Does it matter what your character wears? I think so. Here’s why.
A Character’s Clothes Reveal Who They Are
The first time I wrote a short story (that others would read), I spent a lot of time describing the character’s clothes.
This choice received a lot of criticism.
It made my character seem shallow. It made the woman seem cliché. Blah, blah, blah.
My critics were probably right that I overdid it at the time, but I stand by my response, which was this:
I remember reading a scene where a woman was wearing an expensive dress, but the hem was pinned with a safety pin. I thought that was interesting—was she a rich girl whose mother would be dismayed that she hadn’t had her dress fixed? Or was she a girl with little means, who received the dress second hand?
It’s worth thinking about how certain details about your character’s clothing can be made interesting or revealing—just don’t overdo it like I did!
What Your Character Wears Matters IF It Matters to Your Character
You probably do not need to spend a ton of time describing your character’s clothing—unless your character spends a lot of time thinking about his clothing.
Was he trained to be meticulous in his presentation? Is he a tailor or a fashion writer or otherwise have reason to pay attention to such details? Is he about to meet his girlfriend’s mother or attend an event that is important to him?
If so, then he probably paid special attention to his clothes, and maybe you should too.
You are describing the world as the character sees it. Therefore, if you dedicate a lot of space to something, the reader is going to assume it’s because it’s important to the character or the story. If that’s true for what your character is wearing—then dive in!
Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes
Characters wear more than just clothes. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects.
I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism!
Maybe a bracelet represents a character’s relationship to her mother. Perhaps her ring is a symbol of strength, and thus you only discuss it during scenes of triumph. The possibilities are endless!
What do you think? Do characters' clothes matter in a story? Let me know what you think in the comments section.
PRACTICE
Take fifteen minutes to write a scene focusing on something a person is wearing. Share in the comments section!
Hey, Monica, if you are in DC but still a New Yorker you would love my friend’s blog called http://www.Momtrends.com There is a great fashion component for ladies, children and families.
My novel is written about a ten year old girl living in the Midwest in 1950’s. She loves her new plaid cotton dress, lace trimmed anklets, and Navy blue Mary Janes with buckles for the first day of school. Her brother couldn’t wait to get home from school so he could change into play clothes. No jeans were allowed in school in those days. School clothes could be worn multiple days because we did not play in them except at recess. OOPs! I gave away the fact that the characters are my own family. I loved my clothes, but cared more about the clothes on my baby dolls in those days.
Well, it depends, like you said. If the clothes represent something, like their occupation, or even how they feel about their occupation, then definitely. Or if it shows the character’s personality.
I was thinking of whether or not to describe my characters’ clothing today, believe it or not, and I decided against it, mainly because in my case, the clothes really don’t matter. they don’t play into the story like the examples you mentioned above. My protagonists are a doctor who doesn’t care much about life and just goes through the motions, and a young woman who isn’t really concerned with her looks. Neither are a good fit for clothing descriptions.
I don’t know- should I describe it anyway? Or would it add useless info where it isn’t needed? I’m editing my book to go to print, so I’m trying to get as many tips as I can!
Reagan
“Whatsoever ye do, do unto the glory of God”
I couldn’t tell you anything definitively, sense I don’t know your story like you do. But I will say that even if someone doesn’t care much about their looks, you can still describe them. In fact, that might give you more reason to do so, sense it reveals something about their character. And remember, clothing descriptions can be short.
Example: She lulled out of bed, pulling on a gray t-shirt and yesterdays jeans, then yanked up her unbrushed hair into a pony tail with a yawn. Like all other days, this would not be a make up day. There was simply no time for that sort of thing.
I’m currently reading a fantasy novel and even though the clothes are somewhat peculiar the author only spends a short amount of time describing the oddities. He’s brief and yet makes each detail connect with the world he has created. I hadn’t noticed it until now, which speaks for itself.
Hi, Monica. I think, as you say that it depends on the character and the story. In my fantasy novels, it is important to know what a cleric is wearing as it is different for the different gods. I do explain a little of other’s clothing. The two Horselords wear their native dress–a bit like Native American clothing. The aristocratic young lady is very particular about her clothes etc.
In my historical novel that I am currently writing, I do not spend so much time describing clothing except for when my protagonist changes from Roman dress to Celtic. After that I think the reader has enough information to use her imagination.
I definitely believe that clothing sometimes makes the reader see the character clearer.
