Arcane Fashion: Character Style & Outfit Analysis | Design Evaluation

[@djolltax]

"Victor's evolution is..." Me, without hesitation: "Glorious?"

[@aMoodyHipster]

Arcane shows you the most galaxy-brained character design for someone who has five minutes of screentime

[@DgreegD]

Shout out to Lest

[@matheussanthiago9685]

Arcane is a really interesting case study of on ''what happens when you give artists basically infinite money and let them run a show with it" and of course the control group is "every other show"

[@casuallychaotic2470]

REAL!!! The bat Firelight guy (I hear his name is Scar) and his awesome mask still live in my brain that design was so cool!!

[@x2433]

Viktor shedding all of his clothes and only keeping jayce's blanket as the cloak/dress/cape he wears for the entirety of season 2 is such a good bit on his character too. he's alienated himself from everything human Except jayce. love endures!

[@MichNeudorf]

"Jayce, outside of being a snack attack-" Ah. I see you are a person of culture as well.

[@PoisonVibe666]

I think just by swapping the colour palette to darker tones, he looked like a completely different guy. I always found him hot, but he went from "pretty boy" to "what a man" inside the arcane.

[@Of_infinite_Faith]

​@@PoisonVibe666 he went from cute Boy Scout gentleman to a freaking KING.

[@magical571]

@@Of_infinite_Faith he went from overated himbo to man of substance

[@JeffTheKiller000]

Wake up guys, new fashion analysis dropped

[@papamache7224]

Reporting in for the visual and analytical feast

[@Xenolis]

small detail you might not have noticed: the arcane survivor jayce outfit is designed to resemble viktor's (old) league design. pauldron and wristguard on one arm, leg brace, a chest which resembles plates of armour. i feel its a choice made to deliberately allude towards the final reveal in the jayce-viktor plotline

[@Zephirite.]

20:00 My explanation for Jayce's abnormally massive shoulder guard is for him to rest his hammer on it. When he was in the alternate dimension and its power died, it got heavier (Vi;s gloves did this in her S1 finale fight with Sevika), and he visibly struggled to rest it on his shoulder. That contributed to his fall and the shattering of his leg. So now, he has a backup plan. Also, his blue shirt at 20:22 is the first and only time we see a Piltover character wearing silver.

[@duman173]

When they gave viktor the jared letto blonde highlights i was like "oh yea they made him full culty"

[@biazacha]

I saw someone calling it the hextec balayage and I can’t unsee it

[@matheussanthiago9685]

hextec lisan al gaib

[@tabithak7321]

I was a big fan of Cait's wardrobe this season. The cape was fantastic and gave her such a vampiric look. Her act 3 look with the high pony tail and high waisted pants were so hot to me. It was so caitlyn. Sophisticated and clearly tailored. Fits her character.

[@aMoodyHipster]

I like how the collar on Vi's enforcer uniform is undone and the fit looks too tight on her, showing she does not fully belong in that world

[@KeitieKalopsia]

I like that detail

[@Zephirite.]

15:00 Ilike how Ekko's overall looks like a worker's apron, since he welds and engineers his own tools, but it's also bulletproof (it saved him from Marcus). He's also got that hourglass painted on his face and apron, which is some nice foreshadowing. His gloves are also long enough to use when welding, his pants are belted at the knees as if they're too long. And the intimidating Firelight jacket is covered with doodles, reminders of the community he fights for. And it's only on the edges--like Ekko sat on the ground and let the kids doodle on him.

[@Zephirite.]

15:29 I honestly thought Ekko was attending the Piltover engineering academy that Jayce and Viktor did, because his outfit was so preppy. Same color scheme as the uniform, too; cream vest, teal sleeves, a collar, and a tie.

[@saranaila5905]

I think so too. It may also be a nod to the original lore where I think he's parents wanted him to attend the academy.

[@Zephirite.]

@ Oh yeah!

[@LeonH25]

9:09 Victor's evolution is GLORIOUS

[@peerlesscucumber9522]

whats interesting to note is that viktor kept the blanket jayce draped over his body once he woke up. he never got rid of it, even after he turned into a full on cyborg form.

[@Zephirite.]

All the Zaunites have/had vertical stripes in their clothing. Powder's are magenta, and her shirt matches her adult pants. Silco, Vander, Vi, kid Viktor, alternate Ekko, and Mylo. Isha adopts Jinx's magenta stripes in Act 2.

[@Zephirite.]

22:13 Great notes on Mel! I never connected the black=wolf and white=lamb till you mentioned it! I noticed she had side-cutouts on her dress as a child and adult, which is a nice consistent detail. And the chest part of her bodysuit is angled like the petals of a rose, signifying her allegiance.

