Costumes and Fashion

[garrideb.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you've all wondered what fashion inspired by the costumes of Captain America or Iron Man would look like. Well, I found a book at the library that answers this burning question.

The book Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy showcases fashion inspired by comic book heroes. I thought two of the chapters would be of interest here; The Patriotic Body featured Wonder Woman and Captain America, while The Armored Body featured Batman and Iron Man. Each chapter began with pictures and a quick analysis of the heroes, which didn't really offer any new insights (Cap's costume changes when he becomes disillusioned with America! Iron Man's armor hides a very vulnerable body!).

But the fashions were... well, interesting.








I've got some pics from the other chapters over at my journal here

To be honest, I kind of like the last one. And I think Cap would feel the patriotic outfits are really nifty, although he'd be embarrassed by the idea of fashion inspired by him up on a catwalk.

Finally, on the topic of Captain America's costume:

Comments

[cosmicbiscuit.livejournal.com]

... ::bites fingers:: Oh, God, the urge to post these to ugly_crap just keeps rising. The huge honking metal thighs are the most unflattering thing ever.

[garrideb.livejournal.com]

Heh, I wouldn't blame you. But I've never really understood 'high fashion', so I wouldn't know if the unflattering metal thighs were what they were going for or not.

[to_shiki.livejournal.com]

I find it entertaining in the 3rd pic that they couldn't find a model that could fill out the boobs. Definetely like the shoes/leg covers of the last one though!

[garrideb.livejournal.com]

Maybe they were going for a contrast in body type? I don't know. ;-) The leg covers are cool - I think they'd make for a fun android costume.

[valtyr]

Honestly, for the armoured body they'd have done better sticking with Thierry Mugler. That stuff's metal, sure, but it's the sleek articulation that makes the Iron Man armour cool. Which is why the copper leg pieces are kind of cool. :)

I would have thought the first two there would be a bit too flag-like for Cap to be happy wearing them - his costume clearly references the flag, but it's not the flag, if you know what I mean. Pretty certain you're not supposed to wear the flag. (also I think they're pretty ugly)

Thanks for posting these. :)

[garrideb.livejournal.com]

There was a sleek-robot outfit, but it was NSFW and also rather ugly. The other ones were more Batman than Iron Man. To be honest, while I like a lot of Tony's classic designs, the really sleek ones where one can see muscle under the metal bother me. I prefer the clunkier, bulkier designs to those.

I totally get what you mean about the flag costumes. I would have liked to maybe see something evoking Cap's sheild, or his little mask-wings. The only thing that really connects these outfits to Cap is the choice of fabric.

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

Jan would burn this book, and dance on the ashes of its grave. Seanchai and I encountered it at the Met recently, and our theory is that many of the outfits in it actually had nothing to do with the superheroes at all and were just an excuse for a designer to put a flag or bondage or robot-themed atrocity on display.

For actual superhero-inspired fashion, it's Project Rooftop all the way.

[garrideb.livejournal.com]

I had the same thought about this book: Jan could do better. And I agree many of the outfits didn't feel connected to the superheroes, especially the Spiderman and Catwoman ones. A couple of the Catwoman ones were good, but most were just bondage outfits. And incorporating a web design into a dress does not scream Spiderman - it just screams spiders. It has to be a certain web design.

Huh, I've never seen Project Rooftop before, but it's very interesting. I suspect I know where my next few hours will be spent.

[ani-bester.livejournal.com]

Ummmmm *blinks*
Ok I get that High fashion (I forget the actual word for this) is basically art you put on bodies and out are not supposed to ever were it BUT

. . .
Did they all get together and opt to be intentionally ugly?
I'm confused.
I've seen really awesome fashion and and and . . . . this could have been GREAT! But not.

What is it with designers and the inability to make outfits based on superhero stuffs? Did you guys see that Comic Gala thingy in which celebs attended some high end function about superheros and all the gowns and such were suppossed to be comic book inspired.

That was a eye sore fest right there. I think maybe 5 designers got it right and the rest . . . the rest made me go "WHAT! You design for a LIVING?"