The other day I saw a post using Kirito as an example of an "underdesigned" character, and like...
That's... Kinda the point?
Even ignoring the trans-subtext for a second, Kirito is noted to be at her most comfortable in the video game world, but even her initial SAO Avatar is designed to kinda "blend into the background" prior to everyone's real world appearances getting revealed. She does not want people to notice her, and so goes with the least attention-grabbing looks she can.
Taking the trans subtext back into account now, think about what it says about Kirito that her most "main-character" looking avatar is her GGO avatar. She's at her most lively in that form.
it’s also, at least interestingly to me, the first time we see her actively choose to wear something.
In Aincrad we can assume that most of her stuff is loot from various quests and monster fights, considering that when she first dons her dark jacket, it’s a boss reward.
In Alfheim, her Avatar is a generic base, so those clothes aren’t specialized either. (And sure her gear changes by the time we get to Excalibur and Rosario but I think it’s still safe to assume she’s still going the loot drop route in terms of fashion.)
It’s only really in GGO do we see her actively pick out and purchase her gear, and while the general vibe is the same, a lot of the changes that were made are more feminine leaning.
In GGO, her trench coat has transformed into a cropped jacket and a flared belted half skirt/belted bustle skirt, the belt accented by a purple crystal ornament. This first appears in her Alfheim look, but again, this is the first time we see her make the choice to wear this. She’s also wearing a breast plate that slightly curves outwards, giving off the appearance of a softer chest.
Also of note is that this is the first time her main outfit has shown more skin, with her wrists and ankles being visible. What’s not visible, however, is her throat. Her jacket collar buttons in the front, right over where her laryngeal notch (Adam’s Apple) is.
The clothes she chooses in GGO are farm more feminizing than her base outfit, and while the argument could be made that she was worried about blowing her cover in front of Sinon, it seems unreasonable to assume that another player could see her inventory while purchasing gear.
Overall, GGO is the first time we really see Kirito take active participation in her Avatar’s appearance, and it’s also her most notably ‘flashy’ out of all her designs. She chooses to accentuate the avatar’s femininity and goes on to play into said femininity.
The moment she got presented with anonymity as well as the option to look more ‘girly’, she took it and ran with it.
TL;DR: The way Kirito dresses in GGO is in direct contrast with the way she dresses in previous games. She makes the choice to present femininely once she realizes she has the chance.
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