History Main / DressedInLayers

* In ''Film/Entrapment'', Gin rips off her dress to reveal a trouser-suit (of the same shade of blue), just before carrying out a big heist.

* ''Literature/TheSagaOfTuck'': During some colder months, Tuck wore women's clothing under his regular clothes.

* Played for Laughs in the Anime/DragonballZ movie Anime/DragonBallZBrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan and Anime/DragonballSuper when Goku, having to wear a fancy suit, gets the chance to ditch it and is revealed to be wearing his Turtle School gi underneath.

* The iconic opening shot of ''Film/{{Goldfinger}} has James Bond emerging from the ocean in a wetsuit which he unzips to reveal he's wearing a tuxedo. This was inspired by the real-life intelligence agent [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Tazelaar Peter Tazelaar]], who [[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7601274/The-secret-war-mission-that-inspired-Goldfinger-scene.html did the same during WW2]] to infiltrate a German-occupied castle in Scheveningen during a reception. The scene was added to the film by script doctor Paul Dehn, who knew Tazelaar during the war.

* In ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'', Basil dresses from his sailor disguise to his Sherlock outfit after escaping from Ratigan's deathtrap.

** Comicbook/XWingSeries: The Wraiths rely on this and a few other quick-change tricks (such as "breakaway" clothes [[FlungClothing that can be simply torn off]]) when [[MasterOfDisguise in disguise]], particularly when dodging pursuit or when an especially complex scheme requires more disguises than available Wraiths. The most impressive example is probably when they do this to ''a truck'', coating it in adhesive fabric to create a highly distinctive paint-job that they can simply burn away when not needed.

** This is actually quite common at Whateley. [[note]]As is wearing {{Utility Belt}}s and carrying several holdout weapons and other CrazyPrepared type stuff, in part because of the frequent outbursts of violence on campus, and in part to get around the 'only bring what you normally carry' rule for the Combat Finals[[/note]] Glorianna even wears her costume when she goes out shopping in Boston (which did prove useful when they got attacked, though she quickly finds that a LeotardOfPower isn't necessarily the best thing to run around in during a Massachusetts winter).

* Examples from the 1966 ''Series/{{Batman}}'':

[[folder: RealLife]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* In ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'', Basil dresses from his sailor disguise to his Sherlock outfit after escaping from Ratigan's deathtrap.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Film/{{The Phantom|1996}}'': The Phantom wears his costume under his street clothes; at one point he even uses his discarded clothing to distract a couple of {{Mooks}}.
* Done by Gonzo in ''Film/TheMuppets''. Turns out he's been wearing his stuntman outfit under his work clothes every day for the past 20 years so he can be prepared the day the rest of the Muppets come to get the old gang back together.

* The MasterOfDisguise El Chameleón from ''Film/MacheteKills'' has this as his skill. Whenever he wants to change guises, he unzips his current skin, revealing it to be [[LatexPerfection a perfect latex bodysuit]], underneath which is another, complete with new voice.

* Franchise/StarWarsLegends:

* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' the kids generally wear skintight clothes under their regular clothes because only skintight clothes [[MySuitIsAlsoSuper can change with them when they morph]].

* Apart from one shirt-ripping scene with Clark in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', the series has averted this. Save possibly for one scene in an early Season 10 Episode. Oliver Queen (in his street clothes) is investigating an apartment. Someone else enters, and moments later he confronts them in full Green Arrow gear. Played straight in the very last scene of the finale, which ends on Clark doing the iconic Superman reveal. And the episode "Booster" has a classic phone-booth change, in which Clark is somehow wearing a leather jacket under his suit.

