The original Animal Crossing only allowed players to change their shirt or dress, but each new installment — including Animal Crossing: New Horizons — has slowly expanded these clothing options. Wild World saw hats become customizable, while Kicks began selling unique shoe styles in New Leaf. Alongside the ability to change outfits with a wand, New Horizons continues this tradition by introducing hundreds of new clothing and accessory items.
Many of these clothes, including some that have returned from previous games, don't come cheap. With that in mind, players would do well to familiarize themselves with some of the pricier items to avoid finding themselves short of Bells when they eventually appear in the Able Sisters' shop.
Updated September 4, 2021 by Tom Bowen: Despite now being more than one year old, Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to receive regular updates. Not only do these updates ensure that the gameplay still feels fresh and exciting for long-term players, but they also provide plenty of seasonal inspiration for new outfits. Not all of these new additions are cheap though, with some of the clothing items in Animal Crossing: New Horizons costing players a pretty penny, or, as Tom Nook might call it, a beautiful Bell. If money isn't a problem, however, the most expensive clothing items in Animal Crossing: New Horizons really can contribute towards some truly stunning looks.
20 Ruffled Dress — 4,240 Bells
The Ruffled Dress is one of several expensive gowns available in New Horizons and is perfect for those looking to create a gothic look for their character. It isn't cheap though, with those hoping to get their hands on one needing to part with 4,240 bells.
The good news is, the ruffled dress is available in three different colors (purple, black, and red), meaning that it's fairly easy to assemble a matching outfit. For those simply wishing to admire the dress rather than wear it themselves, they can simply invite Muffy or Rhonda to their island, as both wear the purple ruffled dress by default.
19 Prom Crown / Prom Tiara / Tiara — 4,300 Bells
The Prom Crown and Tiara were introduced as part of the game's free 1.9.0 update and are available in both gold and silver. Both items will set players back 4,300 Bells, although — as seasonal items — they can only be purchased from the Able Sisters during the month of April.
For those who missed out and don't want to time travel, there is still an alternative, with the regular Tiara available all year round. Like their prom-themed counterparts, tiaras can be purchased for 4,300 bells. As well as gold and silver, there's also a pink version, which could be useful for those looking to better match their tiara to the rest of their outfit.
18 Zen Hairclip — 4,300 Bells
There are a lot of options available for those looking for zen-themed furniture, but surprisingly few when it comes to clothes and accessories. Other than the zen hairclip, in fact, players will likely struggle to find elegant and formal options for zen-themed outfits.
With this in mind, it's easy to understand why the zen hairclip is so expensive despite its obvious simplicity. At 4,300 bells, no clothing accessory costs more, and with eight different color variations available, purchasing them all can be pretty expensive for those operating on a tight budget.
17 Zori — 4,300 Bells
Together with the space boots and samurai greaves, Zori are the most expensive footwear in New Horizons. The traditional Japanese sandals are typically worn alongside formal attire like kimonos and will set players back 4,300 Bells a pair.
Known for their distinctive wooden bases, Zori are available in eight different styles and colors, making it easy for players to match them with the rest of their outfits. As an added bonus, the sound they make in the game is remarkably similar to the one they make in real life, as anybody who has ever been to a Japanese Hanabi event will be able to attest.
16 Hakama with Crest — 4,800 Bells
The hakama with crest item can be purchased from the Ables Sisters' Shop for the price of 4,800 Bells. It only comes in one color and cannot be customized at all. In Japan, the hakama is a type of clothing that is typically worn over a kimono.
Formal hakama clothing is generally in black and white, which means that the New Horizons version falls into the formal clothing category and wouldn't generally be used as day-to-day wear.
15 Flashy Kimono — 4,800 Bells
The flashy kimono isn't the only kimono in the game, in fact, it is one of a few, but arguably its bold two-tone colorway and flower pattern make it one of the most beautiful. This little number can be bought from the Able Sisters' shop for 4,800 Bells.
This item comes in six different colors; white, blue, green, red, gold, and fuchsia. Compared to other kimonos available in the game, the flashy kimono is one of the most modern designs.
14 Space Suit — 5,000 Bells
If players want a look that is out of this world, they can buy the space suit from the Able Sisters' shop for 5,000 bells. Regrettably, it only comes in one color and cannot be customized, and players will likely want to track down the matching helmet and boots for the full astronaut look.
The space helmet and space boots can also be bought from the Able Sisters' shop for a little less, with both items costing 4,300 bells. Of course, due to the random nature of the stock changing in the shop, players might want to enlist the help of their friends and their catalogs if they're having trouble tracking them down.
13 Icy Dress — 5,200 Bells
The Icy Dress, or Ice-Queen Dress as it was called in the 1.1.0 version of the game, is a seasonal dress that can only be obtained during the winter months. It shows up randomly in the Able Sisters' store and can be purchased for 5,200 Bells.
Unlike most of the other dresses in the game, there are no variations of the Icy Dress, most likely due to its color being tied so closely to its wintery theme. It's great for blue-colored villagers all the same though, with characters like Skye and Lily able to pull it off particularly well.
12 Noble Dress — 5,200 Bells
Though the noble dress isn't the fanciest dress going, it's still one of the nicest formal dresses going in New Horizons. This dress can be bought from the Able Sisters' shop for 5,200 bells and is available in eight different colors; green, ruby red, blue, white, red, yellow, purple, and black.
With its many frills and gold detailing, this dress is sure to make the player look like a true member of the aristocracy. It is believed that this dress is inspired by the Victorian era of Great Britain.
11 Fancy Kimono — 5,200 Bells
Like many of the most pricey clothing items, the fancy kimono is based on traditional Japanese attire. Worth 5,200 Bells, Label's Tailor Tickets won't cover the cost of this floral beauty. The fancy kimono comes in eight color variants, ranging from a soft aqua look to vibrant red and green ensembles.
