What clothes can say about your world

[Jabrosky]

Some of us might regard clothing as an aspect of character appearance which we don't all like to emphasize, but I for one think a few mentions of it can help establish the setting (or build the world, if you will). I believe that the clothes people wear can not only identify their native culture, but also hint at how that culture developed and how it works today. Which is to say, you are what you wear.

Take for example the amount of clothes, or lack thereof, that your characters wear.

One of the traditional functions of having clothes on is to keep warm, so naturally cultures situated in hot climates will tend towards skimpier outfits year-round than those in cold ones. Contrary to popular presumption, walking around in loincloths isn't a sign of technological or social "backwardness", but rather a most comfortable choice of costume in hot environments.

Exhibit 1: Soldiers from ancient Egypt, Northeast Africa.

Exhibit 2: Soldier from ancient Mali, West Africa.

These guys didn't come from so-called "savage" tribes, but from large centralized empires with plenty of monumental architecture lying around, or what we call "civilizations". On the other hand, plenty of smaller-scale societies we would stereotype as "tribal" put on more clothing, because they lived in cold parts of the world. The correlation is with climate rather than "civilization".

Figure 3: Viking warrior, Northern Europe

To be sure, there are exceptions to this rule, especially for lighter-skinned peoples who have to worry about sunburn as well as heat exhaustion. That's probably why extensive skin covering has been such a big thing in the Middle East, even way before Islam. And on the other hand, people from hot climates can put on more clothing if they want to show off their fashion sense, or have been influenced by other cultures where more clothing is the norm. See this modern African lady for instance:

Figure 4: Young woman from somewhere in Africa, though I know not where yet.

(As a minor aside, MS really needs to up their image-per-post limit. I had to cut way more illustrative examples than I wanted)

 

[Addison]

Okay I am not that fashion-wise. I know how to make an outfit, color scheme and everything. But I can't quite make the fashion for my world. It's a contemporary fantasy. So if magic and mortal live peacefully side by side then the fashion will mix at some point. Like people can wear jeans, a pirate tunic/tshirt and boots/sneakers.

I'm just not sure where the line is with creating this fashion. Something that's balanced and something that says "What the %^$ is this?". Any ideas or pointers?

 

[TheCatholicCrow]

Any ideas or pointers?

Perhaps use similar clothing styles (Jeans + a peasant blouse) but only the one group likes to add a vest or one prefers tight pants & the other something more loose (like linen?)

You could maybe play off different color schemes - have the mortal dress in neutral tones (blacks, whites, tans, grays etc) while the magical wear essentially the same style of clothes in vibrant colors (and the crossover might be bright colored jewelry or something).

There are other things to consider such as embroidery, how many outfits the characters own, the material of fabric (wool would have been cheaper in the middle ages but now polyester is actually cheaper than real/decent wool). Other things to consider might be undergarments (corsets? cotton? none at all?)... you don't have to write about if you're envisioning everything from head to toe this is part of it.

To me contemporary = a wrist watch ... I know most people check time w phones now but I still wear one everyday and prior to the wristwatch pocket watches were the big thing. So if you want something to mix it all - maybe use wrist watches with hand-embroidered handkerchiefs (I use those too but it's not really a "contemporary" thing).

Otherwise ... maybe search Pinterest for inspiration and collect some images that you find striking - then sit back & figure out the elements you like from each.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Okay I am not that fashion-wise. I know how to make an outfit, color scheme and everything. But

No buts!

I don't know a darn thing about fashion, aside from darn being a sewing term, but my character knows everything about Huntress fashions. So as the writer, I fake it!

EXHIBIT A - Description (NOTE: Addy's thoughts are bolded since quotes italicize everything.)

Addison Lane wore a blue hydrangea, a tiger lily, and a lock of fur a shade redder than her own fiery curls. The floral display on the side of her head might’ve been pretty to onlookers, but for Addison it was a reminder of the time she almost killed a man, and was almost killed by one.

The rest of her outfit was from beasts she had killed. Her breelwing armor was likely to impress the dragon-rider, but then it was doubtful he’d notice it under the shadow of her bear skin cloak. A reminder o’ me old friend, closest I’ve even been to royalty ’til the wolf queen herself crossed me path today.

Addison attempted a curtsy, though she was pretty sure the wolf queen didn’t notice. So Addison just sat and stared at her boots, purchased here in the Hinterlands. The only part o’ me outfit what ain’t carved from me past. So these boots’ll take me into me future, won’t they then?

[...]

Addison tossed back one side of her cloak to reveal her breelwing armor. It made her chest look like a man's, but the design was rather feminine below the waist, forming a gunmetal gray skirt which draped over her breelhide leggings.

So, there's Addison's first three paragraphs in Nimue's game, plus a fourth paragraph that revealed the skirt. Before, the skirt was implied because Addison curtsied.

Now, picture the outfit in your head, and answer these questions honestly.

#1. Is Addison fashionable?
#2. Does your mental image look like mine in EXHIBIT B?

Spoiler: EXHIBIT B

EXHIBIT B - Sketch

Spoiler: the answers I expect

#1. Yes.
#2. No.

You don't have to picture what I picture. If I can use a few words and your mind does the rest of the job for me, I succeeded. If you said YES to #2, I did better than expected. If you said NO to #1... darn.

