Worldbuilding: Accessories

In addition to clothing and shoes, people love to accessorize.

When building your story world, what types of accessories did people wear? What were the connotations?

From pocket watches to cuff links, your characters' choices define their social status, wealth, position, and personal affectations. 

What accessories are available and/or popular? 

Hats could be mitres or berets, cowboy hats or top hats, bowlers or tams, fedoras or cowboy hats, ski masks or musketeer feathers, Royal Ascot works of art, or modest bonnets, military helmets, chain mail, or visored jousting helmets. Plumed or plain, hats can be useful, boastful, or utilitarian.

Belts can be functional or ornamental. Pants can have drawstrings or suspenders. Elastic changed the pant suspension game. Large belt buckles can advertise passions such as rodeo or motorcycles. Belts can be utilized to tie up victims or morph into horsewhips. They can hold gun holsters or ninja knives.

Scarves can cover one's hair or one's face. It can be used to keep hair out of the way or dress up a Chanel suit. It can be a cotton kerchief or the finest silk shawl, a mantilla or hijab.

Gloves could be for protection, warmth, fashion, or to prevent fingerprints. They can have suction cups to hold onto glass buildings or shoot laser beams.

Handkerchiefs can be offered in consolation, dropped for seduction, or used to wipe down crime scenes. They can be monogrammed or dusted with poison.

Handbags and purses can be decorative clutches, expensive fashion statements, or backpacks utilized for hiking. They can hide weapons, carry one's dearest possessions, hold loot from a heist, or clobber an enemy.

Ties can be frothy cravats, suave business suit accessories, or double as a garrote.

Wallets can carry money, provide identification of a victim, or carry tech-hacking credit card hacking devices.

Watches and time pieces can keep track of the hour and day, set off a bomb, or hide cameras.

Next week, we will take a look at metals.

The new SBB Build A World Workbook is available in print and e-book.

Other titles in the series:
Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict available in print and e-book takes you from story seed to conflict outline. The fourteen companion Build A Plot Workbooks, in print and e-book, offer step by step development prompts: Comedy, Con Heist & PrisonBreak, Fantasy, Gothic, Historical, Horror, Literary (drama), Mystery, Road Trip, Romance, Science Fiction, Team Victory, Thriller & Suspense, Western.

SBB II Crafting Believable Conflict in print and e-book and the Build A Cast Workbook in print and e-book help you build a believable cast and add conflict based on the sixteen personality types.

SBB III The Revision Layers in print and e-book helps you self-edit your manuscript.

Free story building tools are available at www.dianahurwitz.com.