Talking about Clouds design & his outfit in FF:Dissidia Duellum
A small collection of thoughts on Cloud Strife's design and how I would dress him… + should I make a lengthy analysis on Cloud in the future?
Please be aware that I am using a translation program for this post!
I don't know why, but from all the outfits I have seen on him, why does it feel like Square Enix is dressing him up like 2014 Justin Bieber in the upcoming Dissidia game? The ripped skinny jeans?
Note: I do not want to judge the designer's choice. I want to add to this topic with my own opinion. Every person has their own sense of fashion.
When it comes to the fashion of Final Fantasy 7, it is practical and utilitarian. Clothing has to have a function. This is not only the case for the games, but also for the movie set some years after.
Examples of vests in utility style:
The world of FF7 is not a peaceful one. There is war, rebellions, monsters, and harsh environments to live in. The clothing of the characters has to represent that because, well… FF7 is a visual media, and every single thing matters in regard to the design of a character.
People are fighting against monsters and heavily armed soldiers. The clothing needs to have pockets to carry necessities as well as buckles, belts, straps, and more so you can 'move' the fabric around for better movement. (A prime example of this is Barrets vest. It seems to have ripped off sleeves, which adds to his rough image.)
I think it is safe to say that Cloud likes
layered clothing (based on the design of the time he was a teenager. This is my favorite Cloud design.)
practical clothing that has a function.
The most striking clothing in this design is his pants. Cloud is wearing dark blue knee-length cargo jeans with a white seam and a light blue hem.
Why is this the most striking to me?
Because they perfectly show the world and the conditions young kids like him grow up in.
The pants feature 2 large pockets on either side with snap-on buttons, elastic bands at the hem, and a small strap to change the length of the pants. At the back, you can see 2 back pockets, able to be closed with another snap-on button that is attached to a strap originating from the waistline. I wish we could have gotten a picture of his pants in detail or him without the white t-shirt because this would make it easier to understand the anatomy of the pants. I don't think I need to go into detail about the pants being jeans because jeans are very durable.
Skinny jeans do not have the room to carry all the necessities in pockets because this could hurt the skin more easily. You would come to this conclusion yourself if you thought about it logically. I think I will go into this in detail in another post, if someone is interested in reading that.
Be aware that I am writing this on a whim, and the text written above is my reasoning as to why I think that skinny jeans are not the correct choice for him. Especially because the Y2K aesthetic (the fashion from the late 1990s to early 2000s) is so popular now.
The theme of practicality and utility in his design is also true for this outfit from Advent children.
Loose, cargo pants, which have straps at the hem to change the length. A leg pocket on the right, apron on the left. The boots with a front zipper on the tongue of the shoe are more comfortable and quicker than boots with shoelaces... obviously. Pay attention to the sole of the shoe. This type of shoe sole is called vibram and used a lot for jobs that require physical labor. How fitting that Cloud, who runs a delivery business with his bike and travels the planet post meteor fall, is wearing this type of boot.
In his young adult stage, Cloud is wearing a tight top + loose pants combination. The loose pants, in this case his baggy jeans from the SOLDIER uniform, make a lot of sense if you remember the fashion of the 1990s. It is like a relic and an iconic part of his character design.
We could also go into the color symbolism of his designs and why his outfits are in dark tones with blue accents, but I think this should be part of the lengthy analysis I think about doing.
Nomura implements his personal style into his designs. The single left earring is seen in Cloud, Squall, Laguna, Tifa and other characters, but these 4 are just examples I am thinking of right now.
We know that Nomura is inspired by motorcycle gear. You can see this in Squall. You can see this in Tifa.
Look up photos of Tetsuya Nomura during the pre-launch party for Kingdom Hearts in 2002 and look at the shoes he is wearing. Correct, he is wearing front zipper boots.
I remember reading an article where Nomura stated that he was very into silver jewelry in the late 1990s, and metal or silver is a prominent accessory in the characters he was designing.
Example from Japanese manufacturer of biking gear, KADOYA compared to Tifa:
Click on ALT for more information!
How would I style Cloud?
I also have ideas for how I would style him as a teenager, but since he is 21 in Duellum, I will focus on this age.
Cloud would be styled with the theme mentioned above mixed with biker gear.
Give him boots, wide pants and a tight top underneath a leather biker jacket. I sadly cannot draw at the moment or else I would have done that, but here are some references. Give him silver accessories. Layer the clothing. Keep it in dark tones with blue hues, or pair those with blue accents.
These photos are just references and not precisely what I would style him in, but they give a good idea of the direction I personally would take.
So I will ask once again. Should I write a long analysis with color symbolism in mind? Is someone interested in reading that?
