I was going through line edits on a book recently and I had a really lovely comment from my editor which sparked the idea for this blog post. She said:
“I love how your heroines all have a distinct sense of style that reflects who they are.”
It got me thinking. Style is a huge part of my character development.
Perhaps this is because style is important to me, personally. It’s always been a way that I have expressed myself.
Writing a distinct character wardrobe is a great way to enhance your character on the page. The way they dress is reflection of how they see themselves or perhaps how they want others to see them. It can represent their values, aspirations, fears, desires and more.
It can also be used to contrast characters against one another.
McKenna from Trouble Next Door is a makeup-artist and isn’t afraid to fly her glittery flag, even when others don’t appreciate it. Her makeup is described often in this book because it’s something she really cares about and is a reflection of the passion for her chosen career.
Her eye makeup had been on point—a smoky dark sapphire blue with glitter and the most kick-butt set of false lashes ever—but by the time she’d come home she looked like Britney Spears circa 2007. Total hot-mess meltdown. And to think she’d worn blue because she knew Gage loved it and then he’d gone and tossed it back in her face by saying he wanted a classy, elegant woman on his arm.
As if she was trash because she liked shiny things.
I love reflecting a diversity of style in my characters—from Drew (The Fling) who’s “goth-adjacent” and her twin sister Presley (The Rebound) who dresses almost exclusively in vintage-inspired pastels. Annie (Bad Reputation) wears very typical office-type outfits and dresses to blend into the crowd, a reflection of what’s going on in her life with the Bad Bachelor app.
This is totally something Presley would wear!
This is an excerpt from a current work-in-progress, where wardrobe plays a huge role in us learning about what’s important to this character and what she wants out of life:
In an effort to combat her bad mood, Sloane rifled through her wardrobe for the brightest, most cheerful dress she could find. Her wardrobe resembled a box of crayons, with items of every color meticulously hung in ROYGBIV order. Sure, she wore “normal” things like jeans and T-shirts, but even those were infused with her unique sense of style. She collected vintage T-shirts featuring anything Jurassic Park, she followed the Raptors NBA team and wore their merch because they were the only team with a dinosaur as their namesake and she even had a tattoo saying “clever girl” on the top of her thigh.
Dino obsessed? Maybe a little. One guy she’d dated for a hot second had thought it was weird, but Sloane knew a thing or two about making people remember her.
And being remembered was important to Sloane.
But what about heroes?
This technique absolutely can apply to characters of any gender. The hero in Hard Deal, Caleb, has a wild collection of colourful socks which he wears to the office each day, and they suit him for more than one reason.
“I’m supposed to take language advice from a guy who wears novelty socks?” Imogen shook her head. “How am I supposed to take you seriously when you wear tacos on your feet?”
He pulled up the leg of his designer suit pants to reveal a bright red sock with a T. Rex print. The socks were his “thing.” Plus, they had the added benefit of pissing off his father. The old man had strict requirements for his sons’ appearances. Even on “casual days,” where the whole damn company could wear denim, Caleb and Jason were supposed to suit up like penguins. So the funky socks were his way of giving the middle finger. And frankly, they were a talking point. A conversation starter. And Caleb liked talking to people.
Is every character going to have a crazy, out-there wardrobe? No. But simple things such as colour selection, the items that make them feel their best, how they view what they wear (whether it’s conscious or not) can really bring your character to life on the page and make them feel even more 3d and real to your reader.