Designing fantasy armor for your characters can be an awful lot of fun. To illustrate this let's take a standard men's suit as an example. 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. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. 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. How to create a fantasy costume design | Creative Bloq Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. Armor, therefore, wasnt that heavya full suit weighed approximately 50 pounds, which is around 3 to 4 stone. Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. I love to wear baggy trousers in summer. But they could also dress in modest, inexpensive-looking clothes. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. But it makes a good story. 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. What matters more to them: fashion or function? Smart: Neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. But there is so much more to the experience of clothing than that. What exactly are you trying to communicate about the character, setting, or situation? 04. 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. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. In one single piece of clothing description (a pink-eyed bundle of shawls), Dickens conveys how timid and ailing Mrs. Gradgrind is in contrast to her bullish, overbearing husband. Love this topic!! They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. or the world theyre desperately resisting. I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. But your reader is going to picture something whether you guide them or not. 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. How to describe scenery ? : r/fantasywriters - reddit.com 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. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. That was the theory. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. Lets delve further into these ideas about describing characters dress: Think of your characters clothing like an actors costume in a play. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. Describing clothes? : r/writing - reddit Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. Good for the mobile knight. 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. Finally there's all the little things that can make an outfit look more futuristic. Clothing description also presents an opportunity to play with different points of view. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. - Make things look glossy, smooth and clean. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. You can even use different pieces of clothing to cover up body parts differently. Mail was lightweight and flexible. 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. You find that its about more than throwing out fashion terms and listing articles of clothing. Slog through another meaningless day in a world where nothing matters? This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. 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. Or at least they know what century theyre in. Embarrassed by her own inability to dress in finery for the occasion (and by being upstaged), Katerina resorts to scathing mockery of Amalia. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. Its something readers definitely appreciate, which I found with Pariahs Lament. But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. Who's your rebel, and how does their clothing reflect their defiant spirit? Once quenched, the steel was re-heated to make it more resilient. Well come to this below. (Huh.). But Ive also noticed that artful clothing description does make a character, a setting, and even a moment more engaging. 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. 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 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. In other words: To describe a fantasy world, use either neutral terms, or made up words. It gives you an idea of the capabilities that armor can have. I dont mean camisoles and cardigans. 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. Copyright 2023 Richie Billing | Fantasy Writer. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. - Mix cultures. Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. Play with the question of presentation and power! The time period of your story. Because like all other character details, its not enough to paint a picture. Thanks Chuck! Your email address will not be published. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. Your article is really great. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. 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? As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? Fantasy Armor - The Ultimate Guide - Richie Billing What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? Cookie Notice I second the idea of describing the reactions of the characters to the city. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. And if you dont write historical fiction? 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. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. But it provided an odd sense of security. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Make it mandatory to hold up a piece of clothing. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. A velvet scrunchie. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. Ragged clothing description generator - Fantasy name generators - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Something like this: As you can see, a knights armor is made up of a lot of different pieces. But that doesn't mean you can't deviate from these guidelines completely and do whatever you wish. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Help your readers feel the relaxed, organic cotton or the memory foam slipper, and theyll feel your characters priorities deep in their own souls. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. 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. That's why it's valuable to learn these terms. The only cloak in the world made with silk spun by the cat-sized spiders that live in the forbidden mountains. Really, the topic of this article is not how to describe clothing in writing as much as it is how to tell a story with clothes. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. Ive always wondered that too! Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Non-visual senses are big, too. 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. - Use nudity. Like Dostoyevsky, think how something as small as a characters change of clothing can affecttheir own or others behaviour. 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. By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. As a friend told me, Wear jeans and glasses and have a favorite pen. Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. A pair of starched Wranglers. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. So sometimes all it takes to create futuristic clothing is to take a trend that has passed, alter it slightly and you're done. Not really. Not to mention the social status of a person. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. All this to say: there is substantial storytelling power in a coral Life is Good t-shirt. Youre already obsessing over hat styles and what the undergarment situation was at the time of your story. He is old but stylish. Thanks, Sana. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. When you use clothing to define who your character is, remember that it can also clarify how they feel about themselves and how they fit into the world around them. 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. Im struggling to properly figure out how to describe clothing for a fantasy setting Im trying to create. Pfoo, the owl! They could withstand high-velocity strikes from a javelin or lance, driven home by somebody charging forwards on horseback. Below, well take a look at the armor found in the fantasy genre, covering everything from chain mail to helmets. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. This can be a very effective way if your universe is based on an existing culture. With all that armor, its often assumed the medieval knight was immobile. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. You can use visual description to make a character more vivid in the readers minds eye. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? Given that I am writing alone in my apartment, you might rightfully conclude that my goal is to be comfortable. Even the non-conformists are influenced by societal norms. What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? More on that in a bit. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. 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. They should be doing that. Tell us how the wool of your protagonists sheath dress scratches the skin on the underside of her arm. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. Now on the other end of the spectrum we have fantasy clothing and more history based clothing. Thanks Benjamin! Your articles are always very informative. PsstDoes Your Character Have a Secret? 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. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. Lets talk about how to use clothing description as a storytelling tool, how to dress your character for their personality and setting, and how to make clothes interesting to anyone. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. 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. If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. Sci-fi and fantasy don't necessarily have to be futuristic and historic respectively, but they're commonly associated as such, so for the sake of simplicity that's what I'm going with for the purposes of this guide. 80s-inspired. Theyre just too important defensively. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. Your character might also have a job or hobby that requires protective clothing. Think the previously mentioned Fifth Element and Hunger Games clothing versus Star Trek, Star Wars and so on clothing. Consider this example from Hard Times. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. 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 The aim was not to cause any impediment to movement. How to describe clothing in a story: Creating characters Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. Dont worry, thats not a trick question. List of Medieval Clothing (91 terms!) - The Medieverse: Tim's Realistic What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. Youre still not off the hook. To illustrate this in a way we did with the futuristic shirt example let's take a standard medieval tunic and turn it into a fantasy-themed version. Very informative. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. Maybe your character is snuggled up in their fleece pajamas while the blizzard rages outside. Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. SHIRT AND PANTS | Fantasy-Writers.org Normally I dont dress characters with such complex clothing that takes more than a few sentences to describe but the vest was inspired by a picture I saw and it took at least a paragraph to describe. 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. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. The reader does not need the full outfit in one go. The fact Gem goes with jeans and a tee could suggest that she trusts her aunts advice. Both doublets and chain mail were worn in conjunction with plated armor for that added protection, particularly for areas plate could not cover, such as arms and the groin. Similarly, show how different characters personalities are through apt clothing description. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. 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. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. Just click the button below to find out more. Fancy dresses. 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. The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! The unsung hero of so many stories. s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. 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. 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. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Which was, indeed, a little weird straight off! Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. 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.
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