# Female Warrior garb: highest coefficient of practical and sexy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154 "2010-12-23T05:03:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/41 "2012-09-19T23:18:28Z")
> [@](#): > > I notice that they usually still can’t resist giving their woman warriors impractically long flowing hair. One of the ladies associated with Batman (was it Barbara Gordon?) kept her real hair cut short, but then wore a long flowing wig over it. If anyone went for the obvious and tried to grab her by the hair, the wig just came right off. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/42 "2012-09-19T23:19:59Z")
A friend and I recently had a similar conversation about ridiculous “sexy” armor on female game/movie/TV characters, and both agreed that Xena’s costume was pretty practical as these things go: [File:Returnofcallisto 02.jpg - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Returnofcallisto_02.jpg) It’s quite similar to the “Amazon hoplite” look linked above, only without the helmet. (While a helmet would definitely be more practical, I do see why costume designers don’t like to obstruct the faces of the stars.) ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/43 "2012-09-20T01:43:48Z")
I remember a fantasy riff on this from quite a while ago. A Forgotten Realms novel, _Azure Bonds_, lampshaded chainmail cleavage. The protagonist had a chain hauberk with a neckline that plunged most of the way to her navel…but it was enchanted to project an impenetrable wall of force across her chest, making the “exposed” area the most heavily armored part of her body. It was designed to lure enemies into striking for the supposedly vulnerable spot, rather than her arms and legs (which were lightly armored at best for mobility reasons). ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/44 "2012-09-20T03:08:56Z")
Israeli soliders manage to look pretty good in fatigues. [Beautiful Israeli Women Soldiers | 206 Pics](http://www.yeeeeee.com/2008/10/27/beautiful-israeli-women-soldiers-206-pics/) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/45 "2012-09-20T04:43:15Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > I remember a fantasy riff on this from quite a while ago. A Forgotten Realms novel, _Azure Bonds_, lampshaded chainmail cleavage. The protagonist had a chain hauberk with a neckline that plunged most of the way to her navel…but it was enchanted to project an impenetrable wall of force across her chest, making the “exposed” area the most heavily armored part of her body. It was designed to lure enemies into striking for the supposedly vulnerable spot, rather than her arms and legs (which were lightly armored at best for mobility reasons). I remember… studying that [cover](http://www.scenicreflections.com/files/Curse_of_the_Azure_Bonds_Wallpaper_o594y.jpg)extensively back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/46 "2012-09-20T11:50:35Z")
A lesser-known fact: that lizard-oid in the background there is _also_ a woman. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/47 "2012-09-20T13:27:04Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > I remember a fantasy riff on this from quite a while ago. A Forgotten Realms novel, _Azure Bonds_, lampshaded chainmail cleavage. The protagonist had a chain hauberk with a neckline that plunged most of the way to her navel…but it was enchanted to project an impenetrable wall of force across her chest, making the “exposed” area the most heavily armored part of her body. It was designed to lure enemies into striking for the supposedly vulnerable spot, rather than her arms and legs (which were lightly armored at best for mobility reasons). That picture is a blast from the past! I remember even then being amazed at what a shitty job the illustrator did at conveying depth to the chain mail. It looks like silver rings drawn onto a black cloth. Yet, I definitely admired this one as a young lad. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/48 "2012-09-20T13:44:40Z")
Also, she won’t be able to bend over with that huge solid metal belt extending most of the way up her belly. Something I likely wouldn’t have thought of if I hadn’t just read **Lumpy** ’s link about modern female-tailored body armor. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/49 "2012-09-20T19:43:47Z")
I can see one big advantage of chain mail bikinis: “Hey guy, my sword is up here.” ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/50 "2012-09-21T20:33:08Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > For something more likely to work in the real world, there’s simply having a combat-rated cyborg body _Ghost In The Shell_ style; you are the armor. Which has the advantage that you are protected at all times. Shirow was the first thing I thought of, too, but I guess [Landmates aren’t all that sexy](http://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1154&bih=660&q=shirow+landmate&oq=shirow+landmate&gs_l=img.3...1092.2902.0.3105.15.8.0.5.0.1.249.982.0j2j3.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.X06o3kIv6SU#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=shirow+landmate+appleseed&oq=shirow+landmate+appleseed&gs_l=img.3...12091.16069.0.16225.14.11.0.0.0.0.219.1108.0j4j2.6.0...0.0...1c.1.d-8rM3mnHZs&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=8658a0d2f8d9f8ae&biw=1154&bih=660) unless Deunan pops out of one dressed only in her data film. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/51 "2012-09-22T18:25:11Z")
For woman Sword and Sorcery warriors, skimpy costumes don’t offer much protection against weapons, and on quests would probably result in them going down with exposure. Pluses are that she wouldn’t overheat in a long combat session, and that against male warriors (Or gay female warriors), they might be distracted from the fighting in hand, or decide to try and take her alive and unmarked for evil purposes of their own in the event of their victory. I have been told that people who wear leather next to the skin, are a bit "Whiffy " when they take it off. But I haven’t experienced that for myself so it may well be wrong . ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/52 "2012-09-22T20:53:17Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Also, she won’t be able to bend over with that huge solid metal belt extending most of the way up her belly. Something I likely wouldn’t have thought of if I hadn’t just read **Lumpy** ’s link about modern female-tailored body armor. Well, with a forcefield across her chest, she probably wouldn’t be able to bend much anyway. Functionally, she’s effectively wearing a solid breastplate (yeah, yeah, laugh it up) that just _looks_ like the world’s dumbest chain hauberk design. ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/53 "2012-09-23T01:26:13Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > The sculpted breast plate is ideal. It reads as highly feminine even at distance, but has maximum practicality. Hell, a lady could even cheat up a cup size. Win freakin win. Not _too_ sculpted though. You don’t want your breastplate to have a concave depression anywhere on it… especially right in the center. You want spears to be deflect out not to be deflected right into your sternum. In the end a practical ladies’ breastplate should look a lot like the men’s, just tailored a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/54 "2012-09-23T01:37:15Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > I have been told that people who wear leather next to the skin, are a bit "Whiffy " when they take it off. > > But I haven’t experienced that for myself so it may well be wrong . Did you play cricket? Think about the wicket-keeper’s hands being inside those leather gloves for so long. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154/55 "2012-09-23T15:20:59Z")
Was always a bowler, quite competent batsman, and the worlds worst fielder EVER ! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-warrior-garb-highest-coefficient-of-practical-and-sexy/565154.md?page=2)