[@alias0449]

“Whats wrong with my pAhnts” -Jinx

[@TXejas19]

i LOVE ambessa. The outfit when she announced caitlyn is top tier

[@matheussanthiago9685]

Ambessa is so freaking cool shes something like "what if we take Kratos and made him a black woman with the cunning of a Game of Throne Character, but with the moral compass of a Sopranos Character" and it just works, its amazing

[@leilahomally2835]

at this point when i express my go to outfit and stuff i just say ''mel'' thanks arcane

[@oreochocolate_lavacake9960]

Thank Mel Medarda is my new phrase

[@Zephirite.]

13:55 Heimerdinger's blue outfit with the asymmetric front panel, gold trim, and split-vent sides reminded me instantly of the Enforcers' uniform. Since he founded Piltover, I wonder whether the Enforcers' uniforms were modeled after his.

[@Kellan__they-them]

Yaaas I'm excited to see Shoola get some love! I was obsessed with how awesome her hardware was in both seasons. Her neck piece is kind of reminiscent of those Elizabethan ruffs while also being gears; it's so perfectly steampunk. And the nails! Elegant and dangerous, while showing her high class status.

[@Zephirite.]

12:54 I just wanna note that Silco used those steel-toed boots of his to kick a man to near-death. Gotta love his forethought! 😊

[@sammyyes1146]

Never thought about Mel juxtaposed as Kindred, very good observation! Also I love when black characters wear gold accessories, it works in such a better way than a lighter complexion.

[@oreochocolate_lavacake9960]

Or even silver or purple especially on people with Darker skin

[@MideXIII]

Queen Shula’s outfit is definitely a Met Gala type piece

[@shinkamui]

18:00 one thing i just kinda connected with the commander caitlyn's attire. She totally wears her character arc on her colors She starts out fully with her family's blue in s1, and she wears a blue choker, signifying her family's values have full hold on her. Later on as she meets Vi she drops the choker, and incorporates vi's red becoming purple, standing with an open neck as she's sorta open and questioning her values After her mother's passing she abandons the purple suit and goes back to the enforcer blue as she's upholding the family's duties, but now vi's red is what's on her choker and stays tight on her neck for the rest of the series. Even as she became the dictator, it's always there and she always struggles with how her actions don't match her values, and her design shows us that

[@GSlice37]

What i really like about Ambressa's fashion os that it feels very culturally warrior garments, i can feel that this feels almost like a generals uniform that has veen worn for generations. Also the headdress feels like a call to Nigerian fashion, very Oshun , very Gele

[@Zephirite.]

Powder's overalls are very painter and inventor-esque, more so than even Ekko, who looks disarmingly preppy. Fun detail: Jinx's outfit has an X motif (her bandages, her shirt, the pink stitches on her arm warmers), and you can see those X's on Powder's jacket shoulder seam at 24:37.

[@Of_infinite_Faith]

The people who designed jayce are geniuses. He was hot but they somehow found a way to make him hotter

[@romanbowler8754]

I absolutely love that you created this video and even went with a lot of the "side characters" or characters which do not get as much screentime. I feel that every character has proper thought into them, which sadly is a bit surprising. Shouldn't be. One thing I would like to see more thoughts on is the difference between Zaun and Piltover. All the Piltover characters like Jayce and Cait always wear formal or "proper" clothes, even when rugged like you said. But Zaun is a constant mixmatch of clothes, in darker colors which make them look more "muddy" or dirty. It really shows how people of Zaun are treated compared to Piltover. It's also impressive how they manage to make the designs of Zaun still coherent and look fashionable despite characters having to make the best of what they have.

[@adrianluis5163]

I've noticed that often Zaun characters have some sort of leather shoulderpads, specifically young Vander and the kids. Maybe this is an adaptation of the mining uniforms? A strong leather pad for the shoulder would be useful for hauling large loads during manual labor or protecting against falling objects.

[@romanbowler8754]

@ I'd think so too! And it again, sadly, ends up being useful because a lot of the children and people in Zaun need to fend for themselves. Could also be a "trend" in Zaun because it has been so common before. Like how in general a lot of the clothes are patchy (sewn together) or have stripes for some reason. Even Viktor had them as a kid. Really adds to that carnival kinda clown look for Jinx though!

[@samuelromeromalaver1196]

I'm not even a fashion guy, and yet, I find watching your videos so enticing 😅

[@adrianluis5163]

Thanks for showing the pictures of the characters on screen. It helps pick out small details! For example, Singed's outfit changes, but only out of necessity. He's been wearing that same lab coat the entire time, just hemming the sleeves when they got burned. Also, punk rock Vi is still wearing the same belt from her strike team outfit, but she's wrapped it messier and she displays the empty patch where her badge used to be! Ekko's design incorporates that heavy leather apron and no sleeves. Looks like something you would wear if you're handling messy material and doing a lot of crafting. I also really like Claggor's older design. It raises so many unanswered questions. What's the function of that crazy leather glove he's wearing? Its got these stiff leather plates on it, pretty cool!

