Top 10 GW2 Fashion Finalists: Opinions of a Finalist

Top 9

1. Kiba, The Sir
2. Persefone, The Queen of Pink Hearts
3. Koneko, The Shy Elementalist
4. Atlas, The Iron Alchemist
5. Ianthe, The Krytan Guardian
6. Keggin, The Most Dashingly Dapper
7. Charlee, The Ice Cold Angel
8. Ciaran, The Jade Pirate
9. Yago, The Angelic Mage

My entry: Guades, Elite Ascalonian Armor.

Breakdown

Here is where I’ll break down every outfit to a few main principles. Specifically the following:

• Harmonics: How well the armor works together.
• Dyes: How the dyes synchronise with the armor.
• Color Balance: How well all colors work together, this also includes skin or fur.
• Variety: How many different armor sets were used.
• Class Adherence: How the armor relates to the character’s class.
• Originality: How original the specific pieces are in combination.

1. Sabishii Kiba, The Sir

Harmonics
The lower part of the armor consists of a single armor set so they obviously work well together. However, everything above that has a completely different origin. The Whisperer’s Breastplate works perfectly with the Heavy Aetherblade Leggings and the Conqueror’s Mantle. The daggers on the armor practically meld with the shoulders. This is also the only Radiant piece I’ve seen so far that works together with the rest of the armor.

Dyes
Combining different armor sets isn’t just a matter of finding pieces that work together, an equally important part is the colors and how well they sew the pieces together. In this case the materials are perfectly linked through the same shade of dark blue and the metal imitates the shade of grey used on the Radiant gloves.

Color Balance
There is a very nice distribution of dark and light colors across the armor and the gold trim provides the tertiary color required for a good balance.

Variety
There are only two pieces of the armor that originate from the same set, i.e. the legs and boots. Because of this the outfit definently deserves my respect for finding this many pieces of armor that work together.

Class Adherence
Even though the armor is based around the concept of a light-armored knight, the addition of the Radiant gloves and the Conquerer’s Mantle still make it feel like a Guardian while not giving the heavy armored feel you’d expect from one.

Originality
After I saw this post I checked out the possibility of a light-armored guardian for myself and I couldn’t come up with anything better than this and the idea behind this outfit is definently something not everyone would go for.

2. Persefone Fleur, The Queen Gone Crazy

Harmonics
The main part of the armor consists of the same armor set but all the other pieces look like they’re from the same set regardless. Unlike with heavy or medium armor the boots and headpiece are usually seperate or oppresed by the rest of the outfit so I can’t give it a perfect appraisal for harmonics even if it’s one of the few armor sets that has a matching weapon.

Dyes
Perfect. The dyes are what make this armor a Top 3 finisher, the focus on pastels and light colors really gives off the noble ladylike vibe intended for this character. Additionally, the use of light colors on the Orrian armor set is something that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

Color Balance
Sadly, this really isn’t all that good in terms of color balance. Every part of this character screams pink, pastel and pale. I’d have preferred a dark accent somewhere in this armor because as it stands it’s one of the least balanced armor sets by itself even though the screenshots don’t make it feel unbalanced because of the several dark backgrounds.

Variety
There are only two pieces of the armor that originate from the same set, i.e. the chest and legs. Because of this the outfit must’ve posed quite the challenge for the creator to complete and thus deserves a kudos.

Class Adherence
This armor represents everything a mesmer stands for; mystery, elegance and eccentricity. The inclusion of Bonetti’s Rapier further perfects it because, let’s be honest, it’s the only weapon you want to see in those soft lady hands.

Originality
The concept isn’t all that original because of the amazing class adherence nor does it blow me away with an amazing take on their character or the world of Guild Wars. It’s worth stating though that the use of Orrian armor in this instance is quite unique.

3. Koneko, The Shy Elementalist

Harmonics
Everything up from the waist consists of the same armor set so they obviously work well together but the modest pants and shoes really make it look as if the entire thing is from the same set.

Dyes
A bit dissapointing but nice in its own respect. Instead of the usual elemental colorful combinations you’d expect from an elementalist this outfit strives for obscurity and a grimey feel more suited to the world of Tyria than the usual bright colors you see everywhere.

Color Balance
Even though everything is colored in a dark and faded way, the inherent nature of the sylvari redeems the color balance for this outfit due to their glowing purple accents.

Variety
Most of the armor consists of the very popular Winged armor set but what makes this outfit unique is the inclusion of modest clothing for below the waist instead of the usual, quite revealing, armor that is worn by most elementalists.

