Intro | 2min snip from Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

Speaker 3
Yes, it's very comprehensive. I'm gonna give them the pro through that. there's a good bit of information and I highly recommend that for people get through it.
Speaker 1
Yeah, we didn't put all of the sources and references that they used in the article even if you go to our blog, it was going to be the time this airs, there should be a blog post up there, where we have the full list of all of the references and resources that Inki uses when she's learning about, you know, different dressing and clothing styles from history. And so that's pretty exciting. But yeah, the article goes into detail and I mean, I personally learned a lot. There were a couple times I had to kind of step back and be like, alright, I am reviewing this. I can't just read it. Because I don't know a whole lot. And so there were some comments I remember writing on that article where it's just like, does this work? Because I legitimately did. know. Can we try this? Does that go against the logic of what you have here? So I always love articles like that because they kind of forced me to learn something new as well, which most of them usually do, but the art of dressing cultures especially did that for me because, you know, when I'm writing something I typically don't focus too much on the clothing, I typically don't illustrate much beyond the various maps of my world. The two character portraits I have right now, I did from like the shoulders up so there's almost no clothing involved. But yeah, I think that would definitely be one of the highlights for me for this issue. In part because of the way it so effortlessly gives you a lot of information, but also just the fact that I know the authors put a ton of work into it.
Speaker 3
on how I use visual descriptors, because I do love, not I don't love, I love doing it, I'm not great at it, but I do love describing what characters look like and what they're wearing as a matter of characterization, and because I'm always an advocate that good characters make for good world building, because then you can use them as lenses. now it's making me think, well, that means that when I'm thinking of how I'm describing clothing and fashion, and what they choose to wear and present themselves with, now I can have this additional insight as to how that relates to their culture, where they came from, who they are, or perhaps if they've chosen to issue all that. It's a lot of food for thought. And the fact that they go into it very well despite not putting everything that he could have put into it. It's a very committal effort. I really enjoyed it. Yeah,
Speaker 2
that was definitely one of my favorites too. Like Adam said, I learned a lot from it. To just try to hit on a new point because everybody a lot about it already. But looking at how fashion develops and the kind of key features that go into designing and how it grows over time within a culture is something I had never even really put a lot of thought into. I really got to see that from a different angle, which was awesome.
Speaker 1
So I guess kind of on this topic and everything, what kind of work do you guys put into your worlds, your settings with the outfits and costumes and uniforms that people will wear?
Speaker 3
I mentioned the last time or in one of the other podcasts, or maybe in a future podcast, I don't know. I go for analogs. So I tend to take from different cultures that I've seen that I like the aesthetic of, where I think there's connections between a character's history and the kind of the source culture for the fashion and I tend to use that. So for example, I go for that a lot of western European dress because I have western European influenced cultures in my campaign setting. And beyond that, I don't really think too much about the aesthetic part. I don't think in that matter, I suppose. But I do think about the practicality part, especially for characters that would be, for example, adventurers. They would be soldiers or fighters or perhaps spies. And so their dress should reflect all that.
Speaker 2
same thing where I'll look at what kind of historical culture my fictional culture is based on and what kind of clothing they had and kind of translate that over. Like I said, that article opened my eyes a lot to look at things in a different way. So I think that'll be something I can learn and grow from. But yeah, I tend to follow the tropes on it. I don't focus a lot on clothing. I spend more time on the action. But I'll have my hard -boiled detective. I'll throw him in a fedora and trench coat and call it a day. Get on with the business. Yeah,
Speaker 1
I do a similar thing. I'll try and find something that I can kind of identify the character with. So for example, somewhere along the line, I sort of thought to myself, you know, scarves aren't used a whole lot. So I've got this whole group of elite sorcerers and sorceresses who guard the queen in my world. And they've all got these really long scarves and that kind of sets them apart from other people at a glance. So from a storytelling perspective that works very well. However, it's recently come to my attention that the capital is very close to the equator. And scarves in that region could be kind of hot. They're
Speaker 3
sweat rags, not scarves.
Speaker 1
You also have scarves like Afghans.
Speaker 2
Middle Eastern cultures and something like a shamog or something like that. I think I just need to rewrite it. Keep the sun off of them and stuff. You just don't call it a scarf. Yeah,
Speaker 1
I think I just need to rewrite it to better reflect the fact that it's a very light material and all that so I can still keep the art that I made. Or
Speaker 3
it could be a flex because they don't care if they're hot. They're strong, powerful
Speaker 2
people. Yeah, it's a sign of machismo.
Speaker 1
Weird flex, but okay.
Speaker 2
It's kind of digress for a moment. See the, you know, thinking again about my, my detective in the trench coat fedora, you know, kind of in defense of the lazy costuming is, you know, having that sense of familiarity can kind of help your reader get into the characters shoes to know, put an intent with the shoes. make it easier for them to get into that perspective without worrying too much about it. So there's definitely a place to balance and it depends on what your priorities are with your writing.
