Hazards & Liabilities In Hair, Costume, & Wardrobe


This is basically a list of things to keep in mind when designing a character who is likely to be in dangerous situations - eg, in combat, around machinery, or in laboratories - on a regular basis. Note that this is not intended to be taking as a list of "things you action hero should never wear, period!" but as a general list of guidelines of things you might want to avoid if creating a plausible wardrobe for your character, or injuries and difficulties your character might realistically encounter if xe wore these kinds of things.


Clothes in General

Textiles & Materials


Armor & Combat Wear


Hair & Beards

Long, loose hair can be caught in things, sometimes with fatal results. (Several years back in my area, a neighbor girl died when her long braid was caught in the rear tire of a four-wheeler, and her neck broke.) Others have been scalped by long hair caught in moving parts. Similarly, long hair makes for excellent grabbing material in combat. (Alexander the Great knew what he was doing when he made his men shave.) Also, hair is flammable.


Headgear


Footwear


Jewelry


Makeup

When you do strenuous physical activity for any longer than few minutes, you sweat. Unless you have really good sweatproof makeup, your foundation and whatnot will start getting into your eyes as soon as you start sweating - and it will sting and render you effectively blind.


Hand & Custom-Made Gear

Anything custom-made and/or made by hand will invariably end up being more expensive than something off the rack, and depending on the types of materials will used and the amount of detailing gone into it, the cost can go up pretty high. If the outfit needs repaired or replaced often (eg, because it belongs to a superhero or vigilante who frequently wears it in combat), that's going to be even more money spent. If your character has to pay for xir own outfits and isn't relatively wealthy, this could easily become painful to the wallet in a hurry. What's more, if your character makes and fixes xir own outfits, it'll not only cost money, but also time.


See Also:
Basic Tips To Write Better (And More Likeable) Badasses
How To Write Powerful & Extraordinary Characters Without Being Obnoxious Or Boring
Tips 'N Stuff To Create, Write, & Draw Better Female Action Heroes
Tips 'N Stuff For Better Character Design
Things Writers Get Wrong About Bladed Weapons
Tips To Create Better-Looking Superhero & Supervillain Costumes



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