Character Appearance

writerkaitlinm:

Appearance has the ability to subtly develop characters and their personalities. In this case, I’m not referring to general appearance attributes such as eye color or hair texture, but rather, how your character dresses, styles, and holds him/herself. Imagine meeting a person dressed or holding him/herself as noted in the bullet points below. What would you assume about them before they spoke? 

How does your character dress on a normal day? 

Do they match their clothing?

Are their clothes wrinkled? 
Are their clothes too big or too small? 
Are their glasses lopsided?
Is there a standard type of outfit that those in your character’s village/school/workplace wear? Does your character conform to this standard, or do they dress noticeably different from their peers?

What about shoes?

Are they old and worn down?

Are they covered in dirt or scuffed up?
Does your character tie their laces? 

Knowing they might get caught in a bad situation, how does your character dress?

Do they dress up, prepared to talk or manipulate their way out of trouble?

Do they wear clothing that’s easy to move around in, prepared to fight?
Do they wear clothing that will blend in with others in close proximity, prepared to flee?

Does your character always wear a certain accessory? 

Does the accessory remind the character of their past?

Does the accessory show off their quirky or elegant side? 
Does the accessory have a practical purpose, or is it for decoration?

Does your character’s stance have an effect on their clothing?

Do they slump, causing their shirt to slip off their shoulder?

Do they stand tall, their shirt pulling tight against their chest?
Do they hide their hands in their pockets?