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Clothing

Version History​

Build VersionChange DateChange TypeDescription
6760422025-06-21stableCurrent version with complete clothing catalog

Overview​

The Clothing system defines all character clothing and cosmetic items available in Don't Starve Together. This comprehensive data structure manages character appearance customization including body clothing, hand accessories, leg clothing, feet items, and head gear. The system handles visual symbol overrides, rarity classifications, character-specific variations, and marketplace configurations for all cosmetic items.

The clothing system is implemented as a large auto-generated data table (CLOTHING) that contains definitions for every cosmetic item in the game.

Usage Example​

-- Access a specific clothing item
local shirt = CLOTHING["body_buttons_blue_sky"]
print(shirt.type)  -- "body"

-- Check clothing type
local gloves = CLOTHING["hand_beltedgloves_brown_beaver"]
if gloves.type == "hand" then
    print("This is hand clothing")
end

-- Access symbol overrides
for _, symbol in ipairs(shirt.symbol_overrides) do
    print("Overrides symbol:", symbol)  -- "torso", "arm_upper"
end

Constants​

CLOTHING​

Status: stable

Description: Global table containing all clothing item definitions, auto-generated by export_accountitems.lua.

Type: table

Structure:

CLOTHING = {
    clothing_item_id = {
        type = "body",
        skin_tags = { "CLOTHING_BODY", "CLOTHING" },
        symbol_overrides = { "torso", "arm_upper" },
        rarity = "Spiffy",
        marketable = true,
        release_group = 0,
        -- Additional properties...
    }
}

Version History:

  • Auto-generated from game data in each build

Data Structure Properties​

Essential Properties​

type​

Status: stable

Description: Defines the clothing category and equipment slot.

Type: string

Values:

  • "body" - Primary torso clothing items
  • "hand" - Hand accessories and gloves
  • "legs" - Lower body clothing
  • "feet" - Footwear items
  • "head" - Headwear (rare in current data)

Example:

local item = CLOTHING["body_catcoon_costume"]
print(item.type)  -- "body"

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

skin_tags​

Status: stable

Description: Classification tags for filtering and organization.

Type: table

Common Tags:

  • "CLOTHING_BODY", "CLOTHING_HAND", "CLOTHING_LEGS", "CLOTHING_FEET" - Category identifiers
  • "CLOTHING" - General clothing tag
  • Color tags: "BLUE", "RED", "GREEN", "BLACK", "WHITE", etc.
  • Style tags: "COSTUME", "LUNAR_NY", "FORMAL", etc.

Example:

local item = CLOTHING["body_cardigan_black_jet"]
-- skin_tags = { "LUNAR_NY", "CLOTHING_BODY", "CLOTHING", "BLACK" }

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

symbol_overrides​

Status: stable

Description: Character sprite symbols to replace with clothing variants.

Type: table

Common Symbols:

  • Body: "torso", "arm_upper", "arm_lower", "torso_pelvis"
  • Hand: "hand", "arm_lower_cuff"
  • Legs: "leg", "torso_pelvis"
  • Feet: "foot"
  • Special: "tail", "skirt"

Example:

local costume = CLOTHING["body_catcoon_costume"]
-- symbol_overrides = { "arm_lower", "arm_upper_skin", "hand", "torso", "torso_pelvis", "leg", "foot", "tail" }

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

rarity​

Status: stable

Description: Item rarity classification affecting visual presentation and value.

Type: string

Values:

  • nil or missing - Common items (default)
  • "Spiffy" - Uncommon items
  • "Classy" - Rare items
  • "Distinguished" - Epic items
  • "HeirloomDistinguished" - Legendary items

Example:

local gloves = CLOTHING["hand_beltedgloves_brown_beaver"]
print(gloves.rarity)  -- "Classy"

local costume = CLOTHING["body_catcoon_costume"]
print(costume.rarity)  -- "HeirloomDistinguished"

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

marketable​

Status: stable

Description: Whether the item can be traded on Steam marketplace.

Type: boolean

Example:

local shirt = CLOTHING["body_buttons_blue_sky"]
print(shirt.marketable)  -- true

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

release_group​

Status: stable

Description: Release version group for content updates and organization.

