with Allentown, Pa.’s Comic-Con around the corner, molly and colleen hurford look at the fashions of superheroes …
We see it everywhere these days — on TV, in the movies, and lately, in the clothing stores. What self-respecting comic book nerd doesn’t have an entire wardrobe covered in NASCAR-style logos featuring his (or her!) favorite crime-fighters (or supervillians)?
Between the two of us, we could outfit an entire Justice League of our own, though the costumes we would put together might be slightly less efficient. With a Comic Con in Allentown, Pa., coming up next weekend, we turn our attention to the wonderful world — or should we say alternate universe? — of superhero style.
First of all, it’s gotta be said: Superheroes are so lucky. Besides getting to do amazing things with super powers, they also get to wear WHATEVER they want, and they usually want to wear spandex. As you may have guessed from past columns where we’ve looked at styles for dancers and athletes, we’re fans of anything stretchy and comfortable. And what could be more comfortable than a spandex bodysuit? (Sweatpants, maybe. But they wouldn’t look nearly as fashion forward.)
One of our personal favorite superheroes is Wonder Woman, the original proponent of Girl Power. Case in point: she rocked the same high heeled red boots that Ginger Spice wore in ’90s era of Girl Power, 40 years before! Her outfit is totally iconic, sexy, and, oddly, patriotic. What woman doesn’t want to run around kicking ass while wearing what is essentially underwear with an excellent star print and a red bustier with a giant gold eagle, flattering high-waisted gold belt, and sick red boots?
Now, despite this original costume’s appeal and success, people still mess with it. Most recently Wonder Woman’s costume has become a little more modest and way more functional. Now she fights evil in pants, made of what appears to be black leather-not sure how that’s more functional, exactly, but still pretty badass. She still has the awesome red bustier on top, but they also added a pretty nifty jacket. Honestly, we know more people hate it, but we really like the new outfit: It’s more intimidating and it looks less likely to come off if a villain happened to pull on it, which is a reasonable worry for someone in Wonder Woman’s position and with her … ahem … assets.
We have to give serious credit to one male superhero who successfully avoided the silly spandex with underwear on the outside look that superheroes tend towards. The Question is a man of mystery … okay, fine — he’s a teensy bit conspiracy-crazed and paranoid (“The plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces are called aglets. Their purpose is sinister.”), but he busts conspiracies in style. The Question is a faceless man who wears a fedora, a dark suit and tie, and tops it off with a blue or purple overcoat. Basically, he is super classy even when he is fighting crime. It is true, however, that despite always looking sharp, the Question is not always dressed for action. We can’t imagine getting into physical confrontations while dressed in formal attire, his suit must be made of some kind of Justice League fabric that allows for a lot of give, so that he isn’t constantly ripping his clothes while fighting off bad guys. He tends to avoid violence in favor of mostly fighting evil with his intellect, but he can kick ass when he has to, or when his girlfriend, The Huntress (sigh!) is in trouble. James Bond and Fox Mulder would definitely approve of the Question’s fashion decisions.
A final favorite of ours, and a slightly lesser known Justice League member, is Zatanna. She is a witch who moonlights as a magician and has a pretty awesome outfit. She wears a top hat, a bow tie, tuxedo vest without the shirt underneath, a coat with tails, and what is basically a pair of black underwear. So, it might not be the most modest or functional outfit, but come on, it’s totally awesome. She also sometimes wears gloves, this is one chick can really accessorize. Also, she has a flirtation with Batman. Is there anyone cooler to have a flirtation with? We think not.
All right, let’s be realistic. Wearing all spandex and attempting to fight crime might be kind of silly, and wearing a T-shirt with The Flash’s logo on it can be a little … lame. But there are ways to sneak superhero style into everyday life! For example, this summer at the beach, consider rocking a superhero-inspired bikini or one-piece, courtesy of splish.com. (For a Wonder Woman style, check out http://www.splish.com/product/
awesome-girl-super-thin-strap. For a more quirky swimsuit, check out the Aquaman-inspired bikini here: http://www.splish.com/products/bikinis/fishchick-bikini) Accessories like a great blue trench can mimic The Question, while a punky leather cropped jacket can give off a purrrfect (couldn’t resist!) Catwoman vibe. For a super easy super hero look, look no further than Hawkgirl in The Justice League Unlimited series. Sure, she’s got wings and a magic mace, but her “costume” is a wife beater and black leggings!
If you do want to rock your superhero T-shirt, consider “refitting” it. There are tons of websites and books devoted to DIY T-shirt restyling. Want more proof? The Metropolitan Museum of Art did an entire exhibit on superhero couture: http://www.metmuseum.org/special/superheroes/index.asp We’re off to fight crime … and get started on our costumes for Comic Con.
You guys do good work.