Character outfits

[Jin-roh]

Most comics I've read, web or otherwise, have their characters dressed in outfits that never change. Clothing is always static unless there is a specific need for them to be out of it (i.e. Costume, dress-up occasion etc).

I prefer to have my characters change outfits every once in a while and with seasons as well. But I was curious if there is a reason for the convention. Is there a reason why characters traditionally only ever wear one type of outfit?

[Doublemint]

Within my comic, my characters are students in a school that requires uniforms. They all mostly wear the same outfit, though I've been planning on introducing variations on the uniform (different shades, sweaters, ties) once I figure out how they should look. It will be some time before I go outside the school to show my characters in casual dress so they'll be in the uniforms for the time being.

EDIT: In the first storyline, I had the students' ties be different colors. But I didn't really like how it made a mish-mash of color in the strip so I dropped that tactic and only color the protagonist's tie.

[Mercury Hat]

In terms of animation, it's easier on the animators to keep the same clothing on characters. You don't need new color pallets or anything if nothing ever changes.

Comics, well it's also easier to just keep things the same. It depends on the artist and it depends on the type of comic it is: Gag comics are least likely to change, story comics most likely. Story comics where a quest is involved won't change much, but a slice of life probably would.

After a time, clothing becomes another part of a character and that makes people more reluctant to change. It happens with hairstyles, too, it all just becomes another defining feature of the character and once it does, it's less likely to go away.

[Swikan]

Hmm... I hadn't really thought about it. But after Halloween, Zelda went from a sleeveless dress to longsleeves pants outfit for winter. Louise and Bryan (the kids) went from shorts to longpants, but their shirts stayed the same. Bill's outfit stays the same all the time (tho his shirt color changes depending on what my real husband was wearing the last time I saw him :lol).

I think in general, outfits stay the same to help distinguish the characters from each other. So you can tell who's speaking at a glance.

Also, in my case, if I do a sketch/pose of a character I can't use in the current strips but is still pretty good, I will save it for a panel later on. Is easier if clothes are the same (or at least similar) to do that.

[Godai]

Well, in the case of my main comic, the outfit is a part of the character in a way - shows their attitude. I generally have a few types of outfits for them, sometimes reusing the pieces (eg. the protagonist had an Atari t-shirt for the whole first season; he also wears camouflage pants from time to time). Or making variations (twice he had a commodore t-shirt and the other guy had an AMD t-shirt).

I also often use "generic" outfit - some trousers and some t-shirt (in b-w pages it's easy).

The girls are exceptions, though :P

As for other projects, the outfit is either determined by the artist and I simply don't care, or (in Cluster - Adolescence sucks anyway) the outfit is a part of the environment - plain and kind of, how to put it, "generic" and "mass made". Like an uniform of sorts. And those outfits never change - they are parts of the characters and situation shifts.

[RKDS]

1. Many comics and cartoons have a lack of detail for any number of reasons (expediency, style, etc). As a result, main characters tend to look noticibly different on purpose. Jin-Roh hit the nail on the head about specific reasons a temporary change is made. It's a time-honored tradition in animation, from Mickey Mouse to Buster and Babs Bunny (no relation).

2. On another note, I read somewhere that it was a psychological issue with humans in general. I'll try to sidestep the minefield of race relations here...let's use Huey, Duey, and Louie* instead. Someone who wasn't a duck would have more trouble telling them apart without the colored shirts. Coupled with a lack of audio cues and visual detailing (see above), not having a relatively static look is asking for trouble.

*I know part of the joke is that they look so much alike; but it's a good, if exaggerated, example anyway.

[Ladycheru]

I believe this was *originally* done with licensed characters, and was done to keep the costs down, because it was very expensive to make cartoons back then. I think that this made it okay for people even today to do it.

Well, it's signifigantly easier to draw the same clothes on someone, especially when you draw with great detial. I'm severly fashionably challenged, so even though I like to change the clothing on my characters to make the comic more realistic, coming up with new outfits is a royal pain in the butt. I'm not too bad at drawing the clothes themselves, but I have no idea what's fashionable and what's not, so for all I know, I could be making my characters look like bag ladies. Personally, if I had the choice beween drawing a single complicated outfit or constantly change simple outfits, I would go with the single outfit. It can also depend on the storyline.

