Catwoman has been a staple of DC movies and TV shows for some time, with a variety of cat costumes ranging from abysmally bad to breathtakingly well done. Aside from Batman himself, Catwoman is possibly the most Gotham-based character to appear in live-action DC media. With each new TV or movie version of Catwoman comes a brand new costume that must compete against a long line of competitors, with some pulling off the look better than others.

In the comics, Catwoman typically wears a jumpsuit of some sort, usually paired with a cat hood or mask not unlike Batman’s own. While the exact color and fit of this costume varies somewhat, the source material is frighteningly consistent with what Catwoman wears. Interestingly, in the live-action Batman films and television series, there has been much more variety in Catwoman’s outfits, with each one designed to fit the unique artistic vision of the project in which it appears.

There’s a lot to consider when designing a Catwoman costume for the big or small screen. As a burglar, Selina Kyle’s attire needs to be practical enough to work on the second floor, avoid trip wires, and carefully free valuable jewels from their glass display cases. However, it’s also important to keep the cat theme, not to mention Catwoman’s signature seductive charm, which usually manages to get her into Batman’s good graces. The best Batman movies and TV shows strike a good balance between these three aspects with their Catwoman costumes.

8 Halle Berry’s ridiculous movie costume

Catwoman (2004)

It’s a shame that Catwoman’s only appearance as a leading lady in a film was so notoriously poorly received. Halle Berry’s Catwoman is a disaster in many ways, from the nonsensical story that completely ignores Catwoman’s comic book origins in favor of a supernatural power, to the awkward love scenes and endless cat jokes. Like so much else, Catwoman is fundamentally wrong with Catwoman’s costume, even if Halle Berry wears it impressively.

It is natural for Catwoman to have a certain level of sex appeal since she is a femme fatale, but Catwoman goes way too far. Instead of a practical jumpsuit, Catwoman wears a leather bikini and chaps that show way more skin than necessary, which ruins the outfit’s ability to be considered a cat-themed superhero costume. Not to mention the hilariously large cat hood that’s just impossible to take seriously, making Berry look more like a sexy version of the Tasmanian devil than anything else.

7 Julie Newmar’s simple but safe outfit

Batman television series (1966–1967)

The Adam West Batman There were three Catwoman actresses in the TV series, with each new version of the character surprisingly getting her own unique costume. Of the three Catwoman actresses in the series, Julie Newmar only made two appearances to begin with and was quickly replaced by Lee Meriwether due to scheduling conflicts with the release of the companion film. Because Julie Newmar is such a rough sketch of the Catwoman character, there isn’t much going on in her outfit.

Newmar wore a form-fitting jumpsuit made of fabric with a strange glittery hue that would become a recurring element in future Catwoman costumes in the series. The fabric could easily mistake the outfit for a simple dress, and her dangling gold chain doesn’t seem particularly practical for daring heists. The real shame is her cat ears instead of a hood or even a domino mask, resulting in a decidedly unassuming final look that would quickly be surpassed by future Catwoman appearances.

6 Zoe Kravitz’ painfully realistic look

The Batman (2022)

It can be difficult to justify Catwoman’s animalistic antics when trying to make the Batman mythos as realistic as possible. Matt Reeves’ The Batman encountered this obstacle when dreaming up a Catwoman outfit for Zoe Kravitz’s take on the feline antiheroine, looking for a way to marry the obvious feline aesthetic with the film’s darker tone. The end result feels like an awkward middle ground between a deliberately unrealistic superhero costume and something a real criminal could actually wear.

Zoe Kravitz’s jumpsuit looks fantastic, and effortlessly creates a fantastic base for a great Catwoman costume. What Kravitz lets down is the silly mask, which seems to suggest an unintended cat-ear effect by having Selina Kyle wear an oversized balaclava that uncomfortably covers her nose and nothing else. No wonder the film constantly finds excuses for Catwoman not wearing her mask.

5 Lili Simmons’ prequel costume

Gotham (2014–2019)

During the many seasons GothamSelina Kyle slowly evolves from a simple henchwoman on Fish Mooney to a self-proclaimed criminal. Like most characters in the series, Kyle spends most of her time without a real superhero costume, just a leather jacket and backwards goggles that give the remotest impression of a real Catwoman costume. However, towards the end of the series, Selina Kyle finally gets to go on a robbery in a real Catwoman outfit.

