Try some colour. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. 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. 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. 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. The novels protagonist Rodion gives Katerina the last of his money to host a funeral. Advertisements. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. 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. - Taboos and nudity. Your articles are always very informative. Love this topic!! With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. The easy way to describe the setting is when the characters interact with it, e.g. Richard the Lionheart, for instance, was celebrated amongst his peers for his ability to chop his enemys skulls down to the teeth. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. To discover more awesome ideas, head over to Pinterest and just search for female fantasy armor. Great points. Leather could be stitched into coats, or added to mail to provide added protection. I have a hard time describing my thoughts on content, but I really felt I should here. The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight Odds are, youve got a character who dresses to stay alive. - Another way to use color is to make things seem like they're glowing even if they're not and to use gradients. Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. And well dip back in time to look at medieval armor and how it was used and crafted. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? Sneak around? My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. 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. 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. Lets take a look at some ways you can develop those unique ideas: In this section, well take a look at some cool pieces of knight armor in fantasy that people have designed over the years, to give you even more inspiration for your own designs. Each suit was tailored to the individual. Expensive indeed, and heavystronger horses had to be bred to handle the weight. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? Maybe a bit of both. I can only imagine the pain of the chafing! Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. 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. Now this won't work for every piece of clothing of course, not everything has buttons or edges that allow for simple changes we don't already use today, so here are a few ways that are commonly used to make things look more futuristic: Katerina is affronted by Amalias fine dress because it is new and shows pride. 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. The clothes a person wears tellsus many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. As knights became fully armored, so did their mounts. Those of us who dont get all jazzed about writing clothing descriptions often fail to consider that a good wardrobe has layers. Subtle clothing changes can signal character development quite effectively in some scenarios. Sure, it helps your reader to know how you picture a character. Do all your characters embrace it? Thank you for reading our blog! So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. Here are five examples: 1. I didnt even know how to begin describing this piece of clothing. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. Does your character need to hide? Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. But it can also be fun to play with the confidence and ease that comes with wealth. The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. Its all in the craft.Its good that youre here to learn how to describe clothing in writing, because its a powerful tool. 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. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. Characters wear more than just clothes. Great article. Finally there's all the little things that can make an outfit look more futuristic. In this scene, Gradgrind returns home to find his children playing outside: A space of stunted grass and dry rubbish being between him and the young rabble, he took his eyeglass out of his waistcoat to look for any child he knew by name, and might order off. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. Details about fit, cut, and material go a long way when describing the clothing of a character who longs to attract. A knight, by definition, was a lord. 2012 - Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. Just click the button below to find out more. Coats of plated armor soon came about, which consisted of a series of plates linked on top of one another. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. For instance, if I'm reading a story and the narrative mentions jeans right off, I'm thinking mid twentieth century or later (while dungarees would be late nineteenth . Privacy Policy. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. Similar to how pixelated designs tend to look more futuristic so do designs full of geometrical shapes. Okay, maybe not.Secrets in real life can be a little trickywe all have thembut they have a way of blowing up in our faces, depending on how big they are.Your characters are really no different. They're the Robin to your Batman, the Luigi to your Mario, the Samwise Gamgee to your Frodo Baggins. Reeking of piss on the battlefield was another weapon in the arsenal I suppose. Use fashion and clothing history archives if necessary. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. Sometimes the simplest changes are enough to create something completely new and ideal for a particular universe. 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. Only the most powerful strikes could pierce such armor. The geographical setting might suggest that your characters are expected to abide by strict rules for modesty or are celebrated for being wild and free. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. The fact that A scarlet pantsuit. Chausses / Chauces (15th century) Pantaloons; padded hosen for the legs, often worn under chainmail or plate armor. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. 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. But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. 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). They are more common around the chest and torso in Asian cultures though, so keep that in mind when adding diagonal lines. 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 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. Glasses, headsets, lenses, jewelry, belts and so on can all help sell the futuristic look. How long do they need their clothes to last? I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. We therefore see in the fantasy genre characters equipped with grand helmets and beautiful pieces of plate armor. See more ideas about fantasy clothing, anime outfits, character outfits. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. 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. - 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. What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? Blend in? 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. Well come to this below. 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? 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. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? Yet Dr. Urbinos status as a respected doctor is earned he has nothing to prove by dressing smarter. This one is simple, right? Lots of gear would have been looted. Press J to jump to the feed. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. A few easy changes are to make one side longer than the other, so basically creating a diagonal cut instead of the standard horizontal one. Were trying to avoid, Isabell gazed out the window, and by the way, she was wearing a white terry cloth robe.. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. Jeans and a tee it was. Also his mother was poor and anyone who knew that might wonder how he could afford such clothing so it hints at the actual story. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Theyre the lifeblood of any relationship. He is old but stylish. 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. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? Separate and enlarge it, turn down the Opacity of the layer . A velvet scrunchie. 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. Its hard to really appreciate just how sickeningly awful medieval warfare would have been. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. 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. One easy way of creating a more customized look is to simply use cultural elements in the standard clothing. Affordable . Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. Besides knowing who we design for we also have to know what the rules for designing are within the universe of our characters.