Here are some of the costumes that I've made. I've grown fond of my Peacebringer outfits, Astral Flux and my Stone/Electric Brute outfits, Harek.
I think it helps to understand the evolution of comic costumes in order to make a standout character design. I find that people fall into one of two camps: People that understand a "design era" and stick to it (generally,) and people who have no idea what they're doing. I find the latter is because of a lack of comic knowledge.
When comics started becoming popular in the 30's until the mid 50's, comics were in what is know as "The Golden Age." During this infancy, most superheroes were still considered "Strong Men in Tights." Their costumes reflected this, and they consisted of simple tights with a contrasting boot or brief. Such examples are Bulletman, these DC characters, American Crusader, and of course, Superman.
Into the 60's through the 80's was the "Silver Age" and what some refer to as the "Bronze Age" (or late Silver Age.) As characters evolved, costumes slowly did as well. Costumes still reflected their strongman heritage, but color combinations were becoming more dynamic, yet almost all costumes still consisted of tights. Notable examples are Daredevil, Spider-Man, Thor, The Fantastic Four, and The X-Men. The FF and the X-Men costumes aren't the most dynamic, but the idea was that as a team, their stranger characters (Iceman, Torch, Thing) offset the team's costumes the way a splash of color would offset an individual's costume.
Where both eras stuck with a two-color scheme that usually employed a third color as an accent, Silver Age characters moved away from the "Boots-and-Briefs" and started delving into more abstract concepts (like Spider-Man & Thor.) Coming into the modern age, costumes still kept simple color schemes but got even more abstract, like The New X-Men.
A word about color: Because comics were marketed towards kids, and because current print methods were not always reliable, most Golden and Silver age characters shared an axiom that heroes wore primary colors and shades (lots of red and blue heroes) and villains wore secondary colors (lots of green and purple villains.) This isn't a hard rule (i.e. Green Lantern and The Thing,) but exceptions to this rule are rare.
Out of the Silver/Bronze and into the "Modern Age," as characters became darker and more psycologically complex, the simple color schemes and lines also started to phase out. Art (and by application, costumes) swayed towards a distorted and dynamic look, becoming complicated and busy compared to the earlier trends. Notable Modern Age costumes that reflect this change are The Black Spider-Man (a less-contrast change than others,) Cable, The Four Supermen (during Reign of the Supermen,) WildC.A.T.s, Spawn, and Youngblood.
Where does this leave you, the CoX player? Well, I find once most people learn about costume styles, people tend to pick an era of style they like and work within that style for most of their costumes. Some people like the Modern stuff, with trenchcoats and buckles and belt packs. Some like the classic iconic hero look with their underwear on the outside. Personally, I love the Silver Age style; I like the simple use of color combined with dynamic pattern lines. The heroes I play are inspired by The Silver Surfer, Alpha Flight, and The Hulk. That being said, I have a few costumes (mostly on CoV) that fall into the Modern era.
I find that thinking like a comic artist of a specific time and following the guidelines they set helps me find the right look for my character. I think it helps them look more professional and less like something I mashed together.
That was a very good post there tempus, youve got some great information in there.
I have a hard time pinning down the "age" of costume design that I prefer. I think I mix it up from character to character and costume slot to costume slot. I really don't think I sway to one style over the others, though I could be wrong.
Your main's costume looks so freakin cool Soulie! I...may reference off of it once I can get Vanguard stuff...5 lvls to go! Awesome guide, great costumes! 
Gotta question for Soulie.. where did you get the PPD chest detail and I saw a toon on team the other night where he had a Archnos logo for a chest detail... Can you add logos/designs to the list on the game folders or was it some kind of bonus you can add etc etc?
That PPD logo is one of the 30 month veteran rewards.
I play on Virtue and have all 12 slots full and I'm tired of listing them all here so NYAH!
A goldmine of a thread...excellent advice from Soulie, and brilliant history/analysis from Tempus Avatar!
Proud member of Paragon City Search and Rescue: www.pcsar.net
Been getting a bunch of use mixing the new'ish emblem patterns with old chest icons: Bomb on the upside-down star (makes a boom!), ribcage on the heart, hammer and sickle on a red star. Bunch of combos to play with and gets me rethinking the too-bland (or complicated) icons.
This guide rocks.
Now, I just need some ideas for working around a tail. The lack of real belt is kind of a hindrance for some costumes.
Awesome examples, Soulie. I was truly stunned to see how exceptional your costumes looked.
I just wanted to add something for people who are trying to think of alternate costumes. I'd provide examples but haven't figured out how to easily screenshot from the tailor screen.
My first costume is often the "When I was young" look. I don't try to go overboard, try for something unique and fitting the character but simple. For example Ice Magenta is almost a street look even though she's an Ice/Kin controller. Jacket, normal shirt, bandana, long hair, normal boots. She came on her powers from a science experiment gone awry so that first costume is when she got them and had only her closet to go by. Second costume was typical '90s post-Miller Batman comic kitsch, leather/latex, mask, cape, dark colors. Third costume was the typical minimalist tights with creative holes. Difference was her skin was now the color her costume normally was previously (purple).
I carry the street clothes idea on my other heroes normally as their second outfit. Just something you'd see any joe wearing while walking down the street.
