Carbon Costume

In Dick Tracy, lounge singer Breathless Mahoney kept her performances fresh with an array of form fitting dresses. No dummy to the world of crime, this platinum blonde was rarely without red lips or flashy bracelets. Except of course when she was dressing up as The Blank.

Dick Tracy’s wardrobe is pretty simple in comparison to other hard-hitting superheroes. Although he does manage to stand out among other detectives with his bright yellow trench coat and matching hat. Without these token pieces you may end up looking like you just got home from work.

Ace Ventura may be solving pet related crimes but this detective is breaking more than one rule of fashion. Pairing Hawaiian shirts with striped or plaid pants, Ace’s look may seem unkempt but he balances it out with his finely styled hair.

In V for Vendetta, an activist going by the name V starts a violent campaign to bring down a totalitarian government and free the people to rule for themselves. The mask he wears of the real-life Guy Fawkes has been adopted, in turn, by the real-life Anonymous and the Occupy movements.

Batman (Christian Bale, Michael Keaton, or Adam West, depending on your age) is the secret identity assumed by billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, driven by the murder of his parents. For this costume, we recommend you upgrade the mask, gloves, boots, and cape — basically everything except the chest and belt.

In Ghost World, Enid Coleslaw (Thora Birch) is a cynical teenager with a creative side that shows in her attire. Pairing clashing patterns and vintage eyeglasses, Enid’s style requires you to have an “I don’t care” attitude because you’re probably going to raise some eyebrows. In fact, you may want to work on your witty comebacks.

In Ghost World, Rebecca Doppelmeyer (Scarlett Johansson) may feel like an outsider but she looks like the average teenage girl. Dressed in long sleeve T-shirts and solid color skirts, her wardrobe is straight out of a Gap catalog which makes it easy to recreate. The eccentric best friend is optional.

When Peter Parker gets bit by a radioactive spider on a school field trip (don’t you hate when that happens?), he develops super strength, the ability to cling to any surface, and a spidey sense. At that point, he has no choice but to build web shooters for his wrists and call himself Spider-Man.