Clothing and culture can reveal information about a fictional character as well as giving clues about personality and behavior.
What Type of Clothing is Associated With Different Countries
Many traditional outfits are obvious but others will take some careful researching. Here are some of the more common ones to use as a starting place:
- Scotland – Kilt
- India – Sari
- Japan – Kimono
- South Africa – Leopard skins
Make Sure Information is Accurate
If referring to a garment in passing, a description gleaned from the internet will probably be adequate. If a traditional costume is an important part of the story, it will be worth doing more in-depth research. If possible, contact someone who owns one of the garments in question and ask for an interview. Touch the clothing, examine the way it fastens and hangs and take photographs for authentic results.
Don’t Over-describe the Clothing
Readers will be bored with page-long descriptions. Give brief descriptions that hint at the full picture, and build on these over a few pages.
- The emerald and gold sari embraced her body
- It was cool and safe within the confines of the burkha
- The jeans were ragged and designer
Clothing Can Reveal Character Traits
It is possible to guess a person’s personality by the type of clothing they wear. While this is not a hard and fast rule, it is one that works in fiction. How would a high-powered business woman dress? Probably in smart suits. A new mother may wear baggy jeans and T-shirts while a tramp would wear gray cast-offs. A foreigner, depending on his attachment to his home country, may wear traditional dress from time to time.
Western Clothing is Diverse
Western fashion is ever evolving and different groups of society dress in different ways. Ensure that an emo character is clothed correctly and that an elderly man is not dressed in the latest Levis. An exception is where the character makes a statement by dressing differently. Think of a middle-aged woman who owns a motorbike franchise. It would be acceptable for her to favor leathers and boots.
Uniforms Convey a Message
The mention of a uniform sends a message to the reader. It may be that this character is an employee of a store or in a position of authority such as a security guard. Other occupations are easily recognisable by familiar uniforms. These include nurse, policeman, mechanic and pilot. Unofficial codes of dress can identify a person who works in professions such as prostitution or belongs to cultural groups such as the Amish.
Clothing Points to Weather Conditions
A man enters a room, water trickling off his raincoat. A group of women shrug on coats before taking their children to the park. A teenager strips off her clothes and pulls on a bikini. All these actions point to certain types of weather. Use clothing to build a picture of what is happening.
Clothing and Crime
When a person goes missing, investigators always ask what they were wearing. Forensic analysis can identify tiny fibres and traces of fabric. Use all this to great effect in thrillers and mysteries.
Clothing can play an important role in any novel and reveals character as well helping the action along. Be sure to choose appropriate items and drop hints here and there, rather than describing a full outfit in one paragraph.
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