Patriotic Body

Superheroes embody not only the ideals and values—as well as the myths and beliefs—of American society, but they also reflect them back in ways that shape that society. Since they are, by definition, avatars of law and order, superheroes are concerned with "fighting the good fight," which usually involves upholding American utopianism as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Superhero comics both reflect and respond to real-world social and political conflicts. During the Golden Age (1938–56), they responded to World War II by co-opting their heroes to fight fascism. Some, notably Captain America and Wonder Woman, made this fight their entire mission, quite literally wearing their flag-waving fervor on their sleeves. Appropriating and mobilizing the patriotic emotions attendant on their creations, both characters sported red, white, and blue costumes that were composites of the American flag.

Wonder Woman's comic book and television representations were the point of departure for John Galliano's ensemble for Christian Dior. With its red and white stripes, gold and white stars, and scanty gold briefs, the ensemble not only captured the politicized but also the sexualized overtones of Wonder Woman's costume.

Over the years, Wonder Woman's costume, like her character and physique, has been reworked and even reinvented according to prevailing fashions. One of the more drastic redesigns appeared on the cover of Wonder Woman No. 178, October 1968, where the heroine wears an implausibly short mini-dress and a pair of impossibly high thigh-high boots. Bernhard Willhelm evoked this "Mod" look in ensembles from his spring/ summer 2008 collection, although with their star-spangled patterns they also suggested Wonder Woman's original patriotic costume.

What was intended as a playful commentary on patriotism, Catherine Malandrino's "Flag" dress from her autumn/winter 2001–2002 collection took on more poignant associations after September 11, 2001. In their ensemble, Viktor & Rolf presented a distinctly unpartisan construal of the Stars and Stripes. Part of their first prêt-à-porter collection, which they dedicated to "the art of the commercial sell-out," it expressed their anxieties about moving away from the world of haute couture to the world of ready-to-wear and mass production.

Superheroes are not above criticizing the government. Captain America's disgust over the Watergate scandal prompted his rejection of his patriotic persona and the adoption of the identity-denying Nomad, a character created by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema, who made his debut on the cover of Captain America No. 180, December 1974. Tellingly, however, the superhero resumed his flag-clad identity after only four issues. Readers, it seems, missed the more traditional Captain America. While the emphasis of Captain America and Wonder Woman narratives fluctuates in tune with societal dialectics, they remain, through their costumes, powerful metaphors of patriotism.

Costume Designer Quotes