The most recent Night City Wire was full of exciting info, and although it primarily covered the game’s vehicles, there was also a segment of the episode focused on the styles and fashion of Night City. There are four distinct styles (see below) that are reflected in practically everything in Night City, and help to give the world of Cyberpunk 2077 the feeling of being a real place.
As with most other aspects of the game, fashion in Cyberpunk 2077 is more than just choosing from a handful of different options; there is history behind the various styles of the city, and you can see them represented all over, with each district, gang, and even vending machine having its own unique look. The appearance of the cars, clothes, guns, cyberware implants, even the architecture of the various districts indicate an affiliation with one of the styles.
“We are the dead”
A Brief History of Night City Fashion
The modern look of Night City is primarily a reactionary one: the iconic neon of the Kitsch movement were a response to the “whatever works” ethos of Entropism. Entropism grew out of the ashes of a Night City struggling through a war and a global financial collapse. The buildings that survived that era are old, grey, and remain as they are due to lack of funds.
Kitsch, by contrast, is bright and joyful, and puts form before function — in direct contrast to the austerity and utility of Entropism. Both styles can still be found throughout Night City, and especially out in the Badlands.
Neon is where it’s at when you’re trying to rock a Kitsch look
As the city continued to prosper, two new and distinct styles emerged: Neomilitarism and Neokitsch. Representing work and play, respectively, both are fashion trends embraced primarily by the city’s elite. Neomilitarism, as its name suggests, is all about hard lines and utilitarian outfits. Neokitsch heads in a different direction, and takes the flash and glamour of Kitsch, but reappropriates it for the hyper-rich. This style tends towards smooth lines and striking colors, and features rare, expensive fabrics.
Customization Options in Cyberpunk 2077
The player will have a lot of choices when it comes to how they want to present themselves in Cyberpunk 2077. In addition to the initial character creation, and the ability to customize your clothing, players will also be able to customize their cyberware as well as their melee and ranged weaponry. Considering the game is played almost entirely in first person, it’s a nice touch that we will be able to actually see some of our style choices in-game without going into a cutscene or our inventory.
As in any good RPG, the first few hours of the game should be spent on customization in the character creation menu
For clothing, there will be a variety of full-body outfits that conform to the city’s disparate styles. These outfits are made up of separate pieces that you can mix and match as you please. However, you will need to wear matching sets in order to fit in during some story missions — Night City’s gangs may not be your typical employers, but it seems they still have dress codes.
That feather boa better be an available clothing option
Weapons will also be customizable, both in terms of how they function (via attachments and upgrades) and in how they look. Although details on this are scarce, it appears there will be different skins and perhaps tints that can be applied to weapons. It would make sense for there to be at least four skins for each weapon, one for each of Night City’s styles.
There are four distinct styles present in Night City: Entropism, Kitsch, Neomilitarism, and Neokitsch. Kitsch and Entropism tend to be seen in the less wealthy parts of Night City, while Neomilitarism and Neokitsch are the looks of the people living at the tops of the skyscrapers. Each style therefore represents not simply an aesthetic, but also a social class, and even a philosophical outlook.
Kitsch – Style Over Substance
Best represented in Cyberpunk 2077 by the Mox and Tyger Claws gangs, Kitsch is flashy — neon, illuminated tattoos, and only the shiniest of chrome will do for people rocking Kitsch fashion. The goal is attracting attention and looking good, not to be reasonable or functional. In many ways, Kitsch is a reactionary style, the look of a golden age long since past, intentionally setting itself apart from the born-of-necessity style of Entropism. Gold-plated cyberware? Kitsch. Turquoise mohawk? Definitely Kitsch.
That jacket looks hard to dance in
Entropism – Necessity Over Style
If you find yourself drawn to the Nomad lifepath, or like the look of the 6th street gang, you may find the Entropism style to be a good fit. Born out of a darker era when people had to struggle to survive, Entropism is utilitarian; if it’s functional, its perfectly acceptable to wear — nothing flashy or expensive will do. Think T-shirts and hoodies, overalls and boots.
Entropism sometimes looks like people mixed and matched present day clothes without looking at them
Neomilitarism – Substance Over Style
While not as threadbare or “who cares” as Entropism, Neomilitarism is also a style that focuses on utility over appearance. Featuring dark jackets and form-fitting black leather, Neomilitaristic outfits tend to land somewhere between military uniform and expensive business suit. This style is favored by the city’s old money, and many of the corps.
Shoulder pads to rival any ’80s woman’s suit jacket
Neokitsch – Style and Substance
Born of the new generation of hyper-rich Night City residents, Neokitsch takes the flash of Kitsch and adds a layer of wealth and ostentation to it. Neokitsch celebrities, business magnates, and wealthy heirs and heiresses wear rare and expensive animal skin, install gold cyberware, and drive only the priciest cars. If you want to see Neokitsch for yourself, head to the exclusive Westbrook district once you make it into Night City.
With animals a rarity, real leather is hard to come by in Night City
Whatever segment of Night City’s population you feel drawn to, you’ll be able to find a ride and an outfit to match, and you’ll be able to style your cyberware and weaponry accordingly.
How will you fashion your character? Will you aim to stand out in a crowd, or blend into the shadows? Will you conform to one of the styles, or mix up the options to create your own look? Let us know in the comments!
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DanielD
Unabashed FromSoftware fanboy still learning to take his time with games (and everything else, really). The time he doesn't spend on games is spent on music, books, or occasionally going outside.
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