Uniform Design
- Apr 12
- 5 min read
A big part of being an RLSH is the uniform. The first thing that other people see is your uniform, followed by your actions. Unless you sit down and have a conversation with someone, no one is going to understand why you’re dressed up, what your plans are, what your intentions are, etc.
Previous related posts: Heroic Colors (3/8/2025), Capes (3/19/2025)
Approaching uniform design can take a while, until you make some final decisions. Let’s break it down to themes, colors, armor, outer suit, and seasonal.
Themes
Most heroes, whether from a comic book or in real life, utilize a theme. Batman has a bat theme. Spider-Man has a spider theme. Dr. Strange has an occult theme. Deadpool does not have a theme. Common general theme groupings are: animals (mammals, fish/aquatic, birds), insects & arachnids, the occult, skulls, mythology, warriors/fighters, nature, space, and heritage.
Do you have a certain theme for your uniform?
Colors
One thing that all heroes have are certain color preferences. Spider-Man is predominantly red and blue. The Punisher is black and white. Wolverine usually features yellow, which has been paired with blue accents and brown accents. Scarlet Witch is red and pink. The Flash is mostly red, but with yellow/gold accents. Nightwing is black with blue. There are a lot of different combinations out there to play around with.
Something to consider regarding color is how your colors come off to the public. You could call yourself “Navy Avenger” and wear everything in navy, BUT you might have better public reception if you trim it out with a little white. Most of the time, Batman utilizes a grey suit, but accents with black, dark blue, and yellow.
Do you have certain colors that heighten your uniform theme? Do your colors make sense?
Armor
Whether it’s under or over, most RLSH have some sort of armor to their uniforms. This could be soft impact padding (like knee pads), firm impact armor (like motocross chest protector), or specialized armor (like bulletproof vest). Figure out what you are able to afford and what you think you need. If you primarily do community service, you may not need much in the way of armor. If you patrol in a heavily crime-ridden area, you may want something extra.
Armor can be layered under your hero uniform (the colorful part of your outfit) or it can be incorporated as an outer layer.
Does your armor level suit your RLSH goals?
Outer Suit
The outer suit is the part that you want everyone to see. Is it a spandex bodysuit? Is it cargo pants and a jacket? Are you using a cape? Will you wear a mask? When people design their uniforms, they usually have some sort of concept of how they want to appear.
The outer suit should not be so complex that you can only afford one suit. If you have a tear or big stain or if it's just in the wash, you might need a second suit or additional pieces (like a second shirt or a second pair of pants). You can also consider texture as playing a part of your outer suit.
Additionally, consider how your outer suit appears to the public eye. More on this below.
Practicality of an outer suit is also something to consider. Let's look at Mr. Sinister (X-Men villain) for a moment. He has a "cape" that is made up of strips. Its kind of weird and seems to serve no purpose. The "cape" portion could be removed and he'd be just as evil-looking. You would think that the cape strips would get in the way and just be dead weight. Another type of "lack of practicality" that is often seen is with fantasy RPGs, specifically female "armor" that barely covers anything. It might look really cool, but is it practical?
Does your outer suit read as “superhero”? Is your suit practical?
Seasonal
For those of us who live in areas with very different seasons, uniform variations may be needed. This could be a summer (lightweight) uniform, a rainy season uniform, a winter/snow uniform (heavyweight), muddy season uniform, etc. Wearing the correct attire for the season could save you from exposure to weather/temperature, icy conditions (proper footwear and gloves), preventing illness, and overall - preventing YOU from being a hero.
Are there seasons that you need to prepare for?
The Public Eye
Perception of the public is important. If you look like a criminal, you may be treated as one based on looks alone. If your colors are poorly chosen, you won’t look put together. If you are fat, you’ll look like some sort of wanna-be fanboy cosplayer. If you’re too extra, you’ll look too extra.
Do yourself a favor and watch a variety of superhero films. How does the uniform affect public perception? How does physique affect public perception? How does color affect public perception? These tend to be pulled into question whether it’s upfront or between the lines.
Uniform Designing
If you are in the process of designing your uniform, you may want to utilize Pinterest. You can create a private board and save photos (simultaneously links) of uniform pieces and inspiration (its a digital design board). When you go back to look at your pinterest board, you might realize that you haven't considered boots or only have armor pieces or no armor pieces. You might also find that you are drawn to certain colors. You can additionally look for sewing patterns, fabrics, etc and save those to the pinterest board. Not only will this help you figure out your design, it will help you locate sources for your uniform.
If you need some human figure templates, see the two below, which you should be able to download. Swiped from Comics For Beginners (they are available for character design).
If you want to play around with an online designer, I suggest Hero Machine (which is recently back up and running).
Does your uniform reflect your name (without explanation)? Do your colors work? Have you tried a few different designs? Often the first isn't the best.
Feasibility
When you are designing your uniform, you need to consider the feasibility of it. How can you build it? Is the cost something you can afford? Will you have to save for a while or buy in pieces? How much time do you need to put it together? What is custom on your uniform? Is the custom stuff achievable?
A cape that allows you to glide, is probably not in the cards for you at this time. BUT, with feasibility comes the possibility for innovation and the incorporation of new tech. We may not have the tech of Tony Stark, but smart glasses are available. We now have "disposable tech" available - which is the cheap tech typically off-brand and out of China. GPS trackers are very common. RFIDs can be used for exclusive access to things. You can purchase a hobby-level COTS (commercial off the shelf) drone and have it follow you, up to whatever its battery life is. 3D printing is also something to consider, depending on the type of material you are able to print.
If you have further questions, you can leave them in the comments and/or in the forum.
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