 

[Tom]

Interesting thread. I really enjoy worldbuilding, and often a big part of it is designing clothing. My usual setting is vaguely North American or European, so I usually go with Viking clothing as the baseline fashion. Then I customize it to fit with a certain culture in my world, and throw in a few influences from different real-world cultures.

For instance, my Kirithian culture is mainly Northern European, but also has some Japanese and Native American influences. I chose to have both genders wear tunics and trousers, but the women wear a skirt component for weddings, festivals, and other special occasions. It looks like a Haudenosaunee skirt, which is a single piece of cloth wrapped around the body and tucked in at the waist:

I also took inspiration for the patterns and embroidery on Kirithian clothing from Native American pottery, specifically pottery from the Santa Clara Pueblo outside of Santa Fe:

For the Japanese influences, I substituted the use of sashes and cloth belts instead of the usual leather belts. I also liked the aesthetic of traditional Japanese jewelry, especially the use of jade and intricately looped and knotted cord, which is called Kumihimo.

For other cultures I've used Greek, ancient Gaelic, Slavic, Chinese, Viatnamese, Masai, and Egyptian influences. When I set stories in the modern world, I usually just put everyone in jeans and t-shirts, my own default clothing mode.

 

[Devor]

I don't think I've mentioned any of my ideas on clothing here yet.

For one setting, the rulers wear funky outfits, robes that are kind of described like suits, but with monsters painted with modern 3D painting styles on them. So, if your jacket was buttoned, it might look like a fire was coming up where your tie should be, and little claws coming over your lapel. But if you take it off, you reveal the full 3D demon emblazoned on your shirt, ready to claw the eyes out of everyone else in the room.

It's also foreshadowing because some of the demons depicted would eventually turn up.

It's in some way supposed to be a comment on the elaborate nonsense people do with their clothing as a show of power.

 

[BronzeOracle]

I remember watching a 'making of GOT' featurette and the costume designers were discussing how they selected the clothing for the different families, and how they considered the climate and also the wealth and trade of the societies. So the Starks coming from the poorer, more isolated and colder north wore clothing that was significantly different from the Lannisters or Tyrells from the richer, more trade connected and warmer south. Including the fabrics and dyes that were available, the use of more intricate designs and workmanship etc.

I love the attention to detail of a well made film production - there is so much effort and thought expended, no wonder the visual effect is so rich.

 

[Gryphos]

I've thought a fair bit about the clothes of my characters and their world, which takes much of its aesthetic influence from the 19th century. The general clothing aesthetic I've come up with (for the area in which the story takes place in, at least) is what I've dubbed 'eccentric Victorian'. By this I mean the standard Victorian conventions of frock coats, three-pieces, top hats, corsets, etc. but with added details that would possibly make it rather out of place in the real 19th century. I'm talking prestigious guilds whose members wear feathered tricorns; suits with jackets that have golden dragon patterns embroidered along the lapel; copious amounts of floral patterned silk scarfs, that kind of thing. And of course, every gentleman worth his soul has a pocket watch and handkerchief.

 

[Reilith]

I like to go wild with the clothes and fashion, but for now I have kept it pretty simple in my WIP. Since the story is set at Court grounds, but it's also a Mage school the Apprentices wear crimson robes, which can just slightly vary in design, while the general Mages usually wear different shades of red or black, or combined.
For the Court I am thinking lavish dresses, elaborate embroidery, suits and coats, funky hair accessorizes etc. There is also another culture I am mixing in from a nearby archipelago, where more of a tropical climate and tribal way of life dictates the clothing - I haven't really set my mind on anything particular yet, but I will try to look up ancient Mayan and Aztec cultures so I can mix something up. Another nomadic people in the South are going to have more of a Native Indian feel.

 

[ThinkerX]

Oh, I've given some scattershot thought to fashion in apathetic effort to make different area's in my world 'stand apart'

Solarian Empire - the biggie - extends from the temperate to subtropical zones and runs several thousand miles east to west.

Equitant, in the NE, tends towards 'stylish' wool coats, dresses, and pants. Hmmm...given their industrial bent, they may not be far off from inventing jeans...

Niteroi, way down south...well the elite tend towards imported silks. They be a tiny minority, though; most people wear either a skirt or short trousers topped with a vest. Slaves and low class laborers...loincloths, pretty much.

Saba, one of the 'Black States' south of the Empire...well their monster hunters are dang near naked, though they sometimes wear rude armor of bone or wood fashioned into vests over a cloth tunic. Grass skirts are common among the lower orders. (Black States overall are civilized, but highly corrupt)

Central Solaria? I mostly go with generic light colored tunics, trousers, or robes. Call it a lack of imagination on my part. Not scorching hot, not cold enough for heavier garb. (Family) colors matter a fair bit among the elite and their servants, though.

Way out west, the Empire conquered Kitrin, once part of the much larger nation of Agba, which I view roughly middle eastern/south Asian. Better off folks here tend towards light colored flowing robes, lower class ones towards loincloths. Jewelry is worn more often by members of both sexes, and quite a few women wear veils.

The vaguely Celtic Avar dominate the NW empire. The remoter ones are fond of fur cloaks and necklaces of animal teeth. Otherwise its baggy trousers and heavy shirts, or darkish robes (usually associated with the more learned types - bards, engineers, scholars, magicians, certain types of artisans).