I wish I knew what gives people the idea that in a game set at the beginning of the timeline, the characters should have some sort of radical redesigns instead of staying true to that time period.

Now I'm not saying things should be exact to the letter and Sektor and Cyrax should be wearing cheesy BMX gear again...but there's no logical reason for Sub-Zero to not have a familiar look when it's not really a new story, it's MK1 thru 3 with Raiden deliberately retconning things.
And I don't see what's so boring about his outfit. There's a ton of detail on that armor on his arms and belt, he's got little Lin Kuei logos on his chest, I think he looks amazing. Yes, the mask should be changed a little so it's not the same one he's already worn in Deadly Alliance, Armagddon, and MKvsDCU...but that's just a mask. It's like 1/16th of his body.

There's also no internal logic to the fiction to have characters, whose priority probably isn't wardrobe changes between fights, to constantly appear with arbitrary alterations to their outfit.

What're ya gonna do, eh?

I like the outfit my self. At this point in the story hes just a member of the clan and this look fits him.

Well I can think of logical reasons for numerous characters to have changed their clothes. Not everybody, mind you. But a good number of them.

Also, personally, I just don't subscribe to the cartoon school of thinking that it's okay for a person to wear the same clothes every single episode because they're fictional and they don't have to do the laundry.
But still, this is MK1 thru 3. Everybody should be dressed in graphically updated takes on the way they looked in MK1 thru 3. There's no logical call for Nightwolf to be rocking a mohawk or Sub-Zero to have the Shredder helmet or anything like that.
I also think that in some of the 3D generation's designs, certain characters looked absolutely hideous because the designers got way too elaborate and detailed. I mean what the hell is up with Dairou's costumes, or Jarek and Kai in Armageddon? As someone who draws costume designs all the time myself, I have to say those were absolute nightmares. Just irredeemably bad. And Scorpion's bug armor in this game is dangerously close to being in that same territory.

I'm pretty sure uniforms aren't unique to cartoons.
Arbitrary changes to uniforms every couple of years, weeks, or days, in the case of some plotlines, definitely is, though.

A lot of the costume changes haven't been arbitrary, though.

Sure, some of them have. Where did Kenshi find a sleeveless vest while lost in Outworld? I couldn't tell you. Why did Sonya and Jax always used to dress like gymnasts instead of wearing army fatigues? Again, you've got me.

But when Sub-Zero abandons being a ninja, then puts his brother's clothes on in tribute, then takes over and revamps the clan, getting a magic amulet out of it, and finally discovers a magic suit of armor, that all makes sense.

Reptile was originally supposed to be disguising himself. At some point, everybody's seen him use the frog tongue and acid spit so he might as well stop trying to look human...and then he de-evolves after that. Explanations given.

Raiden starting out disguised as an ordinary mortal at the tournament, then slowly adding more and more decoration and armor to his look as the battles get worse and worse? I can buy it.

Kung Lao's blue pants are in the wash so here's a brown pair? Not really such a big deal.

Little do you realise, we apparently agree.
Shocking revelation: Costume changes that weren't arbitrary weren't arbitrary. Shame about the other fifteen years of wackiness.

Well, generalizations have been made, and they don't really work in this case. It sounds like you're saying there are more costume changes that didn't make sense than ones that did and I don't agree.

The problem is, while I COULD analyze every character's wardrobe, I don't particularly WANT to write a wall of text that large and, quite frankly, meaningless. it's not like Ed and the guys are going to read this topic and use our ideas.

And frankly, I'm more happy than not that they more or less ignore us and keep doing their own thing when it comes to costumes, because if they were taking every little bitch and moan from the killjoys in this community seriously, we'd never get awesome things like Liu's World Heavyweight Title or Johnny's tattoo.

You're welcome to be wrong, but you're going to have to wait here while I change into a new version of what I was wearing yesterday and the day before that and the day before that and in-between fighting in Outworld and an Earth invasion and the day before that. X-)

Originally there were months or years between each game.

Of course that will no longer be the case with three games condensed into a single story mode, plus Raiden carrying out deliberate retcons left and right. But this game will also have everybody wearing the same costume from beginning to end.

It's a classy revamp of the MK1 look; pays off better than Scorpion's. Not feeling the belt though. Makes him look like a pro wrestler.

I think it's alright, nothing too flashy, nothing too amazing but it works. As others have pointed out, there will most likely be an alt of some kind that differentiates the two brothers. It would be a mistake IMO to have both "classic" sub-zero and his younger brother as two totally separate characters. Maybe have a bio and ending for each, but they are too much alike in terms of ability and look to take up two spots on the roster.

Perhaps Sub-Zero is a character who would benefit having 3 different costumes considering the character may span two different people (It is possible they may only include either the original or younger brother and not both). Actually I guess they could have them look exactly the same, considering they are both ice elementals and Lin Kuei.

I hope the alt add's some more flare and is a radical different take on sub-zero, that would go well with the half reboot idea. Keep things mostly the same in the beginning and change it up in the end.

I love the classic look. I didn't like how Sub-Zero changed. It's simple as that. I don't care if he changed cuz of some power or something. He was a freaking ninja looking dude and in my heart will always be a ninja looking dude. So I love that he looks like a freaking ninja.

I like his MKvsDC attire better, but that's not to say this outfit doesn't look nice either. It's a perfect refined retro attire. I like how all the ninjas have branched out and their outfits have become varied and defined by their character. Sub's is simple but nice.