Apr 17 2009
More Characterization Through Clothing
Yesterday, I riffed on how clothing can help with characterization, covering the basics. Today, I’m going to look at some of the less obvious ways to use clothing to get a character across.
Take the confluence of clothing and climate. Most of the time, people will dress for the climates they’re directly experiencing; less material where it’s warmer, more where it’s cooler, stronger fabrics in rain-prone areas, lots of covered skin in places with biting insects, you get the idea. But what does it mean when someone doesn’t? I’ll give you a hint—there’s more than one answer. The girl baking in the long-sleeve shirt in the heat of summer might not have thought ahead enough to wear something cooler, but she might also be out of cooler clothing, particularly prone to sunburn and trying to protect herself, or from another region and still stuck with the wrong wardrobe. The young man in short sleeves in the cold may be trying to look tougher than he is—but he could also be naturally cold-tolerant enough to get away with it, dressing according to a formality that requires that sleeve length…. well, you get the idea.
Consider also the nature of the embellishment on the clothing—and no, this doesn’t mean ‘describe the embellishment down to the last stitch’. Clothing with a load of intricate, expert embroidery or beadwork might imply that the character is rich enough to afford a tailor, or that someone in the character’s family is a whiz with a needle—and might be very dedicated to helping the character succeed or just blessed (or cursed) with an excess of idle time. Materials might make a difference; does the shirt with the cotton or linen embellishments try make up in complexity what it lacks in value of material, or the one with gold thread stick to simplicity because the material says it all?
What about fashion? We all know that it changes constantly, and that many people will go to extremes to try to keep up with the current trends; similarly, it’s not particularly rare for people to rather obviously go in the opposite direction with their clothing choice as a sign of rebellion. But it doesn’t have to be this polarized. Some people collect style elements the way kids on the beach collect shells; they see something interesting and incorporate it into their own approach. Others might emulate certain elements of what’s popular, and then twist them; when the style calls for plunging necklines, this one drops the neckline with the best of them but wears a translucent shirt under it, or uses a square or round cut while everyone else is wearing V-necks. Then there are the ones who don’t incorporate the style, but aren’t making a point of not incorporating the style, either; if everyone else is wearing black, and the rebels are wearing white or bright colors, they’re probably showing up in brown or gray.
Are people trying to sidestep sumptuary laws, or just skirting social mores? This one can create an interesting mix and match of elements; rich fabrics in poor colors, for instance, might allow the wearer to dress above her station without breaking the rules. It doesn’t have to be subtle, though. You’ve probably read The Scarlet Letter; remember Hester Prynne turning the titular badge of shame into a work of art? Some people are prone to something like that, using something they’re required to wear to flaunt a different rule.
Can you think of any other sneaky ways to characterize through clothing?