He dropped his back and fell to his knees. The legs of the girl behind the locker drew his attention. She was tall and wore high top gym shoes that were white at the bottom and black on the toe part. The shoe strings were black and white. The skirt that she wore was a gray jean skirt that hung below her knees. A short sleeve blouse with what looked like painted white and black lines was pushed inside her skirt. He wanted so bad to see her face because her voice was so feminine, soft and articulate as she spoke each word, slowly but separately. She had just finished her last class and slammed her locker door. He stood. She startled as she looked into his eyes. He looked up at the black and white brim hat that covered her braids. He remembered. “Your mother makes your clothes, right?” For the first time, he smiled.
“Mama can make my clothes. She’s a dress maker, but I made what I’m wearing today.”
A fine sista, he thought.. KEn
In the book I’m working on now, I’m experimenting. 3rd person omni, I’m not into clothes so much as attitude toward clothes. A dress designer villain wears *nothing* but black silk pants suits; people who have definite styles, I allow them to obsess about their styles…then name only one item (usually an accessory or top) so the reader is free to flesh in their mind’s eye exactly what such a style might look like. And finally, since the action takes place in Manila–in the middle of a “shoe culture”–I devote more than ordinary space to footwear. People here *will* judge you by your shoes here–ta da! Instant class relationship recognition!
Monica: Great post! My wife, an award winning author, and I discuss this frequently. She leans to less description – I like to describe. Maybe it’s because I am blind with no light perception. I probably sometimes overdo it, but I agree that it is important to the character’s personality. Here’s a sample. What do you think?
The old dude looked familiar. Where had I seen him before? I stared at the geezer from behind my desk. His perfect white teeth glistened through the
appealing grin. His grey hair was combed
into a ducktail. Not a hair out of
place. His back, in textbook posture,
and broad shoulders, challenged the seams of the grey suede blazer worn over
navy blue trousers, pleated, and perfectly creased. His blue suede suspenders matched his shoes. His white shirt with muted maroon vertical
stripes complemented the maroon tie with a neat Windsor knot fixed under the
starched spread collar. A definite
throwback to the fifties.
The man seated next to him, in
contrast, wore more casual attire – a Polo golf shirt and pleated khaki
trousers, all of which resembled merchandise from a mail order catalog. I’d bet the trunk of his sports vehicle
contained his golf clubs. I suspected he
wanted this over with so he could meet his cronies at Platte View golf course.
The third man, built about the same
as the golfer, but dressed in a suit that fit on his well-formed body, stood
near the door leading to the reception area.
Damn, he resembled the golfer dude.
I wondered if they were siblings or maybe cousins. The bulge under his left arm was no golf
club. He was all business and even
though he leaned casually against the doorframe cleaning his fingernails, he kept
a sharp eye on me. Bodyguards are
supposed to be inconspicuous, but I’ve learned to spot them. This one was as inconspicuous as a bear in a
swarm o
f bees.
Amazing visual descriptions. You did a nice job showing us the personalities of the characters through their clothes. I also enjoyed the analogy of the “bear in a swarm of bees”, though it has nothing to do with clothing, it was an attention getting comparison.
K., thank you very much! I follow your comments closely, and you are always so positive in your ccritiques. I enjoy making up those “as conspicuous as a bear in a swarm of bees.” 🙂 You can probably find a dozen or more of those in my work. Please visit http://www.jamesorytheall.com for a bibliography. Thanks again for the kind words! Jim
Great post to get people thinking. For me, when I write or coach new authors the answer depends on the importance of the character and how much they will contribute to the story. As readers want to form that mental image of the main characters in their minds, what they wear is very important, but this is less so for ones who appear fleetingly – there’s nothing worse than a writer going to great lengths about the appearance of a character who only appears on one page! It’s all part of getting the balance right between painting a great picture and ‘overwriting’ which always turns people off. As usual in such situations I will leave the final word to the great George Orwell …
Thanks for the reminder!
These are concepts that are indeed beneficial to getting to know your character. Something so simple and yet important. I have just begun to write. I was afraid to write for years. I didn’t think I would be good. But, I remember as a little girl, I would take sticky notes and make books. I was the author and illustrator (although I’m not good at drawing) so now I just do the writing part. Just to let the writing community know about my writing journey. I am glad that I am apart of this website. This helps me improve my writing. And, thank you.
This is from my WIP, a Middle Grade children’s book set in northern Minnesota in 1928. The protagonist is a twelve-year-old girl named Dorsey:
“Watch where you’re going,” a tall, slender girl, said as my lunch pail clattered to the floor. I ducked down to pick it up. Now everyone knew I was clumsy.