* In ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode [[Recap/CommunityS1E14InterpretiveDance Interpretive Dance]] Troy uses rip away clothing to disguise the fact that he is taking a dance class
* Creator/NeilPatrickHarris pulls this off during his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6S5caRGpK4 Tony Awards Introduction]], where he wears a tuxedo, over a [[CampGay spangly purple leisure suit]], over a different, identical tuxedo. Which means he was performing his big musical number wearing ''three suits''.
* In ''Series/{{Glee}}'', Kurt Hummel does this during his big audition for NYADA: he comes out onstage wearing a tuxedo, cape and mask for 'Music of the Night' from ''Phantom of the Opera'', but when he realizes his auditor will be bored senseless by hearing the song for the millionth time, rips away the tux to reveal a black blouse and skintight gold pants, and proceeds to sing 'Not the Boy Next Door' from ''The Boy From Oz'' instead.
* In ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'', Ali wore more revealing clothes to school this way, hiding them under clothes that her strict Muslim parents approved of (such as long skirts).
* ''Series/DoctorWho''. In "The Crimson Horror" as they're about to be attacked by {{mooks}}, Victorian-era ActionGirl Jenny instantly shucks off her period dress to reveal a leather SpyCatsuit. Cue SomethingElseAlsoRises gag with the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.
* On ''Series/SavedByTheBell'' Slater would take off his school clothes to dance for Jessie in tights. He would repeat this in a 2015 skit on ''Series/TheTonightShow'' with Creator/JimmyFallon.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

-->'''Wonder Woman''': Crap! I'm not wearing my costume!
-->'''Superman''': Crap! I'm already in my costume!

[[folder: WebOriginal]]

* Played for Laughs in the Anime/DragonballZ movie Anime/DragonBallZBrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan and Anime/DragonballSuper when Goku, having to wear a fancy suit, gets the chance to ditch it and is revealed to be wearing his Trademark Clothing.

* It can be assumed that most female superheroes, especially those whose outfits are rather {{Stripperiffic}}, do this.

--> '''Supergirl:''' "Aren't you gonna... you know..."\\

* ''ComicBook/Superboy1994'': While Superboy normally just wears his costume since he has no secret identity and is Superboy all the time he does on occasion wear other outfits, like when dressing up for a date, and always wears his costume underneath so that he can quickly get to work if he's needed.

* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' the kids generally wear skintight clothes under their regular clothes because only skintight clothes can change with them when they morph.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', when Robin is forced to go to a prom with a girl. At one point he rips off his prom suit to reveal his costume - including the gloves, even though his hands had been bare while he was in the suit. An unusual example of this trope because Robin was still wearing his mask and not concealing his heroic identity (indeed, on this show, the viewer doesn't know what Robin's secret identity is, or even whether he has one.) Presumably, he was just wearing the suit because it was a formal occasion.

* In many occupations, it is common for various types of protective gear to be designed with the intent of having day-to-day clothing or uniforms worn underneath. Thus, when the additional gear is needed, no time is wasted stripping out of the previous uniform, simply layer up. Once the need for the extra gear is passed, simply strip down to the appropriate layer. This of course is also a common bit of advice for dealing with cold or wet weather. Multiple thinner layers provide quite a bit of insulation, and can easily be tailored to varying weather by adding and removing layers, as opposed to having one heavy layer.

* ''Comicbook/XWingSeries'': The Wraiths rely on this and a few other quick-change tricks (such as "breakaway" clothes [[FlungClothing that can be simply torn off]]) when [[MasterOfDisguise in disguise]], particularly when dodging pursuit or when an especially complex scheme requires more disguises than available Wraiths. The most impressive example is probably when they do this to ''a truck'', coating it in adhesive fabric to create a highly distinctive paint-job that they can simply burn away when not needed.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' all [=NPCs=] wear modest underclothes under their main outfit, however some times the main outfit covers less than the under clothes. The various Raider outfits are the most egregious, with corpses spontaneously gaining undershirts and bras after the outfits are removed.

** ComicBook/CaptainAmerica used to wear his suit ''and his shield, strapped to his back'', under his civilian clothes. This got {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in the ''Peter Porker: The Spectacular Spider Ham'' series, where Captain Americat did the same thing. Peter questions this and Cap says "My tailor is ''very'' good."