Lynda Carter’s iconic Wonder Woman costume nearly faced disaster before it ever became a symbol of superhero strength. The original star-spangled bikini, designed to boost ratings during water scenes in 1975, repeatedly fell apart during filming, leaving the actress humiliated and forcing production to abandon the design within hours of its debut. The bikini was structurally flawed from the start. Carter couldn’t dive, run, or even walk quickly without risking exposure.
On a hot July день shooting a beach scene, the top came loose three times in under 15 minutes, silencing production as wardrobe rushed to fix it each time. Crew frustration grew, and Carter herself became visibly upset, feeling humiliated and disrespected. One crew member later recalled that concentration became impossible on set. The production team eventually realized the bikini couldn’t be salvaged.
It was shelved after only an few test scenes, none of which made it into the final cut. The incident delayed shooting by nearly two days and cost the studio thousands of dollars. The costume designer later admitted, “We tried too hard to be flashy and forgot practicality. ” Carter reportedly refused to ever wear the bikini again, calling it a total failure in a 1980 interview.
The failure became a turning point, reminding the team that style couldn’t come at the expense of comfort and professionalism. Within 48 hours, the costume department crafted a blue one-piece swimsuit that honored Wonder Woman’s classic red, white, and blue theme while emphasizing function over flash. It covered more, stayed secure, and handled all the movement required for action scenes. Carter could run, swim, and dive without fear of a malfunction.
The full body suit was first seen in an episode filmed in August 1975, and it quickly became a fan favorite. Ratings remained steady, even climbing by 12% that week, proving viewers connected with Carter’s performance, not her bare skin
Carter later told TV Guide in 1976, “That blue swimsuit saved my sanity. I finally felt like a superhero, not just a model. ” It was an emotional victory for the star, who had been pushing for more functional costumes from the beginning.
The blue one-piece became Wonder Woman’s official aquatic costume for the remainder of the show’s run, appearing even in promotional posters and toy packaging este
With the swimwear dilemma resolved, the costume team turned attention back to the main outfit, but even that wasn’t safe from change. In season 1, which premiered in November 1975, Wonder Woman’s costume featured a dramatic gold eagle emblem across her chest, a nod to her World War II comic book roots. The first season was set in the 1940s, and the bold design paired with tall red boots and silver bracelets made Carter look every bit the warrior princess. But the eagle emblem, made of stiff materials, limited Carter’s movement.
During one stunt-heavy episode in early 1976, she struggled to perform a choreographed fight sequence because the costume dug into her ribs. Costume adjustments were made constantly, sometimes pausing filming just to loosen the bodice between takes. Carter herself expressed concerns, saying in a behind-the-scenes interview from 1977,“I felt like I was wrapped in armor, not a costume. ” The team tried to soften the design by replacing the rigid eagle with a lighter fabric version, but the original look had already become iconic, printed on comic books, lunchboxes, and Halloween costumes
By the time Wonder Woman entered its second season in 1977, everything was changing.
The show switched networks from ABC to CBS, bringing a full reboot. No longer set in the 1940s, the story jumped forward into the modern 1970s. CBS executives pushed for a softer, more modern look, and the bulky eagle emblem, once a symbol of wartime strength, now felt out of place and overly military. The solution was a redesigned gold W emblem, which was lighter, more flexible, and allowed greater freedom of movement.
Carter appreciated the change, especially during action scenes, stating in a 1978 interview that the new costume didn’t just look better, it worked better. Designers also swapped stiff vinyl for stretchy spandex, a fabric that hugged Carter’s figure without restricting her. The star spangled shorts were shortened slightly, and a new red cape with gold trim was introduced for special appearances. Ratings jumped by 9% during the first month of the new season, and while some purists preferred the vintage look, most viewers embraced the modern aesthetic este
The wardrobe makeover also made merchandising easier.
Toys, posters, and lunchboxes featuring the new costume flooded the market, and the gold W became a symbol of reinvention. Behind the scenes, whispers circulated that Carter’s look alone was keeping the show alive. Whether myth or marketing, the rumor was powerful, and soon a decision by CBS proved just how influential the costume and Carter’s presence truly were. After season 1 aired on ABC, the network canceled Wonder Woman, citing expensive period settings and insufficient ratings.
But CBS saw potential, and rumor has it that a CBS executive decided to pick up the show after watching Carter in full costume at a network event. The story goes that in mid 1976, during a closed CBS pitch meeting, someone rolled tape of Carter in the Wonder Woman outfit. “She’s television gold,” the executive reportedly said. Whether true or not, CBS ordered two more seasons, moving the timeline into the present day and tailoring the show to a younger, broader audience.
The costume, now its own character, was featured prominently in marketing materials, including magazine covers and toy packaging. Children dressed as Wonder Woman for Halloween 1978, and lunchboxes, comic books, and dolls flew off shelves. In a 1979 press release, CBS credited Wonder Woman’s visual identity as a key reason for its market growth among kids aged 6 to 14. Carter took the attention in stride, knowing what the suit meant to fans, especially young girls who saw her as a role model.
To them, she wasn’t just a pretty face in spandex. She was brave, kind, and unstoppable
While ratings and costume design were keeping the series alive, Carter herself was beginning to push the limits. In 1978, during filming for season 3, she insisted on performing one of the most dangerous stunts of her career. The scene involved Wonder Woman grabbing holdof a low-flying helicopter, hanging on with one arm as it lifted into the air.
