clothing?

If it ain't directly relevant, it ain't worth writing! Sometimes you want to describe the clothing; it can be a nice way to make statements about characters without straight up telling (wearing a suit to the dentist vs jeans and a tshirt.), but a lot of the time it's bloatprose.

I agree. Sometimes descriptions are key to the plot, like Harry Potter's eyes being like his mothers. Other times, it bogs down the flow.

I tend not to. It can bog down the story a bit, and unless it's necessary to the plot (sports clothes for action etc.) I'm not going to pay attention to it.

I'll mention clothes occasionally, especially since I write fantasy. One of my series features a world that is quite cold, so people wear thick furs. I don't spend a lot of time on it, though. I mention the clothes in passing, then move on.

I think I might have one mention of clothes in my upper MG fantasy, and that happens when my MC is dressed in a t-shirt and jeans in a place where everyone else is wearing suits and ties. He feels very out of place.

If it doesn't add anything, there's no need to mention it.

I describe clothes, when this adds something to the worldbuilding, setting, plot or characterization. But I write fantasy romance, so the characters' clothes, or the lack thereof, can be on their minds a bit more often.

I'd also say that clothes are both genre-specific and character specific.

If you are writing science fiction, you need to decide whether you are going for the high-tech look or the cobbled-together-from-bits theme. Describe it once and then the reader will assume that all the characters are similarly attired. But clothing could become more important for a contemporary romance set in the fashion industry.

It may also be worth noting clothing if it makes a plot point or if the character considers clothing to be important. Cinderella is a story of rags to riches to rags to riches. It's pretty difficult to do that without lingering on the lingerie.

Unless the character is going to his city office job in a jock-strap and wellington boots it's not worth mentioning. Most folk will assume he's wearing a suit and maybe carrying a briefcase.

Mention clothing and/or accessories if knowledge of them helps the reader picture any idiosynchrasy about the character.

I thought this tread was going to be about writing while naked.

From an editor's perspective...yeah, too many clothing descriptions will get cut.

But from a writer's perspective...if you like writing clothing descriptions, who the eff cares if they're useful? Doesn't GRRM bore his readers with more feast and food descriptions than one person should ever consume in one novel?

(Landscapes are my weakness. I can wax on for pages about trees and water and natural stuff.)

If clothing sparks your creativity and is fun for you to write, then don't second guess adding those descriptions as you write. At the editing stage you can determine if those descriptions are worth keeping. There may be plenty that don't add something valuable to the story because they're repetitive or a distraction. Or maybe those descriptive details are providing a valuable story service which isn't being accomplished any other way. Maybe attention to those particular details is a hallmark of your style. *shrugs* I wouldn't stop writing them just because you think they *might* be boring. That kind of thinking leads down a dangerous path.

I occasionally describe outfits if:
1) one character is checking another one out
2) a character has put a lot of effort into their outfit, usually because they're going to see their love interest
(I write romance)

I read a Georgette Heyer book recently, and all the clothing descriptions were driving me nuts. Especially since I had to look up what half the items of clothing were since I was unfamiliar with them...

I once read a fantasy series where the author insisted on describing what each and every one of his characters was wearing, from top to bottom, in minute detail. And every time they stayed the night at an inn and got dressed the next morning, their clothing would be described again. Even when it was the same clothing as the previous day. I started skipping a fair amount of the description in those books, scanning down the page for dialogue tags.

This level of description is appreciated by some. Lots of people really dig GRRM's elaborate descriptions of food. But I always try and make sure that there's a distinct reason for including such details, beyond just adding a little colour.

I think the rules for describing clothing are pretty much the same as for any kind of description. Go ahead and describe if:
a) it's relevant to the story
b) it reveals character (either of the person being described or of the POV doing the describing)
c) it fits the narrative style and tone AND it's not boring or intrusive

C can stand on its own. C AND A or C AND B are better. C AND A AND B is the ideal.

Remember that some readers don't like description, some don't care, and some demand it. You'll never please everybody. Whatever you do, just try to do it well.

My characters don't kowtow no clothing industry - pants are just another tool of the Man, to keep us down.

Fight the power!