Kitsume, my claws/sr scrapper ended up having a tarted out costume for her first one. Nothing excessively revealing; in fact she's almost completely covered. Her second costume was a departure from "Street clothes" since her first costume was street-ish. She's a cyborg and while her first outfit shows nothing of that except for her claws I decided to make her second outfit "battle-damaged". Robot arms, armored legs with strappy shoes to make it look like her skin comes right out of the metal of the legs. Plate on her head. All the metal parts the same bluish-grey color. Any time she dies and has debt I put on that costume until the debt is gone.
Finally sometimes I just look elsewhere for inspiration. I know there was a problem early on with clones but sometimes I just can't resist looking at some hero and while not copying them in name or powers (no claws/regen scrapper named wuf'r'een here, thanks) I do tend to look at an outfit and wonder "Huh, can I make something in that similar style in the costume designer?"
That even extends to CoX's own styles sometimes.
For example, my latest character, a Fire/DA Brute named Mortigi, has a short bio. She's a former unwilling participant in the 5th Column's experiments to create a new super soldier. Figured fire from, uh, some 5th Column (or was Longbow blurring in there) for offense and DA from the dark influence of the vampires. Her first costume would be what she appropriated when she escaped, a 5th Column uniform. It's not a perfect match since I stylized it a tad for a short female (none of those in the ubermencsh) super-soldier. However when I ran into the 5th Column in the Orobouros(sp!) missions I was pleased with how she compared to her far larger and squishier predecessors. Her second outfit was a street outfit that showed off her vampire side a tad more. Third outfit was inspired by another nazi + female vampire character. 
Anyway, long post but to sum up, when going for those second/third/forth costumes try thinking of how your character would look in other times, other situations or imagined in different ways. In the above I've got homage looks, street looks, throw-back to previous eras in comicdom and looks to denote a character's current status. The costume designer is wonderful in how expressive one can be with it while still being dead simple to use. I think the only way to get something with more freedom would be to start getting into Poser and hand-designing everything.
Great post Soulie, and some great background posts afterwards for that matter. You definently know how to make some good looking costumes. I'm gonna be messing around with the in Icon for awhile in the days to come because of this. Lol
Here's what I have for my Blaster so far, according to Tempus it falls under the modern age in comic costume design (Which is by far my favorite):
Tech:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...4-20-03-53.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...4-20-04-15.jpg
Fir Bolg King:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...4-20-04-45.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...4-20-05-17.jpg
Very nice guide, Soulie. As a professional Costume Designer, I have to say you have some really nice practical tips and some very striking designs to your characters!
I might respond a bit more later, but right now I have to go see Superhero Movie at the bargain theater!
this is a good read for people like myself...who can barely clothe themselves.
Using your guide I happened to find an effect that I really like. The "Blast Goggles" head detail seem to work great with glowing eyes and even better with starburst glow (as seen here). Also, I happen to love costumes that look different while in other environments. For example light and dark (cliche, I know 
)
Edit: Props to whoever necroposted this awesome guide
Love the guide. I'm always trying to make my characters look better and you've got some great advice here.
@Demobot
Also on Steam
I still suck at this, occasionally I get lucky and create something that looks decent, but it never looks that super heroish. One thing I have a difficult time is creating correct upper and lower body proportions, it seems the game wants to make characters with a large upper body and stick legs. Specifically around the lower leg.
I have yet to see a good Ninja character or Samurai...maybe I'm just too picky. Good guide.
Using this guide I made a suit for one of my villains. Prepare to see the silly!
IT'S SILLEH!
With Love,
Me! <3
My Characters
Story Arcs Looking for Feedback:
Serving Vengeance:#419748 (For Villains/Vigilantes) (Drama/Mystery) (Viable Within Canon)
Dark Moon Rising: #13170 (For Heroes/Vigilantes) (Horror/Mystery) (Non-Canon)
Soulie, what's that little visor option on New #3? Is it available for females?
SparrowhawkHummingbirdDungeon MasterCapricornHour WomanQueen NefariaJunkyard GirlDoll FaceStitchbladeRed MinstrelMimic
new 3? That's the vanguard visor.
If you're referring to the part coming off the ear, that's part of the enforcer chin detail.
Oh and if you guys want something to drool over, check out Sexy Jay's photobucket page.
http://home.comcast.net/~uberrod/cohcostumes.htm
"drool"
Someone call BaB,he have to see this and make it real!!
I want /Fire stalker. Because nothing says stealth like dumping a can of gasoline on yourself and lighting a match. -Morac
hey soulie how do u make charactors with the auras and capes do u lvl them up or do u use like a seperate costume creator
Hello Kealys.
The capes are attainable by any hero or villain via a mission once you reach level 20. Same goes for the auras, but your character must be level 30.
Heroes: The mission is given to a level 20 or 30 character by the City Representative in City Hall in Atlas Park.
Villain: Kalinda and Matthew Burke in Mercy Island will give you the missions for capes and auras.
Great guide, Soulie. I'm a total costume design addict with a bad case of alt-itis, and I spend as much time playing around with new alts and costumes as I do leveling my main (who's only 33, bah). Some of the design tips you've shown here, especially making good use of three or more colors by way of arranging them properly into the patterns, are incredibly useful to someone like me.