This kimono can be purchased from the Able Sisters, but only during Winter. This seems appropriate as unlike some of the other kimono styles New Horizons offers, this dress is adorned with a white fur collar that's common in Japan during the colder months.
10 Princess Dress — 5,500 Bells
This glittery ball gown can be purchased from the Able Sisters for 5,500 Bells and comes in eight different colors. The contrasting peplums and puffy sleeves make the princess dress great for cosplaying Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, and even Cinderella, but players who want more accurate replicas would be better off turning to custom designs.
When it comes to styling outfits for Label, this dress will blow her away if she requests a fairy tale, formal, or party theme. Players who find the princess dress isn't quite for them will be happy to learn it can be sold to the Nooklings for 1,375 Bells.
9 Samurai Helmet — 5,880 Bells
Clocking in at 5,880 Bells, the samurai helmet is surprisingly not even close to being the most expensive piece of headgear in New Horizons. Its value drops to 1,470 Bells when sold to the Nooklings, but this isn't too bad considering the same item could be bought for 2,000 Bells and sold for 500 Bells in New Leaf.
The samurai helmet is one of three items in the samurai set. It can be purchased from the Able Sisters and reordered from Nook Shopping, and pairs well when displayed on a mannequin with the Imperial furniture series.
8 Renaissance Dress — 6,000 Bells
The Renaissance dress is surprisingly accurate to its namesake era. It features an empire waistline that gives the dress a flowing, high-waisted silhouette that was extremely popular during the Renaissance period, especially in Italy. New Horizons just needs to add some puffy sleeves to this piece to make it perfect for any 16th-century noblewoman.
With a price tag of 6,000 Bells, the Renaissance dress is certainly fit for a noble. It comes in six color variants, including layers of royal purple, salmon pink, navy blue, emerald green, and a rich, bright red.
7 Fashionable Royal Dress — 6,000 Bells
At 6,000 Bells, players almost need to be royalty to appreciate this dress. The fashionable royal dress seems inspired by Rococo fashion, originating amongst the nobility of 18th-century France. The ruffled petticoats, bow-covered torso, and bell-shaped skirt were famously worn by French aristocrats such as Marie Antoinette.
The five color variants of this dress are pastel shades of pink, yellow, green, blue, and violet, which makes sense given soft colors were also common during the Rococo period. Players who decide they don't want to be fashionable or royal anymore can sell this dress to the Nooklings for 1,500 Bells.
6 Samurai Shirt — 6,720 Bells
The samurai shirt is part of New Horizons' samurai clothing set, alongside the samurai helmet and samurai greaves. This piece costs 6,720 Bells, or more than what players would earn from selling one full stack of non-native fruit.
The samurai set is obviously inspired by the attire of Japanese samurai warriors. The horizontal, interlinked armor plates of this set most closely resemble tosei-gusoku, iron armor that became popular in 16th-century Japan during the advent of firearms. New Horizons villagers likely don't need to worry about firearms, but they look adorable wearing this item either way.
5 Royal Shirt — 6,720 Bells
The royal shirt first appeared in New Leaf, and could be purchased from the Able Sisters for just 380 Bells. This item received a major promotion with New Horizons, sporting a price tag of 6,720 Bells - nearly 18 times its original price. The royal shirt's resale value is predictably a lot lower, fetching 1,680 Bells from the Nooklings.
Unlike many of the most expensive clothing items, the royal shirt only comes in its standard red color. A deep blue or purple would likely have looked quite striking as well, but villagers such as Drago, Bob, and Kabuki would be more than happy to receive this rouge shirt.
4 Junihitoe Kimono — 7,000 Bells
Junihitoe means 'twelve layers' in Japanese, and the wonderfully detailed graphics of New Horizons are able to capture those layers better than any previous game could. This is an exceptionally formal style of kimono worn by noblewomen in Japan from as early as the 10th century, all the way up to the members of the Imperial House of Japan in the present day.
This gorgeous kimono is well worth the 7,000 Bells needed to purchase it from the Able Sisters. It features a combination of bright and pastel colors, and looks fantastic on display in zen gardens or other Japanese-themed areas.
3 Gold-Armor Shoes — 160,000 Bells
The gold-armor outfit is one of the most expensive sets in the game, with most of it having to be crafted by the player with lots of gold nuggets involved. However, there is one piece of this set that cannot be crafted but is only available from Kicks.
Kicks is one of the NPCs that can randomly visit a player's island, and his stock is random too. However, there's a chance he'll be selling these gold-armor shoes, which will set players back an insane 160,000 Bells.
2 Crown — 1,000,000 Bells
The crown is the first of two crowns available in the game and is available for a whopping 1,000,000 Bells. An almost identical accessory could be purchased from Label - then going by Labelle - in New Leaf, where its value drops by three quarters when resold.
The crown is not just one of New Horizons' most expensive clothing items, but one of its most costly pieces in general. Players will need to play to stalk market so they can store away an extra million Bells, otherwise, they may miss out when it spawns in the Able Sisters' store and they don't have quite enough savings.
1 Royal Crown — 1,200,000 Bells
This is the most expensive item not just in New Horizons, but in all of Animal Crossing history. Like the smaller crown, the royal crown also appeared in New Leaf at the same price point of 1,200,000 Bells. To put that into perspective, that's worth more than the first four loans from Tom Nook combined.
With a much bulkier appearance, the royal crown isn't quite as popular for wearing as its smaller, cuter counterpart. Regardless, its value makes it a popular item for use in Animal Crossing giveaways, and it can often be seen displayed in the island homes of players who really want others to know how many Bells they have.