Fashion in Bioshock Infinite

So I rushed through this game to finish it before winter break was over.  Rushed means that I still did all the exploring, and random stuff I normally do in a video game, but I spent more time playing the game than I normally would. I actually wasn't planning on doing a blog post about this game, but I found that once I started looking at historical costumes in video games, I couldn't stop. So here we go. (I'm using screenshots that I took for NPCs(non-player characters), and other image for the more major characters).
The nice thing about Infinite is that it takes place in a single defined year.

Still from Outsidexbox

Best of all, it's a year when photography was around, and we even still have some clothes from it, unlike most of the era's that Assassin's Creed takes place in. Assassin's Creed games also take place over a period of time, meaning that I have to keep an eye out for fashion changes.
IMPORTANT NOTE: WHEN IN DOUBT I AM GOING TO BE LOOKING AT AMERICAN FASHION OF THE TIME, AS AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM IS A THEME OF THE GAME

Male NPCs

Enemies

Overall it's pretty similar. The single row of buttons seemed to be mainly used by British police. It actually looks much more like a military jacket of the time, with the collar, and epaulets

Yes, he is dead, there was no other way to get a screenshot.

This is (according to the wiki) another type of policeman-I thought they were soldiers. Once again it uses a military style. It most closely resemble the uniforms worn by British soldiers in WWI(a mere 2 years away). The punches secured to the belt would be used to hold extra ammunition, it was also sometimes be worn as a bandolier. They also are seen wearing Brodie helmets. The wrappings around the legs are known as puttee. The name derives from the Hindu word "patti" meaning bandages. They were worn for protection and support, and were a part of the British khaki uniform from 1902 to 1938.

Columbian Citizens

Both of these men are wearing sleeve garters. These came into fashion in the later 19th century when shirt sleeves only came in a single, extra-long, length. Sleeve garters were used to pull the excess fabric up above the elbow and secure it, keeping the cuff out of the way. Once sleeves lengths started to vary, and buttons or cuff links were used to secure the wrist, they were no longer necessary.

These two men are the same guy (and no; that's not some sort of big twist ending, it just means that they're the same character model, but reskinned-aka colour changed). Both are wearing standard men's coats over waistcoats. They, and other NPCs, wear bowler hats. The felt hats were invented in 1849 as protective wear for groundskeepers. They eventually became a part of popular fashion, becoming closely associated with businessmen in the early part of the 20th century.

Many male NPCs wear these shoes, which seem to be Oxford Wingtip Brogues. I know basically nothing more about shoes.

These men are seen at Battleship Bay. They wear the basic, iconic bathing suit of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The man on the left here-and in the first pair of pictures-wears a boater hat. These straw hats were fashionable in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with official "straw hat days" designating the appropriate time for them to be worn.

No comment, it's accurate.
Need I say more?

Misc.

This is Albert Fink, the man responsible for Columia's anachronistic music. From what I can tell, he's in fairly standard evening wear for the period.

This guy is found in the cemetery, near where the Lutece's are encountered. It's possible to find many vintage ads for similar underwear. I thought it was an interesting touch that they put in the game.

This man seems to be wearing overalls folded down and belted around his waist. Many sources put the invention of the garment down to the need for sturdy work clothes.

A couple of workers in Finkton.

Female NPCs

There are a few female enemies in Infinite, but they mostly just wear fitted versions of the male uniforms, with masks rather than helmets.

Columbia Citizens

 These two are seen on the beach in Battleship Bay. All of the female there wear reskinned versions of the same bathing suit. Many bathing suits of the era used a naval theme (i.e. sailor collars, anchors, and ship's wheels), not seen in the game.

These other two wear beautiful Gibson Girl esque hairstyles.

This woman looks like her outfit was taken directly from two illustrations that I found. The long, narrow silhouette was made popular in 1908 by the designer Poiret, with some Edwardian corsets extending from beneath the bust to below the hips. 

 This woman's jacket is a much more modern design. I wasn't able to find any contemporary example of such a style. It's anachronistic, but not so much that it throws me out of the game. Her hat, on the other hand, is quite nice. Straw hats were popular summer attire for both sexes, with ones for women being ornamented.

These two seem to be wearing the same blouse, with the one on the right having lower sleeves added. All in all, it's quite similar to blouses of the time, with embroidery on the front and large, loose sleeves. The one on the right also has a very nice period hat. If you look up 1912 hats there is a slew of similar hats.

Many of the female NPCs are seen wearing this hat. It looks a bit ridiculous, but there are examples of hats completely covered with artificial flowers.

 The thing I noticed about this woman was the design on her skirt. It's clearly made from an old cloth bag. Though I was unable to find any contemporary examples of such clothing, we do know for a fact that in the 1930's women wore dresses made from feedsacks. It isn't hard to imagine that people made similar garments in earlier time periods.

I only saw this woman once in Soldier's Field. Her dress seems to be a simplified version of  many Edwardian dresses. The plunging v neckline with the bandeau part beneath it can be seen in many dresses from the era.

Random lady in a weird dress.

This dress looks remarkably similar to the one on the right designed in 1912 by Lucille, Lady Duff Gordon. I'm not sure how Lady Comstock had it, as she was dead by 1895, but *hand wave*

I'm going to be discussing the main characters in my next post about Bioshock, along with some of the fashion in Burial at Sea.

If anyone out there who reads this has an idea for a gae they want me to take a look at suggest it in the comments. Thanks for reading!