Type: number

Common Groups:

  • 0 - Base game items
  • 1 - Early content updates
  • 3 - Lunar New Year items
  • 7 - Seasonal items
  • 15 - Halloween costume items
  • 64 - General content updates
  • 105 - Woven variant items

Example:

local lunar_cardigan = CLOTHING["body_cardigan_black_jet"]
print(lunar_cardigan.release_group)  -- 3

local halloween_costume = CLOTHING["body_catcoon_costume"]
print(halloween_costume.release_group)  -- 15

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

Visual Customization Properties​

symbol_hides​

Status: stable

Description: Character symbols to hide when wearing this clothing.

Type: table

Example:

local costume = CLOTHING["body_catcoon_costume"]
-- symbol_hides = { "skirt", "arm_upper" }

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

symbol_in_base_hides​

Status: stable

Description: Base character symbols to hide in the character template.

Type: table

Example:

local gloves = CLOTHING["hand_beltedgloves_brown_beaver"]
-- symbol_in_base_hides = { "arm_lower_cuff" }

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

symbol_overrides_by_character​

Status: stable

Description: Character-specific symbol override mappings for per-character customization.

Type: table

Example:

local gloves = CLOTHING["hand_drivergloves_brown_sepia"]
-- symbol_overrides_by_character = {
--     default = { hand = "hand_wilson" },
--     walter = { hand = "hand_walter" },
--     wanda = { hand = "hand_wanda" },
--     warly = { hand = "hand_warly" },
--     waxwell = { hand = "hand_waxwell" },
--     webber = { hand = "hand_webber" },
--     wormwood = { hand = "hand_wormwood" },
--     wortox = { hand = "hand_wortox" },
--     wurt = { hand = "hand_wurt" },
--     wx78 = { hand = "hand_wx78" }
-- }

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

torso_tuck​

Status: stable

Description: How the clothing integrates with lower body items.

Type: string

Values:

  • "untucked" - Clothing hangs loose
  • "full" - Fully tucked appearance
  • "pelvis_skirt" - Tucked at pelvis level
  • "skirt" - Skirt-style tucking

Example:

local shirt = CLOTHING["body_buttons_blue_sky"]
print(shirt.torso_tuck)  -- "untucked"

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

spinnable_tail​

Status: stable

Description: Whether clothing includes animated tail elements.

Type: boolean

Example:

local costume = CLOTHING["body_catcoon_costume"]
print(costume.spinnable_tail)  -- true

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

rarity_modifier​

Status: stable

Description: Additional rarity classification modifier.

Type: string

Values:

  • "Woven" - Indicates obtainable through weaving system

Example:

local woven_costume = CLOTHING["body_catcoon_costumep"]
print(woven_costume.rarity_modifier)  -- "Woven"

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

build_name_override​

Status: stable

Description: Alternative build file to use for rendering instead of the item ID.

Type: string

Example:

local woven_chester = CLOTHING["body_chester_costumep"]
print(woven_chester.build_name_override)  -- "body_chester_costume"

Version History:

  • Added in initial implementation

Clothing Type Categories​

Body Clothing (type = "body")​

Coverage: Primary torso items including shirts, dresses, costumes, and armor.

Common Symbol Overrides: "torso", "arm_upper", "arm_lower", "torso_pelvis"

Example:

body_buttons_blue_sky = {
    type = "body",
    skin_tags = { "CLOTHING_BODY", "CLOTHING", "BLUE" },
    symbol_overrides = { "torso", "arm_upper" },
    torso_tuck = "untucked",
    marketable = true,
    release_group = 0
}

Hand Clothing (type = "hand")​

Coverage: Hand accessories including gloves, gauntlets, bracers, and cuffs.

Common Symbol Overrides: "hand", "arm_lower_cuff"

Example:

hand_beltedgloves_brown_beaver = {
    type = "hand",
    skin_tags = { "CLOTHING_HAND", "CLOTHING", "BROWN" },
    symbol_overrides = { "hand" },
    symbol_in_base_hides = { "arm_lower_cuff" },
    rarity = "Classy",
    marketable = true,
    release_group = 1
}

Legs Clothing (type = "legs")​

Coverage: Lower body items including pants, skirts, leg armor, and boots.

Common Symbol Overrides: "leg", "torso_pelvis", "foot"

Feet Clothing (type = "feet")​

Coverage: Footwear including shoes, boots, and sandals.

