Fashion Feature Friday: Superheroes in Action

When it comes to superheroes, there's no hiding which ones I like the best. I once travelled to Seattle just to check out a Marvel exhibit, after all. While I was there, I got to check out a lot of my favorite movie costumes up-close. For example, I saw the stitching on Captain America's costume, the cracks in Iron Man's armor, and the beautiful details in Black Panther's suit. If the exhibit were to come back, I'd love for them to add Sylvie from Loki, Mysterio from Spider-Man, and so much more. Though I'm no longer pursuing a career in fashion design, part of me does love the idea of designing superhero costumes. But, as Edna from The Incredibles likes to say - "no capes".

If you look beyond personal preferences and fandom rivalries, you'll see a lot of fun, dynamic character designs. Bright colors and memorable logos pop on the pages of a comic book. While not every superhero costume is perfect - there have been some truly, trulyterribleones - they certainly are memorable. Some have even influenced and inspired designers in the high fashion world. Let's take a brief look at superhero costumes throughout history, from page to screen. We'll also be looking at the treatment of male superheroes versus female superheroes when it comes to practical design.

Superheroes for the Pages: A History

When people think of classic superheroes, they think of bright, bold colors. Costumes were simple, with clean lines, distinct shapes, and smooth textures. For example, think of Super-Man and his blue suit, yellow belt, and red cape. Or, consider Iron Man's red armor and yellow faceplate. These clean designs and sharp colors really popped off the pages of a comic book. This time period, known as the Bronze Age of Comic Books, took place in the 1960s and 1970s.

Next came the Dark Age of Comic Books, which was from the 1980s to the 1990s. Storylines were darker, characters were edgier, and comics were generally more depressing. During this time, readers devoured stories like The Night Gwen Stacy Died, The Dark Phoenix Saga, and Crisis on Infinite Earths. As a result, costumes became darker in color and more complex in design. For example, compare Wonder Woman's classic look to her over-the-top design in the 1990s. Without her signature logo, it would be hard to tell it was even her.

Today, comic book superheroes have taken on a more modern look while honoring their classic designs. Some are even newly inspired by their movie/television counterparts, such as Valkyrie and Quake. Costumes today appear more functional and more practical, while still somewhat campy and unrealistic at the same time. The ridiculous headpieces, capes, and designs seen on our favorite superheroes are part of the charm, after all.

Superheroes on Screen: A History

One of the earliest (and best-known) superhero movies is Christopher Reeve's Superman in 1978. His costume embodied the bright, bold simplicity of the Bronze Age, a real-life version of the classic Man of Steel. Next, Michael Keaton became a rubber-suited Batman in 1989. Finally, along came the questionableCaptain America (1991), the unreleasedFantastic Four (1994), and the it's-so-bad-it's-good cult classic, Batman & Robin (1997).

The superhero movies of the early to mid-2000s were heavily characterized by costumes that would have fit right into the Dark Age of Comics. They were dark, tight, shiny, and usually made with leather-like material. For example, compare the vibrant X-Men comics to the monochromatic X-Men movies. To compensate, they eventually got their classic blue-and-yellow costumes in the prequel trilogy. Other examples include Hellboy, Blade, and Ben Affleck's Daredevil.

Today's on-screen superheroes mainly come from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. They take cues from both eras of superhero films, balancing the bright and bold with the muted and realistic. The MCU also throws in the occasional reference to the classic superhero costumes of the Bronze Age. For example, check out Captain America, Scarlet Witch, and Luke Cage paying homage to their comic counterparts.

Modern costumes are characterized by thick, textured fabrics and functional seamlines. This is best seen when comparing Christopher Reeve's Superman to Henry Cavill's Superman. One is more faithful to the comics, while the other is real-world realistic. According to the costume designers, they keep some key criteria in mind: the character's roots, the director's vision, the fans' expectations, and the costume's believability.

Sexism in Superhero Design

Despite the flashiness and fun of superhero costumes, there is no denying the sexism in them, too. Female superheroes have consistently been objectified since day one. Their costumes are shorter, tighter, and smaller than those of their male counterparts. They have leg slits, cleavage windows, even exposed stomachs. None of these design elements are practical for crime-fighting, and yet, they exist, anyway. So, how has this changed and evolved over time?

For the most part, tight-fitting costumes aren't a bad thing. After all, excess fabric in a fight or a car chase can do more harm than good. However, it's the lack of protection, like padding and armor, that makes these outfits look impractical and fanservice-y.

It's not just about their costumes, either - their poses are also designed with male audiences in mind. For example, certain angles focus on their chest or butt instead of their face. Female superheroes become contorted in unnatural ways to show off their figure as much as possible.

What do female heroes look like on screen? Some costumes are both famous and infamously sexualized. Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman and Alicia Silverstone's Batgirl immediately come to mind. There is also a clear difference between Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad versus Birds of Prey.

However, there have been many recent examples of good costume design, too. For example, take a look at the Amazons in Wonder Woman. Check out the stylish, yet practical uniforms for Carol Danvers, Hope van Dyne, and Yelena Belova. And the most revolutionary change of all - female heroes are finally sporting messy ponytails instead of stylish blowouts. While things aren't perfect, there has been an obvious shift in the film industry. The common factor? The voices, experiences, and skills of female costume designers.

REFERENCES

• Costume Drama: The Highs and Lows of Superhero Uniforms | The New York Times

• Fixing the Hobo Suit | 99% Invisible

• Hair ties and no heels: The evolution of female superhero costumes is finally here | Entertainment Weekly

• How Superhero Costumes Are Made | Fashionista

• How To Change The Problem With Female Superhero Costumes | Comicsverse

ADDITIONAL READING

• Armor, Cape and Cowl: The History and Evolution of Batman's Suit | Syfy Wire

• Black Panther’s brilliant costume designer tells us how to make a supersuit | VoxCarol Danvers’s Journey to Captain Marvel, in Costumes | Vulture

• Costume marvel: The secrets behind the superhero look | CNN

• The Fitful Evolution of Wonder Woman’s Look | The Atlantic

• How superheroes made their costumes the first time | Polygon

• How the X-Men Costumes Evolved Over Time | Nerdist

• Marvel Took Superhero Costumes From the Fringe to Center Stage | Showbiz Cheatsheet

• Power dressing: which superhero has the best costume? | The Guardian

• Sexism, Impracticality, and the Hopeful Future of Costuming | The Artifice