Designing a Superhero Symbol
Batman has the black and yellow Batsignal, Superman has his “S” shield, and even Spider-man has the small black spider on the middle of his chest. These symbols are representative of the heroes almost as much as the heroes are themselves, and they usually, although not always, dominate a superhero’s costume. In order to make putting your costume together easier, consider building your outfit around a symbol.
When thinking of your own symbol, try to tie it in to the kind of superhero you would want to be. If you are intent on labeling yourself Couch Potato Man, then consider making your symbol a potato or a couch. You don’t have to use recognizable objects, you can also design your own symbol.
There are a few different ways you can make your symbol. One of the easiest ways is to cut the symbol out of cloth and then glue or sew it onto your outfit. Fabric provides solid construction that won’t come off in the wash. You can also have the symbol screen printed onto fabric, or you can iron it on with a do-it-yourself iron on kit. Both of these methods will work, although you may experience varying levels of quality.
Picking out Superhero Colors
Before picking out the clothes to use for the body of your costume, decide on what colors you want. You can match the colors to your superhero persona, for instance Beeman would probably be black and yellow, or you can go for something totally crazy. If you’re choosing a persona that has popular colors associated with it, it might be a good idea to stick to those colors. Otherwise, have fun and decide on whatever colors you want.
The Suit Makes the Superhero
When it comes time to put your suit together, there are a couple of options that you can choose from. Zentai suits are a great place to start, as they cover your whole body in spandex and can be modified to show anything from zero to a lot of skin. One problem with these suits is that they are usually made out of Lycra and can be hard to sew onto.
If you don’t feel like purchasing a full body suit, you can also piece together a spandex top and a spandex bottom.
If you don’t want to wear spandex at all, you can use tight fitting cotton clothes or you can say goodbye to the superhero cliche that all outfits have to be skin tight. If you are shying away from skin tight clothes, a sweatshirt and sweatpants can make an interesting superhero outfit. Some superhero, i.e. Lumberjack man, may not wear a traditional outfit. If your superhero would be best represented by something other than a solid colored piece of clothing, then go for it.
Some superheroes, like the Hulk, have made a name for themselves with almost no clothing. Although this option might sound appealing, and may save you money, please be considerate of other people and the temperature. Nothing ruins a great Halloween costume like frostbite.
Accessorize
Almost as important as a good symbol are your superhero accessories. The list of accessories is almost endless, but I will try and give you a good starting point.
* Masks: Think Batman or the Flash
* A Cape: Almost everyone has one, but is it worth the hassle?
* A Utility Belt: Batman is the utility belt king
* Boots: Hard to run in, but they look snazzy
* Gloves: Some superheroes are more worried about the condition of their hands than others
* A Weapon: Wonder Woman has the Lasso of Truth, you have…
* A Sidekick: Do you have any friends that need costumes?
* Armor: Not all superheroes are invincible, think Steel or Iron Man
* A Ship: Who wants to show up to a party in a car?
Have Fun
When designing your own superhero costume, the goal should be to have fun. If you don’t enjoy making or wearing your costume, then you might want to consider saving yourself some time in the future and buying a cheap costume that you won’t mind wearing just once. To get ideas for a your costume, try Googling “homemade superhero costume.” You will be surprised what one can do with a little fabric and some hard work.