You Americans are all such damned slobs, you see. Whenever I head across to a convention, I’m primed to see people dressed as Pixie, Darkstar, Hepzibah and other well-known comic-book icons. I love seeing fans dress up as their favourite characters, and really get into the spirit of a con.
But then there are all you other people, who haven’t dressed up as Huntress or Iceman or whomever, and it breaks my heart to see that you’re wearing ironic shirts, elasticated trousers, and other items of peasantry. If you aren’t able to attend a convention in cosplay, the very least I expect from you lot is a bowler hat and three-piece suit. Is that too much to ask? Every time I see a new Vampire Weekend shirt by the Oni Press stand, it makes me feel terribly disappointed at the failure of my forefathers to breaking your colonial spirits.
I can’t remember the last time I saw so much as a polished monocle at a comic-book convention, which is a darned shame. How are you going to react to the alarming sight of an independent career-focused woman (in public, no less!!) if you aren’t able to drop your trusted monocle into the cup of tea you’re invariably holding onto at all times? Surely you’re not going to charm Dan DiDio into revealing his plan for seven Wally West titles next year whilst dressed in an old Luke Cage T-Shirt, are you?
No, you’re going to want some kind of crisply-ironed suit, preferably with a handkerchief carefully tucked into the top breast pocket.
Which is all my way of introducing you to a new range of superhero-themed suits which were today unveiled by Indochino , and according to the publicity photos will allow you to grow a Green Lantern-style facial mask and catch up on all that cityscape-brooding you’ve fallen behind on.
This is an interesting new development, as it suggests companies are now seeing a correlation between comic-book fans and dapper outfitting which previously was only represented through Kieron Gillen’s fabled all-white convention tuxedo.
It’s a nice range, in all seriousness, and it’s always fun to see unexpected companies turn their attention to our demographic. It’s comprised of six suits, two blazers, two raincoats, four ties and two pocket-squares – and it’s almost certainly the only thing stopping you from persuading Joe Quesada to let you write a new Adam X ongoing series for Marvel.
And although the suits do have slightly more in common with Lex Luthor’s wardrobe than anything you’d see Clark Kent wearing, it’s a nice change from the bland marketing campaigns you see all-too-often from fashion companies. It’s surprising that it’s taken so long for design companies to catch on to the visual design of comic-books, and retool it for their own products.
….oh my, yes, I certainly WOULD enjoy free samples, thank you..
Other than the painted on masks (presumably not included) I don’t see anything Superhero about those suits.
They have lapel pins with a symbol, but I can wear one of those on my Vampire Weekend shirts, too.
Do they know what a super-hero is?
Do they have secret pockets for gadgets, or at least some kind of thermo-resistant / kevlar-esque type of material?
I agree with the other comments… there’s not much here for our colonial roots to take pride in. Dare I say… not even a bowler hat.
In fact, these crisp suits would most likely get me mugged in the city on the assumption that I’m on par with Bruce Wayne. Perhaps the experience will bring the vigilante out of me.
Especially after the sticker shock. These are not cheap cosplay suits.
Indochino? I guess all the good names were already taken?
The theme seems mostly reflected in the lining patterns in the suits, which are quite nice.
Perhaps The Spirit…
As for your comments about wandering the convention floor, I usually sport a blazer, as it has multiple pockets, and allows me to stand out. I can go casual (even add a Gaimanesque t-shirt), or add a tie.
Sometimes, a nice pin can be used as a boutonnière, to add a bit of geekiness to it. If it’s a very informal jacket, I’ll add other buttons, like the punks.
But since the top creative people at DC and Marvel dress like the aforementioned t-shirted fans, with not much style, you’re not going to see much change in how people dress.
Unless… the Tributes start showing up at conventions, cosplaying the extreme fashion of the Capitol denizens seen in the Hunger Games. One attendee at C2E2 suggested I try “Seneca Crane”, but my beard is not thick enough to replicate his velvet wallpaper.
Does the New 52 Penguin sport a monocle?
Great looking suits, but have they been to a comic convention? Not exactly their target market.