A character's appearance is incredibly important when it comes to anime. The most memorable characters are recognized by their silhouette alone, which is why most characters don't change their outfits very often. After all, Naruto wouldn't be Naruto without his iconic orange jumpsuit.
That said, it's not impossible for anime characters to wear different outfits throughout a series, especially if an anime is focused on fashion. Then again, sometimes manga artists just love putting their characters in different clothing and frequent outfit changes are they express their fashion creativity.
10 Fairy Tail Guild Has The Right Outfit For Any Occasion (Fairy Tail)
Fairy Tail characters may have a standard outfit they revert back to, but that doesn't mean they don't like to change it up. Lucy especially likes to wear a new outfit during every excursion and often times Natsu's outfit matches her. The champion of outfit changes, however, is definitely Erza Scarlet. Not only does she have the perfect outfit for any occasion, but each of her weapon techniques comes with its own outfit.
9 Lelouch's Wealth Is Shown Through His Clothing (Code Geass)
As a member of royalty, it only makes sense for someone like Lelouch to have several fabulous outfits. He may be seen in his uniform on many occasions, but it's obvious he prefers to wear an outfit once. He's not the only one in the serious with great taste either. Different characters used clothing like costumes to portray themselves a certain way in the first episode . If there's one thing this anime is good at it is showing the opulence of royalty, especially through their clothing.
8 The Hero Students Express Themselves Through Their Clothing (My Hero Academia)
The students of U.A. may have to wear their uniforms a majority of the time but outside of school, they love to wear unique and sometimes humorous outfits. Midoriya doesn't have the greatest sense of fashion, especially when he's wearing shirts that say "T-shirt" across the front, but they certainly do a good job of showing off his personality.
The other class members have also worn some amazing outfits that show off what kind of people they are. Yaoyorozu may have to wear a skimpy hero costume, but she dresses conservatively during her free time. With all the unique fashion choices showcased throughout the series, fans could almost mistake U.A. for a fashion school instead of a hero school.
7 The Story Affected The Clothing (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1 & 2)
For an action-adventure anime like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the characters had a surprisingly frequent number of outfit changes. At least, in the first two parts of the series anyway. Unlike other anime, the protagonist didn't have an outfit that defined them. Instead, their outfit depended on what was happening in the story and what they were doing. Unfortunately, the outfit changes stopped after part 2 of the anime, which is a shame considering the frequent outfit changes made a lot of sense storywise.
6 The Cast Wore Something New Every Episode (Anohana)
Anohana was a short anime, but it certainly wasn't short on outfit changes. In fact, most of the characters had a new outfit each episode, especially Anjou who wore 11 outfits throughout the twelve-episode series. For a slice of life anime with magical elements, this series did an excellent job of portraying the characters as real people going about their daily lives. Outfit changes may not seem like a big deal but they help the characters feel like real people, which is probably why fans love the show so much.
5 Sakura Is The Most Well Dressed Magical Girl (Cardcaptor Sakura)
While most magical girls only change outfits when they go through a power increase Cardcaptor Sakura's Sakura has many different outfits for almost any occasion. In fact, she practically has a new costume every episode. Not to mention, the series openings give her several unique costumes as well.
This series is a gold mine for cosplayers looking for something cute and frilly to wear. For those who aren't into cosplay, they can also enjoy all the references that the CLAMP studio makes with her costumes. They have made several references to other media including Alice in Wonderland, which can be difficult to spot but is definitely worth trying.
4 Soul Reapers Wear More Than Black (Bleach)
The characters in Bleach are often relegated to wearing school uniforms or the Soul Reaper Shihakusho, but that doesn't mean the creator, Tite Kubo, doesn't like to put his characters in trendy outfits whenever he gets the chance. In fact, most of the characters have had several different looks ranging from Renji's hippie outfit to Orihime's casual dresses. Even Kon has worn several different outfits despite the fact that he desperately tries to get himself out of playing dress-up.
3 Amu Is Trying To Find Herself Through Her Clothes (Shugo Chara)
It's surprising how often the characters in Shugo Chara change up their looks, then again the whole series is about the main character Amu trying to figure out how to express herself. Her Chara transformations range from pink and bubbly to dark and devilish but she also has a unique style of her own that is somewhat gothic. While she is often depicted in her school uniform, this series makes sure to bring some diversity into her outfits.
2 It's A Showcase Of Style On And Off The Runway (Smile Down The Runway)
A series all about fashion is bound to have tons of amazing clothes and this series is no different. The characters showcase incredibly unique styles on and off of the runway. Even Chiyuki, who's at a disadvantage when it comes to height, wears her various outfits far better than anyone else. For anyone interested in fashion and how the fashion industry works, this series is definitely worth a watch.
1 A Slice Of Life That's Not Just About School (Hyouka)
It's unlikely that an anime about a school club will feature many outfit changes, but then again this series is about much more than a club. This slice of life follows classic club members' daily lives, and like Anohana the characters are often depicted in their after-school leisurewear. While the outfits aren't flashy or lavish they help tell the story. Not to mention, the characters are much more relatable wearing several different outfits instead of just their school uniform.