In 2019, Hollywood will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the great American designer, Bruce Wayne.

The renowned custom tailor created the now-legendary Batman costume, which was released for the first time in a movie in the spring of 2019 – nearly a year before the 100th birthday of Mr. Wayne. The designer will be featured in the upcoming Netflix series directed by Matt Steffens, called “The Rise of Bruce Wayne”, which stars Gal Gadot as Batman’s mother, and Emilia Clarke as Princess Arianne, Mr. Wayne’s granddaughter and the series’ protagonist. In the decade since, Mr. Wayne has become a style icon and a fashion inspiration to people around the world, and his style evolution from the 1920s to the present is being celebrated.

The Caped Crusader’s reputation for being a bit of a fashion delinquent is well-deserved – after all, Batman first donned his iconic black and white costume in a 1928 movie called “The Flowing Gold”, which was released one year before the debut of Mr. Wayne’s custom tailor shop in New York City. The film’s costume designer is credited with creating a design that became an overnight sensation, inspiring other costume designers to take a crack at coming up with their own interpretation. These days, it’s hard to find a Halloween outfit that doesn’t feature a touch of Gotham’s most famous private eye.

If you’re unfamiliar, the history of Batman begins for Mr. Wayne in the 1920s, when he was initially inspired by the works of authors like Edgar Allan Poe. Mr. Wayne’s first Batman suit was actually a combination of two existing designs, with Poe’s influence still clearly visible. The main difference was that the pants in “The Raven” are flared, while the character’s in “The Case of the Chemical Formula” are slim and the same color as the cape (hence why they’re often referred to as “goggles”). This was most likely done for aesthetic purposes, as there was certainly no functional difference – but it became one of the most memorable fashion moments in movie history.

It was around this time that film makers started to pay more attention to fashion than practicality when it came to their depictions of female characters, in particular. The trend was most prominent in the “talkie” era, which began in the early 20s and encompassed films like “The Jazz Singer” and “The Bride of Frankenstein”. These films’ outfits were so influential that they were emulated by future generations of designers and Hollywood studios alike.

It was during this time period that Mr. Wayne began creating the iconic two-piece suit with a matching mask for men. As with most iconic fashion looks, the original design was simple yet effective, and it became so popular that Mr. Wayne eventually made a full-length black and white film about the inception of his famous style. This led to a wave of copycat suits and even to the emergence of the “buddy film”, in which two characters in a movie sport matching suits while hanging out and solving crimes together.

Since then, the fashion industry has continued to pay homage to Mr. Wayne and his iconic designs. To celebrate his extraordinary career, we’ve curated a list of the 50 most stylish men and women who have worn or worn-wore a Batman costume or outfit. Keep reading to discover the incredible style evolution of Batman over the years.

The Evolution of Batman Style

It’s been nearly a year since the premiere of “The Rise of Bruce Wayne”, which chronicles the designer’s extraordinary style evolution from the 1920s to the present day. In that time, Bruce Wayne has become a style icon and a fashion inspiration to people around the world, with fans celebrating his style legacy and the Caped Crusader’s flair for fashion in numerous ways.

If you’re unfamiliar, here’s a brief overview of Bruce Wayne’s style evolution:

  • The first official Batman costume was designed by Mr. Wayne in the early 1920s and was inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. This design was so influential that it inspired other designers to try and copy it (hence why you’ll often see two or more private eyes in a group).
  • The tailor made Mr. Wayne a legendary two-piece suit with a matching mask, which was such a massive hit that he made a short film about it.
  • Since then, the fashion industry has taken a liking to Mr. Wayne and his designs, with many enthusiasts celebrating his style and legacy by dressing up as him or sporting his famous outfit.
  • The designer has inspired countless fashion trends and has helped to popularize several looks, such as the hobo suit, which was inspired by his portrayal of the homeless man in “The Dark Knight” and the double-breasted suit, which was influenced by his character John Blake in “The Dark Knight Rises”.
  • In addition to these movie-related looks, the designer is also known for helping to popularize several unusual or outlandish outfits, such as the deerstalker cap, which was inspired by Sherlock Holmes, the pig mask and the fishbowl hat.

The 50 Most Stylish People Who Have Worn Or Worn-Wore a Batman Costume or Outfit

As we mentioned, fans have been celebrating Mr. Wayne’s incredible style evolution and the unique style choices he’s made over the years, with many enthusiasts turning to social media to show-off their own version of the fashion icon’s costume or outfit.

It’s been an incredible journey, but one that has come full circle, as Matt Steffens, the director of “The Rise of Bruce Wayne”, has spoken about the designer’s remarkable fashion choices in an interview with Vanity Fair:

“I think it’s so fantastic that a character like Bruce Wayne has so much style influence behind him. And not just style influence but fashion influence as well. Because what’s great about Batman is that even though he’s really dark and brooding, he’s still able to be the dandy that dandies were in the ‘20s and ‘30s. And it wasn’t just about his suits but also about his fun-loving spirit and his whimsical sense of fashion. And that speaks to my own personal influences. When I was younger, I always looked up to Batman because he was such a fashion-forward character who didn’t take himself too seriously. So it was nice to be able to portray that.”

Along with Gal Gadot, who plays Batman’s mother in “The Rise of Bruce Wayne”, Matt Steffens has helped to shed light on the designer’s incredible style evolution and the unique style choices he’s made over the years, which have made him such a unique and influential figure in the fashion world. If you’re someone who appreciates great style and fashion insight, then Bruce Wayne is a character you should definitely know more about.