Cult Favorite Wonder Woman's New Duds By Philip Schweier July 10, 2010 - 23:16 Much has been bandied about on the Web lately about the radical change to Wonder Woman’s costume. Pundits from across the land, including fashion mavens, comic book artists and general opinionated essobees, have weighed in on the new look and what it means for the character, for comic books, and for women. So why should I be any different? First of all, let me start by saying that I have little to no use for fashion as an art form. That’s not to say it shouldn’t exist, but where I’m concerned, it’s like setting a steak down in front of a vegetarian. But I’ve seen too many people, usually women, who are embarrassed at the laughter generated by their photos from 10 or 15 years ago. “Well, that was what was in fashion,” is their defense. Because fashion is fleeting, and what was once trendy and attractive is doomed to become a joke in a few years. My feeling is to stick to the classics (jeans and t-shirt maybe) and you’ll save yourself scornful laughter from the younger generation. So, back to Wonder Woman – to say that the jacket is “so ‘90s,” is a stupid argument. So what if it is? It looks great on her, but maybe in the same way that wearing your underwear outside your pants looks great on Superman or Batman. Frankly, Wonder Woman’s star-spangled swimsuit look has always been awful. And I’m a GUY! Typically, a woman dressed like that would have my full attention, but never Wonder Woman. I bought a few odd issues when I was a kid, but generally, my greatest exposure to the character came by way of Lynda Carter. Wonder Woman seems to be following the same kind of costume-almost-street-clothes look we’ve seen on the Conner Kent Superboy, and frankly, I rather like the idea. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end for the “tights make the super-hero” philosophy. Tights made sense back in the 1940s when they were associated with circus performers and muscle men. But from an adventurer/crime fighter/super-hero standpoint, I think spandex has lost its practicality. Which is why Michael Keaton and Christian Bale wore body armor in the movies. As for Wonder Woman, her wardrobe looks better than ever; better than her awful “feminist” era non-costume of the early 1970s, and better than the motorcycle stunt show outfit Cathy Lee Crosby was forced to wear in the one-shot made-for-TV movie. In my opinion, many of the mainstream super-heroes are due for some form of fashion makeover. I’d like to see Batman trade in the cape for trench coat. He is a detective after all, and projects such as Gotham by Gaslight have shown that it could work. Perhaps Superman’s outfit could be tweaked to look a little more Kryptonian and a little less Greenwich Village. Spider-Man’s outfit could stay as it is. Adjusting costumes is a narrow tightrope to walk, as not all characters need it, and it would be a mistake to change something just because you could. And naturally there will be fans who will argue with any change whatsoever, citing, “But that’s the way it’s always been.” I know I’m the guy who constantly writes about how good things were before, but let’s face it: if we do things the way they’ve always been done, we’d have no progress whatsoever. And progress is what Wonder Woman has always been about. Progress for women, and progress for humanity. Praise and adulation? Scorn and ridicule? E-mail me at philip@comicbookbin.com © Copyright 2002-2026 by Toon Doctor Inc. - All rights Reserved. All other texts, images, characters and trademarks are copyright their respective owners. Use of material in this document (including reproduction, modification, distribution, electronic transmission or republication) without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.