[quote=@tsukune]
I'm not a fan of using images, particularly real-person/celebrity pictures, because I tend to feel miffed at how every character in a supposedly "realistic" RP looks [i]overly fabulous[/i] in such setting. Also, unless I draw out the characters myself, most illustrations don't truly reflect the image of the characters I have in mind. Using text gives rise to ambiguity, so it tests the writer's ability to describe a character's appearance with just about enough information for the others to get a good grasp but without being too contrived and specific (which can kill the imagination of others).
[/quote]

This, so much this.

I'm actually finding it somewhat of a turn off for joining games where every character has a picture of a well-made up and presentable real person, be they an actor or model or whatever, and have that describe them as a dirty peasant who just happens to look like a sex symbol. I'm more more inclined to use text only where possible, because I've found even in games where I'm trying to find art, I never find anything resembling what my character should look like unless they're intentionally ambiguous or are a species that looks nearly identical to one another. I also think it's kind of shitty when people use other people's art without crediting them, because I know if I were an artist and I found someone using my art without giving me credit, I'd be pretty miffed. 

ANYWAYS, BACK ON TOPIC WHEEEEEEEEE

Character sheets don't exactly have an exact formula and it depends on GM preferences, as you know; a lot can vary between one to the next, other than having specifics about names, ages, physical appearance, etc. From that alone, there's no set right or wrong way to do it.

As I mentioned in that Boy and Girl thread I am not a fan of having Sexuality listed as one of the fields to fill out in a character sheet. Unless you're playing a group romance roleplay or a smut based roleplay... why is it necessary? You should never set out in most roleplays with the intention of your character hooking up with another character, and all the sexuality field does is emphasize that's what you're after and plays matchmaker between characters with matching sexual preferences before the game even starts. That's going to make them  gravitate towards each other more than other characters, sometimes at the expense of meaningful interaction, and make the romance seem extremely forced and pre-determined. If your character takes interest in another character, express that in game through their words and actions and see how it all develops. Don't get me wrong, I love romances in roleplays and I can appreciate how crappy it can be for LGBT people to try and find people of a similar orientation, but for most roleplays, your primary goal shouldn't be trying to tie your character up in a romance, especially when something like a life threatening quest is the order of the day.

"Oh yeah, I am one of the chosen heroes of legend or whatever... by the way, I'm gay/straight/into werewolves and I know that every day could be our last and I'll barely get to know any of you, but who else wants to cuddle by the campfire at night? Any takers? Oh, you want to know my skills, haha, that's funny."

I know. Gross exaggeration, but you get the point. 

Onto stuff like clothing, usually I keep that in the character description because I treat it as the initial appearance of a character, and clothing is an expression of personality, status, wealth, experience... all sorts of stuff. It tells you a lot about a character at a glance, and no one wants to memorize each character having five different outfits. I am willing to wager that most roleplayers (myself included) couldn't begin to describe what another character's outfit looks like off the top of their head without referencing it. Sure, it's a suspension of disbelief that they wear the same outfit each day (and let's be honest, in some fantasy settings, that's totally appropriate), but you kind of have to take liberties with this medium. 

Things need to be easy for people to recall and remember and reference, just like you really shouldn't be playing anti-social loner characters who go against the grain in group settings because literally no one will want to interact with them and probably lead to the player dropping out due to feeling excluded and unpopular. 

(An aside, on that note, I've literally seen roleplays where a player tried to make their character go literally in the opposite direction to one city when the game is set in another that was outlined in the OOC and made a huge stink about not having any freedom of choice. Do NOT make a character for a roleplay that has values and traits that will make them incompatible with an RP setting, it shouldn't have to be said, but I see it way too often.) 

Does this mean your character can't ever get new clothes or change outfits? Of course not. You can describe different outfits in their inventory, or even update their appearance in the character sheet if you felt so inclined. The important thing is describing the outfit in a scene so everyone knows that your character changed into a suit from his traveling attire or whatever so they know what to visualize. 

On that note, there's some articles of clothing or accessories specific to a character that are extremely personal and symbolic in nature or related to their culture and never really change, so they absolutely belong in the Appearance field. For instance, I have a character that wears amulets that are religious in nature and wears a bandana all the time that's pretty much a part of him, kinda like how Marcus Fenix from Gears of War always wears a do-rag. This character also wears robes that are specific to his culture and aren't really available in local stores. 

As for inventory and skills, it all goes down to the particular game and character sheet, but it's safe to say, anything your character has listed in inventory can be left behind for a scene. Your AK-toting example, for instance, probably wouldn't carry it literally everywhere he goes (like the middle of a peaceful city), but he has access to it most of the time. 

Also, by having a fleshed out and consistent inventory that only gets edited when gear is used or acquired and skills outlined prevents players from pulling a fast one and suddenly having items that weren't previously disclosed.

Imagine, if you will, a character is in a room without a weapon and a bunch of baddies break in, and the whole scenario is put together to show how your character will resolve an encounter unarmed. Then the poster says they pulled out a gun from their gear bag that they "kept hidden for situations such as this". 

For this reason, with my games, I have gear limits and tiers. Everything a character owns when traveling is disclosed, and for cases like my Elder Scrolls roleplays, only common or reasonably obtainable weapons and gear are permitted, because if you don't restrict people, you'll have that one asshole who is like "And they have full Daedric armour and weaponry lol". 

Basically, character sheets act as a shield that prevent people from pulling a fast one on the GMs and game at large. Most roleplayers are pretty upstanding, but rather than inviting argument of players doing something against an unwritten rule, cover your ass ahead of time and say this and that are forbidden to keep everyone on the same page, no excuses.