Welcome to Pirate Couture, a brand new monthly editorial where members of the One Piece Podcast crew get together to review the latest fashions and trends of the One Piece world. In each edition of Pirate Couture, we’ll talk about our opinions on the costume designs of various One Piece story arcs and films, as well as video games, figures, and more!

This month your hosts are “Fort Knight” editorial writer Jill, Japan news correspondent Alison, and editor Erin.

In this edition of Pirate Couture, we’ll take a look at the three newly released One Piece Film: Gold Straw Hat designs: the “Black Leather” outfits, the “White Casino” suits, and the “Beach Barbecue” ensembles.

BLACK LEATHER

Jill: Oh man I’m so excited to see whatever strangely themed strip club the Straw Hats are going to infiltrate with these get ups. No seriously, there are zippers on Franky’s sleeves meaning that they can be removed; this is stripper gear. With that said, I do like the consistency with how all of the outfits obviously share a common theme. I like the color and sleek texturized look of the black leather and the highlights of blue that each of the crew has brings a nice contrast. However, I feel like there is too much matchy-matchy (technical term). Previous battle outfits that the crew has had such as Film Z and Strong World obviously contain a theme, and yet the clothes don’t all look like they were cut from the same bolt of fabric. While I appreciate that each outfit has its on twist based on which character is wearing it (shocker the women are wearing much skimpier stuff), when together as a group at a glance it’s hard to see where one ends and another begins. I much prefer the separate but equally badass group outfits they’ve had in the past. I would also like the point out that I think that Usopp is the only one who is fully zipper up, with the possible exception of Brook. Everyone else is going for that deep v look. Overall I give this look a 5/10. Its pretty underwhelming to me based on what we’ve seen with previous movies battle suit group outfits and I’m very worried about it being hard to tell on screen during fast paced scenes who is who at a glance. It’s also just my personal style that I love the brighter and more colorful outfits that Oda designs. However, being that I like the colors and some of the silhouettes, its not a total loss. That said, my personal favorite dressed is Zoro. He pulls off that outfit with surprising poise and looks like he’s going to fit in to whichever BDSM club they choose. The gloves also aren’t too much like they are with some of the others because he has both the short sleeves and the open neck. My least favorite is Chopper. It very plain next to the others, and his shape just looks very strange and off-putting in it. I can’t even imagine what he’s going to look like in any of his other forms — I’m a little scared. Also he’s wearing another cover on top of the hat that he put on his hat. Stop that.

Alison: Like many, this leather look reminded me of Mission: Impossible at first. But after our CatDog episode on the podcast, I can’t un-see this as the Vegas stripper look. I’m still looking forward to seeing the Straw Hats pull some Tom Cruise stunts, even more so after seeing Oda’s sketches labeling these as the “battle” costumes. With that said, while it builds anticipation for the movie, for me personally, it’s not my favorite. I’m more a fan of Oda’s signature colorful and playful looks. That isn’t to say that this look sucks — it’s actually very successful! It just isn’t my cup of tea is all — maybe a 6/10. But let’s break down what is working. It’s very cohesive with a consistent color theme, and makes sure to break up the monotony with zippers, belts, buttons, and even pouches that you see on Luffy’s vest and on Franky’s shoulder. Oda was being very, very thoughtful to keep each character’s look balanced, and it shows…except for poor Sanji. While I understand that Sanji is always the man in the suit, it wouldn’t have killed him to give him shorter sleeves to break up the otherwise full bodysuit. He has my vote for worst dressed. As for the best dressed, I was very torn between Brook and Zoro. Brook’s look is a nice callback to his pre-timeskip attire and the silhouette is perfect, but in leather with a blue zipper…? At the end of the day, it can’t beat his original pre-timeskip outfit. So Zoro gets my best dressed vote. I like the balance with his short sleeves and gloves, and it’s not suffocating to look at with the open neck. His three katanas also work to his advantage, making his look visually interesting with the Eastern and Western fusion.

