#like it's v much anime hair but esp in canon (aka not wavy how i draw it lmfao) it CAN read as an emo boy cut

[moe-broey]

WAIT. WAIT YOU'RE SO RIGHT.......... I get so wrapped up in Alfonse's tendency to be sincere even when he doesn't want/intend to be that sometimes. I DO forget he's supposed to be putting up a front. And I feel like I actually MISS the front sometimes bc the most Obvious Front is well, obvious (him "trying not to get too attached these days" and the like). Since that one is so easy to see through -- like even as you take in his genuine attachment issues, you still can see so clearly there's a mishmash of wants, needs, and who he is as a person. SINCE that one IS so easy to see through, I also forget. He has fronts that hold up EXTREMELY well. And I do think I acknowledge that in the back of my mind (and it DOES make him a fascinating character because when he does something insane that completely shakes your view of him -- you step back, re-examine, and see. It was all there. The entire time). But ultimately, I think I do sometimes get so wrapped up in the other aspects of him that, SURPRISE! You fell for the exact front he wanted you to. MAN........ 😤😕

AND I THINK. I THINK THAT DOES GO INTO HOW I DESIGN HIM. LITERALLY LIKE the conflict between "No no he wouldn't wear that... because he isn't Really Like That.........." Failing to consider. What does he Want you to think he's Like. LIKE I'VE TOYED W SO MANY THOUGHTS like noooo that feels so stereotypical for a book smart repressed motherfucker......... he has soooooo many facets too that doesn't completely capture all of his facets............... what if it is stereotypical though. What if that's The Point. What if that's what he Wants you to think. And, EXTREMELY important -- what if there's things he Doesn't Want you to know?

Also your notes on the difference between how Alfonse wears a semi-formal look vs how Anna is wearing hers. HUGELY eye-opening because you're so right. It feels Exactly Right on Anna because that's who she is, naturally. It feels.... so different. On Alfonse. The conflict between, "I mean, it makes sense for him to wear that. I can See him wearing that. He's very cute in that. But something feels....... off." And coming to the conclusion of well it's a stiff looking outfit for a stiff looking guy. But again IS he so stiff? And I'm thinking EXACTLY what you said so well "The friend your mom trusted w her number in case you guys get into trouble -- meanwhile looking closer Alfonse is the one who got the group into trouble in the first place". LIKE .... THAT IS SO EXACTLY HIM...... also again Alfonse being the straight-man voice of reason. While he Can Be, while he Often Is, but getting down to it -- he really fucking isn't. He's just as bad if not worse than the rest of the gang.

ALSO. ALSO. The Progression..... I see it SO clearly now. Cause you're right again, and it makes so much sense it's painful. Especially if you're taking the angle that I see in him/strongly hc him as -- a queer man who had Just Enough things "work out" (being able to function within and fulfill the role given to him, without having to completely uproot his entire life and reality about it), someone who has very convenient excuses to back him up (focusing on more practical goals than interpersonal), and someone who is highly skilled at lying and hiding in plain sight. Because he had to be. In a lot of my hcs the root of it is to protect Sharena -- but also, I think there is so much to be said for having to protect himself, too.

AND YES. YESS EMO LIF/ALFONSE SUPREMACY ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ SO REAL AND SO TRUE. TO ME 😭😭😭😭

It is extremely difficult to design modern outfits for Alfonse though idk what it is. Sharena will look good in anything from flannel docs lesbian outfit to cute overalls to something sporty to high femme dresses (tbh I still wanna draw her in one of my fave old dresses ..) but Alfonse. There are def a few routes you can take keeping his character/personality in mind and I think they look good/are super cute and make sense but like... esp for me personally, thinking of the v specific way I draw/stylize him...

AH. MAYBE. MAYBE I FIGURED IT OUT BC I HAVE NO PROBLEM DESIGNING OUTFITS FOR HIM IN FEH CONTEXT...... it's cause that bitch is always wearing tights and long shirts that (esp depending on how you draw it) border on being dress-like to straight up robes/skirt-like garments WHICH makes sense for him in universe bc that's p standard wear for men in Askr, in the Order of Heroes specifically. Like

Seliph's resplendent stands out to me as a huge example of this, and you can kinda see it in Corrin's too! Though I do think resplendents often take a lot from the chara's base outfit (both standard and resplendent Seliph having tunics, both Corrins having leggings ect). But speaking of Corrin, espp the lengthening of that bit of fabric at Corrin's hip, looks a lot like Gustav's garments!

Who may be a better measure for men's dress in Askr (normal attire, for a king anyway, and a cultural festival outfit). But I do also think you can glean some details off of resplendent designs too!

Also actually.

This Day of the Life comic that acknowledged Sharena's absence from the DoD banner (BITE BITE KILL KILL SO MUCH HATRED IN THE WORLD‼️‼️‼️) implies that their outfits may have been identical, just in their respective signature colors (blue and pink). And even looking at Alfonse and Sharena's base art, they have a lot in common!

And looking at Seliph and Corrin again, the puffy sleeves seen on Sharena and Henriette aren't necessarily gendered traits. ACTUALLY.... GUSTAV HAS THEM TOO! Alfonse's outfit is an outlier sleeve design wise!

Which is to say, there aren't actually a lot of strict gender differences in attire here. A lot of the clothing looks/feels androgynous esp when viewed through a modern lense (like I'm sure there's a lot of real-world historical inspo that goes into the designs, I just know fuck all about that LMFAO 😅). And esppp the way I've come to draw Alfonse a lot, I do emphasize what reads as femme -- giving him longer shirts, simplifying the strappy armor on his thighs into. Over the knee socks. Over the leggings/tights. 🫣 And that's not even getting into the knee high boots and heels!!!!

WHICH IS. Actually SO FUCKING DIFFICULT. To translate into modern fashion esp typical standard men's fashion, in a way that still feels true to him as well... bc I do believe in femme/androgynous Alfonse supremacy 😤 But he is ALSO. SO IMPORTANTLY. He is VERY MUCH just some guy who is heavily defined by the role he's been put in. Which is also kind of difficult to sort out, what Would he wear, if the standards were completely different and also if he was choosing for himself?

SINCE. I'M CERTAIN idk if I wanna dig for it but -- I'm CERTAIN all his outfits have been picked For him to some degree. The Order of Heroes outfit is a uniform, the bunny outfit is implied/stated to be picked by Sharena. The yukatas in their duo are 1) Hoshidan and 2) I think Anna was the one who picked them? Might be wrong on that, but I do feel like there's a castle dialogue about it. And of course, the DoD outfits are implied to be cultural Askran wear, and going back to that comic -- it seems neither Alfonse OR Sharena have much of a say in what it looks like (her being uncomfortable "showing that much leg" -- that, if given a choice, she may have wanted something more modest).

So like. There is. So much going on here actually.