I stood up, clutching my pail tight against my waist. My eyes traveled from her patent leather shoes, up past her store-bought dress, to silky black curls that clung to her head in a bob.
“I’m sorry,” I said. I stuck out my right hand. “I’m Dorsey.”
She turned and started to walk away, leaving me standing there like a fool with my hand hanging out. I wanted to disappear into the floor, but of course that didn’t happen.
She stopped, turned and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Dorsey. Say, that’s a pretty dress.”
“Thank you,” I said. I was making friends already!
“Where did you get it?”
“Mama made it for me.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one quite like it.”
Puzzled, I looked around. I noticed a girl over there by the teacher’s desk. She had on a dress that didn’t quite fit. Probably a hand-me-down. Two other girls wore dresses that looked homemade, but nicer than mine. The fabric probably came from a bolt of soft cotton, the kind sold at dry goods stores. It wouldn’t be long before someone realized my dress was cut from a sack of all purpose flour.
Great use of the flower sack dress to tell us something about the character and the time period. I also liked the description of the other girls curls. Well done!
Thanks so much for your comment, Katherine Rebekah. It means a lot to me
Sure thing. 🙂
A post I just typed posted itself before I could finish, then appears to have evaporated!
Try again.
Wardrobe and accessories can be crucial to developing characters, but only where appropriate to do so and only in the right measure.
Think about the level of detail Bret Easton Ellis uses to describe Patrick Bateman’s wardrobe in American Psycho. The almost pornographic description of the quality of silk in the tie, the craftsmanship used by the Italian shoemaker and the details of the thread count in the shirt combine to show not only Patrick’s tastes, but also to emphasise his sociopathic qualities.
In the opening scene of my WIP, my starship commander is in her cabin, dancing variable gravity ballet to the strains of Rachmaninoff wearing nothing but a star sapphire pendant on a gold chain. The fact that she is sans clothes in her private moment, but still wearing her pendant says something about her character (and, I intend, about the pendant).
But I do think clothing and accessory descriptions need to be kept in check, with the level of detail and the language used being sensitively applied.
Were I to use the level of detail Ellis uses in American Psycho with Clio, my captain, it would misrepresent her character and wreck the flow of the story.
And I doubt my brief description of Clio’s wardrobe in that scene would do justice to Bateman’s character.
Yes, it matters. It’s part of what helped The Great Gatsby become a classic. You can also “say” a lot about your character by the clothes that he or she wears. What if you wanted to express how your character precoccupies him- or herself with superficial things and forgets about the things that matter (here’s one soft example):
I mean, you can do a better example, I’m sure, but . . . USE your third person, you know? Instead having to resort to the bland, “she loved her luxury clothes. And she paid for it.”
Great post! I think a character’s clothing hints at their personality, just like they can in real life. A friend of mine adores trench coats, for example, and she’s very quiet and introverted.
~*~*~
“And this,” Mark said, “is Zoe.”
I looked up from my book and followed Mark’s finger to a girl with bright blue streaks in her hair. She was wearing studded boots that reached her knees, ripped black skinny jeans, and a band shirt a size too big. She caught my eye and strolled over, about ten bracelets swishing around her tiny wrists.
“Hey! I’m Zoe, it’s nice to meet you!” she said, offering her hand and a surprisingly warm smile.
“I’m Elle, nice to meet you too.” My eyes made contact with her choker.
“Hey, I don’t bite! This is my anti-people outfit, also known as the I-hate-Mondays-and-I-don’t-want-to-talk-to-people outfit.” Zoe sat down next to me, and I gathered the courage to look her in the eye.
“There ya go.” A tall, lanky boy crept up behind her and covered her face.
“DUDE!” Her chair jerked up and forwards.
“OW! YOU BIT ME!”
“Well, you scared the- you scared me!” Zoe shook her head. “Okay, Elle, I do bite, but only when provoked. Especially by-” she gestured at the boy “-that thing.”
“That thing happens to be your boyfriend, who has a name.” the boy grumbled, leaning against a wall as he adjusted a skate hat.
“His name is Mitch.” Mark chimed in, grinning at me from across the table. “He’s a bit of an arse.”
This Mitch character swiped Mark’s beanie and plopped it on Zoe.
“See what I mean? He’s an as-”
Zoe whipped around and glared at Mark. “Care to finish that sentence?”
“His behavior is very asinine.”
