Top salon altering soldiers' outfits (8)
I believe the answer is:
platoons
'soldiers' outfits' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both groups as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'top salon altering' is the wordplay.
'altering' indicates an anagram.
'top'+'salon'='topsalon'
'topsalon' anagrammed gives 'PLATOONS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for platoons that I've seen before include "small bodies of soldiers" , "Army units" , "Military units" .)