Clothing can be a crucial part of character development, especially for minor characters with only a few lines of dialogue. The aphorism is “show, don’t tell,” and clothing is one of the most immediate ways a character shows personality traits and situational details. Instead of telling readers a character is poor, authors can describe unintentional tatters and a limited wardrobe of cheap outfits. If a character doesn’t wear their heart on their sleeves, perhaps their literal sleeve has a clue about what they’re thinking.

The brainstorming and writing processes for clothing description can actually get pretty complicated. Good thing I’m here to help you walk the metaphorical runway.

You’ll see that the work is worth it. Readers know the difference between generic clothing descriptions and thoughtful character portraits.

Brainstorming

Before writing the description, I recommend planning the details and taking notes. Organize those notes in a character profile document or a page of a notebook dedicated to the character.

Is There One Item of Clothing You Want to Emphasize?

Some characters have iconic outfits; others have one iconic clothing item in that outfit. Think about whether you want the character to have an attachment to the idea of fashion or a specific item.

The reference may seem silly, but this issue reminds me of “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” both the manga and anime. When I think of a character who wears flashy outfits, the name that pops up first is Seto Kaiba, the megalomaniac rival to Yugi and one of the main characters in the series. Fans think of his outfits rather than a particular article.

A minor character like Bandit Keith, on the other hand, is all about one iconic item, his America-themed bandana. The first syllable of his nickname, “Band,” primes the audience to hear the assonance in “bandana.” His other items of clothing are forgettable, standard for the series.

Write however you want, but I think the single clothing item emphasis strategy is more efficient and effective for minor characters. With main characters, we spend enough time with them to cover their entire wardrobe.

Consider Ordering Some Clothes, Maybe Even Trying Them On

To describe every part of clothing, it helps to see real items, even wear them or ask a friend to put some on. How do clothes feel on the character? If a character with weight insecurities wears clothes that are too tight, what does that discomfort feel like? How do loose clothes flap in the wind?

Continuing with my beloved bandana example from Bandit Keith, you can order custom bandanas from a site like 4inBandana. For general clothing rental and customization, I suggest Nuuly for cisgender women and Stitch Fix for a wider demographic approach.

Are the Clothes Real or Fictional?

To further explore the heart of the matter, are you OK with some readers pausing to look up the clothes?

In “Nana,” the author chose to have Nana Osaki be a fan of Vivienne Westwood, a real clothing designer. This creative choice has encouraged series fans to research Vivienne Westwood. In 2025 the Vivienne Westwood company celebrated the 25 anniversary of the “Nana” series by releasing a Vivienne Westwood-branded edition of the first volume of the “Nana” manga. The volume immediately sold out and has not been reprinted since.

When incorporating real clothing in character descriptions, remember that this decision may have ripple effects. You could be one of the lucky authors to strike an eventual brand deal.

The downside to this approach is that it limits reader imagination. When readers look up the brand, they all see the same images. Descriptions of fictional clothing (totally fictional or realistic items with no brand mentioned), conversely, give space for readers to have idiosyncratic visualizations.

How Important is Clothing For That Particular Character or Story?

There’s a line — however blurry and subjective — between thorough description and fluff.

Imagine a character who doesn’t care about his clothes. He wears the same outfit over and over again. Readers might not want so many descriptions of his clothing.

For a fashion-focused character who changes outfits based on points in a character arc, readers will likely expect many descriptive lines. Changes in apparel brands may denote a shift in worldview.

The story is also a deciding factor. “Crazy Rich Asians” is the type of book where it makes sense to focus a lot on describing clothes. In a working-class story where all the workers are wearing the same jeans and shirts, clothing descriptions can be minimal.

Writing: Examples and Analysis

Once the planning is complete, the writing should flow pretty easily. Here are some passages of clothing description that I believe are well-written:

‘The Seventh Ribbon,’ a Novel by Gus Krieger

From page four of the paperback edition: “Shelby appears close to fabulous in a fitted striped charcoal sweater with boots and leggings beneath a plum-colored coat, which now hangs on a peg beside my wall of typewriters…”

This description quickly provides insights on the narrator, Caroline, and Shelby:

• “close to fabulous” makes us wonder if Caroline is hesitant to compliment Shelby, if perhaps she is jealous.
• “fitted” generates a few possibilities about Shelby: she is willing to spend more on clothing, she wants to show off her figure, etc.

‘Exercises in Style’ by Raymond Queneau

This book is great for practicing any kind of description in storytelling, including how to describe clothing. “Exercises in Style” tells the same story in 99 different ways. The initial base version already focuses quite a bit on clothing. Here’s an excerpt:

“A chap of about 26, felt hat with a cord instead of a ribbon, neck too long, as if someone’s been having a tug of war with it.”

“cord instead of a ribbon” tells us that the narrator believes a ribbon should be the standard adornment on a hat. The sight of the cord might even be bothering the narrator.

“Exercises in Style” is difficult to understand in a vacuum. If you read it, please pull up our book review as a guide.

Will You Be the Next to Write Iconic Clothing on a Character?

Carrie Bradshaw’s designer shoes, Cher Horowitz’s “Clueless” outfit, Anna Karenina’s ballgown, the “Man in the Yellow Hat” — all the results of writers thinking about how to describe clothing. If you follow our advice, your character might be the next image burned into people’s minds for generations.