Fashion

2016 has been a magical year for the Scarlet Witch. Wanda stars in her own solo comic series by writer James Robinson and illustrated by a whole host of amazing artists, following the witch on her quest to heal what's left of magic in the Marvel Universe. In addition, Wanda makes her second appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe next month, standing alongside #TeamCap in Captain America: Civil War, with Elizabeth Olsen reprising the role. Now fans of the much maligned and misunderstood character get a chance to show off their loyalty in style thanks to a new line of apparel and closet cosplay pieces from WeLoveFine.

The line between fashion and cosplay is blurrier than ever with Hot Topic's new fashion line based on DC Comics: Bombshells. Not that it was ever a particularly stark distinction to begin with, and the difference is almost irrelevant to the Bombshells, since Marguerite Sauvage and the other artists who've worked with Marguerite Bennett on the digital first comic have done a fantastic job of dressing the characters in cute period-appropriate clothes instead of the outlandish outfits common to other superhero comics (especially where women are concerned). So you can wear exactly what the Bombshells characters wear and still be appropriately attired for just about any social setting, not just those held on Halloween or at comic book conventions.

As X-Men:Apocalypse approaches, fans have been treated to a surplus of film stills and promotional images, including several posters showing the film’s opposing teams of X-Men and Horsemen. While Apocalypse and his mutant flunkies are dressed in armor, which we’ll accept, because it's Apocalypse, the X-Men are wearing black ops-style uniforms that look so much like the costumes from a Hunger Games sequel that you could be looking at a “Katniss and the Districts” band poster. There has been plenty of fanboy outcry about Jennifer Lawrence’s non-indigo appearance in the film’s promo materials, and righly so; Mystique’s sense of mutant pride has been a plot vehicle in both the past and current X-Men movies. While Mystique’s missing scales are a problem, what's even more worrisome is the lack of originality or care in the X-team’s looks.

Read “fashion comic” and it’s easy — it’s really easy — to visualise genteel elegance, perhaps (if you want to get nutty) with a side of razzle-dazzle. Dior, Chanel, the '50s-through-'70s girls’ comics with paper dolls and reader-designed costumes... What was once daring and new, liberating for the wearer, has become established, gender-restrictive, rote and retro. Things "for girls," or about us, are easy enough to dismiss without the added impression that comics, as an English-language industry, doesn't think girls want much more than the feminine or the shallow. We imagine "fashion comics" and see good clean fun — easily, we see compliance. Interrogating that reductive response is hard when we look around and see very little to contradict it, or to comfort our non-compliant selves with, as we explore what fashion and gender mean personally, to us. Fashion in Action, currently halfway through a healthy Kickstarter campaign, is something to cling onto: Fashion in Action is kind of grotty.

Geekdom has grown rapidly in the past few years, extending beyond comic shelves and hitting the apparel market. Brands such as WeLoveFine and Her Universe have made an effort to incorporate geek culture into their collections and introduce trendy apparel for every type of fandom. With Hero Mode, ComicsAlliance hopes to offer you a selection of the best geek-themed apparel for your wardrobe, inspired by your favorite characters. It's no secret than Ryan Reynold's appearance as the Merc with a Mouth in Fox's Deadpool movie crushed the box office. To celebrate Reynold's spot on portrayal, we’ve sourced some of the best chimichanga-friendly gear to add to your closet of hero wear.

Geekdom has grown rapidly in the past few years, extending beyond comic shelves and hitting the apparel market. Brands such as WeLoveFine and Her Universe have made an effort to incorporate geek culture into their collections and introduce trendy apparel for every type of fandom. With Hero Mode, ComicsAlliance hopes to offer you a selection of the best geek-themed apparel for your wardrobe, inspired by your favorite characters. This time, to mark Benedict Cumberbatch’s upcoming appearance as Doctor Stephen Strange in Marvel's Doctor Strange movie, we’ve channeled the mystic energies of fandom to find you some supremely sorcerous apparel.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Free Comic Book Day, Diamond Comic Distributors is offering commemorative T-shirts featuring designs by Art Baltazar (Aw Yeah Comics!) and Francesco Francavilla (Afterlife with Archie), which will be featured in the January issue of Previews and arrive in comic book stores in April 2016.

Scarlet Witch has been a growing force in the Marvel Universe of late. Not only has she been a fixture of Uncanny Avengers, but she’s made appearances in the all new Doctor Strange, and The Vision, and of course she made her big screen debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron, played by Elizabeth Olsen. And now she's the star of her own ongoing series, from writer James Robinson and a roster of star artists, including issue #1's Vanesa R. Del Rey. The series sees Wanda dig in to the nature of witchcraft in the Marvel Universe, and the book has received particular buzz for its new costume designs; created by the always stylish Kevin Wada. ComicsAlliance spoke to Wada about the redesign, its cues from modern fashion, and how modernization plays into Wanda’s new direction.

BB-8, the adorable soccer ball droid from the upcoming life-changing mega-blockbuster Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, has been reproduced in gold and diamonds by Kay Jewelers. This little droid is only 4.25 inches tall, but it's worth $135,000 according to appraisal. That's because it's made of 18-carat gold and festooned with 18 carats of diamonds (which is apparently about 860 actual rocks).

Today, Dec. 2, Forever 21 is launching a new Star Wars collection in stores and online. It features a variety of clothing for women, men, and kids. Some of the products, like the sweatshirt covered in AT-ATs and X-Wings, are a little familiar, but mostly they represent a new take on Star Wars apparel with a distinctly Forever 21 aesthetic. And in the vein, the cute little shorts covered in a pattern of stormtrooper helmets are easily the most exciting thing in the line.