There’s a running joke in some FFXIV social circles that glamour is the game’s true endgame, but if you ask me, it’s not really a joke. The game’s hardcore raiding population is fairly small and most of the game is aimed at players with less time or dedication. For those of us with a lot of time to play but without the drive to tackle raid content at the highest levels, the game provides fertile ground for the virtual fashionistas among us, thanks to its lovely visuals and a wide variety of gear options.

Ever since the introduction of glamour early on in the game’s relaunch as A Realm Reborn, I’ve spent countless hours standing in front of the metaphorical mirror, trying to find the perfect outfits for every job and class I play. Naturally, most of my friends think I’m nuts, but as funny as it is to say, I get more than my money’s worth in entertainment out of the game even during content lulls—there’s something just inherently satisfying and fun in finally “cracking” a particular combination for some outfit or another.

And that’s what this site is about—my narcissistic, vain self, posting the results of all those many hours of agonizing over color balances, skirts and robes that make my hips look too big, and sexy thighboots that just don’t seem to match anything else in the entire game, at least not the way I want them to (which is probably my single greatest glamour frustration).

The first several posts I’ll make will be showcases of my current glamours, and as time progresses I’ll post whenever I update them, but also talk about glamour in general, including pieces I love but can’t seem to find a proper use for, as well as more general things about the game itself. But my hope is for this to be a mostly positive place to gush about how awesome the gear designs in FFXIV are, so don’t expect a lot of negativity or commentary on the state of the game at any given time.

So, with all that having been said, I want to get to what I’m actually here for: glamours! This is my current glamour for Ninja (NIN), which is also (probably obviously) my main job (please don’t mind the clutter!):

Glamour Components
Head: (none) | Body: Iga Ningi [Pure White Dye] | Hands: Direwolf Gloves of Striking [Jet Black Dye] | Legs: Lady’s Knickers (White) | Feet: Saurian Boots of Striking [Jet Black Dye]

This glamour sets the stage for a lot of the others I’ll be showing here, as it shares two common elements that, while not required for me to be happy with a particular look, are generally pretty important: the color white (Alahra’s title is “The White,” after all), and zettai ryōiki. One or both of these is in just about every glamour I create in some form or another. In the case of my “absolute territory” obsession, this one doesn’t strictly adhere to a thigh-highs and skirt milieu, but the important thing to me is the accentuation provided by anything thigh-high (with a general preference for thigh-high boots) and something short above that.

It’s also generally important for all of my glamours to make sense “in combat,” at least for the most part. I hate seeing tanks and damage dealers running around in bikinis or mages running around in sleepwear. I try to aim for a mixture of sex appeal and applicability, which adds another layer to the puzzle (and makes it all the more satisfying when I make something work). For the most part, my NIN glamour, is pretty functional, except for perhaps the shorts (but I just tell myself they’re for freedom of movement!).

I think that’s all I’ve got to say about this one. I’ll be back soon with another look at a glamour for one of my other jobs, though I don’t know which one I’ll feel like talking about just yet!