and Dragons, The Elder Scrolls and movies like Lord of the Rings. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. - 'Stealth'. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. 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. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. This usually involves dresses from some time pre-renaissance and a tunic or shirt paired with trousers for men and women who are doing warrior stuff. The fact that Youre still not off the hook. I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. Just click the button below to find out more. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. Meanwhile, the character who works two jobs while going to school full-time might scour the Goodwill rack for a designer tag to help them fit in at the same party. 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. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. Otherwise they wont take you seriously as an artist.. 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: Earlier I mentioned how it's important to try and keep a feel of unfamiliarity to futuristic clothing. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Well come to this below. There is simply more characterization, not only of Gem but the other characters, too. They should be doing that. Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. The image you create has to play a role in the narrative.Consider the character arc. Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. What matters more to them: fashion or function? Trendy: Modern, fashionable, and up-to-date outfits. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. 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. ), The geographical location of your story. One thing Ive always wondered is if someone wearing plate could fall down just right in a muddy battlefield, and get stuck there in the same way a large flat rock gets stuck laying in mud. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. Hello, I am attempting to write my first fantasy novel (and my first novel), and I'm having difficulty visualizing what kind of clothes my characters should be wearing. But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. 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. In Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Love in the Time of Cholera (1985), we learn of a doctors status through his being the only person at an event who is not smartly dressed: Although it was not customary for invitations to request special attire, least of all for a luncheon in the country, the women wore evening gowns and precious jewels and most of the men were dressed in dinner jackets with black ties, and some even wore frock coats. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. 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. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? But they werent administrators. The landladys dress highlights, by contrast, the downward spiral of Katerinas fortunes, and she responds to the landladys prideful clothing with her own wounded pride: Look at her, shes making round eyes, she feels that we are talking about her and cant understand. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. 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. 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? Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. The last minute change suggests an indecisive nature. Allrightsreserved, create an authentic sense of time and place, Use fashion and clothing history archives, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg, 1: Use clothing to show status and position, 2: Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, 3: Describe clothing to contrastcharacters personalities, 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, 5: Change characters clothing to highlight character development, 6: Use clothing details to recreate authentic setting, 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.