You Probably Did Not Know This About The Wonder Woman Costume Worn By Lynda Carter
What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone brings up Wonder Woman? Perhaps you imagine the classic red, white, and blue superhero outfit. A lot of people still wear iconic costumes on Halloween. However, it turns out that there are plenty of things we do not know about the particular outfit, as well as the actress who popularized her. Lynda Carter, it turns out, is a very enigmatic woman.
They Changed The Costume After Season One
The first comic book about Wonder Woman came out during the Second World War. In the ‘70s, the producers of the TV show picked that time period as the setting. Diana Prince wore a pretty different costume as well. Hers had an eagle on it, which was a clear nod to the United States. This changed when the show was transferred to a different network.
Cutting Down On The Budget
ABC decided that it did not want to spend more money on the Second World Ward sets after its first season. In the end, the network dropped it from the roster. It is a good thing that the show got picked up by CBS. They decided to set it in the present day. This was not the only thing they altered about it. The costume got an update too! Instead of the eagle, it had gold stripes and flattered the body more.
The Fascinating History Of The Bracelet
Do you know who the so-called father of Wonder Woman is? His name was William Moulton Marston. He was a psychologist who was part of a trouble with his wife and ex-student. As you can imagine, this was highly unusual back in the ‘20s. The third-party, Olivia Byrne, liked to wear big bracelets. In the show, he paid tribute to his girlfriend by adding the same accessory to the superheroine outfit.
His Interest In Tying People Up
There was more to it than that, however. He was also interested in tying up other people. This is how this feature made it to the lore. In 1942, a talked to
Family Circle
about it: “Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons have to wear heavy bracelets to remind them of what happens to a girl when she lets a man conquer her.” Should she take off those bracelets, it is possible that she might go mad.
It Was Hard To Design Swimwear For Her
Have you ever felt admiration for the outfits donned by the superhero? If so, you should thank Donald Lee Feld. Also known as Donfeld, he brought home an Emmy for his costume design work on an episode called “Anschluss ’77.” Despite this, he was unable to make a bikini that could stay on Lynda Carter.
They Gave Her A Wetsuit Instead
On the set of the show, they had a lot of wardrobe malfunctions with the bikini. This is not the sort of thing that would suit network television. Feld later made her underwear a tight blue wetsuit instead. On the bright side, this outfit is better suited for fighting crime compared to a two-piece.
Her Double Had To Wear It Too
Lynda Carter had her own body double for the show. This was a role taken up by a stuntwoman called Jeannie Epper. However, things did not go smoothly for her before the show. Did you know that she lost her job on
The Bionic Woman
because she had the wrong breast size? When she tried out for the part in
Wonder Woman
, she needed to appear in swimwear. In 2015, she told NPR, “I think why it worked so well is I could move exactly like Lynda moved, and it was unlike [how] I moved.
She Had To Keep An Eye On Her Weight
You might think that it is fun to play the superheroine, but Lynda Carter had to follow a strict regimen. She needed to fit into the costume for taping, so she had an intense exercise program and diet. “I had to stay in shape, because when you’re wearing a costume like that you can’t be eating doughnuts. But I was in my twenties, and I had the body for it – which I totally took for granted,” the actress shared with the Daily Express.
She has also expressed her disapproval for the practice of making stars lose weight. “I’m so sick of seeing these anorexic actresses,” Carter shared with Extra in 2007. “These people are crazy. Any place else in the country besides New York and LA, and they would be in a hospital.” These days, she promotes healthy eating and regular exercise. In 2018, she shared this with Energy Times: “I eat whatever I want. I just cut down on the portion size. It’s all about portion control, portion control, portion control. I have a better relationship with food now, but I struggle with my weight.”