NSWF image under the cut!

Since this image got submitted to me by two readers already, I guess we can give it a shout out.

2tsun4u submitted:

I found an empowered man. ( ´∀`)

icaruslovemedley submitted:

Paco Rabanne Haute Couture Spring 1998 ooorrr.. Male battle thong! 

This is equality, look how blades will glance off his fabulous banana-plate-mail. He’s fully protected and showy enough to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, and when the war is over, he can head-bang the cobwebs out of those hard to reach nooks and crannies. 

DISCLAIMER: What you’ll see under the cut may burn your eyes. Click on your own responsibility.
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image

I’d say it counts more as the male equivalent to The Abstract Art outfit than Armor Bikini, especially since it’s supposed to be Haute Couture and all…

Still have no idea what to think of it, frankly, as it doesn’t really concern the themes of this blog. It’s nice to see A MAN in absolutely ridiculous, impractical and revealing outfit for once… I guess?
Bonus points for it being real, not just a physics-defying illustration by an artist with no idea of how outfits work.

No wonder the lose the war…

MichaelD submitted:

Hi I previously submitted Ellen from Kingdom Under Fire and since you’re asking for submissions here’s another expample from that game. This is the kind of thing that passes for armour for the Dark elves.

Their Commander: 

Their infantry (minus sword and kite shield):

And for comparison.

A human commander:

Human Infantry:

I can’t imagine why the humans invasion goes so well…

Thanks for the heads up! 🙂

Well, to be fair those are probably male human soldiers (isn’t Ellen human too?), but yeah… One really have to wonder which of those troops is gonna be slaughtered in battle.

Princeless Lampoons Popular Female Armor

jedda-martele submitted:

Princeless is a great, fairly new comic book series aimed at kids.  The protagonist is Princess Adrienne, who has decided to rescue herself.  There are plenty of moments that mock standard comic book conventions.  Here’s one about ladies’ armor.image

Oh, good one!

I remember the subverted pin-up cover of this comic that was featured on Escher Girls that one time.

Considering it’s a kids comic, not young adult one, I’m starting to think that all those clever references in Princeless may fly over the heads of target audience.

MichaelD submitted:

One example that always sticks in my mind are the two Kingdom Under Fire games on the Xbox (great games dumb armour especially on the dark elves). The one character that sticks out for me though is Ellen who gets a bit of a patch job between games.

From the first game:

image

From the second: 

image

Its the same plate lingerie but between games someone decided got to put chain mail over all her exposed skin.

I’m struggling to find the words for this… In theory it is an improvement of some kind, but what is covering exposed skin with ridiculously close-fitting chainmail (patterned latex?) actually supposed to help with? Especially when her boobplate, chain thong and two-inch heels are still there?

It takes more than just covering the character to cure her design from sexualization.

Well, at least she acquired a helmet (a part of armor so often omitted on fictional warriors of all genders), I’ll give her that.

EDIT: Submitter noted on that little gem too:

It’s also a bit odd in-universe because the 2nd image is from a prequel game. So between games chronologically she decided to stop wearing the chain-mail and helmet. In retrospect probably a bad decision.

edit 2: Minor re-wording of the part about helmets, to make it more gender inclusive.