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Obviously the costume is not entirely accurate, as even Superbaby never wore a "romper." However, it's pretty darn close to the Matrix/movie costume1, Mary Janes aside. Change the pants to a skirt and you've got the most iconic Supergirl costume in the Super-oeuvre. Of course, by keeping the pants and making the costume out of a bulky (and, I am sure, stain-resistant and machine-washable) material, you keep the littlest Kryptonian toasty warm in the bitter October evenings. Reasonably accurate, practical, and totally adorable. I approve!
This costume weds the Baby Supergirl Costume with the iconic Matrix costume. We've still got the comfy sweats, but there's what appears to be an apron of sorts, fashioned to resemble Matrix's V-cut skirt. Again, there are no boot covers, but everyone will be too busy showering this child with candy to notice her non-regulation footwear. (Note to parents: this one is hand-wash only, so don't let little Kara wear it to preschool all week, though I'm sure she'll want to.)
We're up another step in the accuracy department. With the addition of attached boot covers, this is almost exactly what the Matrix costume looks like. The only discrepancy is the red tights, which, like the pants, are extremely practical in October and don't detract from the costume at all. (Which is good news for the wannabe purist, because they appear to be attached to the skirted jumpsuit, with the belt added on over it. You want the tights gone, Mommy is probably going to have to break out the scissors and the sewing machine.)
We're five-for-five for adorable costumes with the Child Supergirl Costume, also from costumecraze.com. We also have moved into Sassy Child Territory. You know you don't want to mess with this little lady. This costume is basically the same as the DC Comics Supergirl Child Costume, with the exception of the fake belt loops on the belt. It also appears that the skirt is separate rather than attached to the jumpsuit, but the tights are still attached, so forget about going barelegged. There's really not much difference, though, so if Big Sis and Little Sis want to stick to a theme this Halloween, these are the costumes to choose.
The top, costumecraze.com tells me, is made of a "velvet-like material," while the skirt and cape are made of a "vinyl-like material." There has been some accuracy sacrificed here - the only costume with a red skirt is the Matrix one, and she didn't have gold trim on her boots. Her skirt was also, as we saw above, cut in a V-shape. But the V-shape of the boot covers and the lack of tights, are, while perhaps chilly, more accurate. At any rate, it's certainly obvious who our pigtailed friend here is supposed to be. (We shall say nothing of my personal pet peeve about the red of her S-shield not matching the red of the rest of the costume.) In general, this costume seems to be more about being "pretty" and less about being Supergirl. Of course, there's nothing really wrong with that, and this costume does a nice job of keeping the basic idea of the iconic Matrix costume but incorporating some elements of the current Supergirl costume2, like the gold trim at the wrists and boots. The part that makes me cringe is that this costume seems to be a direct lead-in to our next lovely ensemble.
Ah, the Teen Sexy Supergirl Costume. This gem is also new this year. Aren't we lucky? What we have here is essentially the current Supergirl costume, albeit with a red skirt rather than Kara's blue one, shorter cape and sleeves, and a wide decorative belt instead of Kara's narrow semi-functional one. As you can see, it's exactly the same costume as the Child Deluxe Supergirl Costume, except for the addition (subtraction?) of the bare midriff, plus (minus?) a slightly short skirt and slightly lower neckline. As Lindsay Lohan once said, "Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it."3 This costume is definitely a part of that fine tradition, along with the other new DC offering for teenage girls, the Teen Sexy Wonder Woman. It should probably be obvious to anyone who's read the current Supergirl series that DC sees no problem with the phrase "teen sexy." It is also perhaps telling that costumecraze.com considers the Adult Sultry Blonde Wig and fishnet tights to be necessary add-ons to this costume.
The Adult Supergirl Costume, also from costume craze.com, offers a brief respite. Sure, the skirt's on the short side, but so was Matrix's. And, okay, it might be hard to run in those kitten heels, but wouldn't it hurt to get kicked in the face with one? So maybe they are practical for fighting crime! Okay, fine. I know I'm grasping at straws here. But I have to do something to gather my strength, considering what's coming up next.
The road taken by the Child Deluxe Supergirl Costume and the Teen Sexy Supergirl Costume reaches its logical conclusion with the Adult Secret Wishes Supergirl Costume (costumecraze.com). Lindsay Lohan would be proud. The spike heels and plunging cleavage take this costume comfortably outside of the realm of canon. Comparing it to the Teen Sexy Supergirl Costume reveals something surprising, however - the Adult Secret Wishes Supergirl Costume actually covers more skin! The top and skirt are longer, and the neckline isn't that much lower. It is merely the, shall we say, different builds of the two models that makes the adult costume look more, well, adult.
But the real reason the Adult Secret Wishes Supergirl Costume and the Supergirl Deluxe 1-Piece Adult Costume are far less troublesome than the Teen Sexy Costume has nothing to do with how many square inches of skin are shown or not shown. The little girl shopping for a Halloween costume can choose between the Child Costume and the Child Deluxe Costume. The grown woman shopping for a Halloween costume can choose between classic Adult, Deluxe, and Secret Wishes. Sexy Supergirl, Classic Supergirl, or something in between? It's your choice. Teenage girls have been denied that choice. There is nothing for them along the lines of the Child Costume and Adult Costume. If they want to be Supergirl without being "sexy," they will have to sew their costumes themselves. Otherwise, they're stuck with velvet and vinyl. Happy Halloween. Did I miss a costume? Let me know!
1. For the purposes of
this essay, I am dubbing the
red-skirted costume worn by
Matrix and the
movie version of Kara the "Matrix costume," although it was also
worn by Linda for the first 50
issues of her series. A "Linda costume" would of course be the
white-shirted costume also worn by the
animated Kara, were any of these Halloween costumes inspired by
it. It is perhaps a little strange that they are not, seeing as how
the animated Supergirl is probably the one most little girls are
familiar with.
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit website dedicated to exploring the importance of Supergirl in pop culture from a feminist perspective. Supergirl and related trademarks are the property of DC Comics and Time Warner and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended and no affiliation with the copyright holders is implied.
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Here
we have the Baby Supergirl Costume, courtesy of
Speaking
of toasty, check out this snazzy little number, found at
I
hope that the Baby Supergirl Costumes didn't overwhelm your cuteness
sensors, because you should prepare to coo some more at the
Toddler Supergirl Costume, available at
Bridging
the gap between toddlers and children is the DC Comics Supergirl
Child Costume, which comes in two sizes: "toddler" and "small
child." Also new for 2006, it's available from
Still
in Sassy Child Territory with the Child Deluxe Supergirl Costume.
This costume, which is new for 2006, comes in the same sizes as the
regular Child Supergirl Costume, but appears to be made for the
little girl who likes some extra bling in her wardrobe.
In
fact, there's a halfway point between the Adult Supergirl Costume
and the Adult Secret Wishes Supergirl Costume: the Supergirl
Deluxe 1-Piece Adult Costume, available from
