When we think of female characters that have enthralled readers over the years, one extremely tough and empowering character comes to mind: Wonder Woman, Princess of the Amazons. Originally from Paradise Island, an island where females live together in harmony, this heroine has long been a symbol of personal liberation for female readers throughout her years in the DC Universe. With her superhuman strength of the gods, prompt self-healing, immense warrior skills, and exceptional durability and stamina, in addition to her powers of divine wisdom that are accentuated by her boundless splendor of uncanny beauty, Wonder Woman has become one of the most invincible heroes of all time.
In the 1940s, a time of war and personal liberation for females, housewives everywhere were rapidly discovering their new place in the workforce while their husbands and sons were away at war. It was during this time that Wonder Woman made her debut in the DC Universe. Her character was originally written to appeal to female readers while giving them a sense of empowerment to discover their individual identities as women who have been living in a predominantly man’s world. During this period, pin-ups began taking off in the states for the first time. Many housewives found this movement empowering—for the first time in history, they were able to use the art of pin-up to liberate themselves from the idiosyncratic roll of being a housewife.
While Wonder Woman was meant to stand proud as an empowering female figure, her costume has posed to misrepresent this empowerment by many viewers who have felt as if it exposes far too much skin. One of the remarkable aspects that cosplay provides for artists who wish to share their love of a character with the world, is its ability to incorporate various perspectives into one astounding costume for all to enjoy. TheBird-TheBee cosplay has taken us back in history, as she brilliantly incorporates the classic red, white, and blue costume of Wonder Woman with the classic look of an intelligent rockabilly pin-up model. This rendition of Wonder Woman exaggerates femininity by not showing too much skin, while still maintaining a fierce image of empowerment for women everywhere.
Photography by BellaVoce.
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Written by Guest Contributor: Domoshimi
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