THIS IS SO GOOD OMFG

THIS IS SO GOOD OMFG

the evolution of the Robin costume according to me myself and i:

the first version of the costume was Dick. everything about it was an homage to his parents. the colours, the design, the name of what would become a familial mantel, all of it came from John and Mary Grayson. Dick poured his grief and love into that costume and became stronger through it.

Jason’s costume was the same as Dick’s, only tailored to his size. it was smaller probably than it had ever been for Dick, but beyond very little alterations (probably a longer short and more secure boots, because at the end of the day, Jason is a survivor, and he wouldn't allow himself to go out there wearing something too revealing and shoes he didn't feel comfortable running in. Jason knew Gotham's streets and knew that was where the worst of humanity indulged in their darkest urges), the costume remained the. exact. same. maybe he didn't see the need to change it. more probably, it came from a place of insecurity and uncertainty about his place in the family. he looked up to Dick so much and wanted to make him proud so badly that he spent the rest of his short life doing his best to try and emulate Dick even if that meant erasing himself.

when Tim inherited (read; blackmailed Batman into giving it to him) the mantel, keeping the same costume was no longer possible. of course, Bruce could have had one made that was identical to the one Dick and Jason wore before him, but no one involved at this point would have allowed it. after losing Jason, both Dick and Bruce went all in with the protective measures that were added to the suit. there would not be another dead bird under their watch. Tim wouldn't have allowed it either: he couldn't have lived with himself if he did: wearing the same costume Jason had died in would have felt like an insult to his memory. using the same mantel was already bad enough, but he would have to live with it: Batman needed a Robin after all. the costume gained pants, reinforced armour, and the cape became black on the outside. they said it was for stealth, but really, to Tim, it was a way to honour Jason's memory: from now on, Robin would wear the grief for those who fell into battle. Robin, for the better or the worst, lost a little of its magic after that.

Stephanie knew her time as Robin would be short. she was only doing Tim a favour after all. so she didn’t bother personalizing the suit beyond adding a few accessories to it. she got one of Tim’s back up suits, only one of them, tailored to her. she found it lucky that Tim was so short: they were practically the same size, and the alterations needed were minimal.

when Stephabie followed into Jason’s footsteps and died on the job, Tim retired that design of the suit. he designed another one. the Robin costume once again became darker, losing the green and gaining a lot more black elements. a lot of red, too. maybe it wasn’t a conscious decision, but the mantle who saw two kids die became dyed with blood.

when Damian came around, he wasn’t all that aware of the history of the mantle. he knew the facts, obviously, he had learned everything he could about the previous Robins so he would be prepared to take over once he joined his father, but he wasn’t aware of the emotional weight the suit and being Robin carried. he wasn’t aware of the shackle Tim had put on himself through the mantle. his only thought when he designed his own version of the Robin suit was that he wouldn’t wear the same thing Tim wore. he was too busy trying to paint himself in the most flattering light that he forgot to learn from his predecessors: Damian’s suit stayed dark, like Tim’s had been, but it became more muted also, like he was wearing a grief that wasn’t his, because actually that’s exactly what it was. the Robin costume became greyer and lost a lot of his colours.

when Tim created his own mantle, he brought his pains and that of his predecessors with him. he started something new, but still draped himself with the history of the Robin mantle. the Red Robin suit was red and black, just like his last iteration of the Robin costume

:D