[@Landis963]

I still like that you can very clearly see how a character falls on the Piltover-Zaun spectrum by how symmetrical their looks are. Look at Mylo, for example - even in the done-up version every item he's wearing is built to favor one side or the other.

[@cee_ves]

jinx’s boots with the massive flair are actually my favourite thing about her outfit. it just looks so whimsical and cute. then she blows you up

[@kevind3974]

remember with the alt timeline powder was the one most likely pushing him to express himself in his weir. we all know powder. everything to her is an art piece to her. even other people

[@steffanhymer1285]

The writers confirmed that the paint on Ekko and Powder for the final battle had been them painting each other. She had also redone his hair ties and accessories in her style. Not seen in the show but she has also stolen and accessorized his firelight jacket for herself.

[@kevind3974]

@@steffanhymer1285 yep. i mean just look at there clothes let alone blimp. its firelight logos yes but its in jinx style of graffiti and splash paint. she did all this in like 3 days to. girl might be unstable and suicidally depressed but you got to give her props for her shear ability to just smash out pieces on the daily

[@quinnviandsej]

Felt like Young Claggor found some clothes, while Adult Claggor was able to buy something that fits. Adult Mylo's overcompensating because he never ditched that insecurity that led him to keep dissing Powder. Shula's outfit slaps so hard. The cog collar and claws with the shaved head and no sleeves is a phenomenal look.

[@somethingcameup427]

I really enjoyed how Fin really resembles Miyavi (his voice actor who’s a great Japanese musician) he totally would wear that outfit and his style is very similar

[@charlestonjew7587]

I remember when Mel was shopping for a gift for Hoskel and I immediately thought that cube looks like the Hellraiser puzzle box and it's not until season 2, episode 5 that we see the thorny chains popping out from the ether and binding Alura and Mel that gave me pause. Surely there was inspiration there.

[@MideXIII]

Yoo this is a genius concept for a video.

[@justadude117X]

YES ive been trying to analyze Arcanes fashion for weeks because I really want to start wearing outfits inspired by it with all its little steampunk details and ability to tell intricate stories of a person/character through clothing. thank you for this video!

[@evilcheese1119]

8:06 Singed is crazy

[@1rouxlskaardstan963]

bro how 😭

[@papamache7224]

Finn is an absolute style goon for me and very 2077 adjacent funnily enough I think the Academy uniform we see on Jayce and Viktor was very chic for being neutral heavy and yes Jayce is a snack attack

[@kerricaine]

What I love about silcos design is we basically see that the evil, controlling villain who wants power and authority just started out as a punk rock kid. His flashback/AU outfits are just classic punk/anarchist vibes. By the time everything's happened he's basically copying pilltover fashion, emulating their structure and symmetry but In his own colours. He's seeking the same power that they hold over him instead of what they clearly originally dreamed of.

[@klariissocoollike]

Aw this was really interesting but I thought you were gonna go deeper with some motifs and things like that! For example how Viktor starts with a white tie and lighter colored clothes but eventually he has red all over his outfit to represent Jayce growing on him, at the same time his clothes get darker tones because his sickness is progressing. The show is full of details like that and it's very cool to figure them out :D Edit: yeah the Mel analysis!!!! That's the stuff, thanks for pointing it out!!

[@clarrybarry1664]

never knew i needed an arcane analysis like this, thank you for delivering 🙌

[@TheButterfr0g]

Honestly, I have no idea about anything fashion related, but this was actually really interesting! Great video!

[@DarthRayj]

I think one of the coolest details about this is that Silco's costume design is a very clear inversion of the Piltover Academy uniform we see Jayce and Viktor both wearing. The man may not have done it on purpose, but as the enemy of everything Piltover (a city known for it's Academy) he's dressed in deep red and black, with a white tie even tied the same as the Academy uniform which is white and black with red details.

[@RagPen01]

I think Shula is sporting a clockwork version of a Renaissance ruff.... how they got that to work is what impressed me XD

[@cod_gamerbr9985]

maybe make a video on the oficial artbook that gives a lot of info on the making and also gives diferent versions of the caracters

[@klariissocoollike]

Did you read the art book? What did you think of it? Bc I didn't enjoy it very much.. there's many things about the characters that simply don't get explained, ever. I feel like it should have been bigger (120 pages is short, should've been 200 at least) and more in depth about the process, motifs and purpose of each creative decision

[@Kenobeno]

I just found you today. Didn’t know I needed this, thanks ❤ Edit: Subbed, love your voice btw

[@FeintMotion]

utterly goat'd content bud keep it up

[@KatsandSoup]

Milo looks like a dandy. A try hard dandy lol. I loved the African head dress they gave Ambessa! These creators really did their research and due diligence into all aspects of these characters!

