That's right! Former co-host Rowenna Miller is back again to discuss a worldbuilding topic near and dear to our hearts: fashion! How do you take clothing from bog-standard fantasy gear to something unique and specific to your world?

We four are all, obviously, very fashionable when we choose to be — but for people who aren’t clotheshorses, why should you care about fashion in your fiction? Well, for one thing, fashion touches on a lot of other parts of a world -- trade, economy, labor, social classes, etc -- and can quickly communicate aspects of those things to a reader. The choice of what to wear also communicates a lot about an individual character: Do they want to blend in or stand out? Are their clothes utilitarian or sumptuous?

We examine over- and under-used fashion choices in fiction, including scandalous sleeves, dragging skirts, the dearth of hats in fantasy, and the impracticality of leather pants. Also, learn about the "bloop vs squish" theory of the evolution of clothing!

Resources:

• Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh
• How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 21st Century by Lydia Edwards
• How to Be a Tudor and How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman
• Fashion: Explore the Collections from the Victoria & Albert Museum
• The Fashion History Timeline
• The Met Costume Institute Fashion Plates
• NYPL: Costume and Fashion History: A Guide to Resources

[Transcript TK]

Our Guest: Rowenna Miller is the author of The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill, The Palace of Illusions, The Dancer and the Dream Thief, and the Unraveled Kingdom trilogy. She lives in Indiana with her husband, two daughters, four cats, and an ever-growing flock of chickens, where she teaches writing, trespasses while hiking, and spends too much time researching and recreating historical textiles.