Help Me Dress My Characters (Well!)

[bashfullyshameless]

I have a very difficult time picking out things for my characters to wear when they're supposed to be well-dressed. I am myself nothing like a clotheshorse; if I could get by on jeans, cargo pants and loose-fitting shirts for the rest of my life, I'd be all over that. I have even more trouble with female characters; it's one thing to say "[color] dress" and to say it's cut low/tight/elegant/whatever, but again, this feels like a bit of a dodge.

I realize I could just say a character "dressed stylishly" and let the reader fill that in to their own tastes, but frequently I want some actual detail, both for myself and my readers.

Anyone got a website or a helpful resource they could point me to on this? If you're someone who keeps up on fashion, um... how do you actually do that?

(Also note: I live in Seattle. We're generally bad about being fashionable here. Simply watching what people wear around me doesn't help, since it just leaves me hating hipsters that much more.)

 

[mynameisben]

I have a very difficult time picking out things for my characters to wear when they're supposed to be well-dressed. I am myself nothing like a clotheshorse; if I could get by on jeans, cargo pants and loose-fitting shirts for the rest of my life, I'd be all over that. I have even more trouble with female characters; it's one thing to say "[color] dress" and to say it's cut low/tight/elegant/whatever, but again, this feels like a bit of a dodge.

I realize I could just say a character "dressed stylishly" and let the reader fill that in to their own tastes, but frequently I want some actual detail, both for myself and my readers.

Anyone got a website or a helpful resource they could point me to on this? If you're someone who keeps up on fashion, um... how do you actually do that?

(Also note: I live in Seattle. We're generally bad about being fashionable here. Simply watching what people wear around me doesn't help, since it just leaves me hating hipsters that much more.)

Don't ask me. All I ever wear is a barrel and suspenders. In the winter, I stick a cork in the knothole.

 

[bashfullyshameless]

Don't ask me. All I ever wear is a barrel and suspenders. In the winter, I stick a cork in the knothole.

But what KIND of wood is your barrel? Do you have the wood stained or otherwise finished? These are very important questions!

 

[JustaSCOUNDREL]

Don't ask me. All I ever wear is a barrel and suspenders. In the winter, I stick a cork in the knothole.

JUst a simplle one or two.

Male- his tuxedo looked as if it was tailored for him.

Female- her(color) gown appeared to have been hand sewn by London's finest dress maker.

I'm not so good about it ether but it may be a start.

Mike

 

[Hubs_in_hose]

bad advice... removing

 

[lothwen]

Here's a great website to try out (well, for women's clothing anyways)

www.polyvore.com

 

[mynameisben]

But what KIND of wood is your barrel? Do you have the wood stained or otherwise finished? These are very important questions!

Unstained oak. I don't pay much heed to the outside of the barrel. Inside, though, I have a wet bar and a notepad with wi-fi that's powered off a fuel cell.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Unstained oak. I don't pay much heed to the outside of the barrel. Inside, though, I have a wet bar and a notepad with wi-fi that's powered off a fuel sell.

You sell fuel?

 

[mynameisben]

You sell fuel?

I corrected it. But thanks for keeping an eye on me.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

This is just a guess, since I mostly have male characters, but I'm going to guess that if you describe female characters from a man's point of view, that they will be more focused on the woman. A straight male isn't going to be concerned about if it's from armani or Klein, he'll be focused on how the clothes accentuates her.

Wrong

"She was wearing a green blouse with a low neck, tight slacks, and high heels."

Right.

"She was wearing long black slacks that were perfectly smooth on her heart-shaped ass. Her stilletto heels made her legs long and taut with muscle, and the telltale smoothness of her ass meant that she was either wearing a G-string, or nothing at all underneath.

The blouse was some kind of green summery patterned thing, and the ruffles on the low scooped neck did nothing to hide the deep valley of her cleavage. Whenever the wind blew the sheer fabric against her, he could see the small but tantalizing peaks of her nipples jutting into the flimsy garment."

