Grand Theft Auto San Andreas will allow you to totally customize the look of your character over the course of the game. Changing your look by getting some new clothes or a new haircut will be more than an aesthetic change in San Andreas – the sharper you look the more respect you’ll command from your gang, the more fear you’ll create in rival gangs, and the more women will turn their heads and take notice.

Getting a new look.

San Andreas will allow you to select from many hairstyles and facial hair looks, including an afro, jheri curls, cornrows, or even a clean-shaven bald look. All it takes is a little money and a trip to the neighborhood barbershop. Once in a barbershop you can have a seat in one of the chairs and try out a new look by checking out your reflection in the mirror.

A good ‘do is important, but it is the clothes that make the man. You’ll start the game with only a t-shirt and generic pants to your name. As you start to complete missions, though, you’ll soon be asked to sport your gang’s colors which is when you’ll begin to see the effect that your look has on your game. While wearing colors you’ll command greater respect from your gang, but you’ll also attract the attention of police and rival gangs. Enter a new neighborhood wearing the wrong colors and you can expect to draw some gunfire from a rival gang.

Clothing in San Andreas is not all about gang colors, though. As you progress through the game you’ll take on missions that require you to wear a certain outfit, but overall it’s all about respect and you’ll want to dress to get as much of it as you can. Clothes can be bought from the many clothing stores around San Andreas. Rockstar has released the following details on some of the places to shop in the game:

Binco
Binco is a discount store found a few blocks away from CJ’s cul-de-sac deep in Orange Grove Families territory. It’s a discount store, so the clothing selection is utilitarian and cheap.

Shopping at Binco.

Binco features a small selection of low cost clothing. Most people in the Grove will be wearing clothes of the type sold here. The clothing choices are affordable to those in CJ’s neighborhood—and since the Orange Grove Families aren’t what they were, expect to find a selection of plaid shirts, khakis, and sneakers on a budget. This is a good place for CJ to go after he returns to the grove and needs to wear the colors - but the clothes aren't free and he will need to have enough money to get what he needs. Locals will respect CJ more after he's switched back to more familiar threads.

SubUrban
Located near the Towers in Ganton, SubUrban specializes in a full line of clothing brands, such as Mercury and Base 5.

The selection here is different than Binco. SubUrban favors name-brand apparel popular amongst those in Los Santos with a bit more disposable income, and since the store is located in Ballas territory, it is very popular amongst the gang set. The colors and clothing choice reflect the neighborhood, and are priced to reflect the prices one of the more successful gangs in town can afford. Your respect will go up higher than if you were shopping at Binco. At first, CJ might be able to afford one or two items here. As he completes missions, his budget will increase and he will be able to purchase more items. You needn’t be a gang member or a Rock Star to shop at SubUrban, but you’ll find clothing selection that both would be comfortable wearing.

ProLaps
For a full selection of the ProLaps brand apparel and footwear, head to the flagship store located west of Downtown Los Santos.

ProLaps is the leading choice of athletic gear in San Andreas. The clothes are decidedly more athletic and are the perfect choice to show of CJ’s musculature or just to switch his look up with shorts, sneakers, hats and other items. Also, CJ can find some very specific items—motorcycle helmet, boxing headgear, even a hockey mask. Concerned about looking too much like a gang member? The clothing choices here are more mainstream, and though the TRAIN HARD tagline might implore you to work out, the clothes themselves are popular amongst the other inhabitants of San Andreas. The prices are a bit higher here, and CJ will have to earn a good deal of money to afford the pieces offered here.

The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money on clothes and then have to throw them out because you need to change outfits. You want have to worry about that in San Andreas, though. Your safe house will have a closet in which you can store every piece of clothing you’ve picked up during the game. Every shirt, pants, hat, accessory, and pair of shoes you’ve bought will be in your closet, so you can put a favorite outfit back on or mix and match any combination for a new look. Just because you’re a street thug it doesn’t mean you have to look like one.