how to describe fantasy clothing

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Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. Borrowed armor wouldnt fit as well as a suit made for the wearer and wouldnt be as well balanced, so someone in borrowed armor would be more likely to have problems moving in his armor. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. Black and white usually does the trick as well. Some materials are used more than others, some colors are more desirable than others and some accessories are more desirable than others and these all changed throughout time. 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? Try some colour. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. 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. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. I tend to avoid describing clothing. Showing what your characters are wearing can be a great way to show your readers what they might be up to that day without having to actually narrate anything. 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. For a bigger image, just click on the link above. 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. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Now add a thick, layered scarf or attach a hood to this tunic and you're already well on your way to a customized look. Ill add it to my to do list . If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. That cloth ribbon tied around their waist? Now, for the feedbackit depends what POV you're writing in. Fashionable: Clothes representing a current style in fashion. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. Obviously clothing is extremely varied, especially dresses. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. Separate and enlarge it, turn down the Opacity of the layer . Our characters are always (mostly!) We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Good for the mobile knight. - 'Stealth'. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Or it could be that they want to be charmed by their own image when they look in the mirror. Its a good time. 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. Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. Clothing description in a story is useful because it often gives additional information about a character that you might otherwise tell. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a long time ago and Jesus was in a sharp black suit. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. 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. First and foremost we need to know who we're designing for. Or at least they know what century theyre in. 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. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. 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. Although such armor exists in fantasy worlds, its important to understand how things work in the real world, even at a basic level. Not a Dabble user? Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. I like the way you wrote this information. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. One way is to avoid what we call filter words. The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. 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. What backstory or character motivations could combinations of appearance and reality suggest? Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? These small but mighty players can add depth, complexity, and a fresh perspective to your plot. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. Heres a superb glossary, with pictures, of all types of armor. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! It doesn't exclude those that don't know what a qipao is, nor break immersion for those who do. 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.. You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. 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. But it makes a good story. But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. - Mix cultures. Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. Blunt, Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? 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. 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. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. Describe these in passing to add visual colour and authenticity to your character descriptions. 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. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. 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. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. A band t-shirt. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Here are some classic characteristics you can draw out through clothing description. Does your character need to hide? )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. 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. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? When shes not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. The same goes for other types of technology that could realistically be incorporated into the design of your character's clothing. is because we get stuck on what things look like. 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. (Cough-cough-cough.) Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. That also will help readers really experience things through their eyes. We'll 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. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. Here are five examples: 1. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. And lets not forget the trusty steed. We already have spray on clothing technology. Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. The clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. These are deep questions. or the world theyre desperately resisting. The senses were deadened: sight limited, sound muffled, breathing stifled (depending on the type of helmet). Select the most striking details and move on. 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. For example, a shy person will often wear 'regular' clothing, clothing that isn't too bright or outgoing in both design and colors. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. 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. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. "White tunics" have been worn from 2016 to a good forty thousand years ago. Advertisements. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. 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.

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how to describe fantasy clothing