Monday, August 04, 2008

Marvel Fashion Show at SDCC Stuns


I was innocently checking the internet today when I stumbled upon io9.com's report on the Marvel fashion show that took place at the San Diego Comicon.


My first reaction was this:


Why are there only clothes for women being shown?


My second reaction was:


Damn, I will never have that body or those abs.


My third reaction was:


I felt very snarky about the whole thing in general, which is unusual for me.


I don't know how much of it was the fact that I would never wear an outfit like this. I am too modest, and would be horrified that my boobs would be falling out or that my stomach was hanging out.


Then I got kind of pissed because there weren't sexy outfits for guys to wear. I think it would have been a lot more fun if there were options for couples. How about a Cyclops outfit to go with the White Queen? Or what about a Bucky outfit to match the female Captain America? I'm just saying.


I know that I am not the target audience for this kind of thing. It doesn't take a board to hit me over the head. If I was going to the Halloween party at the Playboy mansion and was playmate ready, it would be awesome. Obviously, I am not going to a party in an outfit like that. My friends would be horrified to say the least and my husband would think I had lost my mind.


I am curious about one thing, and I promise not to be snarky if you answer honestly. Would any of you wear these outfits for Halloween? What do the guys out there think? Would you want your significant other to wear an outfit like this?


Checking pulses... now!
(Big shout out to io9.com for the picture!)

8 comments:

Saranga said...

I wouldn't wear those outfits, mainly because they look like coloured foil. Ergo, rank. And cheap looking. And tacky. They're hideous!
I may have worn something similar in style, if not material, when i was a teenager but i had less inhibitions then. I'm still the same size, it's just now I think I'd look rather too pudgy. I didn't care when I was 16/17.

I'm thinking of trying to get myself a Supergirl Linda Danvers esque costume together out of normal clothes. I've got a blue mini skirt I really like, now I just needed the white top or a white vest, some cool gloves and I need to borrow my army boots back off some friends. Instant outfit out of normal clothes!

Re the significant others question, I don't really think it's any business but your own what you wear. But I have to say that, myself and the boyfriend differ somewhat on what constitutes style. I like my leopard print dammit!

Craig said...

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Part of the badness is the style/cut of these costumes themselves--they look like outtakes from Victoria's Secret rather than "real" superheroine costumes. That aspect is not good.

On the other hand, I'm all for certain aspects of comics/superhero "culture" infiltrating the mainstream. And I suppose that means you're going to get some quantity of this if you're truly achieving cultural saturation.

But hey, what do I know? I still think it'd be cool to find more cheap, widely-available superhero costumes. The wife and I have been wanting to crash a few Halloween parties as the Joker and Harley for years.

Saranga said...

Oh if you wnnat to see some kick ass costumes visit http://www.gothampublicworks.com/
Professional super awesome stuff.

Unknown said...

"What do the guys out there think? Would you want your significant other to wear an outfit like this?"

I think out of the context of the ComicCon, such as in a catalog of adult-oriented costumes, these wouldn't bug me at all...but I also was disappointed to see these ladies trotted out like show cattle at the State Fair.

Every one of them are stunningly beautiful women, but at the same time, they seem more like holograms than living, breathing women. Unfortunately, so much of ComicCon celebrates "hologram women" over real women, and it gets more tiresome the older I get. There's a craven cynicism pervading so much of that show, which is especially noticeable with stunts like this.

As for the absense of guys in revealing costumes, the truth is most guys wouldn't be caught dead in male versions of revealing or "slightly naughty" costumes. For whatever reason, it seems to be a girl thing to buy this kind of stuff for Halloween. Not all girls, mind you....but enough of them to make a profit. Think of that what you will.

Heidi Meeley said...

Saranga, I was a bit iffy on the look of the outfits also. The only one I liked was the Emma Frost bit. The other outfits were not to my taste at all.

I love your idea of a Supergirl costume! I toyed with the idea of doing an outfit similar to the one you have as your avatar. I loved the white shirt and overall look. I hope you are able to do so!

I like your comment on wearing what you like. My hubby and I are pretty much comic book geek style, so it isn't too bad. I do go the other way and wear business suits that make him roll his eyes sometimes! I do agree that a girl has got to have her leopard print. :-) I still have fond memories of my old leather mini skirt back in the day, so I understand!

Heidi Meeley said...

Saranga, thank you for the link! I especially loved the Black Canary boots. I would love a pair just like those!

Heidi Meeley said...

Foolio, I think you hit the spot on this for me- my initial reaction was that these outfits were more Playboy mansion then mainstream suburban party. I have went to costume sites before, and have never beheld an outfit like any of these specifically. I wonder how spendy they will be.

I also agree that this is a definite signal to the general population that geek chic is here. Much like the costume gala at MOMA, this is an announcement that hero costumes are now ready to wear for the girl next door. LOL.


I love that you and your wife want to go as Joker and Harley sometime. I think that would be amazing! One year Jim and I went as a guy in a radiation suit and She-Hulk, and it was a lot of fun. :-)

I am still wondering what the pricing will be on these items. It makes me want to check the costume websites to try and compare.

Heidi Meeley said...

Mark, your comment that enough of these outfits will be sold to be profitable really struck a chord with me. I think you are right. That is the bottom line.

The way the fashion show went down, and the context of it vex me. I was surprised, and a bit shocked. The women were all gorgeous- I am sure they were models that were hired for the day. I have a certain amount of cynicism about this as well.

I think there is truth to the fact that many men would not want to wear revealing outfits that were so form fitting. Guys seem to go for the more humorous angle while women shoot for sexy. It reminds me of the scene in Mean Girls where all the girls showed up in sexy outfits while the new girl wore a honest-to-type witch outfit. She didn't know any better, and was shocked to see her friend all pretty much undressed that one night of the year. I guess Halloween evokes fantasy for many people, and that is what this boils down to.

It is thought provoking and maddening at the same time!