Pokémon is the highest grossing franchise of all time. That’s due to many factors, but in general terms, the game’s focus on collecting a wide range of creatures allow GameFreak the ability to attract enthusiasts for all sorts of character types. Be they cute, edgy, or eldritch, these designs will often make reference to preexisting characters across all sorts of media. To make those connections, fans have noticed allusions to clothing and costumes baked in. These references to clothing succeed to varying degrees. Some designs perfectly ride the line of what could be believed as a creature’s biologically occurring form, other attempts get too into the weeds, like what constitutes nudity for a battle monster.
In order to identify what makes the most successful reference to clothing in Pokémon designs, let’s analyze ten of the best. Along the way we will compare these designs to a lackluster counterpart trying to parse out how these features make sense in the big picture. Successful references are subjective, but as Pokémon’s premise has taught us, surely there’s something for everyone.
10 - Illumise
Illumise is not a beloved Pokémon, in part because it and its cousin, Volbeat, missed a glaring opportunity to be the first dual Bug and Electric Type combination. As a lightning bug, Volbeat more deserves the electric typing, but Illumise might have been a missed candidate for Fairy Typing when it was retconned in for the release of Pokémon X and Y. That’s because in its Pokédex description for Pokémon Ruby we can see “Illumise attracts a swarm of Volbeat using a sweet fragrance. Once the Volbeat have gathered, this Pokémon leads the lit-up swarm in drawing geometric designs on the canvas of the night sky.” which could present as a reference to Fairy Parties.If not, then perhaps Illumise ‘conducting’ Volbeat, it’s an orchestral conductor. Given that this behavior is Illumise's most quintessential function, we can better understand its design. Illumise uses the plates on a bug’s exoskeleton to block out the shapes of party clothes. Its scalloped collar at the neck flows downward into three vertical blocks, functioning to represent a frilled button down shirt. This shirt area is then met with black at a region and scale to match a cummberbun, connecting naturally at both sides to wrap the whole front abdomen in a suit jacket-like top layer. Furthermore, the disc-like pads at all four of its limbs act as shoulderpads and bloomers respectively. And to circle back to the idea of a magical tea time- little star sparkle patterns on its behind! These sparkles also split the back where coattails would begin.
For design comparison, let’s look at Toxicroak. Toxicroak also used its abdomen to reference behavior- the stripes on its belly mimic the bandages professional fighters apply to themselves. Illumise is more successful in this list simply because it incorporates more clothing references. And on the other side of its design origin, let's compare it to Heracross. Heracross also utilizes the lines of an exoskeleton, but does not maximize that opportunity to stress clothing. In terms of formalwear, the design that comes closest is Indeedee. Inspired by the staff of places like Downton Abbey, these maids and butlers roam the forests of Galar. The idea of a wild animal naturally existing to cater to humans might sound like domestication, but the degree of their craving for servitude feels like a bit too much to expect for how uninspired both of its forms are. The tufts on the side of Indeedee’s head, for example, do not have the same utility that the discs on Illumise’s limbs have. For all it lacks in the bigger picture, but also for all the recognition it has been denied, Illumise is given the 10th most successful reference to clothing in Pokémon designs.
9 - Mawile
Both forms of Mawile (RIP Mega Mawile) feature the silhouette of distinct pant legs known as Hakama. Hakama styles began as a way to protect the legs of horse-riding samurai, but as that tradition faded the style transitioned to the elite’s formalwear, and used in Shinto religious ceremonies. In modern day, they’re most commonly associated with the Aikido form of martial arts, and in some studios, women are permitted to wear it before their male peers. It’s feminine and elegant in how the legs bell outwards, but the fact that its pants and not a gown notes that this character is ready to get physical. These pant legs are not questioned because, well, viewers will be much more focused on the two gaping gullets chomping menacingly from just above. As a Steel and Fairy Type Pokémon, we don't struggle to believe whatever kind of fiber or fur Mawiles are coated in is both mystical and durable- that it's naturally imbued with the discipline to grow in properly. Circling back to the idea that Hakama pants were made to protect the wearers’ legs, making Mawile’s Steel type is consistent with durability through attire.
