đź‘” Fashion
“Style Over Substance. In Night City, it’s not what you can do—it’s how good you look while doing it.”
Your clothes tell everyone on the Street who you are, what you do, and where you fit in the food chain. In a world where reputation is currency, fashion is your walking billboard.
🌟 Style Over Substance
This is the core philosophy of 2045:
- It doesn’t matter what you can do if you don’t look like you can do it
- A Solo in a cheap suit gets less respect than one in a tailored jacket
- People judge you in the first three seconds—make those seconds count
- Your outfit signals your tribe, your status, and your threat level
đź‘• Fashion Trends
| Style | What It Says | Typical Wearers |
|---|---|---|
| Bag Lady Chic | Homeless, vagrant, or deliberately flying under radar | Street people, undercover operatives |
| Gang Colors | Dangerous, violent, territorial | Gang members, associates |
| Generic Chic | Standard citizen, nothing special | Average workers, suburbanites |
| Bohemian | Free-spirited, artistic, counter-culture | Artists, musicians, intellectuals |
| Leisurewear | Athletic, comfortable, mobile | Athletes, people who run for their lives |
| Nomad Leathers | Rugged, tribal, road-hardened | Nomads, road warriors |
| Asia Pop | Bright, youthful, costume-like | Youth culture, trend-chasers |
| Urban Flash | Streetwise, tech-savvy, edgy | Edgerunners, Fixers, club kids |
| Businesswear | Authority, leadership, Corporate | Executives, corpos, lawyers |
| High Fashion | Exclusive, wealthy, designer | Corporate elite, celebrities |
Reading the Street
Learning to read fashion tells you who’s safe to approach and who to avoid. Gang Colors in enemy territory? Stay away. Businesswear in a Combat Zone? Either very brave or very stupid.
🔌 Digital Fabric
Modern clothing isn’t just cloth—it’s technology. Digital fabric integrates micro-circuitry into the weave:
| Feature | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Self-monitoring | Knows when ripped or dirty, reports to your Agent |
| Climate control | Tightens/relaxes weave to regulate temperature |
| Color changing | Shifts hue on command via integrated controls |
| Image projection | Displays 2D images, patterns, or animations |
| Smart tags | Stores cleaning data, sizes, manufacturer codes |
Your Agent can even auto-order replacement clothing when your jacket’s smart tag reports it’s damaged.
Cost Note
Digital fabric features are built into most mid-range clothing. Cheaper stuff is just… fabric.
🎠What Your Clothes Tell People
Corporate Zones
- Businesswear required — anything less marks you as an outsider
- High Fashion shows you’re an executive, not just an employee
- Urban Flash or Gang Colors will get you escorted out (or worse)
Combat Zones
- Nomad Leathers signal you’re tough and experienced
- Gang Colors mean you’re either a member or making a very bad decision
- Businesswear makes you a target for robbery (or worse)
- Bag Lady Chic helps you disappear
Night Markets
- Urban Flash fits right in—you’re here to buy, sell, or deal
- Businesswear marks you as a tourist or undercover cop
- Everyone’s armed; fashion just indicates how armed
Edgerunner Circles
- Urban Flash is the default—techy, street-smart, professional
- Nomad Leathers if you work the roads or run Badlands ops
- Gang Colors if you’re aligned (carefully—wrong colors get you killed)
đź’« Cyberware as Fashion
Beyond clothing, cyberware is another layer of fashion statement:
| Cyberware | What It Signals |
|---|---|
| Chrome limbs (visible) | “I’ve been augmented. Notice me.” |
| Realskinn cover | ”I’m discrete. Maybe hiding something.” |
| Gang tech (Maelstrom optics) | Faction loyalty, “I belong to them” |
| Corporate standard (Kiroshi) | Money, professionalism |
| Milspec gear | ”I’ve seen combat. Don’t test me.” |
| Exotic (full-body sculpts) | Rich enough to afford vanity chrome |
See: Cyberware for full catalog.
🛍️ Where to Shop
| Source | What You Get | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Street vendors | Cheap knockoffs, used clothing | Very Low |
| Night Markets | Urban Flash, gang gear, unique finds | Low-Medium |
| Corporate stores | Generic Chic, Businesswear | Medium |
| Nomad traders | Leathers, practical gear | Varies |
| High-end boutiques | Designer, High Fashion | Eye-watering |
| Black market | Military surplus, armored fashion | If you can find it |
🎲 GM Resources
Using Fashion in Play
- Disguise checks: Wrong fashion for the zone adds difficulty
- Reputation: An Edgerunner upgrading their wardrobe might get better Fixer contacts
- Infiltration: Matching the local fashion is step one of blending in
- Consequences: Wearing Gang Colors in rival territory is asking for a fight
First Impressions Table
| d10 | NPC Reaction Based on PC Fashion |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Assumes you’re poor/desperate—either helps or exploits |
| 3-4 | Recognizes your “type”—treats you as expected for that style |
| 5-6 | Neutral—judges you on actions, not appearance |
| 7-8 | Impressed—your look opens doors |
| 9-10 | Suspicious—you’re too stylish for this neighborhood |
đź”— Related Topics
- Cyberware — The chrome you wear matters too
- Gangs — Each gang has distinctive colors and style
- Corporations — Corporate dress codes and culture
- Night Markets — Where to find unique fashion
- Economy — What things cost
(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pgs. 326-327)