Her Universe Thor Dress from Hot Topic
Do you have one of those cool jobs that lets you get away with wearing a casual cosplay? I do! With an online order discount from HotTopic.com, I decided to go ahead and order the Marvel Her Universe Thor Costume Dress.
It’s pretty awesome that there are geeky options for ladies to wear casually. I can’t wait to wear this thing to a convention (or even the next party I go to) because it’s cute and displays my love for Thor, best hero ever (totally biased opinion). But let’s take a closer look at the actual product.
Product sizing – problematic. For a long time, I couldn’t afford amazing cool Thor casual cosplay type dresses. I was a broke nerd. However, I frequently pined for such items and read the product reviews and comments – and I noticed a resounding theme: the sizes aren’t standard and there aren’t any plus size items.
At a size 14, every label and clothing manufacturer tells me something different. Gwynnie Bee was telling me I was a plus size back when I was a 10/12; most department stores include my size in ‘regular’ sizes, and plus store clothing always just feels a bit baggy on me. With that in mind, I set aside the plus size stigma out of my intense desire for this dress. Lo and behold…I was suddenly a 3x for the first time in my life. This meant I could fit into the largest available size.
That’s because these cute dresses are cute. Meaning young. Meaning they’re really only made and cut for junior sizes. After swearing off food until I realized this mortal form would soon grow weak and require sustenance to properly LARP or attend conventions, I ordered the dress. (However, I know a lot of size 14+ and age 18+ women who are interested in Thor merch and have the disposable income to order this kind of thing.)
The common complaints about the sizing: valid. That said, the size and fit guide for this particular product is accurate. Use it and it’ll likely fit you.
More flattering on taller frames. Thor her/himself is of course a rather tall hero, and that carries over in the design of this dress. It’s made for people like the model on the website – tall and flat-chested. That said, I think the dress is still cute and comfortable on me. I’m 5’1.
The boob factor. If you’re full-chested and comfy with showing a bit of cleavage, you’ll probably enjoy the scoop neck on the dress. On me it fit well enough to still be work appropriate. If you’re smaller in the chest department, your look will end up a bit more modest. For reference, I am wearing a full-coverage Victoria’s Secret bra under the dress in the photos, and all areas of the bra are just covered. If you are wearing a support bra with thicker straps, they may be visible with this neckline.
Quality and design. The material is comfortable, soft, and a bit thicker than a tee shirt. It’s not see-through as is the case with some other casual cosplay attire priced similarly. There’s a bit of give (except for around the yellow belt area) and the stitching is high quality.
I’m a huge fan of the design itself. Although it’s meant for someone taller than me, I like how the lines sit. Most notably, the circles are in the center of the chest, making for a much less awkward placement than it could have been. (And let me tell you, as a woman interested in wearing a Thor cosplay, you need to either go all out or place those circles very carefully.)
Functionality. I wore the dress on a long commute, to work, and to a shopping mall. I was pretty comfortable and even though the yellow belt area is a bit snug, I didn’t have any problems. I can definitely see this being comfortable enough (and appropriate) for a convention or an after party. You’ll probably see me wearing this one at NYCC later this year.
Overall, I recommend the dress. Don’t count on finding it in the store, especially in a larger size – head straight to the Hot Topic website. Before you do, ask your friends if they have a discount code from ordering online recently – they send discount codes and cash off codes for each online order. I used one from Christmas to enjoy a 15% discount. The item shipped to my home in a sealed bag and was small enough to fit in my mailbox.
Additionally, you can buy similar items directly from Her Universe. They also run fan contests rather frequently, so make sure you keep an eye on their page. Just make sure you read the sizing information very carefully for all Her Universe products, as you will likely need to order two sizes larger than your usual size.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation from the mentioned brands or websites for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.
