I might be barking mad here. Try to see my general idea of it because yes this could be rather complex and hard to figure out. Though what seed I try to plant into your brain is not to the beginning something really that advanced, perhaps not even a major thing in the game! But a try for something new.
The crafting system in RPG’s have been more or less the same; you get materials, you choose from a list of recipes, perhaps standing next to something. And then you have it. My issue about it is that the devs are originally deciding how you want to look like. And that might be all and well, but personally I am starting to find that a bit dull and frankfully I tend to always ignore the crafting system all together now a days.
So, this is my proposal. Let us make our own clothing! Do not need to be advanced or anything right now, but more of a “this is an option to our main crafting system, it is at the moment really bare boned, but it’s a concept”.
The mechanics are that instead of going to your regular anvil or wavery or something, you go to a manekin. At this moment, as mentioned, make it bare boned. Plonk down a cloth manikin that you can attach cloth to. Allow us to strategically cut and stitch it together so thus the only hard part about it as of now would be to make those stitching work in the gameworld. Even some sort of drag the cloth around on the manikin to let us make a bit more complex stuff (folds and wrinkled if we have the patience).
And if this all translated well, and we love it. Doing youtube viral videos about all cool stuff we figure out with just some stitching. You have then a recipe for a crafting system we desire. And in future acts, or even games! Evolve it. Put out wooden manikins for plate and chainmail. Add more tools to make even more complex designs!
But at this moment, perhaps just try and keep it an alternative. Have the original crafting system with it. If there is absolutely no one using it, and this is due to it not being desired (and not for example, it was to plain and bare). At least you have tried something new. And that’s why you are making this game, correct? To make something new, something that stands out from most other RPG’s (and to skip out the dragons).