“Good boy.” Zoe grinned and returned the beanie. “We’re working on using better language around here.”
I love your description of clothes and the way you worked it in with the character’s personalities! I like the line “about ten bracelets swishing around her tiny wrists,” I can easily visualize that. Very funny scene!
Ahaha. Love it! Zoe seems like an interesting character and I think the clothing really tied in with her personality. Descriptions of other characters clothing are also spot on.
After reading a few of your posts on here I’ve come to fine that I’m a fan of your writing. 🙂
Thanks for the post. It was good practice for me with my novel I’m beginning that is set in the fifties. Here’s what I got:
“Nice skirt. Did your mom make that for you?”
Sylvie stopped in her tracks. When she turned to face the three girls giggling on the bench, the middle one stood tall, confident. She lifted her head from under her large, black hat, with a brim as large and round as the base of a witch’s. Below the girl’s pasty, pointed face, a strand of pearls clasped her neck. She donned a mint green polka-dotted dress with a scoop neck and capped sleeves. A black, felt belt tightened fashionably around her tiny waist, just before the skirt jutted out into fun pleats. Her black clutch and high heels complimented the belt.
Sylvie met the girl’s squinted eyes and thought with that outfit, she had room to talk down on Sylvie’s thrift-store skirt, but certainly not on her mother.
Suits the time perior to a tee!
Here’s an extract from a book I’m currently writing. Here I’ve used clothing a couple of times in a limited way to help draw a picture of two of the characters in the scene.
My father had simply stared at me; that was it. If it was up to him, he’d probably have gone back to his Milwaukee in front of the TV. But, after telling me the details of the summons and reading me my rights, the Sheriff had turned on my father when he saw he seemed to just be standing there. The Sheriff was a big guy, around maybe 6’ 2” or 6’ 3” and probably weighed a good bit over 250 pounds. The ‘bit over’ seemed to have arrived after the last time he got a new uniform; the buttons on his shirt were under severe strain. Maybe he liked Milwaukee as much as my father, but my old man never seemed to put on weight. Maybe it was the fact that Milwaukee was just about
all his intake consisted off. Well that and potato chips.
“Mr. Miller,” said the Sheriff, looking both tired and pissed at my father, who had gone from staring at me to staring again at the TV. It was a ‘Miami Vice’ re-run so it was important.
“Mr. Miller,” the Sheriff tried again in a louder voice. At least my father turned his head this time; the Sheriff jumped in quickly:
“Mr. Miller, you remember what happened last time Nate got into trouble? You had to come down to my office. Well you have to do that again Mr. Miller only this time it’s different. This time we’re going to have talk about getting Counsel for Nate.”
Now my father paid attention. Getting Counsel meant spending money; my father only spent money on Milwaukee beer and cable TV. My father has one of those faces that was okay until it started falling with age. He was only 43 then (I think) but it was falling already and he looked even more like Droopy when he got in a state about something. I’m sure he was the role model for the ‘hang dog’ expression. Whilst waiting for my father to speak I saw the Sheriff’s eyes swivel around and take in the minimalist décor. Not minimalist as in simple but expensive, but as in thrift store and falling apart.
“If you can’t afford Counsel Mr. Miller then Nate will get a public defender.” Droopy’s face lifted a fraction, which was a lot for him.
“Oh well that’s it then. I ain’t got the money for no fancy lawyers; can barely put food on the table,” he said, scratching his groin; all style my father. I of course wanted to say ‘what food?’ The Sheriff ignored that and looked at the stack of empty Milwaukee tins on the chipped and battered coffee table. I caught a glint in his eye:
“Well that situation will have to be subject of a very rigorous means test and a good look into your finances and spending Mr. Miller, but I’m sure all will be fine.” The last bit was said a half smile that wasn’t shown in his eyes.
Droopy seemed to start thinking he was more goldfish than dog, but he still went to get his old Levis jacket that he wore for important occasions. Well any occasion actually. When I went to court he’d probably wear it there; if he turned up at all which I severely doubted.
IMHO, good descriptions, though you are describing more than clothes.
Thanks for the feedback and yes I was. The point I was trying to make is that even just a hint about certain items of clothing etc can really help paint a picture of your character.
I loved the visual of the strained buttons on the officers uniform and the way you lead into the description with “The ‘bit over’ seemed to have arrived after the last time he got a new uniform” was smooth. I really liked that part.
Many thanks Katherine!
