The outfits of Roronoa Zoro in One Piece are always a subject of fan interest as they happen to reflect character development and match up with the varied arcs of the series. Throughout the manga and anime, Zoro's clothes have constantly changed, and every change is related to either a new page being unfolded in his journey or a requirement of the environment he has found himself in.
Perhaps one of the most iconic and easily recognizable of Zoro's outfits is his default look, which he dons a white polo, black pants, with a touch of green at the cummerbund or haramaki. His outfit spells him out correctly: straightforward and practical. What makes this different is the green haramaki part of his attire, as it is functional and gives aesthetics all at once. Many characters in the world of One Piece are also pirates, and among them is Zoro, who wears a wide sash around his waist, useful for a number of different purposes, such as the following.
During the time skip in the series, he would go through a dramatic change. Zoro's new look reflected a more mature and experienced outlook to give way to this new world they would venture into. This second outfit depicts maturity boot from his previous attire and proves without a doubt that he has grown as much in power as he has matured to be a greater threat to stronger enemies.
In the Wano Country arc, the series took a different turn for Zoro's outfits as they adapted to the cultural context of the setting. The first one can be noted from the description to the latter—a black and red outfit, the colors being utterly contrasting to his usual greens. This return from his signature green color scheme confirms that this will be a darker, more serious turn in Zoro's journey.
In particular, Zoro's outfit within the Wano Arc has been well-accepted by fans and cosplayers. Many self-proclaimed enthusiasts tried doing his looks, especially his "Beast Mode" in the said arc, which already speaks volumes with regard to the effectiveness of his design on the fanbase. This outfit, conceived for Zoro's covert mission in Wano, shows how his outfits might adjust for some specified narrative purposes but still retain the identity of his style.
In this scenario, another one-piece film with a memorable outfit is the one that he had on. Now, this look, or what is considered his third outfit in the film, is going to show how the look of Zoro can be re-envisioned for special events or even standalone stories in the One Piece universe. These types of movie-specific outfits often afford an immense amount of creative liberty in the design spectrum while still capturing those core elements that identify Zoro's character.
Preferences exist between fans, though, as to the different looks of Roronoa Zoro. Some may prefer his classical, pre-time skip look because he was simple and recognizable, while some prefer his later more mature, evolved designs. This diversity in fan preference is indicative of successful character design evolution through the series.
One of the more interesting aspects of Zoro's outfits is in comparison with other Straw Hat crew members. For example, fans have pointed out in character gallery discussions that showing someone like Luffy shirtless post-timeskip is important, thus making said appearance changes a big deal in character development.
Zoro's outfit change also parallels how the One Piece story has evolved. The series transitions into more serious and high-stake arcs; similarly, Zoro's attire becomes more elaborate or combat-suited as the Straw Hat crew increases challenges faced.
Many fanbase-created and critic-made rankings exist for Zoro's attire over the course of the series. Most rankings consider these factors: the creativeness of the design, how the outfit suits Zoro or if it resembles his personality, and the importance of such a costume in the story arc in which it appears.