How to Make Your Character Look Different in Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Last Updated: March 15, 2023

Animal Crossing: New Leaf provides a number of opportunities that you can take advantage of in order to customize your character’s appearance. Your character can don new clothes, accessories, and shoes. Tired of your character’s hair and color? Get a spanking new hairstyle and a makeover. All you have to do is unlock a few features in the game.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting Clothes and Accessories

1
Decide to change your character’s clothing. One of the easiest facets of your character’s appearance that you can change is their clothing. There are different clothing types and parts: dress, shirt, pants, skirt, shoes, and socks.
- Wearing a dress disables you from wearing pants or a skirt, or a shirt. You can wear socks and shoes no matter what (even if they’re not visible).
- You can also wear custom designs (i.e. designs you, or someone else creates themselves), you can have them as tops, hats or umbrellas. They will not appear in your pockets, but as long as you have them on you in your design area, you can wear them. You can display custom designs in Able Sisters, you can also obtain new custom designs from Able Sisters, even if it's in another town. You are also able to take home new designs from dream towns, visited through the Dream Suite.
2
Purchase new clothes from the Able Sisters shop. It’s the easiest way to get new clothes. Their shop is on Main Street, which can be found by running north across the train tracks at the edge of your village. It is found between Shampoodle and Kicks.
- You will see a variety of clothing on display at the Able Sisters’ shop. Any item on display can be purchased. To find out the price, simply face the piece of clothing you’re interested in and press A. This will start a dialogue with Mabel, who will then ask if you want to buy the item.
- You can also try on the item, if you want. Mabel will tell you what style it goes under which can come in useful for Gracie's fashion checks.
- Every day there is three tops or dresses for sale and two bottoms for sale in Able Sisters. The tops and dresses will either be sleeveless, short-sleeved, or long sleeved. The bottoms will either be pants (trousers), skirts, or shorts.
- The shop is open from 10am to 9pm by default, and will be that way for you unless you have the Early Bird or Night Owl town ordinances active.
  - If the Early Bird ordinance is in place, Able Sisters will be open 7am-9pm.
  - If the Night Owl ordinance is in place, Able Sisters will be open 10am-12am.^{[1]
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3
Check back frequently for new stock. The store’s stock changes every day, so it’s a good idea to check back often especially if you have a particular look in mind.
4
Look for accessories. Walking next door will take you into the accessories section of the Able Sisters’ shop. Here, Labelle, the third Able sister sells things like wigs, glasses, umbrellas, and other face accessories.
- There is a door linking the main part of the shop, and the headgear section, so you don't have to go outside.
- The same mechanics apply here. When you want to know the price on something, simply face that item and press A.
- Every day there will be three pieces of headgear, three accessories and one umbrella for sale in Labelle's shop.
- In the dialogue options with the Able sisters, you can always request to try an item on so that you can see just how it would look on you before you splurge and decide to buy.
5
Get clothing from villagers. You can get them as rewards for completing tasks, but that’s completely random. Speak to your villagers often by facing them and pressing A. If a villager looks shocked and walks up to you, it is usually more important, and that are more likely to ask a favour.
- Examples include delivering items to villagers or returning lost items (it will either look like a mitten, book, blue pouch, or paper bag on the ground and when you pick it up, it will say it's a lost item).^{[2]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Getting Socks and Shoes

1
Unlock and have the Kicks shop built. Kicks isn’t present at the beginning of the game, and you will have to unlock it. In order to have Kicks built, you must have spent 8,000 bells at the Able Sisters shop.
2
Go to the Kicks shop. In the same way that there are many, many shirts to choose from in the Animal Crossing: New Leaf game, there are also lots of socks and shoes available for sale from the Kicks shop on Main Street.
- With no ordinance in place, Kicks is open 10am-8pm. With the Early Bird ordinance in place, Kicks is open 7am-8pm. With the Night Owl ordinance in place, Kicks is open 10am-11pm.
3
Check back frequently for new stock. The mechanics work the same way in this store as they do at the Able Sisters shop. There will be a number of shoes and socks on display that change daily. To inquire about an item, face it and press A.
- Kicks offers four pairs of shoes and two pairs of socks or hosiery every day.
- There are 51 different pairs of shoes you can get and 36 different pairs of socks or hosiery.
4
Try them on. You can try shoes on, but depending on what else your character is wearing, it might be difficult to see. You are unable to try on socks and hosiery before you purchase them.^{[3]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Getting Hair and Makeup Makeover

1
Unlock and have Shampoodle built. Another way to change your character’s appearance is by taking advantage of the services over at Shampoodle. However, just like Kicks, Shampoodle isn’t built at the start of your game, and you will need to unlock it.
- To unlock Shampoodle, you must have spent 10,000 bells between the Able Sisters and Kicks. In addition, Kicks must have been open for at least 7 days before Shampoodle can begin construction.
2
Go to Shampoodle, and talk to Harriet. Once Shampoodle is open, have a chat with Harriet by facing her and pressing A. She will let you know that there are two different options (at first): hairstyle or makeup. Both options will end up costing you 3,000 bells, and you can only choose one a day.
3
Choose between hair or makeup or color contacts. Choosing hairstyle means you have to change both your hairstyle and color. Choosing makeup will create a mask for your character to wear based on any Miis you have on your DS.
- Having a different hairstyle and color makes a big difference to your character’s appearance, and having them wear a Mii mask will make them look very different as well. It is worth noting, however, that if you wear a Mii mask, you cannot wear any accessories (such as those purchased at the Able Sisters) over it.
- You won't be charged the 3,000 bells if it turns out nothing has changed in your makeover.
- After getting your hair done 15 times you will get the option to get opposite gender haircuts as well.
- The "color contacts" (eyes) option is unavailable until Shampoodle has been open for 14 days and you have had your hair done at least once.^{[4]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I change my eye color?

Ellie Farron

Community Answer

Once you've changed your hairstyle (and Shampoodle's equipment is upgraded), wait two weeks and come back to Shampoodle. You'll have the option to either change your hair or eye color.
Question

Is there any way to change your hairstyle without Shampoodle?

Community Answer

At the beginning of the game, when you choose your hair, that is the hair you keep. However, a wig or mask can temporarily change your hairstyle, as well as using Shampoodle.
Question

How do I get the Dream Suite?

Ruby

Top Answerer

You will have had to be online at least once, and had been playing for at least seven days. After that, you will catch Isabelle sleeping at the Town Hall, when you do, talk to her. She will talk about the Dream Suite, and it will be available as a public works project. It costs 234,000 bells overall to construct.