Tuesday, December 13, 2011

10 Hottest Nerd Costumes For Girls (That Aren't Slave Leia)

Last September, I wrote my very first Topless Robot Daily List, a piece entitled The
10 Hottest Nerd Costumes For Girls (That Aren't Slave Leia). It was a great experience, and a lot of fun... but I've come to understand that it was far from comprehensive. I focused so much on choosing costumes that would be recognizable to the general public that I ignored many of the community's favorites. So nine months later I've been given the opportunity to revisit my list, and, armed with the suggestions of many a Topless Roboteer, as well as whatever ¾ of a year as a contributor here has been able to teach me, I'm pleased to be able to present 11 more of the loveliest, geekiest fantasy ensembles.

Those who read (and hopefully enjoyed) the first list will notice a few differences: Last time, I focused on distributing the entries among various nerd genres: comics, videogames, sci-fi, cartoons, etc. This time around, I was much more concerned with sticking to outfits that were both sexy and well-known to both nerd-dom and the cosplay scene. Also, there was a concern last time that I was unfairly light on costumes from the Marvel Universe ("light" as in there were none), rest assured that I have corrected this oversight.

11) Misty, Pokémon
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If Google Images is a fair barometer of such things, then Misty (or Kasumi in Japanese) is the most popular female cosplay subject in the wide world of Pokémon (although "Sexy Pikachu" comes in a close, disturbing second). One can't help but notice similarities between this outfit and Tifa Lockhart's outfit, shown below. You might ask if perhaps the Japanese have overdone the tank top, short shorts/skirt, suspenders look in their video game and anime girls...Looking at these pictures, I would state unequivocally: No. No they haven't.
10) Elektra, Marvel Comics
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Jennifer Garner's portrayal of resurrected martial-artist Elektra Natchios
may have accomplished the seemingly impossible feat of making everyone forget how awful Halle Berry's Catwoman was, but no Hollywood abomination can take anything away from the inescapable hotness of her attire. I mean think about it: This outfit turned a blind man's head! How can you beat that? Well, we've got five more entries that are certainly gonna try.

9) Harley Quinn, DC Comics
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Gotta hand it to Mistah J; He turned respected psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel into DC's dead sexiest amoral jester. Harley comes close to rivaling the aforementioned Catwoman as Batman's hottest feminine foe, and both her signature skin-tight harlequin outfit and her new two-toned, corseted, creepy nurse ensemble as seen in the Arkham Asylum videogame are common fixtures on the cosplay scene. It's enough that we can forgive the women who don such superlatively smokin' apparel for not all sounding like Harley voice actress Arleen Sorkin.

8) Sailor Moon
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The Sailor Moon costume is something of a conundrum: It's probably the least revealing outfit on the list, but at the same time, the popularity of the "Japanese schoolgirl" look makes it sexually charged in an almost disturbing manner. This outfit has become practically inescapable at conventions of any sort, and while its level of hotness could be considered extremely relative (particularly when overweight men think it's a larf to traipse about so dressed), it's undeniably a classic, and has earned itself a high ranking on this list.

7) Jessica Rabbit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
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Mrs. Rabbit's ample animated form was seen in only one film in 1988, and yet fans, artists, and cosplayers have kept her popular for 23 years. As an absurdly exaggerated caricature of the female form, Jessica isn't a cosplay for amateurs. The costume itself is one of the simpler ensembles on this list -- slinky, shimmering red gown split at the hip, lavender elbow-length gloves, red hair and make-up -- that's about it. Regardless, any woman with the confidence to pull this one off is enough to make any con goer say: "pppppplease!" (I hate myself for that joke -- but I was powerless to prevent it.)