Common Symbol Overrides: "foot"

Common Usage Patterns​

Accessing Clothing Data​

-- Get specific clothing item
local clothing_item = CLOTHING["body_catcoon_costume"]

-- Check clothing type
if clothing_item.type == "body" then
    print("This is body clothing")
end

-- Access symbol overrides
for _, symbol in ipairs(clothing_item.symbol_overrides) do
    print("Overrides symbol:", symbol)
end

-- Check rarity
local rarity = clothing_item.rarity or "Common"
print("Item rarity:", rarity)

Filtering by Properties​

-- Find all body clothing
local body_items = {}
for item_id, item_data in pairs(CLOTHING) do
    if item_data.type == "body" then
        body_items[item_id] = item_data
    end
end

-- Find marketable items
local marketable_items = {}
for item_id, item_data in pairs(CLOTHING) do
    if item_data.marketable then
        marketable_items[item_id] = item_data
    end
end

-- Find items by rarity
local legendary_items = {}
for item_id, item_data in pairs(CLOTHING) do
    if item_data.rarity == "HeirloomDistinguished" then
        legendary_items[item_id] = item_data
    end
end

Character-Specific Variations​

-- Get character-specific symbol for hand item
local hand_item = CLOTHING["hand_drivergloves_brown_sepia"]
if hand_item.symbol_overrides_by_character then
    local wilson_hand = hand_item.symbol_overrides_by_character.default.hand
    local walter_hand = hand_item.symbol_overrides_by_character.walter.hand
    print("Wilson uses:", wilson_hand)  -- "hand_wilson"
    print("Walter uses:", walter_hand)  -- "hand_walter"
end

Character Integration​

Symbol Override System​

The clothing system uses symbol overrides to replace character sprite elements:

  1. Base Character Symbols: Default character appearance sprites
  2. Clothing Symbols: Replacement sprites from clothing build files
  3. Character-Specific Overrides: Per-character customizations for unique looks
  4. Powerup Variants: Alternative sprites for enhanced character states

Visual Layering​

Clothing items layer over character sprites using:

  • Symbol Replacement: Direct substitution of character sprite symbols
  • Symbol Hiding: Concealing base character elements that conflict with clothing
  • Symbol Showing: Forcing visibility of specific character elements
  • Layering Order: Proper visual stacking to maintain depth and appearance

Data Management​

Auto-Generation​

The clothing data is auto-generated by export_accountitems.lua:

-- AUTOGENERATED CODE BY export_accountitems.lua
CLOTHING = {
    -- Generated clothing definitions...
}

Release Groups​

Items are organized by release groups corresponding to game updates:

  • Group 0: Base game items available from launch
  • Group 1: Early content additions
  • Group 3: Lunar New Year themed items
  • Group 7: Seasonal event items
  • Group 15: Halloween costume collections
  • Group 64: General content updates
  • Group 105: Woven variant items (crafted versions)
  • Character Systems: Character customization and appearance management
  • Components: Inventory and equipment component integration
  • Prefabs: Character prefab integration with clothing systems
  • UI Systems: Clothing selection and preview interfaces
  • Networking: Cosmetic data synchronization between clients

Technical Notes​

  • Data Format: Pure Lua table structure for fast access and modification
  • Auto-Generation: Clothing data is generated from game assets, not manually maintained
  • Character Compatibility: All clothing items support all characters through symbol overrides
  • Visual System: Integrates with game's sprite layering and animation systems
  • Marketplace Integration: Supports Steam marketplace trading and valuation systems

Best Practices​

Data Usage​

  • Use direct table lookups with known item IDs for best performance
  • Cache clothing properties for frequently accessed items in UI systems
  • Validate clothing data before applying visual changes to prevent errors
  • Handle missing or invalid clothing gracefully with fallback defaults

Performance Optimization​

  • Minimize clothing data iteration in performance-critical rendering code
  • Use clothing categories and tags for efficient filtering operations
  • Cache symbol override calculations when applying multiple items
  • Batch clothing changes when possible to reduce visual update overhead

Content Management​

  • Follow established naming conventions for new clothing items
  • Maintain consistent rarity classifications across similar item types
  • Document custom clothing properties clearly for mod developers
  • Test clothing compatibility across all characters before release