Why Classic Hero Costumes are Classics

Costumes, like everything else in the world, have their styles and trends. The characters that are big sellers today may not have any demand in 6 months. In fact, it seems that in children’s costumes; it is not  even monthly that Pixar or Disney comes out with a new character that all the kids scream for and everything else is, “just so last week”.

Surprisingly though, there are certain characters costumes that simply never seem to go out of style, year after year, generation after generation, they stay in demand. The demand may ebb at times but it never completely goes away.

Most of these all fall into the Classic Hero Costume Category, with Batman costumes for kids, kids Superman costumes, and boys Spiderman costumes; being the front runners. The question that begs asking is why.

Hopes, Dreams and Cultural Conscious

There are two possibilities that stand out as possible explanation for the longevity that these characters have enjoyed. Either one is as plausible as the other, or to be perfectly honest, the full truth probably lies somewhere within and between the two.

Cultural Conscious

The first theory is that, these heroes have been with us for so long and have permeated our culture to the point that they are now part of our collective consciousness. There may be a lot of truth to this idea. How many little boys or girls can grow up without being exposed to the numerous cartoons, television shows and movies, that have been with us since these media were first born?

Think about this, the first Superman shows were radio shows and the latest offering for this hero is just now hitting the movie theatres. That is a very long history, and the histories of the Batman and Spiderman characters are only slightly shorter. Truly they are all part of our popular culture.

What We Wish To Be

The second theory and the one that actually explains why the first one exist, is the idea that, these characters have enjoyed such longevity because each of us can see a little of ourselves in them, and at the same time we can look at them and see what we would hope to be.

Superman suffers his moments of loneliness, and feelings of being alone in a world he never made. Still he fights to protect truth, freedom, and justice. Batman suffers with his own solitude, and grief, but still answers the call to protect others from the suffering and sorrow; he lives with each day. Spiderman, just as any young man, has his insecurities, moments of self doubt, and feelings of social inadequacies, and still fights to protect the weak, daily.

Whether you believe, that these heroes have been with us so long, is due to them being a part of social history or that they have such staying power, because they allow us to see our own frailties in someone so much mightier than ourselves; it doesn’t really matter. The fact is that they stay with us for some reason.

Give Your Boy Someone to Emulate

It was once said, that people will always return to what they were taught as a child. Batman, Superman, and Spiderman, are pretty good people for them to build their dream identities around.

Next time an event comes around, that your kid needs a costume for, these are three pretty good choices. For that matter, they’re only young once, purchase a kids Batman costumes, kids Superman costumes, or boys Spiderman costume, and let them play in them everyday. Better they spend their time pretending to be a superhero than a rap star.