Erin: Leather, huh? Looks like the Straw Hats are getting ready to do a group X-Men cosplay. But I actually really like this look — it’s sleek, it’s sexy, it’s simple. Oda’s designs are often bright, colorful, and incorporate big patterns, so it’s a refreshing change of pace to see the Straw Hats decked out in all black. And the turquoise accents are on point! I’m a big fan of Usopp’s hat and Robin’s shorts. Usopp always rocks some kind of cool headgear and the turquoise of the beanie contrasts really well with his orange goggles, which I think will look great on screen. Robin’s thigh-high leather boots and shorts hearken back to her Water 7 outfit, which is my personal favorite for her to date. Post time-skip, Robin has worn a lot of soft, feminine looks, so I’m glad to see her in a costume with the kind of angular structure that she wore previously. It looks like the crew is getting ready for some larcenous shenanigans, so naturally Nami is in a bikini top. Nothing says “infiltration” like exposing your entire torso. Although, Franky is also half-naked and sporting a leather jacket with removable sleeves. Thankfully his speedo isn’t made out of leather — I can’t imagine the chafing…. Overall I would give these outfits a 6 out of 10 — they’re not spectacular, especially for movie outfits, but we’ve seen worse and honestly, who doesn’t like a leather bodysuit? My vote for best dressed is Zoro, since he looks the most bad ass out of anyone and, well, I love a man in gloves. My worst dressed goes,surprisingly, to Sanji! He usually looks super fab, but the plain jumpsuit with just a belt is super sad.

Best Dressed: Zoro

Worst Dressed: Sanji

WHITE CASINO

Jill: God I love these Miami beach looking outfits. See, this is what I mean. There is an obvious theme and lots of white, but each outfit is still very easy to distinguish from the others and fits the characters very well. Plus, you just really get a sense of excitement out of these! There is just so much to see here. Luffy having two straw hats and that amazing bright shirt, Brook and Usopp’s amazing pimp coats, the bright blue accent of Robin’s blue boa and Franky’s red collar. I’m also a huge sunglasses fan, so seeing almost all of them with different shades is a great treat This is just lots of fun and I can imagine them going through various casino rooms, winning (stealing) treasure and demolishing the buffet! These are outfits that are going to make an entrance, and its great for them to look like the high rollers we know they really all are. I give this an 9/10! Lots of fun shenanigans will be had in these outfits, and they tell a story all in themselves. My top for these looks has to be Luffy (with Usopp coming in a close second!). Man, look at how much fun he’s having there with that straw cowboy hat and that shirt and those glasses. He’s happy to wear it and I’m happy to see it. The orange and blue really balances out the rest of the white in the outfit and its a great fit with a long sleeved jacket and his regular yet white shorts. My least fave is sadly Nami. Her outfit is just so plain! If it wasn’t for the the open back I’d just call it a lame cheap bedroom teddy. And I really dislike that bow. If she was a normal person and sat down, her boobs would crush that bow. Also if she was a normal person her ass would be completely showing, but we all know Oda’s issues with female anatomy. Plus she’s the only one not wearing shades. Nami, come on girl.

Alison: After the first week of dark leather, this look was a huge sigh of relief and an overall pleasure to the eyes for me. Even though the colors are predominantly white, it still adds more variety and flair where it can, and it’s much more fun to look at! I love that Luffy is wearing two hats, though his pants look like he just bleached the ones he normally wears. Chopper is so adorable in his suit and the big bow makes it even better. Despite Nami’s Sailormoon Crystal anatomy, I’m still a big fan of that dress (minus the impossible skirt length). It’s cute, I’m a sucker for open-back dresses, and for once Nami is wearing something other than a bikini post-time skip. But my favorite and best dressed vote goes to Usopp with his pimp coat and hat. He’s rockin’ that look and he knows it. Worst dressed was tough to choose this time, because I really love what we have here — an 8/10 or so I’d say. If I really must choose a worst, I somewhat reluctantly would pick Robin. I love her hair and feather boa, but the frilly boob window…? It felt terribly abnormal on first glance, which is a shame because I love just about everything else!