Class Adherence
Regardless of the colors and the pieces of armor used, this outfit still works perfectly with a specific kind of elementalist. I feel the grimey nature of magic is expressed quite nicely with this armor and in my mind the backstory for this character is dramatic and dark thus she prefers to remain distant through her clothing while not forgetting that mages need their “distracting” clothes aswell to draw the enemy’s (or ally’s) eyes away from their spells.

Originality
A very unique concept backs up this outfit and is the main reason why I want this armor to be put in the spotlight some more.

4. Atlas Krayn, The Iron Alchemist

Harmonics
The biggest advantage of medium armor is that most of the chest armors are trenchcoats and thus work well with most other armor pieces. Although the choice of shoulder definently looks very cobbled together and reminds me of a practical early age engineer, the intent with this armor was steampunk and I don’t really feel that the look’s been accomplished. I base this conclusion upon the use of the Krytan Boots which are more suited for rangers than engineers. It looks good enough to earn N°4 though.

Dyes
There’s a nice variety of dyes included in this armor but some browns are just a tad darker or a tad lighter than others. This could be due to insufficient experimentation with dyes or just not having found that 1 dye that ties it all together perfectly. However the dyes do connect the outfit well enough to make the entire thing give off a coherent feel.

Color Balance
As stated above, the dye job is splendid and this especially noticeable in the color balance. The balance between bright gold and dark brown aswell as the teriary green and white detailing make the armor a pleasure to look at.

Variety
This is probably the most varied set in the competition, I think. With every armor piece having a different origin the variety is the saving grace that got this armor a Top 5 spot. Although personally I don’t feel it’s that hard to match together leather armor. But hey, what do I know? I’m a heavy armor fanatic.

Class Adherence
Perfect. I can’t claim to have seen an engineer with a better armor set. The mecha-monocle and the single shoulder piece really gives me a rag-tag technological feel that perfectly symbolizes the GW2 Engineer.

Originality
Not quite as original as some of the other entries because of how well it symbolizes the engineer class. However, the noble coat’s addition of the pouch does give it an unexpected detail.

5. Ianthe, The Krytan Guardian

Harmonics
While most of the armor works well together there is one specific flaws that demands attention. If you look at the waistline you’ll see that the transition between the T3 Human Cultural chest armor and the Scaled Leggings is odd. It looks as if the hips expand at a straight angle starting at the end of the chestplate. That aside, all armor pieces work together to provide a scaley, winged and slightly angelic feel.

Dyes
The golden dyes used throughout the armor tie everything together quite nicely. But, oh, and there’s always a “but,” there’s a glaring issue I have with this outfit. In this case I’m talking about the Nobleman’s Gloves and Boots. Being a heavy-armor fanatic the glaring dark patches on these pieces stand out to me like a sore thumb. Not only do they ruin the polished feel one should get from golden armor they also look more like rocks than refined metal.

Color Balance
As with Persefone this armor focuses on light colors and a noble feel. But this isn’t The Queen of Pink Hearts, this is better. The dark hair color aswell as the latina complexion balance out what would otherwise be a glaring bunch of pale pastels.

Variety
With 3 origins this outfit has the average number of sources one would expect from a fashion contest. Not bad, but not as amazingly varied as some other entries.

Class Adherence
The idea behind this armor was to make an extravagant and wealthy look. A look most people would shun from their guardians, which are portrayed as the humble protectors of Tyria. However if you don’t look at them like that but compare them to medieval crusaders suddenly this look fits like a glove. Much like crusaders this outfit is an eccentric display of wealth and not practicality

Originality
This is by far the first character that’s done the white & gold color scheme but the unexpected class adherence, whether it be an accident or not, does give this outfit a couple of points in originality.

6. Keggin, The Most Dashingly Dapper

Harmonics
Not much to say on this, It’s a hat that doesn’t interact with the armor in any way, a pre-designed set and a pair of gloves that might aswell’ve been just hands. It’s obvious that they work together harmoniously.

Dyes
This is the saving grace of the armor. I don’t know much about real-world fashion but seeing the “build-up” of dyes this armor has is quite refreshing from most combat armors which are dyed to match eachother through shared colors. Here the matching is done through the use of complimentary colors such as the orange and blue combination evident throughout the armor. It’s worth noting however that none of the red colors match eachother exactly which, to me, is a huge black mark.

