Romantic/Suspense Author

Irene Estep

Building Character Bit by Bit, Part II:

 Building Character Using Apparel

By Irene Estep

Clothes make the man (or woman or child, whichever the case may be) is an old cliché that has some merit when it comes to characters in a novel. Even in real life, how often do you find yourself looking at what someone is wearing and make a snap decision about that person. First impressions may not always be correct, but sometimes they’re all one has to go on. Some characters are typecast.  We have a mindset about how they should look whether we get a description or not. Cowboy: jeans, boots, yoke front shirt; Businessman: suit, tie, dress shoes; Athlete: healthy, well-toned body; and so on.

Often just saying someone’s a cowboy will work, but what if the setting is filled with cowboys, then you may need to show some characteristics that set this character apart from the crowd.  James Hatfield might have been mistaken for a typical cowboy if not for the purple silk shirt, which went well with the floral stitching on his vest.

The way a character is dressed can indicate personality traits, economic status, background, physical condition, or emotional state. “Jane’s been dressed in nothing but that same raggedy bathrobe for a solid week.”

Whatever happens leading up to Jane’s state of dress will tell you whether she is sick or going through an emotional crisis, but either way, knowing how she’s been dressed for a week reveals just how crappy Jane feels.

If you want reader sympathy for a down and out character, then show how he/she is dressed. He wore a threadbare frieze coat, knee breeches, and hole-riddled stockings that left most of his legs exposed to the elements.  This is a street urchin from my regency romance, CALAMITY CLARESTA. I could have just stopped at just calling him a street urchin; most everyone knows what one looks like. However, this urchin plays a significant part in the story, and describing his attire helps set the stage for how the reader will continue to think of him throughout the story, and it creates the immediate reader sympathy I wanted for him. 

Vivid choices are the ones that stick with you throughout the story. Jayne Ann Krentz is a master at vivid descriptions.  Here’s an example for LIGHT IN SHADOWS: She reached into her voluminous tote, one of six similar bags in different colors that she owned. She had chosen the chartreuse green one today because she liked the way it contrasted with her deep violet pantsuit.

Pick up a book by one of your favorite authors. When you come to a scene describing a character’s apparel, give it a different spin. If she’s dressed conservatively, then change him/her into something more colorful and flamboyant, or vice versa. See how your impression of that character changes.

Have fun with dressing your characters!

Next issue:  Building Character Bit by Bit, Part III: Building Character Using dialogue.

Irene Estep’s next romantic suspense, PROMISES, PROMISES, will be released in March 2005 by Awe-Struck Publishing.

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