What You Never Noticed About Sasuke's Clothes In Naruto
Naruto's rival, Sasuke, has had quite the personality arc in the series. He started off as a cold teammate bent on revenge for his clan, then steadily became a friendly antagonist. By the end of the initial Naruto series and into the beginning of the Shippuden arc, Sasuke had already become complex — and then he was saved by Naruto from his path of darkness in their final climactic battle.
Along Sasuke's character arc, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto has made sure to give enough detail to Sasuke's design that it reflects the actions and philosophy of the famed rival. According to Naruto: The Official Character Data Book, Kishimoto regards Sasuke as one of his most memorable character designs. So it makes sense that the Naruto creator would place special care on Sasuke's design throughout the series.
More than looking cool, Sasuke's change in appearance throughout Naruto manages to reflect his growth as a character. What he wears tells the audience much of where his mind is at, and what his particular goals are throughout the series.
Sasuke's clothes shift to match his evolution as a character
In much of Naruto, Sasuke usually opted for darker colors. In his debut in manga chapter 3, he's seen sporting white shorts with a dark blue shirt and the Konoha Headband. In his fight against Gaara during the Chunnin Exam Tournament in episode 65, he switches out for an all-black onesie with the only bright color being the red and white Uchiha clan symbol.
The darker colors symbolize his pursuit of revenge against Itachi early on in the series; they also contrast Naruto's bright orange aesthetic. Sasuke's earlier look could also be related to Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho. According to CBR, Sasuke's design and Sharingan ability were heavily influenced by the character. And Hiei turned from cold villain to friendly rival in the series for Yusuke.
During his appearance in Shippuden, Sasuke trades in the darker clothes for white ones, closing out the ensemble with a purple rope belt, and a Japanese straight sword known as a Chokuto. He has no Konoha Headband, and his back sports the Uchiha Emblem. As CBR notes, the clothes change reflects the character evolution of Sasuke at this point in the series. The missing headband presents Sasuke as showing no allegiance to his former village, yet the emblem shows he still literally carries his clan on his back. Clad in lighter colors and looking completely different from his former teammates, Sasuke completely stands out more compared to his younger pre-Shippuden self as a true rogue ninja.