Fashion Feature Friday: Video Games in Style
Video game characters are like cartoon characters in many ways. They can vary from muted and realistic to bright and colorful. They can blend seamlessly with the art style or be designed to stand out. And of course, they can have one signature outfit or a whole wardrobe of interesting clothes. When I think of cartoon characters with a signature look, I think of Daria Morgendorffer, Velma Dinkley, or Helga Pataki. Cartoon characters with multiple outfits were seen on shows like Winx Club and Sailor Moon. But which video games are actually remembered for their style?
People don't usually look to video games for fashion inspiration. However, developers put a lot of thought into how their characters are designed. As a result, many of them have a strong sense of style tied to their personalities and identities. Their clothes are perfectly crafted to match their backstories, careers, and relationships. This is unlike how people typically dress in real life. And because of that, it makes them even more interesting to look at.
FASHION DESIGN MEETS CHARACTER DESIGN
When it comes to video games, characters tend to have a signature color. This practice is often used in dialogue-heavy games, where their names appear in their color. Princess Peach from the Mario franchise is best known for her pink dress. Link from the Legend of Zelda series is easy to recognize in his green tunic. Lastly, the playable characters in the Ace Attorney franchise are a primary color trio: blue for Phoenix Wright, red for Apollo Justice, and yellow for Athena Cykes.
Some characters’ fashion choices reflect their careers and personalities. It isn’t just scientists wearing lab coats or spies wearing nice suits. This design principle is seen in Ace Attorney and Danganronpa. Their exaggerated styles make it obvious what their interests and traits are. People are unlikely to dress like this in real life due to how silly it can look. However, this approach helps easily distinguish characters from one another. This is especially helpful in video games with tons of characters.
Lastly, some franchises seem to design characters with toys and cosplayers in mind. Characters from the Splatoon and Pokémon franchises are bright, colorful, and easy to copy.
Fashionable Indie Video Game Characters
The previously-mentioned characters are from big, well-known franchises. However, there are many characters from independent developers that also have an interesting sense of style. For example, Madeline from Celeste wears a memorable blue puffer jacket. Tangle Tower characters like Poppy and Penelope wear clothes that suit their personalities and exaggerated proportions. Murder by Numbers perfectly encapsulates the 90s “pop” aesthetic. Tales From the Borderlands‘s Fiona is a great example of the franchise’s steampunk aesthetic. Lastly, despite being a cyberpunk world, Jill Stingray is the most stylish character in VA-11 HALL-A in her bartending uniform.
CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION & BRAND COLLABORATIONS
Sometimes, it's the player who gets to design their characters. Character customization has been around for a while. But these days, it has become more detailed, sophisticated, and flexible. Many video games with character customization also allow "modding". This is when people create their own designs to use in-game. For example, the Sims franchise has a big community of mod creators who make hair, clothes, and furniture. Customization helps people feel more connected to their characters and the world that they're playing in.
Lastly, fashion and gaming companies have worked together on projects in the past. For example, Louis Vuitton and Prada used Final Fantasy characters as models in their advertising. The Sims featured clothes from high-fashion brands like Moschino and Gucci. Finally, Uniqlo has had limited-edition collections for many different games celebrating anniversaries. This includes Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, and more.
Fashion and video games often feel like they are from completely different worlds. But with improvements in areas like wearable technology, virtual reality, and more, the two industries are only going to become more involved over time.
REFERENCES & ADDITIONAL READING
10 Interesting Video Game And Fashion House Collabs | The Gamer
The Best Video Game Character Creators Of All Time, Ranked | The Gamer
Dressed to Kill: Video Games' Tricky Relationship with Fashion | BBC
Gamers Spend Hours Customising Characters, But Don't You Dare Mention Fashion | The Guardian
Virgil Abloh On the Future of Fashion and Gaming | Vogue Business
What Is The History of Fashion Brands x Games? | Comicsverse
