wonder woman uniform re-design

Why is Wonder Woman naked?

All the men get to wear clothes.

I actually had ideas about Wonder Woman's uniform* before I started working on Superman's suit redesign. It seems to me that the 1941 Wonder Woman was dressed as a hero which reflected the time in which she was developed, regardless of how forward thinking and empowering the ideas behind her development were. Diana's suit has been updated over time, and the flowing, star-studded skirt has taken on the appearance of a Roman centurion's cingulum militare; those straps of metal studded leather or baltea, worn hanging down over the lower part of their tunic. The eagle adorned bustier has become a gold lorica musculata or muscle cuirass; the Roman decorative breast plates with muscles (and other decorations) formed into the metal. These were normally only used for parades and other showy events, by folks really high up, like the Caesar. The bullet deflecting bracelets have become vambraces. And the high-heeled red boots, have become a combination of centurion sandals, or caligae, and greaves. they still have high heels, but they're 3 or 4 inch wedges now, so much more practical for crime fighting

The Wonder Woman movie of a few years ago and a lot of the current comic book art mostly agree on these updates to the suit, and depending on what issue you're looking at they're pretty consistent, altho there are some variations. I haven't seen the current movie, but I have seen an image or two that lead me to believe there is a special suit that is different there, and the comics have certainly had suit variations as well. There has even been some versions of the suit with pants, from Jim Lee's 2010 version with what looks like a bolero coat with the sleeves magically pushed up, and the ill-fated 2011 TV pilot.

Now in 2015, a new suit rolled out that picked up on the pants idea, and ran with it, adding an apron looking (loincloth?) thing over the pants, and some gold pauldrons to the breast plate, and some wicked, Conan-esque, stabby looking things that shot out from her bracelets (vambraces) and some thigh-high boots. All in all, not bad, in that it does check off some of the boxes for me: the most import being getting her out of a bathing suit and into a super suit. The 2010 and 2011 efforts did that as well, but what they all have in common is that they are too complicated, and they all include the tiara. Call it a headband if it makes you feel better nerds, the whole 'every little girl wants to be a princess' trope is not what we need now.

What we need is a super suit designed for a woman that provides what she needs, and eliminates what she doesn't.

What she doesn't need is her arms and legs hanging out there. I know she invisible, but so is Superman, he's got pants. She also doesn't need sharp, pointy bits of metal poking up at the top of her armored breast plate. And I'm pretty sure she doesn't need 4-inch wedge heels.

What I think Wonder Woman does need is a simple, dignified super suit, which recalls her history and iconography so that she is identifiable. Why is that important, out may ask, even if you are playing devil's advocate? I think its important because in both reality, AND in Wonder Woman's fictitious universe, she is a symbol; of peace, and standing up against evil and violence. As such, her symbolism needs to be acknowledged. speaking of violence, if you're standing up against violence, I'm not sure the aforementioned punching knives are most peacekeeping or elegant weapon for Wonder Woman to wield.

So what did I come up with? Actually, I came up with some options. Its kind of a kit of parts, which can be changed out depending on the task, or the weather.

Wonder Woman Suit redesign by Phil O'Brien, Option 6

More to come.

*Costume? super suit? kit? PPE? Lets say suit, mostly what I see on the interwebs seems to say suit.