Betty Felon is an outfit blogger of superheroine proportions. When not photographing her own outfits and costumes, she documents her favourite Fashion Tips from Comic Strips. Plus, one time she made this really wicked Pokemon dress, forever securing a place in my heart.

If you were a superhero, what would your costume look like?
First and foremost, a domino mask is mandatory, as are bow-shaped Batarangs, since I wear bows with almost every one of my outfits. The rest of my dream costume would include a long-sleeved leotard, matching tights, patent combat boots, a streamlined utility belt, and an optional cape that falls mid-thigh. As for the color palette, I think that I’d stick with a more retro colourway — light aqua body, cherry red cape and mask, and lemon yellow accents.

Do you think there is a difference between costume and fashion?
I think it really depends on the role that fashion plays in your life. In a general sense, there really is no essential difference between costume and fashion when you recognize both as a means of visual identity. While costumes often seem a bit audacious and inappropriate in normal settings, you really have to consider the significance of a costume to a superhero or supervillain, serving as an iconic identifier; even after years of redesigns, most characters can be identified simply by their synonymous symbol, theme, or style. Similarly, civilian characters also have a symbol in the form of a signature look, which allows us to identify Lois Lane by her impeccable sense of business-casual or Jim Gordon by his browline glasses within even the most intricately dense splash page. In relation to the fashion world, I think that virtually everyone has a signature style or item that they wear that personalizes their daily ensembles.

However, I think that the similarities between costume and fashion are actually more apparent when heroes and villains assume their civilian identities. As civilians, they wear “normal” inconspicuous outfits to blend in with their surroundings, not unlike how less-than-super individuals will abide by a dress code at work or this season’s popular-yet-overdone fashion trends on a daily basis, usually for the primary purpose of fitting in. Their civilian wear in turn serves as their Average Man and Normal Woman costumes, giving them the power to hide their actual powers and identities.

What comic book’s costumes outdo its plot?
Chynna Clugston’s Scooter Girl. I read this back in high school, and while I did enjoy the story, I found Margaret Sheldon’s neo-mod wardrobe incredibly memorable and visually compelling. I’ve been hooked on Chynna Clugston’s work ever since. Another honorable mention is Batgirl’s costume in Frank Miller & Jim Lee’s All-Star Batman and Robin; I wasn’t crazy about the comic, but I really loved the gold JLA charms on Barbara’s earrings and belt.

Which came first: your love of comics, or of clothing? Has one influenced the other?
I think that my respective interests in comics and fashion started when I was about six or seven years old, though my fondness for these two realms were pretty disconnected from each other at first. As I got older, I started realizing how connected these two visual narratives were, which have since allowed me to enjoy my two passions in a new way. While I’m reading, I love picking up on small visual cues and details, especially in costumes and apparel, and I enjoy creating redesigns of some of my favorite characters. Similarly, I really can’t think of the last time I’ve gone shopping without being reminded of my favorite fictional fashion icons.

Do you have a dress code at work? Have you ever been forced to limit what you can wear?
Yes, I do have a standard professional dress code, however limitations actually push me to be more creative with my coordinates, such as playing around with layers to lengthen short hemlines or dressing up my work outfits with jewelry and pins. Almost every outfit that I’ve documented on Lookbook or on my Flickr during the weekdays were in fact worn to work as well.

Would you say that in general comic book fandoms tend to be more receptive to creative and experimental clothing?
Yes and no. For the most part, I’ve gotten positive reception from people who love fashion and/or comics, however like most fandoms, there will always be people who are stylistically conservative, disinterested, or just simply dislike my style aesthetic. For years now, it’s incredibly apparent that the majority of comic fans are incredibly fashion conscious, as comic fans will naturally react to costume changes and fashionable translations of their beloved characters. From the rants and ravings that erupt when a beloved character gets a costume makeover, to the scrutiny over what female heroes and villains are (and aren’t) wearing, fashion will inevitably intrigue fans, be it positive or negative.

Another thing that may have affected this connection between fashion and comics is that the classic stigma surrounding geeks and their fashion sense (or a supposed lack thereof) has transcended into popular culture to the point where it is in itself a style, and likewise, there has definitely been an increase in the variety and quality of fashion aimed at fandoms that provide more ways to wear your nerdy heart on your sleeve beyond unflattering “babydoll t-shirts.”

You make a lot of your own outfits. How long have you been crafting and sewing, and how did you get into it?
I’ve been crafting ever since I was about five years old; my mom does a lot of arts and crafts, so I picked up a lot of it from her. However, I didn’t start sewing until about high school, where I learned the basics from my mom and beginner courses in fashion design. Since then, I’ve been relying primarily on online tutorials and tips from other designers for more advanced sewing and crafting techniques.

