We get this kind of question a lot, often in relation to a particular concept or idea the asker has. However, it’s impossible for us to provide a helpful response on a singular concept – simply because we don’t know all the information and frankly don’t have the time to absorb it all then provide a meaningful response.
This weekend there will be a follow up post to this is one with some ideas on how to avoid bikini armor, but for now the main advice I want to offer whenever you have such a dilemma is asking yourself these questions:
How does the outfit serve your character?
How does the outfit serve the story?
How does it fit within the setting? How will others in the setting perceive it?
How would you do it differently if the character was a man?
Most of the pressure that leads to the inclusion of bad female armor comes from the fact that it’s become a social norm. Not that it achieves any purpose or that it’s clever, just that popular media has been doing it since this was the coolest dance move in western cinema:
I think it’s time we allowed ourselves to explore new options beyond bikini armor and its variants.
– wincenworks
It seems the time is right to bring back this concise explanation of what’s actually required for a story to justify bikini armor and what the actual considerations are.
There is pretty much no situation (at least none I’ve seen or thought of) where bikini armor makes sense as a choice for someone expecting serious, dramatic combat – it’s just not what it’s designed for.
– wincenworks
In short – skimpy armors are such a silly idea they require a whole different level of suspension of disbelief than a dramatic/gritty storytelling does. Creators (and fans) should always keep in check if those levels match, and if they don’t – readjust them instead of coming up with excuses
