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. 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. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. But you may run into difficulties when it comes to the practicalities. Our characters are always (mostly!) Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? 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. 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. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. For more information, please see our Even things like tattoos, hair colors, eye colors and so on can help with this. These are usually a little trickier to do well as they can look familiar quickly, but it's a usually a good element to have at your disposal. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. Now, for the feedbackit depends what POV you're writing in. Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. We even have the technology to create clothing without seems. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. Thus his plain dress is, ironically, indicative of higher status. Chest plates had grand etchings. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. But it makes a good story. 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. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. Not really. The unsung hero of so many stories. A jacket or coat of mail was usually worn with a hood, or coif, of the same material to protect the head and neck. Its a bit OCD of me. Figurative language . The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. If there is one thing I hope you take from all of this, its that none of this is about describing what a character looks like. - 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. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. Although such armor exists in fantasy worlds, its important to understand how things work in the real world, even at a basic level. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Dostoyevsky describes how Katerinas landlady, Amalia Ivanovna, dresses for the funeral: the table was properly laid at the time and fixed, and Amalia Ivanovna, feeling she had done her work well, had put on a black silk dress and a cap with new mourning ribbons and met the returning party with some pride. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. 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. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. 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. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. Or is it really important for a reader to know the specific pattern? These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. - Geometry. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. The time period of your story. It may be apocryphal, but Harold Godwinson is said to have done just that at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. These are deep questions. It was my understanding that they quenched in oil, not water. Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. Jeans and a tee it was. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. 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Im writing a little in the Epic Fantasy genre and there were quite a few useful notes I wasnt aware of here. 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. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. It's what we're slowly doing today. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. Well, mostly. Your email address will not be published. Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. What are the rules of your characters world? 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. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. 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. Sweaters or jumpers? With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? 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. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. They should be doing that. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. 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. Thanks, Sana. Well 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. 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. 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. So have fun with that. for any particular parts of an outfit. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? Its okay if Todds checks his designer watch three pages after you mention his silk tie. 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. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. If you stopped to think about it, you may even notice yourself imagining things as specific as age, hobbies, and ambitions. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. 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. Do all your characters embrace it? The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. One does not refer to "a garb". or the world theyre desperately resisting. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces.

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