Surprisingly, the look of this costume is nearly accurate, with a classic jumpsuit full of pockets, high heels to maintain Selina Kyle’s signature animalistic appeal, and a full-on cowl. The ensemble looks quite good in motion in the brief scenes in which it appears, but in broad daylight, a shocking omission is revealed – the lack of any cat ears. Without this glaring flaw, Lili Simmons’ suit might have been the perfect prototype for Catwoman, but it cannot in good conscience be ranked higher.

4 Eartha Kitts Copycat Costume

Batman television series (1966–1967)

In the seasons of Adam West’s Batman Immediately after the release of the main film in the series, Catwoman changed actresses again due to scheduling conflicts. This time, Lee Meriwether was replaced by Eartha Kitt, who managed to really make the character her own with a performance that clearly inspired future Catwoman actresses. However, Kitt’s costume left something to be desired compared to the film version.

Admittedly, Eartha Kitt’s costume is quite similar to her predecessors, with the domino mask and ears of Meriwether alongside the dangling gold embellishments of Julie Newmar. In practice, Eartha Kitt’s costume unfortunately looks like a cheaper version of Lee Meriwether’s, with a slightly worse fit, a sillier-looking mask and ears, and a strange purple hue. Kitt’s costume was great in concept, but left a lot to be desired in execution.

3 Anne Hathaway’s modernized catsuit

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Since the Catwoman with the best Batman romance is Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman costume, it’s no surprise that Selina Kyle, played by Anne Hathaway, got one of the best live-action catsuits of all time. Christopher Nolan was careful to keep his vision of Gotham and Batman’s suit and technology realistic, but without being too burdened with taking away the flair from his characters’ costumes. This comes across in Hathaway’s Catwoman costume, which ultimately reads like an updated version of the Lee Meriwether suit.

The basis of Catwoman’s jumpsuit in The Dark Knight Rises is not unlike Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow suit, which debuted two years earlier. It’s form-fitting enough to be impressive, yet practical. Turning Catwoman’s ears into flip-up goggles/radio receiver was a clever way to justify her stylistic flair in a more grounded universe, and admitting that her domino mask was the result of a high-profile masquerade ball was equally ingenious. Still, Hathaway’s Catwoman doesn’t fully commit to the superhero aesthetic.

2 Lee Meriwether’s classic outfit

Batman (1966)

She only played Catwoman in the companion film to Adam West’s Batman In the TV series, Lee Meriwether liked the most expensive Catwoman costume of the three original actresses. It’s a clear improvement over Julie Newmar’s costume in virtually every category, and it’s almost unfair to compare Meriwether’s look to that of her contemporaries who worked on the original live-action Batman series. Her Catwoman costume looks like it came straight from the pages of a Silver Age DC comic.

Gone are Newmar’s small attempts at cat ears. Replaced are a great domino mask and cat ears combo that accentuate Meriwether’s head into a feline profile. The costume also forgoes the odd dangling gold chain that the other two Adam West Catwomen insisted on, instead adding dangerous-looking gold-plated claws to the tips of her gloves to add a touch of lavish flair. Finally, Meriwether’s costume is also the only one of the original three with an appropriately dark black color palette, reminiscent of a classic black cat.

1 Michelle Pfeiffer’s eye-catching bodysuit with seams

Batman Returns (1992)

While Michelle Pfeiffer’s actual portrayal of Selina Kyle left something to be desired, there is no doubt that her interpretation of Catwoman’s costume is one of the most iconic interpretations of the character ever. By fusing the classic DC Comics look with Tim Burton’s signature gothic art style, Michelel Pfeiffer’s costume creates something that is both new and recognizable. It’s no wonder that Pfeiffer’s Catwoman inspired other Catwoman designs, from The new Batman adventures to Batman ’89 Comic run.

Catwoman’s latex bodysuit in Batman Returns is effortlessly sensual and perfectly captures Catwoman’s mix of danger and seduction. Her sharp claws and cat-eared hood keep the cat theme strong while also conveying a sense of menace, something Pfeiffer is able to pull off in her portrayal. Tim Burton’s signature is also very evident in the Frankenstein-esque stitching and pale, chalky white makeup, resulting in an impressive, almost otherworldly Catwoman Design that effortlessly surpasses all others in film and television.

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