[Dr Neo Lao]

As stated earlier, the two main reasons for not changing are recognition and ease of drawing.

I'm no going to claim to be any great artist, but just recently I changed the outfits on my characters. Why? Because in the "comic time" it clicked over to the next day.

I can see why some comics wouldn't do it. If the setting is a school or job then most will wear the same uniform. But that doesn't mean that the characters can't "personalize" their uniforms. Such as having the shirt not properly tucked in, a hankie in the pocket or whatever.

[Joel Fagin]

I'd guess these are the two biggies in webcomics...

1. The professionals do it so, naturally, we should to.

2. With comparatively poor art, the clothes help with character identification.

- Joel Fagin

[EvilChihuahua]

On the contrary, I like to change the clothing on my characters a fair bit. Well actually, only my main character. The rest of them don't show up so often, so I keep their clothes the same so the audience can recognize them. Except my brother. He really does wear a yellow coat all the time.

[Warofwinds]

Well, in the past 120 pages, only 12 hours have passed. So...2 characters have LOST pieces of their wardrobe, but considering the lack of funds, shops and satchels, no one has changed clothes...yet. Someone will in the next chapter though, bwah hah hah.

[Levi-chan]

Aye with Merc - story comics tend to have non-static character clothing.

I also find that clothes help add to a character. I.e., a fun-loving laid back woman can wear sporty clothes all the time, and a classy, quiet chick can wear variations of flowing gowns. Whatev.

It's also good with compositioning. Like sometimes, you just feel like making a whole page - even a whole arc - just to have the opportunity to create a "shot". Like this one time, I felt like making a shot with a guy peeling off his hood as he comes inside a room (like some sort of weird metaphor for enlightenment). I drew 7-8 pages of him wearing that, just to get that frame.

[Jdalton]

I suppose it depends a lot on your drawing style. For me, I do change characters' clothes on occasion. It's more realistic that way. But it's also true that characters are easier to identify if you don't change them too much, so I only change the main characters' outfits, I often keep their clothes within the same colour scheme, and I make sure each character maintains a particular style of clothing. For example, I have one character who considers herself quite fashionable (she changes clothes more often than any other character I've got, I think), but those fashions fall into a narrow range- she never wears skirts or dresses, for example.

[Jin-roh]

Ahh, so I haven't broken any taboos.

I trust that my characters can be recognized by their faces. I mean, I don't do animals.

[Mvmarcz]

everyone always changed clothes in junkRIOT
but chris almost always is wearing a green shirt

[Legendary]

The best thing about writing a parody comic (RPGs in my case) is that you have an in-comic justification for this kind of crap. How often have you played an RPG where the main characters change clothes aside from an occasional cutscene or sidequest?

[[geoduck]]

Lke Warofwinds, all the action in my comic has taken place in one day, so there's been no need to change clothes. When tomorrow finally arrives, I'll have to do something about it, especially since at least one character's clothes are in the process of being destroyed..

[MaskedLioness]

I'd guess these are the two biggies in webcomics...

1. The professionals do it so, naturally, we should to.

2. With comparatively poor art, the clothes help with character identification.

- Joel Fagin

*points up* Yeah, I think that's pretty much why my characters don't change outfits much. Plus they're traveling pretty light, so I guess that's my excuse.

Although now that I think about it, Amelia's gone through I think 3 costume changes and Azom and Brune have had two, and they've only been traveling for maybe 10 days in the comic world. (nearly a year and a half in our time)

[Dutch!]

I maintain the same two styles of clothing because it suits what I need. At school, the kids wear their uniforms, although certain kids have little extras in their uniform such as earrings, bracelets, shirts untucked, a slightly different dress cos she's cooler than the rest of them, etc. When they're out of school though, I keep the kids in shorts (the same colour, yes) and polo shirts. Each kid has their own colour, partly for identification, and partly because I want bright, contrasting colours between the characters to give it the strip a brighter feel.

The adults generally keep the same clothing though, although Miss Conway has recently let her hair down a bit and changed into a yellow shirt for camp. The spirits keep the same clothes because...well...you don't usually have room for a wardrobe inside a coffin, eh?

[Garneta]

I have a few different sets of clothing. One is the everyday outfits that they wear all the time. Two characters have caving outfits, a couple have work outfits, etc. Depending on storylines and whatnot, I might eventually have more. Or I might not. No idea as of now!