Hi Monica, I guess the clothes that a character wears is in many ways a reflection of the inner feelings of the character. Attitude towards life, world view,and values are indeed brought out in the choice of clothes. You wouldn’t have a lawyer dressing up in shorts and tee-shirts while at work. However in some cases this might be just a mindset that we have imbibed as readers and writers to fall in with accepted norms. My school has done away with uniforms for students. That, I feel is a break away from tradition isn’t it? While I support the idea of clothes mattering a lot in, there are however grey areas in this case!
I like the other’s descriptions. Though I am working on a screenplay and will eliminate many of the adjectives and make my description more terse, here is what I came up with for this exercise. It will be useful to highlight the differences of the characters beyond the dialogue:
Angie’s impression of her cousins,Reanan and Daisy, is her surprise at the clothes they are wearing. She wasn’t prepared for attire that was colorful, since people on her
planet dressed very plainly. Reanan is very conservative in her
outfit, and Daisy is more flamboyant. Reanan’s conservativeness is
reflective of her sensibility, while Daisy’s clothes harken back to
the hippy days. Otherwise, the two sisters look a lot alike.
Specifically, Reanan is wearing a dark colored pantsuit, and Daisy is
wearing a tan peasant blouse with a long, midi skirt with a
quilt-like pattern.
Deborah
This is important just as bringing your reader into the setting. What we wear provides show opportunities to depict our character’s personality and background. Like describing the weather or setting, we can overuse this, but where it helps to convey something about our character – paint a picture for the reader to visualize that identifies the character, then absolutely! Actions, attitudes and appearances help us connect with our character in the story. A torn pocket and missing buttons goes well with red knuckles and swollen lip.
Well said.
Hi Monica,
Even today, a person’s clothes interest me, even though I’m not trendy. I like minor details of jewells, tattoes, makeup, glasses, and anything strange, like piercings, and hair do’s.
Here’s my observation of a young woman I saw a few days back.
I’ve put in detail, but then, fifteen minutes allowed me to do it.
The girl, ( she must be in her early twenties, I thought,) stood at the bus stop and raised her arm every twenty seconds to look at her trendy, pink plastic wrist watch. She smile at me and said, “I wonder when it’ll get here.” I could not see her eyes through her cat-like mirror sun glasses, but her orange painted lips allowed me to guess that they were heavily made up. She had a stainless steel ball-piercing on her upper lip, and four different earrings pierced at the top of each ear. Her hair was dyed bright yellow with a blue strip runing down the centre from the forehead, and pulled back severely in a pony tail, tied with blue ribbon. She wore a fitting, shiny black jacket, and a skirt so mini that you could almost see her panties.
Her boots were of the same material as her jacket and reached well above the knee. She swung her small canvas handbag, looked at her watch impatiently, looked up and down the road to spot the bus, and gave a shout of joy when she saw it coming.
“It’s here! It’s here!” she exclaimed, and was the first in line.
Huh, that’s amazing detail. I’m impressed that you remember all that. Great little piece.
Clothing is important ONLY once the character’s goal and flaw are established. Unfortunately, a lot of writers produce little more than excessive description, thinking that this is “characterization.” But characters are born in their actions, and the clothes should reflect their choices (past, present, and future).
Also, many writers use too many descriptions when one or two will do. Do we really need to know about a character’s shirt, sweater, gloves, belt, pants, socks, shoes, and jewelry? Or will a few specific, defining details suffice?
“As he walked, his talisman of eagle claw swung below a brambled beard; the worn muddy leather of his boots chafed at the merciless terrain.”
With these few details, the reader has enough to build a picture as the character makes conflicted choices and pursues his goal.
I agree with this completely! In the end it’s about managing all of your descriptive detail.
I’ve been reading Marc Cameron lately. His Jericho Quinn stories are captivating and entertaining, but one particular thing sticks out for more than anything else about them. I find his brand specific descriptive details of character attire and artifacts to be more like a fashion runway announcer patter, quietly detailing what each model (character) is wearing. I see similar brand use, but better balanced in descriptions in John Sandford’s – Lucas Davenport stories – which sets his character personality quirks, but doesn’t standout like Cameron’s. Then again, nobody paints more verbal images of characters and surroundings better than Dean Koontz – who I don’t recall ever requiring the need for a brand name article of attire for any of his characters. Perhaps more importantly and strategically – if you have hopes that your work will have serious reader interest longevity, nothing dates the story like hot brand trends and current fashion detail.
A great topic, and as we see, a controversial one. Most people agree you “can” have too much clothing detail, but nobody agrees on how much.
