With the right design on the right body, a woman in a catsuit can create a spectacular look. This list prefers traditional leather, latex. lycra and similar fabrics to mere bodystockings or jumpsuits. But we make allowances when a celebrity known for her ability to fill a catsuit shows off a similar but even more impressive costume.
We also favor those who put their catsuits to a test, either in believable action scenes or energetic stage performances.
And there is also extra credit for attitude, since even for a beautiful woman, wearing one of these things well requires self-confidence. All the women here are beautiful, but some wear it better.
Catsuits,
Angelina Jolie
At 5'8, 130 pounds and a pre-mastectomy 36C-27-36, Angelina Jolie is a kick-butt woman for the ages. In Angie's case, the catsuit is merely an accessory, showcasing but not containing her awesomeness.
Anne Hathaway
Too much beauty and too much talent can turn out just right, as demonstrated by Anne Hathaway. Anne's preparation to play Catwoman in "The Dark Night Rises" occasioned some controversy, as dropped from a fine 138 pounds to a fighting fit 125 to get into her skintight gear.
But at 5'7", 34C-26-34, Anne still is stunning even before her character leg whips you. Multi-talented Anne Hathaway is an ornament to our screen in or out of a catsuit.
Halle Berry
Another prolific modern catsuit aficionado, Halle Berry has worn more traditional suits on her gorgeous 169 cm (5'6), 53 kg (116 lbs.) frame. But while "Catwoman" may have been a terrible movie, it gives us a chance to include this more abbreviated but thrilling take on a "catsuit."
Though she's been a fine actress elsewhere, we greatly appreciate Hall's willingness to show her perfect skin and a 92-61-94 figure (36C-24-37) in this unintentionally comic genre piece.
Honor Blackman
In 1962, London native Honor Blackman, an actress known for her "English Rose" looks and her spectacular rack, was cast as one of three rotating partners for the spy John Steed (Patrick Macnee) in the British adventure series "The Avengers." Some of the producers were worried that she would be too genteel. But Honor quickly made the other two expendable, learning judo and donning leather catsuits as Cathy Gale, the first prime-time woman warrior.
Blackman explained the leather as being practical, it wouldn't tear as she actually threw around stuntmen.
But this was Swinging London, and there were other reasons, as evidenced by "Kinky Boots," the record she made with Macnee. It was no accident that Honor liberated the catsuit from bondage and moved it toward the mainstream.
Blackman moved on to turn the potentially silly P*ssy Galore into another dead sexy icon in "Goldfinger." At 170 cm. (5'7"), 57 kg (127 lbs) and 94-61-93 (37C-24-36), Honor could make you weep even before she kicked your butt.
A true pioneer, Honor also co-wrote a book on women's self-defense, and joined an anti-monarchist group.
Jessica Lucas
Since becoming a performer at age 12, beautiful Jessica Lucas has been a standout in her native Vancouver, where her 37C-26-36 curves make most local actresses look 12. She's had a number of movie and TV roles, but has gained well-deserved attention as whip-wielding Tabitha Galavan (Tigress) on Gotham. "I’m a curvier woman and I embrace that about myself," she told Maxim in the kind of actress quote that appears in Maxim. "I have an hourglass shape, and so, I like that."
Julie Newmar
She was not quite the original catsuit wearing heroine, but as Catwoman, but Julie Newmar set a standard that has not been surpassed. At 5'11, 145 pounds, Julie was already physically impressive, but her astounding 38C-23-38 measurements embodied "the perfect hourglass figure." Her catsuits only added to her stunning natural attraction, and Julie's 135 IQ affirmed her business smarts.
Possibly the only detraction from her effect is that amid the camp of "Batman," Newmar's Catwoman tended, in her words to "file her nails" during fight scenes. But perhaps that's the best reaction to an actual fight.
"We had such fun" during the Sixties, Julie told The Daily Mail in 2012. More recently, she said her catsuits fit her "like licorice being poured on the body."
But she was critical of the more constructed catsuits, "all padded out and very macho" on which some other actresses have had to rely. "It's as if the costume acts for you," Julie said, before sexily filling out a suit all by herself for a photo shoot.
Maggie Q
Maggie Quigley's "Nikita" catsuits tend to be prosaic action wear, so here's a treat, Maggs in one of her many more flamboyant outfits. The Hawaiian beauty has always been sportive, and her modeling career led her into action roles.
Q credits Jackie Chan's team for training to perform movie martial arts, and her willingness to do stunts helped establish her as an action star. In a 2010 interview, Maggie described movie action work as physically challenging but still fun.
A dedicated vegetarian, Q is active in animal rights and rescue groups, including Animals Asia and PETA.
At 5'6, 105 pounds and a seemingly exaggerated 34B-24-34, Maggie Q clearly is one of the smaller members of the catsuit colony. But with a commanding attitude, dynamite physical condition and fighting skills, she's among the few who really could kick your butt.
Michelle Pfeiffer
One of the great beauties in movie history, Michelle Pfeiffer might seem an outlier in the curvaceous ranks of Newmar, Berry, Blackman et all. But proportion counts more than size. At 5'7½, 115 pounds, 33½B-24-34, Michelle embodied a feline slinkiness that worked wonders for Selina Kyle as a seductress.
Playing up the character's dominatrix aspect, the purring Pfeiffer relied heavily on a whip. Otherwise, though, despite reported training in kickboxing, in action scenes Michelle seemed as fragile as a kitten. One unidentified co-star was quoted that Pfeiffer had four stunt doubles, but "did all her own whippin'."
Whatever Michelle's method, it worked for director Tim Burton, who in 2012 told the Los Angeles Times that Pfeiffer gave "one of my favorite performances by anyone in any movie I've ever worked on."
Scarlett Johansson
Frequently chosen as "most beautiful" this or that, Scarlett Johansson validates the accolades when she slips into her gear. At 5'4, 125 pounds, Scarlett may be a bit shorter than the average a superhero or dominatrix, but she obviously fills out a catsuit as well as anyone.
Of course, if we were 36DD-25-36 like Johansson, we wouldn't wear anything but spandex. Speaking of hot, Scarlett complained to The Sun that it was 800 degrees inside her catsuit, leading her to wear nothing underneath. But to offset that distracting picture, Scarlett gave Jay Leno a less inspirational description, saying the suit was like "sweaty pajamas."
In recent years, Black Widow has become more of a presence in Marvel's mainly for boys universe. First Jon Favreau then Joss Whedon have spotlighted Scarlett in the resulting movies. In or out of a catsuit, Scarlett Johansson rates highly in the media universe.
Uma Thurman
One of the most prolific wearers of catsuits in recent years, Uma Thurman is a a serious challenger for the top spot on this list. At 183 cm (6 feet), 66 kg (145 lbs.) and 93-63-91 (36C-25-35), Uma fills out a catsuit spectacularly, even though she at times has caught the Hollywood starvation bug and been listed as low as 128 pounds.
Still, Uma has consistently seemed curvaceous. And for purposes of this list, she's conveyed attitude and physical skill in action scenes.
What has held her back is only the NASCAR-ish look of her "Kill Bill" outfits, and the red fright wig that distracted from her "Poison Ivy" voluptuousness.
But when she got a chance to play Emma Peel in the movie version of the old British adventure series "The Avengers," Thurman knocked it out of the park. Uma filled out the catsuits, and the rest of her tight-fitting wardrobe, in ways that Diana Rigg could only dream about. That's why Uma Thurman rates as 1A on this list.