Color Balance
Excellent, the armor has a nice selection of dyes that work well together and thus the armor isn’t way too heavy on a single hue. However, because the character in question is an asura the hat and chest armor are exponentially larger thus giving the armor a bit of a blue “overload”.

Variety
Even though I would say the variety in this outfit is average, the difference in how visible each armor piece is drives me to class it as “below average”. Like I said in Harmonics, the gloves might aswell have been ignored completely because they’re dyed so dark to match the asuran’s skin that most casual onlookers would barely notice a difference.

Class Adherence
This is fairly difficult to discuss because town clothers are universal. Instead, I’ll talk about how the outfit works with the Asuran race.

An over-the-top extravagant outfit for an arrogant race of self-indulged mice. In other words, perfect.

Originality
Combining a top hat with a set of fancy clothing is hardly what I’d call original.

7. Charlee, The Ice Cold Angel

Harmonics
The chest and shoulderpiece work together quite well but that’s where it ends. The radiant gloves disrupt the robust metal plating of the aforementioned pieces with their soft curves and the Stag Leggings curse at both with their sharp angles. While the Ascalonian boots throw more fuel in the fire by backing up the radiant gloves with it’s slightly harsher curves.

Dyes
The addition of Radiant gloves really doesn’t help this outfit, this carries on into the dyes. Because the radiant gloves can’t be dyed their metal stands out like a splash of spilt wine against the lighter metal, dyed white, displayed in the rest of the armor. Additionally, the dirty white used in the leggings’s cloth disrupts the “clean as ice” look strived for by this outfit.

Color Balance
Even with the less than amazing dye job the color balance redeems some of the armor. Blue and silver are always a nice combination and the skimpyness of most armor pieces balances out the colors with the character’s skin tone. Together with the auburn hair I’d say there’s sufficient contrast in this armor to make it nicely balanced.

Variety
Great, every piece has a different origin but that doesn’t mean they work together sufficiently to earn a Top 5 spot. Additionally, I feel that the radiant gloves were added more as an afterthought because they looked fancy.

Class Adherence
Blue and white are usually colors you’d expect on a guardian but it isn’t stated in the original post which class this is. However, if you look even a little closer you’ll notice they character is dual-wielding axes, along with the heavy armor this means it’s a warrior. Thus I can’t give it any kudos for adhering to their class. Rather, they focused on an icey look more adherent to their race.

Originality
Sadly, this armor consists of some of the most generic armor pieces found on norn. i.e. Gladiator’s Chest, Stag Leggings and Radiant Vambraces. I’ll admit to using the Stag Leggings on my own norn but I really don’t feel this is an original combination.

8. Ciaran Paine II, The Jade Pirate

Harmonics
At first glance when looking above the waist you’d think this outfit works together to form a coherent whole. This isn’t the case though, once you reach the hands it’s clear that the gloves of choice have some serious issues with physics. This along with the highly impractical shoulderpiece and wristblades completely ruins the pirate vibe I should be getting from this armor.

Dyes
When I think pirate, I think faded browns and yellowed whites combined with flamboyant reds. That’s why this choice of coloring left me scratching my head. Upon further investigation it appears that the author justifies it as a canthan garb themed to his weapons. Having seen Cantha in GW1 I can assure you that neither the Imperials, Kurzicks, Luxons or even the monks of Shing Jea have anything close to these colors.

Color Balance
An overwhelming amount of dark blue is used in the outfit and attempts to be balanced out by one of the uglier shades of green that GW2 has to offer. While the white accents certainly help it, I feel that this is just a blue glob of leather with  some moldy patches.

Variety
When I first saw the armor, I guessed that the shoulders and gloves fitted together as one set. Never did I presume that it would actually be something else completely. The combination of assassin’s armor and whispers garb gives the armor a nice stealthy feel. Wait… wasn’t this supposed to be a sea-faring pirate?

Class Adherence
While a pirate isn’t usually something that I’d link to a thief, the addition of the blade stacked armor pieces make the armor pass for a stealthy rogue nonetheless.

Originality
While I’d have preferred to see an eyepatch instead of the well-known pirate’s hat, with it’s random ugly blindfold, I have to admit that not using the full pirate’s set is more original than I’d expected from yon “Sea Wolf”

9. Yago Medava, The Angelic Mage

Harmonics
Coming Soon™

Dyes
Coming Soon™

Color Balance
Coming Soon™

Variety
Coming Soon™

Class Adherence
Coming Soon™

Originality
Coming Soon™

Closing Statement