I’d say part of it is consistent style. If you like giving more than a line of detail, be sure you can do the same thing every last time a character appears (well, the same average amount; specific needs still vary), and that you learn enough to keep clothes varied and interesting all those times. Or it might be an approach to genre; we all know the women’s fiction that gets half its fun from fashion references (while we guys just do guns).
One of the most fun things about clothes is that they’re easier to mention than a character’s hair, race, age or even size. What they wear is a choice, so it’s never that far from some kind of a “chased by a demon– and I just HAD to wear heels today” reference. How much to talk about clothes is a tricky question, but “whether” to mention them could be a no-brainer.
Hi Monica, I think it’s important to mention clothing early on, because, as you say, it adds depth to the character. Once I’ve done that, I mention it occasionally, if they are doing anything special, a date or such like
I pondered this, and at first considered my characters and stories to be clothing neutral. Not nude, just that clothing was not significant except as a part of the story. So, I went back and looked at past submissions to see how I used apparel.
Skippin’ Rocks
Bobby, struggling with the last button of his fly, returned from behind the mesquite tree and sat back down on the log. “I heard,” he said, found a nice pebble, and sidearmed it across the water. “He done good over there. Don’t you wanna be called after him?”
A Flash of Green
Maybe. Weather’s look’n good. Hurry, or we’ll miss it.” Standing by, Grampa tossed items onto the bed he knew Jerry would need. “Wear your long-johns and double socks, it’s below zero.
Grunting and struggling into clothes, still half a sleep, Jerry buckeled the strap across the top of his boots, stood and grumbeled like any pre-teen. “Ok, I’m ready.”
“Yeah, yeah Grampa, I know. Dress warm. Long-johns and double socks. Christ. When is sunup?” he grumbled as he dressed. “Maybe time. Been a long time Grampa. Maybe this morning I’ll have a ‘membrance,” he thought to himself remembering the tales told by that old man.
Time for December
George Perkins ambled along a familiar path. His receding hairline covered by a Yankees ball cap, he wore wire rimmed glasses atop his nose and a prominent walrus mustache. Wearing a windbreaker against the chill, he was, as he described himself, too short for his weight.
A man stooped, offered a hand, and asked, “You ok?”
Taking the hand, George got to his feet, brushed himself off, and said, “Thanks.”
“Cecil Brown.” Clean shaven, a shadow resembling Hitchcock, Cecil pushed glasses back on his nose, and adjusted a light jacket.
“Hi Cecil. George Perkins”
“Mornin’ George. You ok?” Cecil reached down in an old man squat, smoothed his comb-over, grabbed his beret and plopped it back on his noggin. “Live around here?”
The Moon Can be So Cold
This is probably the most clothing conscious story I have written. Here, clothing is a matter of survival. Wear your $2,000 sharkskin suit, and die. Wear an unfamiliar pressure suit, stuggle to get your helmet on and die. The environment doesn’t care what you wear.
Here’s my practise:
I’m standing in the corner of the room observing everyone. I feel out of place and uncomfortable.
Adding to the discomfort, I feel my new dress clinging to me, making it difficult to breathe.
Damn Reagan and her ‘incredible fashion advice’…
“You can’t ignore me Elizabeth, you know this dress will look amazing on you. It’ll hug your tiny curves and make you look like a total knock-out. Just buy it, and thank me later.”
It’s hugging my curves alright, and clinging onto everything else.
Although I’m slim, I can’t help but feel really self-conscious. Did I eat too much today, knowing that this party was tonight?
I feel eyes on me, staring, glaring and admiring. I don’t want the attention.
Then I see him. Riley. He’s smiling that genuine smile of his, and he makes his way over to me.
“Elizabeth, you look…” He seems lost for words, “incredible.”
I can feel the blush creep onto my face and I look down, wanting the ground to swallow me up.
“Thank you.” I whisper, and when I look back up at him, I see he’s moved closer to me.
“Don’t thank me, thank that dress.”
–
Normally I would never write and pay that much attention to clothing, but it was a fun little exercise. And I think I’m going to put all the above in my story at some point.
Well-written, Beth.
Thank you Claudia 🙂
I don’t know how I feel about the guy’s reply. It feels like he’s looking at her body, not her. If that’s the point, well done! If not…
Tone down the friend’s advice just a little bit, and this is a very interesting excerpt.
Thanks for your feedback Charlie. That was the intention of my writing, Riley is looking at her body and not really her.
