Unlike the DC Extended Universe films that came before it, Wonder Woman is bright, optimistic, and most of all, fun. Part of that fun comes from the visual imagination at play. This is a movie that looks terrific, and part of the credit for that must go to costume designer Lindy Hemming’s fantastic ensembles. Much ink has already been spilled about Wonder Woman’s signature costume; below, a few Vulture staffers make their cases for their favorites of the film’s other looks.
The Modern-Day Poncho
Wonder Woman’s signature armor is beyond cool, but we can’t always be proving ourselves in battle against the Central Powers — it’s important to feel empowered by this movie’s wealth of street-style inspiration, too. Clothing is, after all, our everyday armor against the patriarchy, and despite racks of incredible WWI-era costumes and battle armor straight out of Themyscira, the Diana Prince outfit I coveted most was her present-day attire. When the Amazonian goddess strolls up to the Louvre in a burgundy poncho with a matching turtleneck, long black skirt, and high-heeled black leather boots I wanted to collapse. The simple ponytail, the swish of the poncho that basically becomes a civilian cape — it’s a picture of “looks so good that no one can talk to you” elegance. Gadot in those shoes is easily over six feet tall, and when you can’t just pull out your Lasso of Truth on the streets of modern-day Paris, looking unfuckwithable in your fashion is a necessary first line of defense. —Jordan Crucchiola
The Suffragette Costume
I love Wonder Woman’s London look for the following reasons:
1) It’s the culmination of an honest-to-God makeover montage.
2) The last thing Diana dons is a pair of eyeglasses, which is such a witty inversion of how these makeover sequences usually play out.
3) In general, dressy-casual is an underrated style journey for superheroes.
4) That hat!
5) On almost anyone else, these duds would signify “schoolmarm,” but when Gal Gadot dons that long coat and buttoned-up shirt, she looks like the living picture of an adventuress. It’s a reminder that when it comes to what you wear, the most important thing you can put on is confidence. –Kyle Buchanan
The Blue Dress
Wonder Woman represents the arrival of a long-needed filmic element to the DC Extended Universe: bold, vivid colors. Ever since Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel kicked off that cinematic mythos in 2013, the director’s desaturated, nearly black-and-white aesthetic has dominated its look. Not so in the latest installment, and that fact is most intensely represented in a scene where our heroine attends a sinister soiree on a mission of vengeance. She wears a dress of astounding blue, with a broadsword not-so-discreetly hidden in its back. It is, in a way, an encapsulation of the film: bright palette, fabulous femininity that doesn’t exploit or sexualize, fierce mythology (after all, the sword was forged on a magical island founded by warrior creations of the gods), a lead who is wholly sure of herself, and something ever-so-slightly unconventional for a superhero film — it’s hard to imagine Tony Stark or Clark Kent showing up to a party like that with a barely hidden blade jabbing into their posteriors. —Abraham Riesman
Dr. Poison’s Lewk
Mad scientists need a lot of pockets, and Wonder Woman lets its good doctor wreak havoc in a outfit that’s utilitarian chic. Keep those famous Wonder Woman hotpants and the Amazons’ smashing fur capes — Elena Anaya is a vision in stain-masking hunter green and sensible shoes. The mask is artistic and subtle — more Skin I Live In than Batman’s Bane — and the goggles are so pronounced they looked like a Wes Anderson accessory. When Dr. Poison tests out her latest noxious concoction — fumes that reduce a gas mask to dust — she conducts the experiment in a pair of brown-leather gloves I personally fell in love with. Those forearm-high, supple, slender gloves were a wink at luxury. With a few more minutes onscreen, I have no doubt Patty Jenkins’s camera would’ve caught Dr. Poison rocking a trendy coverall jumpsuit right out of 2017 Uniqlo. —Hunter Harris
Steve Trevor’s Activewear
Steve Trevor, supposedly a brilliant spy, decides the best look for sneaking into the Western Front involves donning a fisherman’s sweater and hiding his scoundrelly hair in a newsboy cap. It doesn’t really make sense, but it gives us a chance to see Chris Pine in a good hat, which is a lovely experience. Furthermore, let’s talk about the layering involved in this outfit. Trevor wears a jacket on top of leather on top wool on top of Aphrodite knows what else, and yet it somehow all comes together into sludge-ready chic. This is an outfit that says,“I know I’m probably going to die in war because I’m the supporting character and this is just that kind of movie, but want to curl up with a good BBC period detective mystery beforehand?” —Jackson McHenry
