Unlike previous FromSoftware games, Elden Ring has a system in place that allows you to customize much of the game's apparel. This gives you the freedom to tweak the aesthetics of your armor without affecting your stats, which is fantastic if you're a player who cares about how stylish your characters look (aka, Fashion Souls). Unfortunately, you don't start Elden Ring with the ability to alter your garments. You have to earn it.
The game doesn't make it clear where you can get the tools you need to customize armor, but worry not, young Tarnished — we're here with a quick guide on everything you need to know about Elden Ring's armor customization, including where and how to get the Tailoring Tools you'll need and how the customization system works.
Elden Ring: Tailoring Tools location
To find the Tailoring Tools you need to customize your armor, you'll need to head to the Coastal Cave dungeon located along the southwestern beaches of the game's starting area, Limgrave. Note that this area is typically occupied by demi-humans (small goblin-like creatures), so be prepared for a fight. The location of the Coastal Cave on the map and the appearance of the dungeon's entrance are shown below.
Enter the cave, activate and rest at the Site of Grace, and push forward. You'll find yourself in dark tunnels full of demi-humans, so having a torch handy is recommended so you can see the foes clearly. Eventually, you'll end up in a large, well-lit cavern with a pair of Demi-Human Chief minibosses as well as a handful of regular demi-human enemies. Once you kill the minibosses, they will drop the Tailoring Tools (as well as a Sewing Needle that you can give to the NPC Boc the Seamster to complete his quest).
Elden Ring: How to customize armor
Once you have the Tailoring Tools, customizing armor is simple. All you have to do is select the Alter garments option whenever you're resting at a Site of Grace. This will then bring up a menu that allows you to alter the appearance of your armors for a cost of 500 runes per alteration.
Note that if you've returned the Sewing Needle to Boc the Seamster after killing the Demi-Human Chiefs in the Coastal Cave, he will occasionally appear next to you while resting at Sites of Grace and will offer to change your armor's appearance for free. There's no way to predict when he'll show up, though, so if you have cosmetic changes that you want to make, make sure you do them all whenever Boc offers to help.
Elden Ring: Which armors can be customized?
Not every piece of armor can be customized in Elden Ring, but generally, any piece of armor that has a visible accessory on it can be altered using Tailor Tools. For example, chest armors that feature cloaks or capes can be altered so that they are removed, and many plumes and other types of accessories on helmets can be removed as well. Some headwear items that come with hoods can also be altered so that the hood is removed or put down.
If you're unsure whether an armor piece can be customized, you can check in the armor customization menu. If the armor is visible in the menu, it can be altered; if it isn't, it can't be changed.
Elden Ring is finally here, and it's available for $60 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. It's one of the best Xbox games you can play right now if you're a fan of challenging RPGs, and we strongly recommend it.
Elden Ring ... oh, Elden Ring!
Elden Ring is FromSoftware's latest fantasy epic, featuring a focus on open-ended design in a universe created by both FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin.
