Real-world vs In-game Fashion Trends
Let's dive into how real and in-game styles differ and surprisingly align.
What fashions are trending in games?
The in-game skin market is booming, now worth billions of dollars. Gamers are no longer just customizing avatars, they’re becoming digital fashionistas as fashion trends blur the line between reality and virtual worlds.
1. Recent Trends in Real-World Fashion
Retro Fashion
Retro trends like Y2K (Low-rise jeans, baby tees, etc.) and Indie fashion (Vintage Clothing, Bohemian Influence, etc.) are making a strong comeback, blending nostalgia with modern style and gaining popularity among younger generations.
Streetwear, Urbancore
Street fashion is widely loved for its comfort and effortlessly cool vibe. One of its key features is Baggy and Oversized silhouettes, which give off a relaxed yet stylish look.
Quiet Luxury
Quiet luxury refers to a style that is elegant and sophisticated without being ostentatious. It is characterized by minimalistic designs and a focus on subtlety, without emphasizing brand names.
Coquette Aesthetics
Coquette is a feminine and romantic style that encompasses a wide range of fashion aesthetics with a delicate and charming appeal. It has evolved alongside styles like Balletcore and Blokette (Ribbon detailed, Pastel colors), sharing a similar delicate and playful vibe.
2. Recent Trends in In-Game Fashion
Now, let's take a look at the fashion trends that are popular in-game
Cosmic & Cyberpunk Aesthetics
It is a flashy, stylish, and futuristic fashion style loved by gamers, and is often seen in shooting games such as Fortnite.
Especially, styles with neon, metallic, tech-wear, and high-tech elements often appear in many games.
Luxury Brand Crossovers
Recently, many luxury brands have collaborated with games, bringing high-end fashion into virtual worlds. In-game outfits and weapons with luxury brand logos have been making frequent appearances recently.
- Gucci x Zepeto - Gucci outfits and world in the Zepeto
- Balenciaga x Fortnite - Balenciaga game outfits sold alongside real-world versions
- Louis Vuitton x League of Legends - Game character skin wearing Louis Vuitton outfit
Kawaii Aesthetics
Kawaii Aesthetic is a cute and feminine style that features cute accessories and soft pastel colors.
The Magical Girl Aesthetic style, which is also quite popular within PUBG, features quirky and dreamy elements such as glitter and fantasy themes.
3. Why Real-World and In-Game Fashion Varies
Real-world fashion is shaped by physical and social limitations—like gender, body type, weather, and societal expectations. It’s also influenced by celebrities, seasons, and material constraints. In contrast, in-game fashion offers creative freedom unrestricted by physics or cost, allowing for bold experimentation shaped by game lore and influencers like streamers.
Enviornment and Culture
Real-world fashion is heavily influenced by environmental factors such as weather and seasons, as well as the latest trends presented by celebrities, luxury brands, and runway shows. In-game fashion, on the other hand, is shaped by the genre and lore of the game, with influencers such as streamers playing a significant role in shaping trends within the gaming community.
Differences in purpose of use
In the real world, fashion is not just something you wear to cover or protect your body, it’s also something you use to communicate your identity. People wear clothes to make an impression at school, work, or on the street. What you wear can communicate your beliefs, background, or aspirations.
But going further, digital fashion offers a much higher level of identity exploration. In the digital world, the limitations and judgments that exist in the real world disappear. Through their avatars, players can further reveal how they truly see themselves or how they want to be seen.
4. Where the Two Worlds Meet
What's striking is how closely these two worlds mirror each other and influence one another. Even though real-world and in-game fashion differ, they share common ground. We’re seeing tech-wear styles inspired by Cyberpunk 2077 in the real world, while players can also buy Nike shoes in Fortnite.
As the lines between digital and physical worlds continue to blur, it's clear that fashion is no longer confined to one realm – both worlds are constantly evolving together. This deep connection between the two worlds ultimately suggests that what people find aesthetically pleasing is fundamentally similar in both spheres.