Erin: Someone please tell me where the Straw Hats bought these suits, because I want to shop there. I need everyone to take a second and admire Brook. He belongs on a runway. Or maybe an Elton John concert. Either way, the leopard print coat, the double breasted suit, the crown, and the granny glasses with a chain? He’s too fabulous. This is why he’s the Soul King. I also need everyone to take a second and look at Zoro. Notice anything odd? That’s right! In classic Zoro style, it looks like he tossed on a blazer, vest, and tie over his black leather outfit. While I appreciate the versatility, I’m a little disappointed that Zoro didn’t get an entirely unique suit like everyone else. But that’s perfectly within Zoro’s character — he’s never been a particularly fashionable guy. Franky looks like he’s channeling the spirit of Elvis and Usopp is absolutely killing it in his fur coat. Once again, I’m unimpressed by Sanji’s suit. He looks weird without a tie! And the boutineer/chain combo doesn’t provide enough color to break up the white of his suit, so Sanji ends up fading into the background. As for the girls: I like each of their outfits individually, but I’m not sure if they work as part of a group ensemble. Frankly, they’re too similar: both are short, halter top dresses. Even though Robin’s dress is frilled at the bottom and around the boob window, the basic silhouettes are the same. I would have preferred if one of the girls was wearing a longer dress — in fact, I think Nami’s current Zou outfit would have worked really well here. Unfortunately, Nami’s got my pick for worst dressed for this group. The dress just doesn’t do her justice. While I’d give the group a solid 8/10, my best dressed gets a 20/10: Usopp. Look at that face. He knows he looks good.

Best Dressed: Usopp

Worst Dressed: Nami

BEACH BARBECUE

Jill: It’s hard to judge the outfits since I know that many of them are based off the Kintaro folk story, but I don’t know the story myself. Thus I’m just going to have to go solely based on aesthetics here! I’m loving the anime these here! Super cute and fun outfits with tons of color! You can tell that they are probably having fun on Sunny while eating some delicious food (#DownToFeast). I’m also a big fan of Nami and Robin’s bikini looks, they are cute and the hat and flower are good extra touches! Overall I’ll probably give it a 7/10 because I would love to party with these folks. My best dressed of this bunch is Brook. Honestly, the combination of colors should be hideous and yet I love it. The colors, and shirt print plus the antlers and glasses and hat just really give it a bit of whimsy that’s super fun to look at. I’m expecting lots of great skull jokes! (Special mention goes to Zoro for looking like John Cena.) My least favorite is Sanji because he looks like a fashion disaster. Also he’s wearing crocs, which are acceptable in the garden and in the kitchen, but not anywhere else. And they aren’t just crocs, they’re orange crocs. Plus that hat looks terrible. Sorry hun, no ladies are gonna be fawning over you in this. I for one hope that he’s drunk and that’s why he looks like this.



Alison: Sanji, what happened to you…?

Erin: I always love to see what the Straw Hats look like when they’re chilling out between adventures. This time the theme is a hodgepodge of Kintaro and an “adult vacation” on the beach. It looks like Team Kintaro consists of Luffy as Kintaro, Franky as a bear, and Chopper, Brook, and Usopp as animal spectators. In the folk tale, Kintaro befriends several animals of the forest, including a bear, a monkey, a deer, and a rabbit. This probably explains the costume choices. Chopper is at maximum cute in his monkey outfit, and Usopp is once again wearing some distinctive headgear. Aside from Luffy’s costume, all of the members of Team Kintaro are wearing something pink, which creates a sense of unity in a group outfits that are otherwise quite distinct. Meanwhile, Team BBQ is showing some major skin. I love the girls’ bikinis and would totally buy Nami’s cat print one. Robin looks ultra classy with her sun hat and collared shirt, while Zoro looks like your dad at every family vacation ever. And then there’s Sanji. I don’t know what Oda was thinking for his designs in this film because they’re all pretty sub-par by Sanji’s standards, but this has got to be the worst thing we’ve ever seen him in. Ever. Crocs? Really? I will be the first to admit that crocs are incredibly comfortable, but not on the beach! And that hat makes him look like he belongs on the set of Gilligan’s Island. I always figured that Sanji burns easily, since we rarely see him with his shirt off, but that’s what sunscreen is for, buddy. There is no reason to wear that ugly hat. Obviously, Sanji is my worst dressed for this set. Everyone else gets a 9/10 since they’re very much on point character and fashion-wise, but my best dressed has to go to Chopper because he’s a reindeer who’s a man who’s dressed as a monkey. Come on.

Best Dressed: Brook & Chopper

Worst Dressed: Sanji

Who are your picks for best and worst dressed? What outfits do you want us to review? Let us know in the comments! Be sure to check back next month where we’ll go over the costumes from the Zou arc, some real-life One Piece fashion, and a certain titillating figure. Don’t miss it!

You can read Jill’s “Fort Knight” editorial right here on the One Piece Podcast and follow her on Twitter at @PiratessUnluck. You can follow Alison on Twitter at @ruina and check out her awesome art on her website. You can find Erin on Twitter at @amazingbedhead.

Image Source: Official One Piece website