Let's compare Mawile’s design to Hariyama’s. While both feature pants, and while both feature distracting upper bodies (in Hariyama’s case its massive, fan-like hands), the additional sagari belt and its extruding strips, as well as how large its hachimaki is, Hariyama attempted multiple clothing references but did not succeed making them cohesive together. As a pure fighting type, it had no obvious elemental alignments to draw from. Perhaps the strips coming from the waist could have been better flattened as shapes appearing flush on the legs. Mawile’s elegance is comparable to that of Froslass, whose design features a kimono and obi (the belt tied behind it). Its kimono is subtle, as a Ghost Type it reads as any other draped white fabric. And while its obi could be interpreted as wings, or at least be the limbs from which its propulsion to fly is radiated from, teeters on extraneous given that Ghosts can fly without needing wings. Both Frosslass and Mawile make reference to specific Japanese monsters known as yokai. Mawile represents a futakuchi-onna, who look like totally normal women until they reveal the second gaping mouth under their hair. Froslass is inspired by Yuki-onna, who also looked like women but they captured their prey by luring them into snowstorms. Hariyama, in comparison, is a sumo wrestler. That much more general title lacks the distinctive personalities of those Yokai, giving them much more to work with. There's something to be said for what Hariyama's design means for the big-picture. Weird monsters like that help cement the franchise as distinct. They also retroactively make older character, like Hitmonchan, somehow feel a little more justifeid.
Mawile’s hakama are subtle and non-offensive, but they’re also not such a bold use of attire. For that reason, Mawile lands cleanly at the 9th most successful use of clothing in Pokémon designs.
8 - Watchog
At face value, Watchog is nothing to write home about. Early game mammals typically fill a functional need, which is why it’s notable that Watchog’s design does more than it has to. Based on Meerkats and Prairie Dogs, these alert rodents are hyper aware in order to maintain their safety. That’s what makes their embrace of safety uniforms so clever. Like a reflective neon vest, the yellow lines on Watchog’s body are subtle enough that the connection might not be obvious. Its vigilant personality is clear, from its perfect posture and huge eyes, so viewers can automatically appreciate that it is uniquely skilled at managing safety, both in the wild or in urban environments. This is by virtue of its very basic brown coloration. The shade of brown is explicitly naturally occurring, but is simultaneously reminiscent of leather workwear like Timberland boots. These styles can thank the fact that Watchog hails from the Unova Region, the Pokémon world's equivalent to the USA.
Let’s compare this safety uniform reference to Blissey’s nursemaid aesthetics. Blissey repurposes a marsupial’s pouch as an apron, while the tufts at her shoulders allude to the ‘leg-o-mutton’ sleeve style used by nurses in the late 1800’s. Her alternating use of pink and white gestures to rank or service symbols of medics like the Red Cross. Another uniform reference is Pelliper, who uses his pelican-like gullet to support the Hoenn region’s Postal Service. That’s why Pelipper looks like it has a mail carrier’s cap on his head. Gumshoos parallels Watchog as they're both simple, bipedal mammals. Gumshoos' flared fur are an adequate allusion to a detective's trench coat, but being released in November of 2016, his blonde combover had the undo responsibility to stymie political connection. Blissey and Pelipper might be superior in competitive battling, but Watchog’s design more boldly incorporates its uniform origins.
7 - Furfrou
Furfrou is, in a word, forgotten. Fulfilling the ‘wild card normal type’ role of Ditto and Smeargle, Furfrou’s gimmick was that it had a set of haircuts a stylist could create for a fee. The styles were wide and arresting - bonnets, top hats, neckties, bows, crowns, and pant cuffs. Debuting Kalos, the region based on France, a poodle is a good choice. But because these forms were purely aesthetic with no in-battle mechanic, and because the haircuts disappeared after 5 days, maintaining it was a chore if anything. That works conceptually as a luxury pet’s personality, but not something that can sustain appreciation, especially when later games made it impossible to change their styles. So maybe this concept isn’t ideal for battling but, wow, what a succinct and thorough concept. What’s working is that this wild animal in no way represents fashion. However, with human intervention, they take on our characteristics. This means that you don’t question why a wild animal would come to look like it’s wearing human clothes.
