Final Fantasy: Say Yes to the Dress

The long awaited remake of Final Fantasy VII has come to PlayStation 4. We could spend hours talking about the look of the game, the gameplay, or the story, but let's face it, everyone else has already done that. So we're going to focus on something much more important. The fashion of Final Fantasy VII. Word to the wise, while this will not be spoiler heavy, this will give away an event that happens in the game. If you are unfamiliar and wish to be completely surprised by everything the game has to offer, then go play it and feel free to come back here later. Otherwise, you have been warned, and if you're still here, then let's get moving! Are we going to look at Aerith's dresses? Tifa's? Oh darling no. We're focusing on the most important, best dressed member of the party. Cloud Strife!

Yes, if you weren't aware (and I did warn you earlier), Cloud does get to rock something other than his standard sleeveless turtleneck and puffy cargo pants. While exploring a more colourful part of the Final Fantasy VII world, Cloud is given the opportunity to really strut his stuff. The thing is, Cloud really can pull off a beautiful frock, but which dress is the best? Let's discuss.

Dress 1: Hardcore Victorian

This first dress is something straight out of a Victorian romance novel. The main colour is a lovely grayish-purple with a white ruffled trim around a slight scoop neckline. The lovely shade and accents look quite nice on our boy, though is he wearing the dress or is the dress wearing him? There is so much ruching on this dress that it has to be heavy as hell, but Cloud pulls it off with style. The tiara he wears with his new longer hairstyle is a nice touch as well. The accessories definitely pull the whole thing together, but is this the best dress for our boy, I wonder.

Dress 2: The Simpler Victorian

Noticing a theme? These dresses are largely Victorian inspired, though this feels like there's a bit of an Edwardian touch to it. Closer to a simple black dress, this has another scoop neck and is largely black with some white and grayish-purple accents. The flared sleeves as well as the ruffles along the top are nice and understated. This isn't a dress that would turn many heads, exactly, but Cloud still finds a way to pull it off. If he was to just take a casual stroll around town, this might be the best dress for that, but will this dress win the prize? We still have one more to go over.

Dress 3: The Showstopper

A dress that shows that Cloud actually can have some curves! Corset training may have been a thing in SOLDIER if this dress is anything to go off of. Where the boning in the first dress had given us an idea of the possible figure that Cloud could have, this bodice top definitely accentuates all of Cloud's assets. I'm not sure how Andrea strapped him into this one without someone pinning him down to get the lacing taken care of but hey, Andrea is a magical creature and Cloud is Cloud. The dark pallet of this dress, largely black with the dark blue bodice, really looks amazing on Cloud, and the sheer sleeves show off his wonderful arms in just the right way. Clearly this dress is my favourite, even if it does come with pink bows in Cloud's hair.

The artistry that went into Cloud's dresses this time around just shows the polish that this remake went through before it came out. Everything in this game has been drawn beautifully, pulling us into the amazing, dangerous, and wild world of Final Fantasy VII. So which dress is the best? Which is the one I would wear? Number three, and I think it is the dress to end all dresses in this game. So which one did you prefer? Tell me your thoughts, did you prefer one over the other, and which did you pick for your playthrough? Let's discuss!