Producers begged her to let a stunt double take the risk, but Carter refused. “Wonder Woman would do it herself,” she told them, and Carter intended to do the same. The stunt was shot over 3 days, with Carter training with a professional stunt team and wearing a hidden harness beneath her costume. Still, danger was real.
During one take, the helicopter lifted 20 ft higher than expected, causing panic on the ground. Carter held firm, never breaking character. When the shot was complete, the crew broke into applause, but producers were furious, fearing they’d lose their star if anything went wrong. A memo from October 1978 warned that no more high-risk stunts would be allowed without written approval.
But Carter had already proved her point. She wasn’t just a model in a costume. She was a fearless performer willing to take real risks for her role. Fans loved it, and TV critics praised the episode, calling it a moment of true heroism.
That helicopter scene became one of the most talked about stunts in the show’s history, giving Carter a new layer of respect from viewers and the industry alike este
The show also embraced visual variety beyond the core costume. In 1978, a season 3 episode featured a western themed storyline complete with horses, saloons, and cowboy hats. To match the setting, producers designed a cowgirl style outfit for Carter, featuring fringed boots, a suede skirt, and a modified red booier. The change was partly practical—the standard outfit was too restrictive for horseback riding—and legendary cowboy actor Roy Rogers, who appeared in the episode, reportedly suggested the more modest costume, believing it fit better with the family-friendly western tone.
Fans embraced it. Magazine stills from October 1978 showed Carter in full cowgirl attire, lasso in hand, riding through the dusty set with grace. The outfit added depth to Wonder Woman’s evolving identity, showing she could adapt to different settings while still carrying the same power and presence. CBS even used this costume in promotional material for international broadcasts, and collectors today still hunt for rare behindthe-scenes photos from that episode
As Wonder Woman leaned further into action-packed plots in 1979, the costume department found itself constantly adapting.
New episodes called for car chases, underwater rescues, and fast-paced stunts, leading to specialized costumes built for speed, agility, and protection. First came the motorcycle suit, a full body red and blue leather outfit complete with gloves and a golden helmet, debuting in an episode where Diana Prince chased villains down a highway. Not long after, Carter dawned a skateboarding outfit in a downtown chase scene, featuring red knee pads, a matching helmet, and breathable material for mobility. It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked, and fans remembered the novelty of seeing a superhero on a skateboard—something totally unique in late 1970s TV.
Perhaps the most visually distinct specialty costume was the diving suit, worn for underwater scenes filmed in 1980. Carter wore a skintight star decorated wets suit designed to retain the red, white, and blue theme, allowing her to swim and perform stunts without danger. The wets suit became the default look anytime Wonder Woman plunged into oceans, lakes, or underwater villain layers. Though none of these suits reached the iconic status of the original, they were essential to the show’s evolution and reflected Carter’s growing involvement in practical decisions.
She often worked with the costume team to ensure each outfit made sense for the story, helping shape the visual language of the superhero genre for years to come este
Some changes came not from writers or network, but from Carter herself. In season 2, 1977, Wonder Woman introduced a new character, Dusilla, Wonder Woman’s younger sister, played by Deborah Winger. The idea was to give Diana Prince a relatable family bond and a possible sidekick, but when producers revealed that Dusilla would wear a costume nearly identical to Wonder Woman’s, Carter stepped in. She was polite but firm.
“There can only be one Wonder Woman,” she reportedly told the wardrobe team. Carter insisted that Winger’s costume be completely different in style and tone. The final version featured a mini skirt, a shorter cape, and a toned down color palette, still bearing stars and stripes but looking more playful and youthful, clearly identifying Dusilla as a junior hero. The decision wasn’t just about fashion—it was about branding.
Carter had worked hard to establish her visual identity and wasn’t about to let it be diluted. Behind the scenes, Carter and Winger had no personal feud; Carter later praised Winger’s performance. But the altered costume ensured audiences wouldn’t confuse the two characters and protected Wonder Woman’s legacy. The move worked.
Winger’s Dusilla was wellreceived, and Carter’s Wonder Woman remained the centerpiece. In retrospect, this moment showcased Carter’s deep respect for the role; she didn’t just play Wonder Woman, she protected her
Through it all, one costume stood above the rest: the original eagle emlazed corset, star spangled shorts, and red boots. For Carter, it wasn’t just a piece of fabric. It was history.
When Wonder Woman aired its final episode in September 1979, marking the end of three seasons and 60 episodes, Carter took one special item home: her original season 1 costume. Today, that outfit sits inside a glass display case in her home, a tribute to the role that changed her life. In a 2016 interview, she said,“It represents more than just a TV show. It’s about strength, compassion, and hope.
” For Carter, the costume is a reminder of the barriers she broke and the millions of fans she inspired, especially young girls in the late 1970s who had never seen a female superhero on screen before. She keeps it preserved not for vanity but for legacy. Even decades later, Carter continues to advocate for Wonder Woman’s message, appearing in the 2017 film as a cameo and lending her voice to animated versions of the character. And always she credits that original costume with helping define the path.
What began as a wardrobe malfunction, the infamous bikini, led to one of the most iconic outfits in television history. It wasn’t perfect; it tore, slipped, and sparked plenty of behindthe-scenes arguments. But in the end, it became a symbol of something much bigger, and thanks to Carter’s care and respect, that symbol lives on