As a dog Pokémon, Furfrou is easily compared to its ‘wild card’ archetypal predecessor, Smeargle. Combining the words ‘smear’ and ‘beagle’, Smeargle is based on a fine artist, donning a stereotypical beret atop his head. But, what is that? It’s such a bulbous shape. Is it a tuft of fur, all bone? A cyst? Perhaps Smeargle’s paintbrush on his tail allows the viewer to believe its head features a similar tuft, but that tuft just is not so cleanly explained as Furfrou’s man-made stylings. Even if it’s not naturally occurring, the believability and built in interchangeability makes Furfrou’s styles significant, and places at number 7.
6 - Hatterene
At number 6, we have Hatterene. This entry actually represents a larger concept, and that’s clothing references made from the Pokémons’ hair. Pangoro, with a collared mane and flared coattails, we see a silhouette of a mob boss we could pictured squaring off with the cast of One Piece . Believable, but basic. Then there’s Delphox. Also based on a witch, this vulpine sorcerer extracts a wooden wand from its furry robe to cast fiery magical attacks. That’s where its design goes wrong. The first stage, Fennekin, has no wand. Fennekin’s most notable feature are the tufts of hair that cutely puff out from its oversized ears. Its Pokédex entry reads “Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. Fennekin expels hot air that can reach nearly 400 degrees.” So we know that those tufts of hair are the source of its power, or at least where we see that power come from. That focus on hair is the through line to Delphox, who wears hair as long robes. However, Fennekin’s Pokédex entry goes on to say “It likes to snack on twigs.” Ok, so, it features sticks from the beginning, the wand didn't come from nowhere. But we should see those sticks from the beginning. Fennekin should have featured twigs for snacking like barrettes clipping her tufts together, like a pencil placed behind the ear, or maybe a hairstick bun, were it appropriate. I understand why they didn’t show Fennekin with a stick in its mouth, as a toothpick reference might make its personality skew ‘bad boy’. What it comes down to is that if the crux of its powers as a Fennekin is its ears, it shouldn’t change that focus so in its final stage. Perhaps instead the shape of those ears could have pushed closer together, forming a point at the top, and becoming a canicular witch’s cap. That way this Fire and Psychic type could be listening to its hat, like a certain boy wizard, for insight on future events. This is what Hatterene’s line does so much better. From the beginning, Hattena’s theme is the combination of headwear and what looks like hair. Hattena starts the theme by wearing a birthday party hat. The second stage, Hattrem, elevates that birthday hat to a princess's hat, but the volume of its hair begins to suggest a brim. The final stage, Hatterene, completes the evolution by fusing it all together into cone shaped witch's hat with a brim.
As a mammal with a fur coat, Delphox is justified in having hair come from wherever. But all of Hatterene’s hair comes from its scalp- the source of its power. And as that hair flows down, we get a story. A beautiful maiden looks out the window of her tower as her hair drops below to be her rescue. And here at the bottom we see another superior factor. Coming in tight, Hatterene’s hair is just so much more clean than Pangoro or Delphox, who look like they’d be sweeping up all the forest's dirt up along with them. And then we go back to the top. There’s no distinction between hair and hat. Even if the hat is made from hair, its magical aura makes all of it come together to function as something more. And out the tip of its hat, a high ponytail ending with two beads and tendrils acting as opposable fingers. Zooming out, we see that her body is something different from her hair, and her hair is the star of the show. She is entirely wearing her hair, it’s cloaking her like a medieval robe. The implied nudity underneath feels acceptable as a reference to the liberation of Lady Godiva, and simultaneously separates Hatterne from the idea of human nudity as a mythical, wild being.
