It is no news to anyone that Tataru Taru is by far the most established fashion designer in all of Eorzea. She’s bigger than Louis Vuitton; bigger than Vera Wang… and yet smaller at the same time because, you know- lalafell.

I know what you must be thinking, “Wait, what about Redolent Rose?” You and I both know that Redolent Rose is also Masked Rose in Gold Saucer and we’ve all seen the strange monstrosities that he’s dubbed fashionable. Plus he doesn’t have quite the same caliber of clientele; only Tataru has had the extreme honor of ever dressing the scions. That is, until right now.

Here we’re going to explore the evolution of the wardrobe of our beloved Scions, and toy around with options of where we could see them going from here. While I’ll never claim to be as talented or established as Tataru, I’d settle with at least being the K-mart knock off equivalent.

Incoming Aristocats reference, but Y’shtola is the only cat who knows where it’s at. The only thing that has ever been more on point than her wit and snappy sarcasm is her style. I adored her drop-waist tunic and leggings combination in ARR for how simple and low maintenance it was; (I mean there was the chunky neck accessory and funky shoes- but hey, conceptually it was simple.) By Heavensward, we saw her look evolve into something a bit more tailored and form fitting. The A-line structure is still classic, but amplified by pleated details and an occasional bow. Of all the renditions of any of the Scion’s outfits this was my favorite. So much, in fact, that it was the only outfit of theirs I’ve ever purchased from the Mogstation.

Just when we thought that Y’shtola was at her peak of fashion she floored us all when she made her grand entrance in the Rak’tika Greatwood. She not only updated her job description on her resume, but she also traded in those sleek robes for an elegantly distressed look. Who could even think about those crisp, white pleats of yonder years when we have the beautiful, yet crudely constructed and tiered pleating? No one. You may think you can, but you’re lying to yourself. She started as just a scion, but on the first Y’shtola managed to style herself as an iconic witch of a wildwood.

And honestly I wouldn’t change a thing. Y’shtola’s glam is as perfect as perfect gets. However, that’d totally defeat the purpose of this whole article. Sooo…. Perhaps we could take her new-found edginess and bring back a bit of that structure from Heavensward? Kick some of those frayed hemlines, yet keep fur along the neckline. Basically let’s balance out her white mage and black mage looks so much that she turns into a red mage next.

Being the spunkier of the two Leveilleurs, Alisaie’s glamours from Heavensward on have always felt a bit more cutting edge, quite literally. Her evolution from those rocket boots was moving to a pair of thigh highs with what looks to be ice skate blades on the bottom. While it’s environmentally fitting since we spent a lot of time in snowy landscapes that expansion, it never stopped me from praying for her ankles every time she made an appearance in a cutscene.

Jokes aside, what truly made her glamours so innovative, when compared to the rest of the scions, was the jacket from that same expansion. That uniquely folded and belted neckline was ahead of its time, and added enough volume to perfectly balance the draping at her waist. Also note, it was this piece that also steered her into an entirely different color palette than she shared previously with her brother. A rich, blood red and a neutral peach tone were introduced to her wardrobe- a welcome addition when SE could’ve just gone the stereotypical route of “pink” to establish that she was a girl. Because pInK iS a GiRl CoLoR.

Where we lost a bit of v’s chic, cutting edge fashion was here in Shadowbringers. While I liked her outfit, I found it to be a bit uninspired since the top was only a moderately changed version of the Chivalric Doublet of Casting. Is it a cool top? Yes. Would I myself wear a wool bolero jacket while living in the desert of Amh Araeng? Maybe, but I’m also excessively high maintenance so I don’t really count. I wanted to bring her back into a sleek, stylish jacket with eye-catching details paired with more suitable footwear for mobility. Homegirl does NOT need to be performing Displacement in anything other than a sturdy, flat boot.