What are some of your favourite ensembles that you’ve worn?
I really love wearing bold colors, especially coordinating red and yellow together, like my striped red dress and my Firestorm-inspired outfit; I’m planning to create similar ensembles inspired by Plastic Man and The Flash. I also wear a ton of grey, black and blue, such as my Zatanna outfit, my Blackest Night Wonder Woman outfit, my Batwoman outfit, and my Blackest Night outfit. I love outfits that include items that I’ve made or altered, such as the dress in my Batgirl outfit and my modified vintage dress in my Ultimate Spider-Man outfit. I also enjoy pulling inspiration from both music-based comics which allows me to channel some of my favorite musical fashion icons, as seen in my Phonogram outfit (also inspired by Kate Jackson of The Long Blondes) and my Blue Monday outfit that also pulls from Kate Nash’s “Do-Wah-Doo” video.

Betty or Veronica?
I am often a tad bit biased toward Veronica, solely for the fact that most people seem to favor Betty and are quick to write off Ronnie as a bitch. However, I don’t think that it would be fair to choose in terms of having one without the other. You can’t have a Betty without a Veronica, and you can’t have a Veronica without a Betty, and I think that everyone is at least a little bit of both.

But if you really want me to choose, I’ll have to go with Jughead.

Betty Felon’s top ten best-dressed comic book characters (in no particular order):
Barbara Gordon / Batgirl / Oracle
Dick Grayson / Robin / Nightwing / Batman
Lois Lane
Selina Kyle / Catwoman
Go-Go (of Tippy Teen)
The cast of Blue Monday
Ramona Flowers (from Scott Pilgrim)
Patsy Walker/Hellcat
Denny Colt/The Spirit
Jimmy Olsen

- Interview by Anna Fitzpatrick

Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, edited by MET Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, attempts to bridge the gap between the world of fictional crime fighters and contemporary fashion design. The book features the work of some of the most highly regarded fashion houses, as well as the best of Iron Man, Spiderman, Cat Woman and the like.

Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy begins with an essay by novelist Michael Chabon discussing the relationship between superheroes and their costumes. In what Chabon coins as “Unitard Theory,” he emphasizes that the costume/clothing of a superhero is more than a mere unitard-cape combination. The costume serves as a spectacle of transformation, symbolizing humanity’s desire to manipulate and reinterpret their bodies into physically perfected, supernatural beings. The essay, originally written for The New Yorker, lays the foundation for the remaining eight sections of the book. Bolton has arranged the book into the following sections based on the designers’ attempt to interpret the body as a constantly changing entity: The graphic body, the patriotic body, the viral body, the paradoxical body, the armoured body, the aerodynamic body, the mutant body and the postmodern body. Each of these sections explores how the superhero costume has influenced the design of radical couture, avant-garde sportswear and state-of-the-art military garments.

The book itself is also aesthetically pleasing. Printed in full colour on thick glossy paper, it has taken on the characteristics of an actual superhero. Comic books are usually floppy and easily destructible. This book is the complete opposite. Armoured in a tin, the book itself represents the strength and endurance embodied by the superhero.

Dolce and Gabbana’s spring 2007 collection inspired by Iron Man

Superman was North America’s prototype of what would become the very definition of a superhero: a public figure endowed with otherworldly powers, committed to fighting evil for the betterment of society. Since his inception, and the slew of crime-fighting crusaders that followed, the superhero (like fashion) has established itself as a powerful influence upon society. They embody the hopes, dreams, and fantasies of humankind. Often disregarded as superficial and frivolous, it is their very lack of seriousness that enables superheroes to address greater social issues without controversy or objection. Over the years, superheroes have metaphorically represented our social and political realities. They reveal shifting ideologies and attitudes towards identity, sexuality, and agency, as they are constantly being redefined to reflect ideal interpretations of beauty and character.

Similarly, fashion also embodies many of the characteristics for which superheroes have become famous. Fashion not only shares the superhero’s metaphorical diversity, but it also embraces and flourishes based on its ability to transform. Fashion celebrates metamorphosis, providing designers with unlimited opportunities to reinterpret the body and the self. Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy brings its readers a different understanding of the relationship between popular culture and fashion design. And even if you don’t truly believe that Iron Man was the inspiration for Dolce and Gabbana’s spring 2007 collection, the book is still worth the read.

Edited by Andrew Bolton, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008
Reviewed by Candice Okada