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These elements are very important when taking into account the previous point. 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. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. In the historical fiction books Ive read, none of the heroes took off their helmets unless they were knocked off, or bashed in. Stylish. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: 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. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns. See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. Am I trying to blow the interview? Fashion trends come and go and they often return later, albeit in a slightly different form. Further reading How To Write Fight Scenes. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. Well, mostly. Sweaters or jumpers? 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. You may have seen steelworkers doing this after forging the likes of blades and horseshoes. Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. 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. Or else that she feels shamed by her Aunt and thus decides to be good. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. 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. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. Ready to sketch vivid characters for your novel? But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. I tend to avoid describing clothing. 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. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? Thanks Chuck! It's part of culture, so it's definitely something to keep in mind since your fictional universes will have some form of culture as well. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. Beyond medieval Europe, you have the Far East, the Romans, Viking Before you know it youll have designed a full set of fantasy roman or viking armor. - 'Stealth'. Knights were, indeed, hard to defeat in battle. Using the work of Alexander McQueen, this unit guides students through the analysis of a fashion collection, introducing them to the critical language and methodologies needed to evaluate fashion design and runway presentation. Its a bit OCD of me. Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. Mantel creates a vivid sense of the wealth that the church amassed in these times. For more information, please see our - 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). Baggy jeans. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict. Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. What is a good way to do Show not tell in a first person POV state? Be specific and accurate. Instead of a nobleman being described as wearing red silk slippers, parachute pants, a bejeweled cloth belt, a flowing blouse and an ascot; you can simply describe him as wear very fancy and extravagant clothing befitting his high status in society. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. I like the way you wrote this information. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. Both can lose clout simply by the way their peers respond to their wardrobe choices. I second the idea of describing the reactions of the characters to the city. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! Clothing tells your reader a lot about your characters goals and motivations within a given scenario. Vision in such helmets was extremely limited, but this was the cost of added protection. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. What matters more to them: fashion or function? All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. 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 final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. If all else fails use Google images and find some visual aids and inspiration sources, they can work wonders. Our wardrobes are influenced by our age, geography, culture, hobbies, and a million other aspects of our worlds. I'm sort of into historical armor so would get a kick out of finding an excuse to talk about vambraces/rerebraces, spaulders, etc. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. That also will help readers really experience things through their eyes. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. Here, for example, Hilary Mantel describes a Cardinals residence being plundered by the Kings men in 1529 England, in her historical novel Wolf Hall. The more people that join this thriving group the better it becomes. 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. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. Do they strive to be humble before their god or do they want to spend this one and only life as their bold, ostentatious selves? Advertisements. Stockings, long gloves, scarves or separate layers of clothing make a huge difference. They should be doing that. These images all go a lot further than white socks, green dress, and most of them dont require a lot of extra words. Required fields are marked *. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. Privacy Policy. Perhaps its because the genre was born out of stories that emerged from the Middle Ages like Beowulf and King Arthur (around the 10th-11th century). 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. is because we get stuck on what things look like. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. Each suit was tailored to the individual. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. Scarves as we know them today weren't really a thing in the middle ages (they were way different) and hoods pretty much came in the form of chaperons and liripipes (Google for reference if needed), not as part of a piece of clothing. Cookie Notice Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. 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. Youre still not off the hook. Read these tips on how (and why) to describe clothes with examples from well-known novels: 1: Use clothing to show status and position 2: Build (or thwart) character expectations with clothing descriptions 3: Describe clothing to contrast characters' personalities 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling for any particular parts of an outfit. But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. That was the theory. Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. You dont need it to sign up. Like say a vest with mirrored sequins and rhinestones, but they all go in a pattern and you feel the need to describe the pattern line by line? Fancy dresses. But thats the case wherever you go. I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. There is simply more characterization, not only of Gem but the other characters, too. (Would people living in this area have access to leather goods? They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. Your article is really great. Jeans and a tee it was. 70s-inspired. I love the way clothes can describe a character. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. - Gadgets, hair styles and accessories. (Has denim been invented yet? Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? 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. Look how she sits with her mouth open! But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. In other words, research. Adding these other bits of lesser-known fantasy armor to your stories can really add extra depth to your worldbuilding. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. 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. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. And here are some great concepts for female fantasy armor. Make them earn any sightof skin, Aunt P always said. Our characters are always (mostly!) 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. 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 looked something like this: One of the main defensive strengths of plated armor came from its curved design, which deflected both blades and arrows. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. Would the fashion designers in your fantasy novel make use of dragon scales? The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. Creating new clothing styles for fictional worlds can be a daunting task, there's just so much out there already and so many elements to play around with to create a fun and unique style, no matter whether the art form is visual or not. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. The tragedy of Azincourt, for example, occurred because of a poorly-chosen battleground that had flooded. They mixed more traditional Asian styles with the more Western Industrial Revolution period styles. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. That decorative belt? Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. It took a while to get ready, with the help of somebody else needed, usually squires, who began with the feet and worked up from there. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. - Geometry. A velvet scrunchie. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. This one is simple, right? 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. This article was very helpfulcan you post some examples of showing versus telling when describing clothing? Ideas are forever being shared and discussed. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. Select the most striking details and move on. Each lesson breaks down the analysis of one component of a fashion collection, progressing from a consideration of the designer's technique and influences to the . 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. Not quite. I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? - "Digital look". Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. And what does she put that cap on for? Really like your article. Can you imagine tweaking this to make your own set of fantasy armor? You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. 60s-inspired. 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. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. 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 Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? There are some elements which are common among most works of fiction when it comes to clothing, with these elements in mind it becomes a lot easier to turn the clothing we wear today or wore throughout history into a futuristic or more fantasy oriented equivalent. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help you create fuller, richer character portraits. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. 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. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. It makes for a more entertaining read. Obviously clothing is extremely varied, especially dresses. But it provided an odd sense of security. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. Here are a few different types: We mentioned gambesons above. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. 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. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. Stylish: Elegant and sophisticated clothing to grab attention. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. Excuse the on hold background music. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. Like Borges would say, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. - Break up clothing into more separate pieces and give them their own styles. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. A scarlet pantsuit. Pfoo, the owl! 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. A simple t-shirt could be cut diagonally in the front, give both shoulder parts a different style from the arms, elongate one side and so on. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. 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 other words take what exists and apply it differently. True, it all depends on your purpose. It really doesnt take much. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. 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. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. I tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess. Figurative language . Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Arisa Nightingale's board "Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs", followed by 456 people on Pinterest. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? He is old but stylish. Some wore a trapper a covering of full chain mailand down the line, some horses even had their own plated armor. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. This idea of knights becoming lords was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. Your articles are always very informative. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). Other elements you could include are mood-based changes (exists today), clothing that uses lights or glowing elements (exists today), clothing that can be repaired or changed on the go (exists today), smart technology woven into the fabric of clothing (exists today), changing colors (think chameleons) whenever you feel like it (exists today, kind of). Thanks, Teresa, and for sharing that great example from the stage. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. How does their attire reflect what they want, what they fear, or where theyre going? I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. 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. For a bigger image, just click on the link above. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. Youre already obsessing over hat styles and what the undergarment situation was at the time of your story. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. This is great! Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Great article. 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. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. A warrior had to fight the enemy, and to fight his armor as well would be too distracting. Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. Since it's a friends' get-together, let's wear casual attire. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. No problem! This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. - 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. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. 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. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. Im writing a little in the Epic Fantasy genre and there were quite a few useful notes I wasnt aware of here. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. Metallic works well too, but make sure any metal bits or metallic looking bits are smooth and clean looking too, otherwise it might look too historic. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing.
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