One of the trademarks
of the original WonderWoman series, first aired in 1975, is iconic risqué
WonderWoman outfit. Revealing and artificial looking, the original costume bore
about as much resemblance to armour as a onesie. Having heard about the new
WonderWoman film, I was interested to see if the new directors had done any
better. From first glance, it didn’t seem like it, but to thoroughly examine the
cinematic costumes, I decided to properly look at the motivation and
inspiration behind both pieces.
The original series’ costume, in hindsight, is laughable.
This battle armour is comprised of a low-cut top and short shorts, all made in
cheap flimsy spandex. Whilst not only being painfully gaudy, it’s also
hilariously impractical for battle. The fabric would provide no protection
against real weapons, and the breastplate looks like it could fly off at any
moment. The motivation is clearly to make an appealing female hero, and the
inspiration could easily be from any summer high-street shop.
However, the costume
used in the remake is a different story all together. Despite also being
constrained to the original costume used in the comic books, the inspiration
behind this costume comes from real Roman armour. Her breastplate mimics the
ancient Roman protection of overlapping leather, and her leg protection has
turned from attractive high boots to buckled-on shin greaves that replicate
their Roman counterparts. Even the “skirt” is cut in Roman battle style, high
over the thighs to allow movement.
Whilst this isn’t a massive leap away from physical appeal
and towards character, it’s certainly an improvement. It’s true, the armour is
highly stylised, perhaps to stay true to the comic book source, but this time, it’s
also practical and functional. This costume is armour, this female lead is
powerful, and to me, this feels like a step in the right direction.
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