 

[jomar]

How much detail and description depends on the story, the characters and what you're trying to accomplish.

ETA: LOL, Cruel...Pejic gets a mention in one of my messes.

 

[DG Hear]

She wore an 'Itsy Bitsy, teeny weenie, yellow polka dot bikini'. It was the first time she wore it.

Best I can do.

 

[mynameisben]

She wore an 'Itsy Bitsy, teeny weenie, yellow polka dot bikini'. It was the first time she wore it.

Best I can do.

Ah, but it's a classic. Some things never go out of style.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

If you want well-dressed men, the resources of choice are A Suitable Wardrobe and Ask Andy About Clothes. There are others but they tend to obsess over fashion rather than concentrate on true style. There is a big difference and it, I'm afraid, tends to be a male thing?

 

[Edward Teach]

I like a story that keeps the clothing descriptions to a minimum--only what is necessary to further the story. When the descriptions begin to sound like I'm watching a fashion show, I usually quit reading.

 

[bashfullyshameless]

If you want well-dressed men, the resources of choice are A Suitable Wardrobe and Ask Andy About Clothes. There are others but they tend to obsess over fashion rather than concentrate on true style. There is a big difference and it, I'm afraid, tends to be a male thing?

Thank you much, good sir!

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Thank you much, good sir!

Always happy to oblige. Mens classic dress is another of my fetishes.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

How much detail and description depends on the story, the characters and what you're trying to accomplish.

ETA: LOL, Cruel...Pejic gets a mention in one of my messes.

He's so amazing!

I also like to think of him as the physical representation of about half of the anime males in existence, considering how androgynous and girly many male characters tend to be in jRPGs and DeviantArt.

He was also the inspiration for the 'Ladyboys' in a three part series of mine. The dystopian part came from a book called "The windup girl"

 

[sr71plt]

I like a story that keeps the clothing descriptions to a minimum--only what is necessary to further the story. When the descriptions begin to sound like I'm watching a fashion show, I usually quit reading.

Agree with this. In editing, I've observed that it's women writers who tend toward describing clothing significantly more fully than needed for the story. That said, the mention of a single item of apparel can go a long way in defining a character in the reader's mind.

 

[Stella_Omega]

The only interest my characters have in clothing is getting it off of each other. One of them might mention a detail to the other, such as "Imma tear that little pink blouse right off you, princess,"

 

[lovecraft68]

This is just a guess, since I mostly have male characters, but I'm going to guess that if you describe female characters from a man's point of view, that they will be more focused on the woman. A straight male isn't going to be concerned about if it's from armani or Klein, he'll be focused on how the clothes accentuates her.

Wrong

"She was wearing a green blouse with a low neck, tight slacks, and high heels."

Right.

"She was wearing long black slacks that were perfectly smooth on her heart-shaped ass. Her stilletto heels made her legs long and taut with muscle, and the telltale smoothness of her ass meant that she was either wearing a G-string, or nothing at all underneath.

The blouse was some kind of green summery patterned thing, and the ruffles on the low scooped neck did nothing to hide the deep valley of her cleavage. Whenever the wind blew the sheer fabric against her, he could see the small but tantalizing peaks of her nipples jutting into the flimsy garment."

Didn't you and I have a conversation once about heart shaped asses?


This is a good thread though, because I have the same problem and have to constantly keep asking the wife "so what would she be wearing?"

Either that or going into her closet, picking an out fit and trying to describe it.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The question is: WHAT DOES COSTUME HAVE TO DO WITH THE PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA?

If costume is unremarkable leave it out.

SO WHAT? Is the question you wanna ask yourself about every line you scribble.

 

[Handley_Page]

Have you considered looking at some of the women's magazines (Cosmo, Red, Ladies Home Journal (?) and others (I don't look at them unless I'm about to see my Doctor or Dentist).

Rather than detail what either character wears, give the impression upon your character: "Very smartly dressed, shirt skirt, etc"