5 - Passimian & Oranguru
This pair of primates were version-exclusive to Sun and Moon respectively, and represented a physical or mental persuasion. Oranguru, an orangutan with the personality of a guru, only exceeds Pangoro because its cape is distinct from its body. Additionally, we can understand its accessories to be made because the fan it holds is made from a combination of its own hair and leaves it finds in the forest. But its cousin Passimian is why it made the list.
Hunched forward, ready to hut one or two, the stripes on its torso mimic those of a rugby uniform. This is reaffirmed by the collar around his neck, how his pants mimic the silhouette of a baseball uniform’s knickers and athletic compression socks. On its sleeve, he takes from Oranguru and utilizes fallen leaves. But these leaves are oriented to mark the specific troop, or team, this Passimian is a member of. In the anime, a troop of Passimian on Akala Island is distinguished with orange leaves. The helmet we see on the head is clearly made from the same coconut species as the coconut it's holding as a ball, allowing us to believe replacing these accessories isn't so difficult. For comparison, let’s look at Cinderace. Cinderace and its line are comparable because they're both uniformed athletes, with Cinderace skewing more towards a soccer or biking kit. In its signature move, Cinderace juggles a pebble like a soccer ball and it ignites, launching the blazing orb at their opponent. Where does that pebble come from? Sure pebbles are ubiquitous, but it's never built in as a part of its basic character design. That’s why Passiminain’s ever-present coconut is superior, we could even picture it splitting its ball to make two helmets if comrades were in need. We can also recognize the coconut’s relationship to another Pokémon. Because its ball also looks like the back-most head of Exeggutor, a dedicated fan could instantly infer a contentious relationship between the two. Maybe the Exeggutor become their unwilling backboards. Even though a guru personality is more likely to be found in meditation, Oranguru’s signature move, Instruct, could easily be pictured as a team of Passimian’s coach, or a referee flagging a play with his fans replacing a yellow card. Oranguru and Passimian have their respective roles and personalities, accented with clothing, but Passimian rises to clench the definitive number 5 spot for how succinct and all of its accessories are.
4 - Escavalier
Charging into number four, we have Escavalier. This bug and steel type was coming in to compete along with Pineco, Wormadam, and Durant, so surely it wouldn’t have either typing unnecessarily. It doesn’t. In fact, Escavaleir adds the steel type because it is specifically adding something on- its shell. Karrablast evolves into Escalvier only by trading it for a Shelmet. This encounter is Shelmet’s opportunity to shed its shell, becoming more limber. And when that shell is abandoned, the Karrablast move right in, wearing it for their own protection. But they don't stop there. Through the magic of Pokémon evolution, their arms extend into stringers like Beedrill’s, but recontextualized to more specifically referencing the spear of a jouster. This purpose is stressed by how the creature is capped at the bottom with a shell piece that looks like the front of a chariot as its pulled around a gladiatorial arena. And most magnificent is the galea protruding from the middle of the shell piece it has fashioned into a classic Roman helmet. Because bugs in the real world change so much in metamorphosis, we don't question at all that the creature could produce such a magnificent coif of scarlet. We can compare this design to Slowking, who acquires his shell crown upon evolving. While Slowking’s frilled neck could be interpreted as the frill gills of an axolotl, or a bib of seaweeds, he doesn’t quite get away with “where it comes from” like Escavalier’s galea. Additionally, Slowking’s crown is allegedly a Shellder that has clamped on tight. But the change of Shellder’s design upon this evolution has never been cleanly explained. For one, we’ve never seen Shellder forsake its autonomy in game to fuse with a Slowpoke and allow it to evolve, making the Karrablast and Shelmet trade evolution mechanically cleaner. Furthermore, thanks to the 2018 leaks of a 1997 demo version of Gold & Silver, we know that the designers intended to remedy this inconsistency. The demo contained beta versions of new Pokémon, of which one with the name ‘Turban’ was listed and clearly depicted Slowpoke’s symbiote. It never made it to the release of the game. It’s notable that the working name indicates that they hadn’t entirely connected the concept from the head of Slowking to the tail of a Slowbro, because of course turbans are a headwear.
