Barbara Gordon has worn many outfits over the years. Some have become iconic. Others remain elusive in pop culture's memory. Whatever cowl and cape Barbara wears, be it flashy or subdued, one of pop culture's first iconic superheroines has changed up her look quite a lot. But, how do each of these costumes reflect the time and era of the year she wore them? What about these iconic looks distinguish each iteration of Batgirl from the rest?
By dissecting the various looks of Batgirl, we can come to understand each version of the character, how the writers aimed to present her and how she existed in each unique version of Gotham City.
The Adam West Batman Series
The Adam West Batman series is notorious for its flamboyant colors and incredibly extra style. In Batgirl's first on-screen appearance, she reflected the silly and vibrant energy of that era with a purple suit that was probably ill-suited for stealthy takedowns of criminals. While her main suit is black and purple -- with the bright purple highlighting her front -- her cape is a distinct shade of yellow.
Ironically, she is probably the most subdued of the Caped Trio to appear in the show. Her purple is darker than Batman's blue, and, compared to Robin, her outfit is downright conservative. The purple in Batgirl's outfit here would later be echoed in her Batgirl of Burnside Costume, as well as Stephanie Brown's costume.
Batman: The Animated Series
Oddly enough, Batgirl's costume in Batman: The Animated Series was arguably even brighter than her 60s counterpart. While the latter consisted of dark shades of dark or purple (other than the cape), Batgirl in The Animated Series sports a pale gray outfit, contrasted with a bright blue mask and yellow symbol. This reflects the makeshift nature of Batgirl since she starts being a superhero entirely independent of Bruce Wayne.
This outfit relays some of her origins since it tells the audience she is a new addition to the team who joined on her own free will. This is one of the key indicators that inform the audience about her origins and personality: she made this costume from just stuff she bought in a thrift store, essentially. Her outfit isn't coordinated like how Batman or Robin coordinate theirs. This is further reinforced when she updates her costume to be darker in the fourth season of the series, indicating that she has adapted to be part of the team.
Batman & Robin
Batman & Robin is often maligned, with the infamous Bat-Nipple suit being one of the biggest points of criticism against the movie. However, the only person not to get nipples on their Bat Suit is Batgirl. Barbara Wilson (not Gordon) is given a suit from her uncle Alfred, designed to her contours exactly.
Whereas The Animated Series featured a Batgirl with a makeshift outfit, this one is specifically coordinated with Batman and Robin, matching the ice themes of their suits as they take on Mr. Freeze together.
The Batman
The Batman provides an odd example of Batgirl's suit, as it is the most feminine looking outfit of all--as if Barbara just threw on a purple dress, boots and a slick cape-cowl combination. She doesn't wear her shirt tucked in, which results in a flare to the outfit looking less like a battle outfit and more like a gown to a party. On some level, this makes the outfit look more makeshift and improvised. On the other hand, it makes it look strangely impractical.
It is also entirely comprised of shades of purple, broken up only by her yellow logo and belt. However, compared to the many flamboyant design choices in this series, this remains one of the more subdued costumes in the series, if less practical.
Young Justice
Batgirl's costume in Young Justice is arguably her dullest because, shockingly, it's also her most practical. Entirely comprised of blacks and grays, it coordinates perfectly with Batman's darker, stealth-focused armor. This looks like it was planned as a part of Batman's team, alongside Nightwing, which informs how she operates and coordinates a lot.
On top of that, this is the least feminine-looking outfit. It doesn't hug her figure or resemble a dress. It's just a practical, militarized outfit designed to take down crime. It's arguably the most practical outfit Batgirl has worn outside the comics.
Harley Quinn
Again, we see how Barbara Gordon becomes Batgirl in the new Harley Quinn series -- again, reflecting her customized manner of being a vigilante. We see Batgirl don a makeshift outfit resembling her Batgirl of Burnside outfit from the comics: heavy purples, contrasted by a darker mask.
It remains to be seen if Batgirl's outfit will be updated as she continues her voyage into the vigilante lifestyle. For example, as of now, her costume is missing a cape and Bat symbol, making it look extra pulled together. Perhaps this will change in the coming episodes.