14 Responses to “Dressed to Kill”

1. I seem to go through cycles. Sometimes I’ll go into great detail about what everyone is wearing. Other times I barely mention it. I wish I could find a nice balance. I do notice what other writers do. There’s one thing I’ve noticed in an adventure/thriller series I read is that the male author goes into great detail about what the female characters are wearing. For some reason this amuses me to no end. Especially since he barely mentions the guys’ clothes at all.

   by Tori Lennox on August 29th, 2007 at 10:00 am
   
   

2. Although I am not especially good about paying attention to what people wear in everyday life, I do tend to notice what people wear in murder mysteries - I always enjoy imagining what someone looks like over and above the author’s description, and when the author mentions clothes it adds to the picture of what that person must look like…

   by Rudolf on August 29th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
   
   

3. I’m with Rudolf. I can visualize them better in their outfits and some clothes just seem to fit the character. Eventually, you get to know what he or she would normally wear and then it becomes less important, but in the first book of a series I need all the imagery.

   by JB on August 29th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
   
   

4. Hi Diana.

   I don’t usually pay much attention to what a character is wearing. I think it only matters when you are making a movie of the book and have to come up with a wardrobe. The only time I ever really went into detail about how something looked was a diary in a story I wrote. But that was only because I had to for the plot.

   Traci

   by Traci on August 30th, 2007 at 12:33 am
   
   

5. I took a little time in the first mystery in the series to describe—briefly—-what Kelly Flynn was wearing. She’s an athlete, and grew up in Colorado, and I emphasized that she prefers to wear jeans and shirt, & sneakers.

   I guess I’m hoping readers remember that about Kelly, because I haven’t spent much time describing clothes since.

   by Maggie on August 30th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
   
   

6. I don’t add much detail–just enough for a reader to get a mental picture. LOL on the Stacy and Clinton comment!

   by Heather on August 31st, 2007 at 8:44 am
   
   

7. Hey, Tori, I think that’s true in general. I think the male characters get less wardrobe time and attention spent on them. Hmm. Now I’m going to be watching for that!

   That’s funny about the male authors detailing female character’s wardrobes. Maybe they think they’re appealing to femnine readers? I just wonder if they get the clothes right, as most of the men who have shopped for me have…let’s say very different taste from my own.

   by Diana on August 31st, 2007 at 9:59 am
   
   

8. That’s interesting, Rudolf, that you don’t particularly notice real-life clothes but you do notice what characters wear. But then clothes do go towards building an image of the characters — and the scene they appear in. Sort of like a movie, so I guess that makes sense.

   by Diana on August 31st, 2007 at 10:01 am
   
   

9. JB, this is how I am too — I really visualize the characters and the scenes, as though it were a film playing out before me. In fact, I used to go into way too much detail — I’d try to describe everything down to the last button — and I was just as bad with setting.

   I wanted the reader to see exactly what I wrote — forgetting that allowing the reader to use his or her imagination is part of the fun!

   by Diana on August 31st, 2007 at 10:03 am
   
   

10. Traci, I agree that there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Some readers like more details, and some writers enjoy putting more details in, but I’m guessing that the same writers who detail clothes, probably put more details in, in general.

    Clothing related to plot — intriguing!

    by Diana on August 31st, 2007 at 10:05 am
    
    

11. Maggie, this is a perfect example of characterization through clothing, and you’re right. Once it’s established, you only need to note when Kelly is changing into something really different and out of character for her…like a slinky sexy little black dress.

    by Diana on August 31st, 2007 at 10:06 am
    
    

12. Heather, lemme just say that I greatly prefer it when my sis turns the S&C on my characters rather than on ME. Which she has also been known to do!

    by Diana on August 31st, 2007 at 10:07 am
    
    

13. I just finished a book at lunch (reading, not writing)and am sitting back wondering if I could remember any of what the main character was wearing. And I’d have to say no. There were character references to other people (ex classmates in cashmere sweater sets and pearls) and contrasts to what the character usually wears (torn jeans and pony tail) but not specifically what she wore during the entire book.

    This was the third book in the series, so I had a general idea who the character was. But I’m not sure I’ve ever really noticed clothing described except to set up what a character valued and believed. And once that character was set in my mind, I didn’t really care what they were wearing, unless it changed the book plot or the character. (I’m thinking Devil wore Prada here). But the Sex in the City focus was just too much for me., as I sit here typing in my Celebrate Women’s Fitness walk tee and Looney Tunes sleeper pants.

    by Lynn on August 31st, 2007 at 8:20 pm
    
    

14. But the Sex in the City focus was just too
    much for me., as I sit here typing in my Celebrate Women’s Fitness walk
    tee and Looney Tunes sleeper pants.

    Ah, and see how much we know about you just from that brief mention? Clothes (or lack of) really do effectively establish clues to characterization! Maybe I should have asked everyone what they were wearing!

    by Diana on September 5th, 2007 at 9:25 am
    
    

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