[@BrokeNBalding]

could you make arcane inspired outfits?

[@LilyShimizu]

Mylo is giving me Colin Bridgerton while he was in his playboy phase

[@yurinator690]

I love ur analysis of my fav shows, watched since the jojo one.

[@AtelaLafford]

i didn't know i needed this till it showed up in my suggestions omg

[@notmynamedammit]

Please do dedicated videos for the characters how their outfits evolve with their characterization, there were so many outfits this season!

[@DivinesDream]

i’m sorry. my jaw dropped when you said “wolf in sheep’s clothing”

[@falsifiedaxiom9715]

Vander is my favorite character😭

[@PathiosProductions]

Yooooooo nice work on this!

[@TheLoudlyHappy]

Rictus looks like how I imagine a monk who actually looks as dangerous as they are would look like. Sitting cross-legged but armored, ya know? I wanna make a joke about you pronouncing Singed but I was confused too despite also being a native english speaker 😭

[@ImpulseTheStreamer]

Need you to do a marvel rivals analysis on ALL the hero designs PLEASEEE!!!!! they releaased all 33 designs recently plus more in all the trailers with super interesting outfits i would love to see you talk about!!!!

[@rimanahbvee]

Thatd be fun love that game visually

[@DanteBench]

Omg love your little outfit so cute 💜

[@theaizere]

I gobble up all arcane content out there. Glug.

[@HunterWalrath]

hi X big fan and ive been watching your content for a while now i had this idea form when i heard you discuss real world brands in your dmc video that had parallels to the games style id be really interested to see you do/ construct or theory craft an actual outfit based on your favorite character from a video or the style themes from the property your looking at as someone who is less fashion knowledgeable the kind of styling insights you give and another content creator who does something like what im describing Parker York Smith really help make the process of looking at clothing and brands more approachable.

[@pabloromanlopezmaceda9054]

9:14 some would even say... _Glorious~☆_

[@ember9132]

something i noticed is a lot of the characters from zaun wear vertical stripes. idk i just noticed that

[@AltohP]

Now if only these clothes existed for less than thousands...

[@RyuuToon]

Singe-d like burned

[@Art80385]

Great video.

[@ajmod73]

Victor’s evolution was getting more and more twink ♥️😭

[@LucasTheFreitas]

make arcane inspired outfits

[@Testosterooster]

Rictus supremacy

[@oreochocolate_lavacake9960]

10:16 Vander looking like the Billy Butcher version of Flynn Rider. Is it just me?

[@Axel-ow7vq]

hola me encantan tus videos aunque los veo subtitulados saludos desde ecuador

[@gositonapencil9508]

Hey XDF, I've just found you recently and absolutely love your channel (Especially since you covered my favourite anime One Piece lol) I've been trying to find something similar to that corset-style belt you have in this video but I'm 99% sure corset is the wrong word so I'm struggling to find it. I have this beautiful gothic ball-style shirt that I think would benefit from a black corset style belt like the one you have so I'd greatly appreciate it if you could let me know how to find one or tell me it's name :) P.S If anyone else has any ideas on it I'd appreciate that too ^_^

[@ClassySithLady]

he said the thing 20:21

[@TokenCast]

Seriously, can we please collab!?

[@nocomplyyy]

hell yeah

[@ProdigysLawyer]

I've been waiting for this. Also, you're cute

[@ak-gi3eu]

Can u add timestamps .it helps a alot

[@skaarlner]

i think Rictus shows some of his anti-magic roots in his clothing (shown by the green gems he uses in the show) of another region know as ionia (at least im guessing thats where its from), which is heavily inspired by southeast asian and indian culture

[@magical571]

is it just me or is this analysis super shallow and surface level? there's nothing here that any average viewer couldn't notice themselves. maybe i got mislead by the algorythm, but i thought this may have been a fashion expert doing a more in depth or area specific analysis, noting inspirations from specific eras, making connections to real world icons, etc. but seriously, arcane is NOT subtle, and the things pointed out here are super on the nos and basic. how many times can you say yeah, gold = rich, yeah white = elegant or lambish, yeah street wear cause no nonsense, it doesn't get any more linear or simple of analysis than that? i don't know, i don't have a clue on this channel, this is my unbiased opinion after coming across this through the algorythm. It's a regurgitation of those points plus "me likey". i think the title and the algorythm really mislead me.

[@XDF]

On rare occasion I get hyper-critical folks like you. Such unusual expectations. Not a deep dive, not an essay - just straightforward analyzing (informal and general) of various outfits and what they communicate. Glad you're familiar with a number of fashion and style principles already. Not everyone is. 👍🏽

[@GarnetDust24]

YES MEL! She is thee one! Thee only one. 🤍✨ so glad for your voice and analysis!! You don’t miss bb!