I play what I only half jokingly refer to as a sort of lore account with my Infinity Nikki game. I have silly criteria for the way I judge the in-game outfits for their level of canonicity to the story, for no other reason than my own fun. I feel the need to stress that you really don't need to take my criteria seriously. This is a cozy dress up gacha game and I'm just using this page to talk at hypothetical people about my personal way of playing. Frankly you probably shouldn't play like me and should go for whatever outfits you think are pretty and are worth your time.
With that out of the way, here's my Infinity Nikki Outfit Canonicity Criteria Question List:
1 - Does it appear in main story cutscenes?
Bubbly Voyage here is acting as a textbook example of this question. If the outfit is in an actual in-game cutscene, that's a point for its canonicity. Honestly this practically goes without saying, because of course if the outfit is shown in the story it should be 100% canon! However I would say slow down there for a sec cause to me, we need a little context before we can fully call an outfit canon; even one that appears in an in-game cutscene.
So let's head into the next question.
2 - What is the method of obtaining it?
Let's talk for a sec about Timeless Melody, as this outfit was the first time that made me really sit back and reevaluate the way I was approaching Infinity Nikki. Timeless Melody has a few things that drags it down here right from the get-go.
1. It's a resonance outfit. Resonance isn't something that is really recognized to the canon story of Infinity Nikki as far as I'm personally aware. How is it justified? It's the gacha system, it doesn't have to be. But the game did go out of its way to justify hourglasses for photos in-game so... kind of leaves Resonance looking a little weak in the lore department. Unless I'm missing something, which I could be; I'm not perfect after all.
2. The method in which Nikki receives it in the story, does not imply it to be an outfit meant for her personally. Timeless Melody is implied to be a dress Queen Philomia intended to give to her sister, Olivia. It doesn't make all that much sense for Nikki to claim it as her own, and wear it as she wanders through Miraland.
It is a gorgeous dress though. I would've definitely gone for it, if it didn't make me feel like I was stealing a deceased girl's birthday present.
They're not nearly as flashy but while we're on this topic, I should mention that sketches are more canon than Resonances. Sketches have been justified more in the canon of the game, you need to collect materials that are mostly physical objects around Miraland, and most come with implied in-universe patterns in order to make them. So yeah, this dress known as Confession Lace, is more canon to me personally than Timeless Melody. Buying clothes from npcs personally is also more canon.
On a related note, as we move on to question 3...
3 - Does it appear in side quest content?
Rebirth Wish already had enough going for it, being a sketch outfit that you get from Kilo the Cadenceborn. But it gets extra points in the canoncity department, for appearing in the side quest Kindled Inspiration: Yesteryear's She as well. In order to complete it you have to craft this dress and wear it, so this man named Alber can be inspired in order to work on the hair on the statue shown here.
Side quests may be optional content largely, but being the adventurer that she is I personally see Nikki as the kind of girl who would go around helping everyone she could. So I see no reason why side quests wouldn't make for a canon outfit addition.
4 - Is it in any way important to a background story element?
This is where we start to depart from strictly fitting Nikki lore, and start to head into my personal choices in outfits. I still look at the lore directly as best as I'm able to, and judge how it feels to me in terms of importance for Nikki to have it / how much I personally want it. These are little details but let me explain.
Example: During the Bullquet Care Day event, Adventure Ride and Dream Banquet were running as 4 star banners. If you spoke to an npc at the Florawish Stylist's Guild, you would find out that there are recognized in-universe, 'Cool' and 'Fresh' styled outfits made in relation to the Bullquet. You don't even need to name them, we know exactly what outfits are being referred to here and they are being pointed out in-game. Not simply in the compendium and nowhere else. This makes these outfits feel more real to the world than if this wasn't included at all.
Now for a less clear example: Dreamy Glimmer was released during the Well of Fortune's then most recent quests, obviously in reference to the Monroefin that appeared in it. This dress as far as I'm aware, is not personally recognized in-universe unlike Adventure Ride or Dream Banquet. But its inclusion is a clear reference to the at the time, most recent story quest... I couldn't really decide where I stood on that, I did decide to get it though.
5 - Does it fit Nikki as a character?
Here is where we depart from lore completely, and start to judge purely on vibes. Which my take on Nikki is probably not the same as yours, so whatever we call fitting can be very different. We're both playing with a pink-haired anime barbie girl though, so let's just remember that this is just opinions again.
I think Flowing Colors despite having no good reason to exist as a canon Nikki outfit, is a fitting one for her to have. It's an artist outfit, and however you think sketching works in-game she must do some physical art in order to accomplish things with clothes now and then. I don't typically pull for outfits that are just built on vibes unless it really hits something good, but I did get this outfit while I was playing early on; hadn't established my rules yet. I don't regret it though, it is still fitting!
That's it! That's my Infinity Nikki Outfit Canonicity Question List. Feel free to steal these rules for yourself if you want, or point at every outfit in-game and claim its canon cause it's all in the compendium or something. I really don't mind, we're just here to have fun.
I also took up ranking outfits on their level of canonicity to Nikki for fun, looking at them from a scale of 1 to 5. So here's what those rankings mean:
1 - This basically just exists in the compendium alone, not in Nikki's wardrobe
2 - There's background hints of story backing
3 - Reasonable to think that Nikki owns this
4 - Nikki probably owns this but not very blatantly
5 - Strong story backing, there's no doubt she has this outfit