Seriously, though, what the other posters have said. A note now and again should be sufficient for most purposes, unless your POV character's a clothes horse to whom every tiny thread speaks volumes about the wearer. (And if you're writing a mystery and one particular item of clothing is a Vital Clue, include enough general clothing description so that the reader doesn't instantly lock in on the One Gaudy Sweater That Gets A Page Of Description... then expect them to be surprised when that particular sweater points to the Tacky Killer's identity.)

stormowl7 said:

I describe what characters are wearing at times, but since they obviously change every day, I can't really describe the different clothes every time, right? I mean, unless the clothing is important for a part of the story or some times...or is it good to help "paint" a better picture in the story?

Opinions?

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Clothes inform the reader about the character but one doesn't need to go into a lot of detail. In Harry Potter JKR described Hermione's dress as "floaty" and "periwinkle" once. We don't know the cut of the dress or the name brand or anything like that. So, a single sentence doesn't hurt.

Now, if the story is set at fashion week. I better be getting a bit more detail. lol.

I actually read a book where the author described what her character was wearing too often. I only mention what my characters are wearing if there's a major event like a fancy dinner, festival, meeting with the president etc. He was wearing a black suit.

I mention it if the person's attire will clue the reader to the characters occupation; Her scrubs were printed with cats and dogs or maybe to clue in what time of day: Jade entered the kitchen wearing her pajamas.

Otherwise I don't care too know what each individual is wearing. If you want to describe, keep it under a sentence for casual wear. "She wore ripped jeans and a camouflage tank-top", but most of the time it isn't really necessary.

I don't worry about clothing too much. (Not saying I live in a nudist colony, just sayin'...).

Most of the time, I simply say "John threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, slicked his hair back and headed out the door" (or something along those lines). It's much easier.

With Lindsay Versus the Marauders (see avi) I had them in bodysuits most of the time. It was easier than worrying about them changing clothes all the time. Unless your novel is about the fashion industry, I wouldn't go overboard on the wearing clothing concept.

I really only mention the clothing if it's completely different from the picture I've already painted about the character. In a YA novel I have out right now, the MCs wear their letter jackets on the first day of school to show off, so I just assume the reader would know they're dressed the way high school students would otherwise. Later, when they're going to a dance together, I go into more detail about how they look wearing tuxedos because, let's face it, tuxes aren't something high school students wear every day.

I tend to write in made-up settings, so I toss a few things out about the character's clothes to give the reader a feel for the world and its conventions, but since I write from the pov of a character, I try to keep it at a level that rings true for that person. For instance, one of my characters who is new to a country notices that almost no one is wearing a hat and many of the women are "dressed like the men" in shirts, trousers, and vests, because this is strange to someone from his background. In another scene, one of my characters is at a banquet and is noticing the way other people are dressed because she's worried that she's an imposter in such high-class company. But a lot of the time, clothes fly under the radar.

I describe clothing if it's out of the ordinary, or if it reveals character. If there's anyting worse than too much description, it's too little. Too much can be cut, too little kills the story dead in its tracks.

briannasealock said:

Now, if the story is set at fashion week. I better be getting a bit more detail. lol.

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I have to say, one reason I read the Gossip Girl books was because I liked the descriptions of Pucci dresses and Juicy jeans.

But that's Gossip Girl. I wouldn't feel the same about books in other genres, with deeper characters.

Sentences that are essentially "He was wearing xyz clothing..." are one of my pet peeves, especially when it's used multiple times in a book, and it also drives me a bit nuts when authors go brand-crazy, where every clothing description sounds like an advertisement for Gucchi or Prada or Coach.

BUT I don't mind hearing about clothing if it can be worked naturally into the narration and tell us something about the characters. “They were both in white and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house.” (The Great Gatsby)

I've described clothing in passing sometimes, but never in detail. Like if I'm introducing a character and don't have much to say except, "the girl in the red dress." Sometimes I add a bit more, but it usually gets cut when I go back to read it or if there's too much. I've found most readers find it annoying. (Unless, like it's said above, it's in a book like Gossip Girl, where it's fitting to describe that kind of thing).

It depends on how relevant the clothing is to the story. If you're writing a period piece, such as something from the seventies, then it's fun to throw some description in. Hip huggers, thongs (which, by the way, is different than what thongs are today ), and maybe a paisley halter top. Anybody who lived during the seventies, or grew up during that era, would immediately recognize that clothing and footwear.