Non-functional clothes

[chris_gerrib]

So, Mary Robinette Kowal is complaining about the wildly inappropriate clothing that female fighters wear in fantasy movies. You know what she's talking about - the Leather Bikini Brigade.

Although as a guy I do appreciate the resulting visuals, she does have a point - it tends to pull one out of the story. My pet peeve, and a related bounce, is the "Bikini in Snow." Also common in fantasy movies, (think any Conan movie) when the group is in cold weather, all the guys are wearing heavy furs. The girls are not. Especially the hot girls. (Self-heating?)

At any rate, have a nice weekend.

Comments

[bdunbar.livejournal.com]

You know what she's talking about - the Leather Bikini Brigade.

We accept orcs, trolls, magic, improbable flying critters and the Power of Love - but decking women out in improbable clothing is crossing the line into the realm of the unbelievable?

[chris-gerrib.livejournal.com]

Oh don't get me wrong - on the scale of "bad things done in the name of fiction" the Leather Bikini Brigade is not that high.

But there's a school of fantasy which wants some semblance of reality in the writing. And leather bikinis usually don't fit. (Darn!)