Wonder Woman Costume: Red, Blue and Gold From the 1941 Original

In 1941, Wonder Woman made her debut in All-Star Comics, and by early 1942 she was on the cover of Sensation Comics, drawn by Harry G. Peter. Smithsonian Magazine describes that first look as a golden tiara, a red bustier, blue underpants and knee-high red leather boots. Within a year she was the first female superhero with her own solo comic series, according to the Los Angeles Times. I love that the whole outfit was settled so early and has barely moved since.

That is why a Wonder Woman costume is one of the easiest ideas to pull off and one of the easiest to get wrong. The colors are fixed: red, blue, gold. What changes is how much you want to commit. Of all the Halloween costumes women reach for, this one is read across a room. Everyone at the party knows the reference, so you can play it as a full dress, a tee and a cape, or armor.

For the full-dress version, the Women's Caped Wonder Woman Costume is a red stretch-knit tank dress with a glitter emblem, a metallic blue star skirt, a cape and a tiara. The long-sleeved velour dress with the star-spangled satin skirt is the warmer pick for a cold October porch. The Original Costume has the classic strapless bodice, a gold belt and boot covers, while the Deluxe goes warrior, with an armored bustier and pleated blue panels. If you only want a hint, the Casual costume is a red logo tee with a star-print cape and a foam headpiece, and there is a plus-size version of it too.

Try the cape and headpiece on before you commit: foam bands should sit flat without pinching, and a bustier with metal hooks at the back needs a minute of practice in the mirror.

Accessories do most of the talking, so choose them before anything else. A costume with a great tiara reads instantly, and a great costume with no tiara reads as a red dress. Hold each piece up against your hair and decide whether it works with your outfit.

There are three tiaras here. The plain gold stretch-band tiara is the cleanest. The cream-gold one with a red gem star has fringe combs, which stay put better in thick hair, and the gold headband with a red star centerpiece is the easy one if you hate combs. The Golden Rope Lasso is a braided twist with a gold clasp, a stand-in for the lasso of truth, and it hooks onto a belt so your hands stay free. The gold metallic gauntlets carry a red star, and the accessory kit bundles a belt, headband, wrist cuffs and lasso for people who want it all in one go.

Then the shields. The round bronze-and-navy one has a sunburst star, and the 12 inch bronze shield has a raised eagle emblem and rivets. Check the strap and the weight before a long night. I would take the smaller one to a crowded bar.

What I would skip: the big shield at a house party with narrow hallways.

Build a costume from separate pieces and you can wear most of it again. Lay out red, blue and gold on the bed and see whether the shades agree before the night, because mismatched reds are the giveaway.

The boots are the foundation. The glossy red block-heel boots with a white stripe and cuff are the comfortable pair for standing around, and the red ones with gold trim at the top of the calf are a little more polished. If you plan to dance, skip the tall stiletto pair with the white stripe, which zip up to the knee. The striped boot tops pull over your own boots and go over the knee, which is a smart trick if you already own red boots. Zip them and walk the length of a room before you leave the house.

Add the elbow-length red gloves, which have a satin look and a stretch knit, and the adjustable gold metal circlet, a more subtle crown than a full tiara. The royal blue leggings with a white star stripe and gold logo go under a red top or a plain red slip dress. For a mesh option, the accessory kit has a sublimated crop top, a gold W belt, a headband and cuffs, so you can finish with jeans or a skirt.

Pick the base first, because everything else hangs off it. Decide whether you want a full dress, a tee and cape, or armor, and buy that one. Then add a tiara you like, then boots you can stand in, and stop there.

Try it all on once, a few days early, with the shoes you will wear. Sit down, raise your arms and see what moves.

Wonder Woman started in a few pages of a 1941 comic, and the best version of this look is still the simple one: a good tiara, a straight back and boots that work. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Gold Standard Whey Protein Used to Be Called Just 100% Whey and Gold Heels Beyond The Wedding.