The two faces of the Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis)

The Crimson Avenger has the distinction of being the first masked hero produced by Detective Comics.  His debut came in October 1938 with Detective Comics #20.  While costume changes aren't exactly unprecedented in the superhero genre, they typically represent slight variations on a basic model. (Think, for example, of all the many costume changes the Wasp has had over the years.)

In the case of the Crimson Avenger, however, we see a pretty dramatic style change in either Detective Comics #40 (if you believe Wikipedia) or #44 (if you rely on Dave's Comic Heroes Blog). Unfortunately, as I am unable to access the innards of either of these classic tomes, I can't say definitively which is correct.

Regardless of when the change took place, I've only ever heard one explanation. It's claimed that the Avenger's altered duds were the natural response to popular taste shifting away from costumed vigilantes, and towards superheroes. And so, we went from this:

the more or less original look

to this:

the new look as of Detective Comics #40 (or #44)

While it's certainly possible that this was the rationale motivating the editorial decision, it doesn't make much sense to me.

First, marking a line between "costumed vigilantes" and "superheroes" strikes me as a distinction without a difference.  (Unless one were to define the difference as being violent vs. non-violent, or super-powered vs. non-super-powered individuals.)

Second, it seems to me there were a great many "costumed vigilantes" who remained as popular as the Crimson Avenger, without surrendering the business-attire-influenced look.  For example:

Sandman
Adventure Comics #60 MAR 1941
(though Sandman had
his own costume
change by May of the
next year)

Universal Studios poster
1941

Midnight
Smash Comics #54 AUG 1944

The Spirit
The Spirit #22 AUG 1950

So, essentially, I'm curious if anyone has ever heard an alternative explanation for the costume change; or at least a fuller fleshing out of the standard explanation to account for why it was felt Crimson Avenger had to change, when these other guys clearly didn't.