I think this was a good use of clothing to show how self-conscious she felt. I don’t even think you need to say she felt self-conscious because you do such a great showing it!
Thanks Monica, and thanks for writing such a great post. I really enjoyed writing this 🙂
A character’s clothing does matter. Here are a few excerpts from stories written by different authors who use a character’s clothing to reveal something about who they are:
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: “That evening, at eight-thirty, exquisitely dressed, and wearing a large button-hole of Parma Violets, Dorian Gray was ushered into Lady Narborough’s drawing-room by bowing servants.”
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote: “She was still on the stairs, now she reached the
landing, and the ragbag colors of her boy’s hair, tawny streaks, strands of albino blond and yellow caught the hall light. It was a warm evening, nearly summer, and she wore a slim, cool black dress, black sandals, a pearl choker.”
Orlando by Virginia Woolf: “Orlando had now washed and dressed herself in those Turkish coat and trousers which can be worn indifferently by either sex.”
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: “Her new green flowered-muslin dress spread its twelve yards of billowing material over her hoops and exactly matched the flat-heeled green morocco slippers her father had recently brought her from Atlanta. The dress set off to perfection the seventeen-inch waist, the smallest in three counties, and the tightly fitting basque showed breasts well matured for her sixteen years.”
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald’s characterization of Jay Gatsby demonstrates the extent to which Gatsby transcends his own lowly roots and creates the impression of being great. Gatsby is all about personal myth-making and that means investing in beautiful, expensive, jazz-age clothing. “An hour later, the front door
opened nervously, and Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie hurried in.”
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert: “She would come directly, charming, agitated,
looking back at the glances that followed her, wearing her flounced gown with
gold eyeglass, her dainty shoes, all sorts of elegant trifles that he had never
enjoyed, and exhaling the ineffable seduction of yielding virtue.”
Omg, thank you for sharing this. Awesome!
I’ve really enjoyed the discussion here! After the comments I received on my short story, I’m worried that focusing too much on my character’s clothing (especially in the woman’s POV) will somehow reduce her (or me) to someone who is less serious/intellectual, etc. (even though I think it’s possible to be a person who is both serious/intellectual and cares about clothing!)
For what it’s worth, Monica, I think the character’s clothing is only of value if it moves the story along.
Make sense. A good rule of thumb, generally.
I’m a little late on this, but better late then never I guess. I had way too much fun with this. It’s a excerpt from something I’ve been working on for awhile. I don’t know if it will all make the final cut, but it’s more for my benefit of getting to know the character at this point.
Cassandra’s bed was now made and her clothes placed neatly out on it. She decided she may as well get dressed, despite being soaking wet, her consolation being that by the time she started work, in five hours, she would be dry.
Cassandra wriggled into the black compression jumpsuit that went on under the uniform. It had been specially engendered for MPA agents and could supposedly stop bullets, or even a knife (though Cassandra wasn’t planing on putting that to the test). Over that she pulled on black slacks and tucked in a black button up, then pulled on the black boots that looked more sturdy then sophisticated. The last piece of the outfit was the belt. She threaded it though the loops with more then a little apprehension because, while it was now bare, it was designed to support her weapon system. With that in mind her fingers went, almost automatically, to the nape of her neck where they meet cold metal. She shivered a little, still feeling that having a port, to connect her mind to her weapon and the mind of her partner, was more then a little invasive. But Cassandra quickly removed her hand, instead brushing it through damp locks of hair. It was best, she had found, not to think about the wires running through her brain and nervous system, that could render her motionless in a split second.
She did a half turn in the mirror, thinking that she did not look at all like herself. She looked stern and hard and formidable. There was a power to it, sure, and like any human Cassandra had always craved some amount of power, but this? Swathed in black, soon with a weapon strapped to her belt, strands of wet, black hair framing a ghostly pale face and hard, slanted black eyes? Regardless of her short stature and bird like bone structure, she looked frightening, which was something she had never wanted to be.
Cassandra shook it off. This was the uniform. This was how it had to be. She was not an oppressor. She was a protecter. She would have to repeat that to herself until she believed it.
With that, she picked up the last piece of the ensemble, a tanto knife with a red leather hilt and sheath. She tied it onto her belt and the blood red color stood out against the black like a bad omen. This was not a part of the uniform. No. This was self inflicted. A minor form of torture. A constant reminder of what she had come from. A constant reminder to never go back to it.
You having way too much fun = awesome content. I’d definitely buy the book just to find out more about the neck ports, mental weapon connections, and the knife.
