Suiting Up: An Introduction To Superhero Costume Design

So you've made the decision to venture out into the world in the guise of a Real Life Super Hero. You want to present an image that's heroic, classic, perhaps intimidating. Or maybe even themed. What do superheroes wear? Are you going to be taken seriously wearing tights and a cape? Are you going to be safe running around looking like a ninja? What about protective gear? Do you need to be bullet proof or will an athletic cup suffice? Read more after the break.


 There's a lot of thought that should go in to making your polished RLSH look. Of course that doesn't mean you need to wait until you've saved up several hundred dollars to make your dream costume, either. Now I'm no expert on body armor, but one thing I do know is costumes. Sewing is a hobby of mine and I've been designing and making random costumes for years, so I've decided to put my knowledge down here.

Over the next few entries I'll be exploring the many different styles of superhero costumes to choose from, some quick and easy methods of throwing together a costume, how to choose the look that's right for you, and how to integrate your look with your gear. Sound fun?

Before we even begin the discussion of making a costume, uniform, gimmick, what have you, we have to establish a couple of ground rules, so as to avoid any sort of misunderstanding. The RLSH look is essentially derived from iconic comic book superhero imagery, so obviously the overall goal of making a RLSH costume is to make it look "superhero-esque". Cool? cool. 

THE EVOLUTION OF THE SUPERHERO COSTUME.

There has been a variety of different superhero looks over the years, from the dark coat and hat heroes such as the Shadow and the Spirit,

to the traditional tights-wearing caped heroes like Superman and Batman 

to the gear and armor oriented heroes like the Punisher.

Add to that the very stylized looks provided by Hollywood over the years, and you see a very clear evolution of costume looks:

You've got your traditional 40's through early 80's tights/spandex looks:

Then you've got the late 80's rubberized muscle suits:

From the leather-clad heroes of the 2000's:

To the functional, gear oriented costumes of the last couple of years:

You can find examples of all of these styles represented in the RLSH community - as well as a few new styles - which we'll get in to later. 

Choosing the right look for you is an important step in designing your costume, as there are a lot of different factors you have to account for while making the decision. In tomorrow's entry we'll discuss where to start - balancing form, function, and purpose with style and flair.