Wonder Woman is a DC Comics character who debuted in 1941 as the first super heroine. She has been a constant emblem of female empowerment, characterized by her metallic wrist cuffs, golden tiara, red top and star-spangled leotard bottoms and red shoes. Little girls have been emulating her superhuman strength, invulnerability and strength for decades, and can continue to do so through dress up games, using both homemade and store-bought items.
Magic Wrist Cuffs
Wonder Woman drew her power from her magic wrist cuffs, which were said to deflect even speeding bullets. Girls can make their own using fabric, felt, foil or even metallic foam. Cut the pieces so they are two to three inches wide and either stitch, glue or tape them together. Wrap one around each wrist.
Gold Boomerang Tiaras
Wonder Woman’s tiara had many uses: it not only looked great while she was wearing it, but it also acted as a boomerang and could cut through diamonds. Girls can make their own tiaras from the same materials they used to make the wrist cuffs, only using gold fabric. Don’t forget the iconic red star in the center. You can use a red permanent or oil marker to draw the red star on your tiara.
Leotards and Skirts
Wonder Woman’s costume was originally a red bustier top with a yellow phoenix emblazoned on the front, accompanied by a blue, star-spangled skirt that hit her mid-thigh. Over the years, this costume kept the bustier, but evolved the phoenix into a “W” and the skirt into a pair of shorts. Girls can wear red leotards and blue shorts or skirts over the top to accompany their cuffs and tiaras. If you have one handy, use a yellow oil marker to draw the “W” onto the leotard’s chest.
Red Shoes
Wonder Woman originally wore tall, red boots that resembled wrestling boots. For a period of time, illustrators replaced her boots with Grecian sandals that wrapped around her ankles and up to her calves. Girls can tie red ribbons to their own sandals at the point nearest to the Achilles tendon, then wrap them around their calves in a fashion similar to ballet shoes. If you have no red ribbon, try tall red socks or even tall red boots if you can find them.
Cape
Wonder Woman was made into a TV series by CBS in the mid-1970s, the medium that was responsible for adding the cape to her costume. The right half was red; the left half was blue and white fan-striped. Both sides had stars. You can use a piece of red cloth as a cape, and carefully affix it to a red leotard or top.
Premade Costume Sets
Wonder Woman costume sets for all ages are widely available in costume stores and online. They include these staples of her costume, but all of them have the tall red boots instead of the red sandals. Even Wonder Woman wigs are available, but a wig of long, black hair will work well, too.