Well, thanks. I’m glad you found it interesting. 🙂
Nice! I think this is a great example of when it makes a lot of sense to spend time on the description of what the character is wearing- it’s obviously important!
Thanks Monica. Yes, I thought it fit with the blog post perfectly sense aspects of her outfit are important to the story both practically and symbolically.
I read this and boing! I thought this is what is wrong with my character. She is confident and successful business women who flips houses after remodeling/redesigning them, and could pass for model material. She has a great reputation for her good business acumen and talent. She got hired to do a special remodel for an 1863 mansion which she has loved forever. She is excited bout this opportunity. So why has she all of a sudden developed a fearful almost simpering attitude? She decided to wear her dress/casual clothes for a business meeting and voila—she became the confident business woman again.
Who knew.
She lost her confidence when she was working daily wearing dirty jeans and t-shirt. The model type-persona disappeared.
I’m glad I read this article, because I was beginning to lose respect for her these days.
Interesting! Thanks again.
Awesome!! I love it when that happens. Glad this post helped!
Interesting post – thanks! Like many of the people who’ve already commented, I tend to only describe clothing if it can give an insight into the personality of my characters. This is a description of one of my middling characters, inspired by one of my senior students!
Archie was one of those people who get increasingly
dishevelled as the day wears on. In the morning, he’d arrive at work as neat as
a pin, usually wearing some sort of variation on slim fitting trousers, shirt,
tie, thin knit sweater and suit jacket. Within two hours, his jacket would be
slung over the back of his chair and his tie would be loosened. By noon, his
sleeves would be pushed up to his elbows and his shirt would be untucked at the
back. When the end of the day rolled around, his tie would be somewhere under
his left ear, there would be a coffee stain on some item of clothing and his
dark hair would be stuck up at the back. At the moment, his jacket was off, but he still looked presentable so I guessed he had only been at work for a few hours.
I really like how you use the clothes to show the passage of time. I think that could be useful when describing the character later. For example, in a scene when you say “his tie is under his left ear” the reader may subconsciously know what time of day it is without you specifically mentioning it.
I guess I have mixed feelings about this. In some books I have read, clothing has been a more important aspect, whereas in others, the clothes are not as important. It may also depend on the situation. If the situation requires certain types of clothes then it should be described. For example, it wouldn’t make sense if the character is wearing something the reader imagines and then goes and dives in the water.
I don’t even notice what people wear in real life. I also don’t look at their nails to see what kind of manicure they got, or whether they’re wearing expensive shoes. I hate jewelry, so I don’t notice other people’s rings, earrings, bracelets, etc.
There are so many more important qualities a person (read character) can have. Who needs a style show?
BUT if the clothing has an impact on the story, then by all means, describe it. Remember Isadora Duncan’s long, long scarf that got caught in the wheel of her friend’s sports car and broke her neck? That’s an example of an important bit of attire that needed to be described.
If a character is running across campus to get to class, or keeping up with the kids in Central Park, or on the gym course, we can infer what they’re wearing.
Don’t bore the reader.
For Ciara, her outfit is by far the most important part of her day, to the point where she would skip daily necessities just to find out what clothing was in style for the season. There wasn’t a day where she would go outside with a simple t-shirt and jeans, it was only the finest for her, as she demanded clothes on the level of royalty. Many despised her for such actions, finding the process she takes far too time-consuming and a waste of perfectly good money, and they weren’t wrong.
The shine of the sun had only risen up from it’s slumber, but the young teenager had already managed to begin her day, instantly diving into her closet of wonders to create her ideal attire to use for the rest of the morning. In the end, her appearance consisted of a beanie hat loosely pulled over her flowing blonde hair that fell over a crème coloured infinity scarf. A dark blue pea coat wrapped her well-earned hourglass figure, the coat only bonded with one another by a single button hidden underneath the scarf. Underneath the petite coat, she wears a small black crop top, nicely tucked into a skirt that supported the same shade as the scarf. The skirt only stopped above her knees, the rest down just consisting of black leggings. Her shoes had furry, black uggs strapped onto them which was understandable, as it was October, after all.
Ciara had caked herself in light makeup, a pastel, ocean blue settling in on her eyelids, as darker tone of the same shade applied itself to the lips. A faint amount of blush could be seen, but it would only be noticed through a microscope.
Sashaying out of her walk in closet, she gave a quick turn as if she had just shown off down the catwalk. A small grin spread across her face, signalling that she was satisfied, and she was. Very