Women’s fashion, how does it work?? In all serious, I’m trying to do some character design and I don’t have the slightest clue how fashion works.
Yeah I'm not sure what kind of designs you're going for here and for what purpose but just look through the closet of any top designer from the 90s-2000s. If there's any media franchise that you're trying to emulate, look up some old concept art for it and start there. Pinterest is extremely useful for stuff like this.
In high fashion there's couture and ready-to-wear. *
Couture is much like a concept car; superhuman, ridiculously extravagant, and not actually meant to be worn but to showcase a designer's talent in creativity and innovation. Haute couture is usually custom hand-made garments and they're expensive as fuck. If you want crazy supervillain-esque fashions, this is the spot for you.
Ready-To-Wear, much like the name suggests is what fashion houses actually sell to the masses. They're definitely toned down design wise, but you can actually see someone wearing them. These are mass produced accessible garments and while you probably won't see them worn out in public they usually still a staple in any high-end event. If you want a more realistic outfit for your characters it's better to look here instead.
* In recent years the line between couture and rtw is blurring heavily since everything is so shitty and crappy a couture show this year would've been rtw a decade ago. don't mind me.
If you're looking for something alien or edgy Alexander Mcqueen is your best bet. He's also had some wicked nature-inspired pieces, too.
If you're looking for something majestic / triumphant Thierry Mugler is the guy for you. He had a more comprehensive style spanning multiple eras of fashion. Definitely recommend checking out his 1992, 1995, and 1997 shows.
Vivienne Westwood was making some really neat tailored suits for women if you don't want to go for a dress or skirt. If you're going to give your character a suit it helps to remember that the coats typically preserve the shape of the waist and hips and don't fall straight down like the men's do. You also have the option for a wider pants leg, which you typically don't for men.
Lest you want him to get called a faggot.
And if you're looking for something sleek, simple, and clean then Versace has some minimalist gowns and mini skirts for you.
Versace has more eye-catching collections too, they relied more on detailed prints and accessories, though. He was very flamboyant.
Exceptions, of course:
The 90s was really the best time for iconic designs and that's why you see so many celebs just re-wearing famous pieces from this era at their awards shows.
Maybe we could have made things work. But she never would. She would shut down and tell me she was scheduled to work when I'd ask if she was free to come out on a date or to hang out. Not too much you can do if the other party won't talk.