Say what you will about Alphinaud, but I have a vast amount of respect for a guy who rocks the look of androgyny. Through the years he’s walked with an air of confidence about him while wearing mini tunics that matched with his sister – a feat I imagine being quite difficult in thigh-high boots with what looks to be little rocket boosters on the back of their heels. Jet off to the Heavensward expansion and we see that Tataru has transformed his look into a sleek, long jacket with a tie, showcasing his maturity and intellect. It’s not ‘til Shadowbringers that we see his iconic tunic make a return with far more metallic, ornamental details than we’ve ever seen Alphinaud wear before. However, throughout each transition of his attire, we see the same color story of blue, black, and white.

The twins’ outfit progression is one I found to be very natural and akin to our own progress through the game. We start very basic and minimal, using fabrics that don’t seem very luxe. As we get more powerful, we start seeing a stylistic shift with more accessories and innovative-looking details. Alphinaud’s looks followed that same trajectory, but it was touch and go for a moment there. When we first locate him on the First, Alphinaud looks a bit worse for wear. And by that, I actually mean he looks like a mismatched hobo; whom I definitely didn’t hesitate to tell he stunk when I was given that option upon the initial entry to Eulmore. I suppose all that time without Tataru’s and my own guidance could be to blame. Anyways…

Needless to say, when Lady Chai made comments about wanting to change Alphinaud’s look up a bit I gave an audible sigh of relief. And that cutscene where there were multiple angles showcasing his new look? That Meryl Streep gif with her cheering in the audience? That was actually me at my computer yelling, “Work it, Alphinaud!” with such pride.

Yet, the whole thing left me with a spark of curiosity. Don’t get me wrong, his new look is excellent… but what if Alphinaud had a real, legit painter glamour as well? After all, who in their right mind wants to paint in the same gear that they battle sin eaters in? Painters don’t need shoulder guards, they need floppy berets, okay?

Let me begin with an apology. I completely and utterly forgot the one time prior to this expansion that Urianger changed his outfit. All this time his glow up was happening right before my very eyes, and I didn’t even acknowledge it. During the “Soul Surrender” storyline, he decided to leave his dusty robes back in the Waking Sands and sported a grey adaptation of the Orthodox Robe of Casting. Yet still, he was not acknowledged. This explains so much why, after explaining umbral light and darkness to us and how pivotal they were, he had to stop and ask us what we thought of his appearance. He wanted us to acknowledge how glamourous he became. HE WANTED TO BE KNOWN FOR MORE THAN HIS CONFUSINGLY BEAUTIFUL WORDS. After years of living in Thancred’s shadow, he just wants to have his time in the sexy spot light. I know it wasn’t a response option, but I definitely did a custom “tearing up” emote and said, “I’m so proud of you.”

There never will be a more beautiful “rags to rich-looking” story than that of Urianger. You hear that, Cinderella? Bugger off. This handsome elezen went from wearing a literal, ill-fitting popoto sack to beautifully draped silk garnished with gold and rubies. Whoever his fairy-glam-mother is, she certainly did a stunning job. (PLOT TWIST- Maybe it was me!)

Perhaps now that Urianger has dipped his toes into the wonderful world of glamour he’s free to throw wide the gates! Why stop at jewelry when you can do fur AND jewelry? Why not also grow your hair out a little and become the male fashion icon Eorzea didn’t know it so desperately needed? Who was Thancred again?

Ah, yes. The quintessential charming, yet rough around the edges “bad boy.” Thancred has been “swoon worthy” as long as I can remember, no matter what he was wearing. Whether it was layered shirts or a scrap of fabric acting as an eyepatch his rugged style was appealing to practically everyone, not just those who shared the same adventurous lifestyle.

Fellow AFM staffer Niamh summed up Thancred’s transition perfectly- he went from a clean cut baby to a depressed hobo, then found his way back to a happy medium just in time for Shadowbringers. His overall look, while keeping to similar neutral color schemes, is more matured. More heavily armoured, cause yeah there’s the whole, “he’s a tank,” thing now but maybe he’s actually more armoured to protect himself from all the feels he’d be having this expansion!