Speaker 1
Yeah, I definitely agree. It's not always the best choice to, especially in writing, devote too much time to clothing and the garb of the day. Because unless it matters to the character and to the story, then it doesn't matter to the reader. there are exceptions, and I think it's important to have some pieces of that still represented, like the fedora or the scarf in my example. But yeah, it's important not to, kind of like we've talked about a couple times now, not to bore the reader with overexplanation,
Speaker 2
lore dumps, all these things. Yeah, it depends a lot on your writing style too, you know, how much you go into it. Like my writing style is a pulp style. So it's, you know, getting into the action. You know, other people might take more time kind of building up setting the dressing the characters dressing the set and kind of immersing you more in the trappings of everything instead of just diving right into the action I do. So there's a lot of different approaches to it. Personally
Speaker 4
likes that dressing a lot. And I love the idea of costuming, like creating what your characters are wearing. But the thing is that I've always found that you can have like a basic ideas of what they're wearing. that's easy to say in a few words. What the focus should always be is kind of, in my opinion, like you said, the fedora the scarf, that that piece of the costume that's iconic. And it could be minor characters. I remember an interview with George RR Martin, who was talking about how fans will come to him tell him who their favorite characters are. And sometimes it'll just be like, Oh, I like that guy. He's my favorite character. He had two lines, but he had like this cloak of raven feathers and like, you know, small items like that kind of put it all together for people because it sticks in their mind. And that's what they that's what they like. That's they want to have this keystone.
Speaker 1
Yeah, for sure. You know, even though that character only had like two lines, they still made an impact because of the way they were presented. And clothing is a big part of that because, you know, so often we hear about, you know, the knight in shining armor. You know, that's part of his uniform, you know, more or less. Or, you know, the...
Speaker 3
Cloaks and daggers for rogues. Sorry. Yeah,
Speaker 1
exactly. Yeah. You know, the nobility and their silks, dresses and such. The
Speaker 2
ruffled collars. Yep. Yeah.
Speaker 1
Ira's
Speaker 4
disgusting and gross.
Speaker 1
Yeah. The wigs that people used to wear. You know, all of these things come together to paint a picture. And even if you only touch on it very briefly, it does add to the impression a reader or a player in your game or whatever the case may be, it leads to an impression on them. I
Speaker 4
definitely agree and I guess it is kind of my point, so thank you for agreeing with me. Hey, I got you. And like, my D &D games, I love to use just like, either like a quick description of what like the person looks like and then always try to accentuate it with one or two items that they have to kind of sell who they are and what they are like you said the cloak and dagger. They instantly know that that person is up to literally no good. I
Speaker 3
had a cloak and dagger robe that I showed them a picture. I didn't describe it in his nickname for like the first year and a half of my campaign was Mr. Hot Pants, because he had these rather tight leather pants in the picture. And that wasn't how I wanted that impression to go because he was a very very proficient rogue but that's what they remembered so I guess disclaimer there is that sometimes players will see what they want to see if you're in tabletop campaign.
Speaker 1
Yeah and it's also about how many things that people can remember at a time. If they don't know a character if they haven't spent a lot of time with them then they're only gonna remember those one or two things like you were saying Dino so if it's that you know you're telling them this guy's you know he's got this long cloak he's got these long daggers whatever the case would be and you know if that's what you're telling them then that's great but if you give too much then they might you know not remember the right things or get confused about the person. And then I guess, of course, if you show them a picture, you're
Speaker 4
kind of out there mercy. You definitely are at your players mercy when you show them pictures. What a new move. Good
Speaker 2
example of that talking about character they haven't seen in a while, making them familiar. Looking at the Drizzet books by R .A. Salvatore, one of the villains there, Jarl Axel. I have no idea if I'm pronouncing either of his names right. He was a dark elf with a big swashbuckler hat with a feather and an eye patch. He looked like a pirate, but none of these characters did in your typical high fantasy. But those things the hat the feather and the high patch you know as soon as you describe that guy you might not remember his name but you remember him you know from like four books ago and it was that guy again he
Speaker 4
is a pretty iconic character and it is one of those things where it's like oh god no it's him I love that guy I mean's pretty great. He's definitely one of the better supporting characters. But yes, I think that costuming is really important to take into account when you're creating characters because it can really help cement and anchor them into your setting and the purpose you want them to play because in the end, every character plays a purpose. just like every device does, whether it be the way that they dress, the monuments they make, the books they write, the songs they sing, or the plays people get shot at. It's all kind of, in the end, just a device to tell a story.

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Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

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