Anime Character Outfit Ideas

A new episode focusing on anime character outfit ideas for my OC, Kayla Ilunga. This article is related to my previous one, which focused on design tips for your original characters. I encourage you to read it.

In today’s article, I’m focusing solely on different outfits for my OC, Kayla, so you can appreciate the changes from Monday to Sunday. I’m sharing seven illustrations that show the changes in my character’s outfit and hairstyle. I believe that by playing with outfits and hair, you help to more clearly define your character’s personality and determine which outfit will officially represent them.

 

Stylish Anime Character Wardrobes Ideas

 

 

 

 

I plan to use this official outfit to represent Kayla. Of course, I also plan to draw her in other clothes for fun and to appreciate my character in outfits that reflect her personality. Since I draw manga for my spin-offs, the choice of black and white is a factor to consider: that’s why I like the colour choices for this outfit, which stand out well in black and white.

For your information, I was heavily inspired by CLAMP‘s Gate 7 (I told you they were my source of inspiration!), and I particularly love the way the artists play with black and white. For me, it’s one of my favourite CLAMP works in this regard.

Just a quick note: I started with black hair in my first sketches, but then changed it to dark blue. And as you can see, in my latest tests I tried a lighter colour and really like the result. We’ll see how it looks in black and white.

 

 

As I recommended earlier, don’t hesitate to play around with your character by drawing them in different clothing styles.

You can find anime character outfit ideas by drawing inspiration from your own wardrobe, celebrities with a strong sense of fashion like Rihanna or Zendaya, models at fashion shows, or by looking at other manga artists. These anime character outfit ideas are non-negotiable!

 

Tips For Anime Character Design: Female Original Character

 

Personally, I find that shojo manga artists are generally very good at giving their characters great styles, and CLAMP and Ai Yazawa are just two names among many.

In this illustration, I thought red hair would go well with Kayla’s ebony complexion, and I’m quite happy with the result. Since this is just a sketch, the ink version will give a different look, and I’ll see then which of the three colours—red, blonde, and black—suits Kayla best.

 

Creative Anime Outfit Concepts Tips

 

Keep in mind that most characters in highly successful works are known for wearing specific outfits that have stuck in our minds. Think of the school uniforms with their capes for the wizards in Harry Potter, Gohan‘s purple outfit, Ace‘s shorts and hat, the Shinigami robes of Ichigo Kurosaki and his fellow Soul Society members, and so on. You get the idea!

To make an impact, it’s good to regularly feature your character in an outfit that defines them for your readers. Of course, for chapter covers, you can take inspiration from Tite Kubo and use that as an opportunity to showcase your character in a different style that will appeal to your audience.

So, if you’re stuck for ideas, read Bleach, and I promise you’ll find plenty of inspiration for manga character outfits.

 

 

 

Of course, the undisputed king of shonen manga is Hirokiko-sensei, the author of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. His outfit ideas for anime characters demonstrate the author’s extensive knowledge of fashion. From decent to incredibly extravagant, the outfits in the JoJo’s series can guide you in creating your own characters’ styles, offering a blend of fashion and eccentricity that will undoubtedly capture your readers’ attention.

What I appreciate about JoJo’s is that, despite the complexity of the outfits (especially due to details like the ladybugs on Giorno‘s uniform), they remain relatively easy to reproduce on a large scale. Indeed, as artists, your goal is to avoid simply replicating your main characters on a large scale without spending hours meticulously perfecting every detail.

 

Anime OC Ideas: A Complete Guide With Killian Sifa

 

To stick with Giorno‘s example, his outfit is quite striking and memorable. He has that fashion-victim vibe that’s so common in shojo manga, which will help attract a female audience despite the genre (shonen) being used to seeing characters dressed up. But the details aren’t so distracting as to hinder your chapter creation.

(I speak from experience, having created a humorous chapter about Giorno as my protagonist.

He can be a great inspiration for anime character outfit ideas)

 

 

Manga Characters Fashion Ideas

 

 

Wearing colourful clothes adds a special touch to your character, as they immediately catch the eye. That’s why I chose red, green, and orange as the colours to represent Kayla. Given her dark complexion, I think green and orange are great choices, as both colours really make my character’s skin tone pop.

I hope this outfit, which has a very disco vibe and could make Kayla look like she’s from another galaxy, is an anime character costume idea that will inspire you, both for your own story and for creating a cosplay.

 

 

 

How can I talk about fashion in the world of shonen manga without mentioning Kosuke Fujishima? Do you remember the series Ah! My Goddess? If not, I urge you to watch it, if only to be inspired by this incredible mangaka’s art style and by the way he creates breathtaking outfits for his characters, especially Belldandy and Urd.

 

 

 

Kosuke Fujishima also contributed to the character designs of several Tales of video games, including Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Vesperia, and the very first in the series, Tales of Phantasia. I forgot to mention it in my previous article. Still, the demigoddess Urd’s style greatly inspired Kayla‘s design, as I love her personality and the way the author draws her in very sexy yet chic outfits.

I highly recommend watching the film released in the early 2000s. While the story wasn’t to my liking, I loved all of Urd and Bellandady‘s outfits, and Urd is even better than in the OVA (the first one in the series I started). When it comes to clothing ideas for female characters, Kosuke Fujishima is a must-see!

 

 

I’ve shared several authors whose character design I really admire. I must say that if you’re someone who aspires to write a story for girls (the target audience for my work, The Sinful Child, and its themes), don’t hesitate to separate your sources of inspiration for your female and male characters.

 

 

 

Finally, there are authors who, in my opinion, do an excellent job in dressing their female and male characters, and I give the gold medal to CLAMP and Hirohiko Araki. These two artists have managed to showcase both their female and male characters, who are often far less interesting in their style than the girls (Ah! My Goddess is a perfect example).

Personally, I follow the shonen approach, which means adopting a classic, recognisable outfit for my characters so it sticks in my readers’ minds. However, the outfit must include an extravagant accessory to give it the fashionable, trendy look found in shojo manga, which, for my part, is the aspect I greatly appreciate and wish to give to my characters.

 

 

Which outfit of the week inspired you for your original character?