Another shell wearing Pokémon is Gorebyss. Another drastic change for a shelled Pokémon, Gorebyss evolve from Clamperls when trades with a Deep Sea Scale. The cleverness lies in that Clamperl’s shell is repurposed to reference the shell bikini top worn by The Little Mermaid. But Clamperls quirky split evolution line of a clam becoming two variations of simplistic sea snakes has the scent of “filler” concepts to round out a Pokédex, maybe even a replacement for the four variations of the Shellos line lost when the designers realized they already had an abundance of Water and Ground types with Swampert and Whiscash. So, Gorebyss’s bikini, while clever and brought a needed feminine balance, is no Escavlier-ian armor. Armor is apparel, and because Pokémon battle, armor is a clothing that most makes sense for it to wear. On top of that, it is not born with these accessories, but rather seeks them out like real humans do with what we wear. Unlike Fennekin who finds a stick along its way to becoming a Delphox, Karrablast gets away with not having its armor at birth because acquiring that shell is so explicitly built into its fundamental concept of a mutually beneficial exchange.
3 - Gardevoir
Charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. Gardevoir gave Pokémon fans the femme fatale threat we hadn’t seen since Dragonair, and she did it better. Filling the slot of Alazakazam, aka a “glass canon” to rival the generations pseudo legendary, this psychic type drew her power from the red protrusion in the middle of her chest. Perhaps a suggestive placement, but with modesty in her face and neckline, it helps us understand this object is radiating from the core of her energy like a fictional central chakra, freeing itself from the constraint of psychic energy radiating exclusively from the head area. Because of this placement, we can believe that the flowing white fabric like material draping from this point is like the exhaust fuming from all the physic energy combusting from her core. This ethereal material isn't even biologically unbelievable, as its split even resembles the membrane of a blanket octopus. This biology also has existed in the ancient evolutionary history of ancient Pokémon with Auroros, the sail Pokémon. Introduced in Generation 3 along with Altaria, Roselia, Pokémon contests, berry cubes, aroma ladies, and decorating secret bases, we know she was a part of making the world of Pokémon expand to show more traditionally feminine themes. Even though Garedevoir can be male, when Generation 5 came around we saw a wave of designs that acted as new final stages for many preexisting concepts. Surprisingly, Gardevoir with its complete three stages got an addition, Gallade. Why? Because- boy marketing. Gallade came in to make sure masculinity wasn't at a loss with how powerful Gardevoir was in their femininity. So now male Kirlia and male Kirlia only can evolve into this chivalrous elbow sword fighter. He’s not so great. And his poofy hip section should probably be biopsied, but at least we’re able to cling to a shred of Gardevoir’s materials. So it was looking like Gardevoir would have to be lugging her awkward kid brother along for a long time when Mega Evolution changed everything. Both Gladdade and Gardevoir received new forms, and both centralized the fabric Gardevoir was known for. Becoming strips in a blossoming petticoat style skirt and opera gloves, more of her body becomes white as if she has changed into a grander gown. Her psychic core splits in the front, creating the shape of a oversized bow at the midsection. Her cheeks spike up and outward as if her makeup artist wanted something just a bit more intense. Introduced through Kalosian Champion Diantha, who moonlights as an actress akin to Audrey Hepburn meets Meryl Streep, we have the sense that Gardevoir’s special new look is ready for a red carpet. And thank goodness her date, Gallade, got his aesthetic act together. Bringing back the fabric from his days as a Kirlia, his arm swords can be unveiled with the flamboyance of a knight, chivalrous and true. Of note, the underside of his material is white, whereas upon going Mega, Gardevoirs’ underside went from green to white. This can be inferred as Gardevoir maintaining the ‘special’ superiority, by this point she has distilled the truest essence of her energies throughout. These concepts are outright superior to fabric protrusions like Hariyama, and they don't have to settle for subtlety like Mawile.
