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Noah Cochran posted an update 4 years, 8 months ago
@rose-colored-fancy
Hey Rose, how would you describe hairstyles 1 and 8 from the following link in writing?https://www.allthingshair.com/en-us/hairstyles-haircuts/vintage-hairstyles/medieval-hairstyles/











Okay, lemme see if I can help. By one, I assume you mean the first described one, not the first picture.
It could work! It’d have to be sewn in place, (With yarn for example) but they did that quite frequently. I’d describe it as: “A thick braid coiled in the nape of her neck.” Also, it’s a fairly secure hairstyle, and I think it’d be fairly comfortable.
Eight is more complicated… *Mentally tries to replicate it* Yikes, that’s complex! Though because of how it works, it’d hold itself together, so it’s historically feasible. I’d describe it as: “Her hair was pulled back in braids that merged and split in complicated patterns.” Honestly, that’s the closest I can get to it. It’s hard to describe without being so detailed that nobody will understand what you’re talking about. I’d leave it at that since you don’t want to be too detailed with describing things like that. This is a more formal hairstyle, it wouldn’t stay in place as well. It’d take quite a while to do, so it isn’t a good everyday style.
Hope that helped!
Okay, your reply got swallowed, but I got it in the email, so I’ll reply anyway 😉
Ooh, that one’s pretty as well! Oof, fishtail braids. My fingers are aching at the thought XD
I’d describe it as: “The front of her hair was braided into a crown that trailed off into braid in the back. The rest of her hair flowed around her shoulders.”
That is still relatively ambiguous, but fishtail braids are hard to describe. As an alternative, you could just say: “The front of her hair was braided into fishtail braids that wrapped around her head and merged in the back.”
That’s more specific and actually closer to the hairstyle, but you’ll have to make peace with the fact that a part of your readership won’t exactly catch your meaning. Still, you can figure it out because of the context. Personally, I think the latter is the better option.
Huh, don’t know why that happened.
Agreed. Fishtails are great (even though the name isn’t very esteeming xD)
I like both those descriptions, I just need to hire you to describe all my characters’ hair. xD The second one is more specific, but only if people know what a fishtail braid is, so that could impair some readers’ experience.
Thanks for the help!
Don’t worry, it happens all the time. *shrug*
Exactly, the name is rather unfortunate XD
Valid point, but you can make up what it is from the context, so even if your reader doesn’t know what a fishtail braid is, they’ll know it’s a kind of braid, so they’ll get a very similar image to someone who does know.
You’ll get the hang of it! Descriptions have always been my weak point, actually XD I tend to under describe everything. But it just takes some practice!
For hair and clothes, I’d say less is more. You just need to get the general look and purpose across. You’ll never get your readers to see the exact same mental image as you do, but that’s okay. An exception is for formal wear/anything where the clothing is relevant. Then you can go into a bit more detail.
Otherwise, keep it short and get the aesthetic across as quickly as possible.
Glad I could help!