Digital Skin: Costume, Performativity, and Identity Construction of ACG Avatars in Virtual Worlds

Abstract

This paper investigates the issue of identity construction in the emerging field of virtual clothing, using a set of digital artworks and a gaming community case study as research objects. Within the globally influential ACG (Animation, Comics, and Games) subculture, the digital “Avatar” has become the primary site for identity construction. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines semiotic analysis, case studies, and exploratory metrics, this paper argues that virtual clothing, hairstyles, and aesthetic modifications are not mere representations but are practices imbued with performativity. The article uses a triangular theoretical framework composed of Roland Barthes's fashion semiotics, Judith Butler's theory of performativity, and Homi Bhabha's concept of the “Third Space” as its main structure, supplemented by theories such as the “Proteus effect”, the “extended self”, and posthumanist thought, to provide a multi-dimensional interpretation of digital identity construction. The core proposition of this paper is that the “digital skin”, as a “performative interface” and “wearable capital”, not only constructs fluid, networked identities but also embodies social and economic value that operates within specific platform ecosystems. Through the analysis of visual grammar, in-game unlock mechanisms, and community discourse, this paper aims to reveal that the study of digital self-presentation has become a critical new frontier in the field of costume and culture studies, elucidating how identity is shaped, negotiated, and capitalized upon in the increasingly prevalent virtual environments of the 21st century.