Many other Pokémon have attempted to incorporate fabric, such as Jynx and Gothitelle. Jynx, an Ice and Psychic type, was designed to invoke yokai such as Yamauba and Yuki-onna. But that was not the universal interpretation. Jynx’s design has been connected to blackface and Black stereotypes at large, with the original design’s rounded lips, wide eyes, gloves, and jet black face cited as evidence. Racism and stereotypes exist in every country, Japan included, and designers have a responsibility to be aware of how a domestic reference might be offensive in an international market. For that reason, Jynx should be a cautionary tale regarding development. Jynx’s current iteration uses purple instead of black skin, but imagine if that change had been made in development. Granted, it's a privileged perspective to compare present day representational considerations with the resources of a fledgling Japanese studio in the 1990s. Alolan Dugtrio has hair in reference to Pele’s Hair, and Probopass has a mustache specifically because it's made of magnetic filings. Could Jynx’s hair be like some aurora borealis? Could its fabric be a literal ‘sheet’ of ice? Could its skin coloration be inspired by frostbite as a consequence? Gothitelle is a third psychic femme fatale. With so much fashion history in the goth tradition, it was disappointing the bows, the source of her psychic power, were not of much consequence. Her bows only multiply upon evolution- quantity for quality.
Gardevoir and her kin, through their (mostly) unashamed embrace of the beguiling power of the traditionally feminine, specifically high fashion, combined with justifying where that clothing comes from, secure themselves at number three on this list.
2 - Leavanny
This might be frustrating. Leavanny does not get much love. With a combination of Bug and Grass types, he’s both nothing new and not competitively optimal. But Leavanny has a schtick - sewing. The Pokémon that spends its day fabricating clothing, using the silk string we know real-world bugs to have, merits his recognition here. But he wouldn’t be here if it wasn't for his whole line. Leavanny, the nanny, sews for Sewaddle so he can ‘sew’ and ‘swaddle’ them. Half grass type, we can imagine he also grows on his body the leaves he sews together with his silk. His pincers, like a cousin of Scyther, also function as scissors so he can cut his patterns as necessary. Leavanny is the one stop shop for clothing production not just for itself but for others, and that is very distinguished from all other Pokémon specialities. In the real world, we know that insects like honey bees create hexagonal pods to grow their larvae, so pushing that concept to centralize making apparel for childcare isn't too much to ask at all.
But does Leavanny’s own clothing reference hold up on their own? Yes, but admittedly his biggest success is the act of fabrication itself. His head often covers the neckline on his chest, so perhaps that could have been a bit more accentuated like with an additional line to create more of a folded collar. His pants mimic the silhouette of chic pleated capris, so we can infer his capabilities go beyond clothing just for infants. Let’s compare two comparable grass types- Tsareena and Roserade. Tsareena has killer gogo boots, perfect for her signature move ‘Trop Kick. The bulb at the top replicates a cute but monarchical royal crown. Her hips are styled as puff bloomer, and a clever dead ringer for the pit of the tropical mangosteen fruit. While her boots are cute and can be read as hibiscus flowers, perhaps pollen puffs acting as buttons would have given it more of a decorative apparel focus. And for Roserade, we can infer from the mask and name that he’s soon to attend a masquerade. The coattail/ cape-like leaves coming out of his back cement the concept. But of these plant based clothing concepts, Leavanny defeated its lead by virtue of having his own apparel production capabilities baked into his concept.
