100 Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs ideas | fantasy clothing Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? 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? The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. 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. Try some colour. Describing armor and clothing. : r/writing - reddit Someone jumps down from a boundary wall wearing dark clothes and clutching a bag, that's enough of a clue they're a burglar, and if the protagonist now has to chase them then a description of the form those clothes take down to the buckles on the shoes is going to break the flow. 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. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. Impress someone with my indifference? The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. That decorative belt? Clothing tells your reader a lot about your characters goals and motivations within a given scenario. How to Describe Clothing in Writing Without Boring Everybody show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. And if you dont write historical fiction? Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. Great article. Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. For example, think about a wealthy person and how that person might dress. Chest plates had grand etchings. 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. Make sure you know whats hot and whats not in your specific setting, as well as what specific words the locals would use. Press J to jump to the feed. We all love a character with a cool set of fantasy armor: the baresark Rek from David Gemmells Legend with his enchanted coat of bronze, or Tomas from Raymond Feists Riftwar Cycle with his gleaming white dragon plate which gifted him incredible power. How do you describe this dress - Writing Forums Plain: Ordinary clothes of one color like gray, beige, or black. 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. (Find out more). I love to wear baggy trousers in summer. Fancy dresses. An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha! 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 fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. 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. 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. Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. Select the most striking details and move on. 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. I tried to add as much variety as possible, but without turning the whole description into a mess. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. 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). Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. His pants are simple and narrow and reach down to his hard leather shoes. "Garb" or "dress" (without an article) is a rather drab abstract noun for what a person is wearing. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. Maybe theyre hoping to impress the cool kids or please their parents. Like Dostoyevsky, think how something as small as a characters change of clothing can affecttheir own or others behaviour. Maybe a bit of both. Instead of saying, for example I saw that the station gate was coming down and the last train was about to leave, you could say The station gate is already screeching closed. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Affordable . But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. Pfoo, the owl! 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. How to design clothes with a sci-fi feel | Creative Bloq Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft. Advertisements. Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. Nudity was often either a complete taboo or just common place in many cultures throughout history, so by changing these taboos (and others) you immediately create a fictional piece. First and foremost, remember that clothing description is still storytelling. One does not refer to "a garb". We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. Stylish. We see the contrast between the characters friends reaction and the advisory words of Gems aunt. 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. Not to mention the social status of a person. But put me in a job interview wearing the same outfit, and youd probably start making new guesses about my intentions. Obviously clothing is extremely varied, especially dresses. 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. Our characters are always (mostly!) 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. 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). Blend in? Lets take a look at some individual pieces of armor. In battle, you are trying to strike a moving target, so mail was sufficient as most blows were glancing ones. 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. And its in designs that you can really go wild with your own fantasy armor. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? Chapters 1 and 2 were pretty decent and I started chapter 4 with him dressing for the party. 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. Are the characters of your dystopian novel forced to make do with burlap and mud? I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. 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 clothing itself can be just standard medieval gear, but with these elements they immediately look (wood) elvish. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. The line could be thin or thick, glowing, metallic-looking or just plain, padded or smooth, patterned, decorated or simply a seem. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. - Convert future clothing to a historic version. Because it actually is possible. Character description may change over the course of a story to emphasize a characters arc. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. You could introduce magical enchantments or ability-granting traits. The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! 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. Stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, they seem to stand by themselves. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. Ragged clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). It's what we're slowly doing today. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. The more outlandish the fantasy species your character is the more outlandish you can usually be with clothing, but familiarity is usually still a solid ground for a realistic feel, even if the universe and the creatures are completely unrealistic. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. You can try all Dabbles premium features for free for fourteen days. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. 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? Trendy: Modern, fashionable, and up-to-date outfits. However, you can tell your reader interesting things through a mismatch: A wealthy character might show off their expensive clothing. 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. But it makes a good story. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. They should be doing that. The complete opposite is true for fantasy and historic clothing. Maybe a bracelet represents a character's relationship to her mother. Fashion photographer Bill Cunningham said, Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. Try applying this philosophy to clothing descriptions in your writing and see what happens. Whats the respected uniform, and does your character wear it? s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. Cookie Notice At the end of the day, they were professional slayers, swords for hire. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Only the most sophisticated, Dr. Urbino among them, wore their ordinary clothes. 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. How long do they need their clothes to last? is because we get stuck on what things look like. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. 100 Words to Describe Clothes - grammarhow.com Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. But thats the case wherever you go. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. Not all trends return and fashion isn't perfectly cyclical. 60s-inspired. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. If it fits your universe it usually works, so don't be afraid of doing something different. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. You can quickly convey a number of things about your characters based on the clothing they wear. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! His writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Arisa Nightingale's board "Male Fantasy Outfit Concepts & Designs", followed by 456 people on Pinterest. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). How to Give Your Characters Style: Describing Clothing in Writing A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. And what weve covered here today is only just the tip of the iceberg. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. 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. Youll be blown away by the number of awesome things on there. And if you were skilled at surviving and killing, it was a good way to make a living. 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. And lets not forget the trusty steed. Hopefully, you now have more wardrobe ideas for your characters than just red shirt, blue pants. But what about the process of actually sharing these details in your novel? Great points. Designing fantasy armor for your characters can be an awful lot of fun. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Do all your characters embrace it? But even regular elements can help with this. - 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. Not quite. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? Using a squared, pixelated look or circuitry patterns usually works great too, which can even be combined with layered clothing to create the circuitry feel. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. 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. Just click the button below to find out more. Does your character need to hide? Get it right, and you transport your readers to a vivid world. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of 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. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. This includes items like steel-toed boots, heavy denim, or tech-forward, snag-resistant superhero spandex. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. As with mail, steel was the best material due to its hardness, which was obtained by heating the steel to extreme temperatures and then submerging it into cold water, a process known as quenching. Your articles are always very informative. Black and white usually does the trick as well. 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. (Huh.). So why not join the gang? No problem! From lowly serfs to great warriors, all could wear and fight effectively in chainmail. Sometimes they're more interesting and lovable than the main characters themselves and end up stealing the show., Secrets. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. Continued successes could see knights rise higher up the ranks. 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. The answer to this question gives you a ton of clarity. Am I trying to blow the interview? A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. Casual. 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.. If Im wearing lipstick with no plans of going out, one of two things is happening: Im in a great mood or Im feeling like I have zero control over my life and failure is inevitable. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. 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. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Now, if you write historical fiction, its important to research the clothing of your chosen era. These shallow details help us go pretty deep on character. And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. 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. Improve this answer. And above all, people share their writing, get feedback, build friendships and develop greater confidence not just in their writing, but in themselves too. Use the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. Those outfits can become iconic. These elements are very important when taking into account the previous point. What matters more to them: fashion or function? Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed last week. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. Baggy. Well, mostly. Consider whether your characters attire might serve as a symbol, highlight a theme, or represent a conflict.
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