1 - Hawlucha
Let’s get ready to rumble. Hawlucha is very special. The first Flying and Fighting type, this Pokémon also brought with it the signature move ‘Flying Press’. This move was the first to be a dual type move, accounting for both of Halwucha’s types. So we know he has a special focus on being two things at once, and it makes sense for a creature that combines a Luchadora with a Hawk. Or perhaps, this is a Luchadora costumed to reference a hawk. We can see that duality very cleanly included in its most prominent design feature- its face. Instead of its beak being its mouth, its mout is just below the beak. That helps us believe he is wearing some sort of mask, that at least part of what we’re seeing on top is a costume. That's cemented with its eyes. Very smartly, the designers recognized that a hawk’s eye features a lot of black. That blackness was used on Hawlucha to create negative space- it's repurposed to push the idea that something is wearing this regalia in a layer below what we see. And there's so much more. At the top of the head we can see feathers acting as laces to tie off the wrestling mask. Instead of its finger bones staying inside the wing and feathers extending with them all the way out, the feathers drop down and make a cape across his back. The red of the exterior side of the cape comes together over his shoulders to meet at his throat like it’s about to be unclasped. Directly underneath, a white torso meets his hips and tufts outward at the length of boxer shorts. It is because every detail of Hawlucha could be read equally as avian or luchador-esque, so much attention was called to the fact that it was the first Fighting and Flying type.
Perhaps a factor working in Hawlucha's favor is being a single stage Pokémon- one of three might not merit as much detail. But the team behind the television anime worked around that limitation by featuring its 'shiny' version. This shiny version clearly received considerable attention in development. Unlike most shiny variations, each color was clearly curated in a way that built an almost entirely new foe. Notably in this color swap, its eyes remain black. That choice confirms that black is actually the darkness of negative space.
Hawlucha beats out the athletic perfection of even the likes of Passimian. Though Passiminian adorning themselves with coconuts and leaves is explicitly the act of clothing, Hawlucha’s effortlessness is unmatched. Cinderace’s massive coif creating what could be a speed cycling helmet is fairly pitiful when compared to Hawlucha’s natural decision to just connect his wings across his back and create an instant cape. In comparison to Sawk, possibly the most hated Pokémon design, we can see a stark contrast. Sawk appears in the wild fully clothed in a karate gi. How that gi is acquired has no adequate explanation. The same could be said for beloved Hitmonchan- the flared skirt is charming, but where does it come from? If they don’t find it somewhere, is it flesh? The designs should answer these questions before they are asked, or at least bake that acquisition into its lore, like Escavalier.
Hawlucha’s success stresses a valuable factor - embracing clothing styles is most successful when the basis of the style itself can be contextualized to also compliment the creature it's being attached to. Luchadores famously incorporate animals in their personas. Jousting regalia features spirals on their spears, so the spiral of a snail's shell can be baked in with Escavalier. France is famous for well groomed poodles, so Furfrou’s style options just make sense. It is the same relationship with a human character and their costuming- anyone *could* wear anything, but a fleshed out personal style is an instant visual backstory. How it is worn has to make sense.
Now that we've analyzed successful designs, let's make their successes explicit. What actionable information can we extract?
Humanoid, or at least bipedal, creatures most efficiently convey clothing references. However, they face more conceptual scrutiny.
If an article of clothing is present in the first stage of a Pokemon, that article should evolve with, or, alongside it. An example of 'evolving with' would be Hattena's birthday party hat growing into a brimmed witches hat, where an example of 'alongside' would be Excavalier's acquisition of its shell.
A shape, pattern, or line should be considered from all sides and used to create new shapes in combination with each other. An example of efficient shapes would be how the bottom of Watchog's 'vest' could also function as a belt.
Culture is key. Gamefreak Studios is a Japanese studio designing for a global market, but their product is based on regional quirks pulled from fictionalized versions of real countries. Their most quality products are derived from authentic appreciation, which requires thorough cultural research.
We’ll close with the reiteration that it’s virtually impossible to rank style choices in a franchise that pulls from such diverse inspirations. Further examination of this topic could specialize on aspects such as how clothing references are gendered in Pokémon, how it relates to Pokémon eerily similar to human beings, and the origin of style for the humans beings of this fantastical planet. The journey continues.