History Main / EmbarrassingButEmpoweringOutfit

->''"Reminds me of this one group I ran with. The barbarian in our group found, and I quote: 'a pink frilly tu-tu of Strength +6', and he wore it with pride for the rest of the campaign."''

* ''Anime/ProjectAKo'': B-ko's battle armor, [[ChainmailBikini Akagiyama 23]] enhances her speed and reflexes to match A-ko's. However, [[{{Stripperiffic}} it's basically nothing but a skimpy bikini with boots, gauntlets and a visor]]. Oddly, B-ko herself isn't at all bothered by wearing it.
** When A-ko and the other students first see it, they burst out laughing at her. But once the fight began, A-ko's laughter [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YtBdNrVMGA was short lived.]] Later in the film, it's revealed that it also has a built-in jet pack which enables B-ko to fly; which she uses during her attempt to rescue C-ko from Captain Napolipolita. B-ko was able to manuever effortlessly through [[MacrossMissileMassacre a non-stop missile barrage.]]
** However, the visor's function doesn't become clear until the fourth movie: Final. It [[spoiler: allows B-ko to breath in outer space. Seen when she flies A-ko into space, to get C-ko back, at 11.5 G's]]! Taken UpToEleven and subverted when her '''father''' steals the design and wears one, and '''she's''' the one embarrassed by it.

* On ''Anime/KillLaKill'', this is a plot point: the Kamui that both Ryuko and Satsuki are ''extremely'' [[{{Stripperiffic}} skimpy]] and reveal most of the user's torso (although they do still explicitly protect non-covered areas of the skin). The embarrassment of wearing it causes Ryoko problems early on, because you have to wear Kamui without shame or rejection in order to access their full power. The revealing nature of Kamui later gets some justification when it's revealed that [[spoiler:Kamui are sentient aliens and in order to get as much power as possible from them without them overwhelming the wearer's mind they need to be touching as little skin as possible.]]
* There's a scene in ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' where Lina and Amelia put on silly dresses and sing a silly song (in a clear parody of {{Idol Singer}}s) in order to cast a powerful spell and kill a demon that was supposedly guarding a MacGuffin they're seaching for. [[SubvertedTrope It produces some lights. The spell was actually for a festival, the Mac Guffin is elsewhere]]. Lina then killed the demon with her classic [[KamehameHadoken Dragon Slave]] as punishment for watching her embarrass herself.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}'', the title character possesses a full body super-suit that gives her numerous super abilities, but it's also made of extremely thin and fragile material. The suit [[ClothingDamage tears easily]] and even when it's fully intact, it's so [[SensualSpandex form-fitting that it leaves little to the imagination,]] and nothing can be worn over or [[GoingCommando under]] it. These are huge problems for a superheroine like Empowered who has numerous body-image issues - particularly because tearing the suit strips her (pun intended) of her powers. What makes this worse is [[spoiler:the main character suspects that the suit is only as strong or weak as the user's self-confidence (with a few memorable occasions that suggest she's ''absolutely right''). This applies both to the abilities it gives, and the fragility of the material. Given how paper-thin the title character's confidence is and how it gets more fragile after every failure...]]

* In ''ComicBook/SupermanSecretOrigin'', Clark expressed his dislike over what would be come the Superman costume. Martha Kent designed it to look like standard Kryptonian attire based on what she saw from Jor-El's holograms. Combined with the colorful look and how skin tight it was, Clark, upon trying it on for the first time, vowed to never wear it again. However, it was also made from the blankets that Clark came to earth with, and were therefor, virtually indestructible. In fact, Clark's heat vision was the only thing capable of cutting through it, so if he was to continue perform his heroic acts, he would need to wear something that wouldn't easily rip or tear.

* In ''Fanfic/TheInfiniteLoops'' [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]] commissions [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rarity]] to create a cape capable of inspiring fear. She does so... but decorates it with [[NightmareRetardant smiley bats]]. He also asks for a cape that inspires awe, and gets one that's white and gold... which doesn't really mesh with his color scheme.

* In the short story "Origin Story" by Dwight R. Decker, a spirit who's been out of touch with events on Earth for the past century of so offers the protagonist the empowering (and prominently emblazoned) garb of [[NonNaziSwastika "Captain Swastika"]]. He declines.

* In ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' {{Everyman}} Ralph Hinkley is given a "super suit" by some friendly aliens. It's spandex, but made for someone with a much more muscular physique, and on Ralph it looks a lot like footy pajamas. He is very embarrassed being seen in it, but eventually he gets used to it.

* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Elliot's SuperGenderBender spell involves transforming his clothes into [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1149 an outfit]] that makes him resemble a cheerleader. The one time he uses the spell [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2132 while thinking about a different outfit]], he ends up with [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2133 an even more embarrassing skin tight outfit]] instead.

* In ''Videogame/DarkSouls'', the Catarina armor is ridiculed in-universe for its bulbous, onion-like shape, but the armor itself is masterfully created and amazing for deflecting blows.

* In ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'', almost everyone laughs at the Shocker's costume, because it's a big, bulky thing of padded fabric with a cross-patching design that makes him look like a walking mattress or bundled quilt. However, the padding is essential to keep the backlash from his vibration-blaster gauntlets from breaking his own arms, and Shocker's cunning means that Spider-man, who actually has fought him, ''never'' laughs at it.

* In ''FanFic/WaterAerobicsForTheAquaphobic'', Hermione's Jusenkyo curse (Spring of the Drowned Warrior Goddess) comes with a clothing transformation into a ChainmailBikini, complete with CombatStilettos. While the outfit actually does protect her (notably, it can absorb magic), it also doesn't change back. Asocial bookworm Hermione is not amused about having to wear it in public.

A character has an [[ClothesMakeTheSuperman outfit that grants them immense power]] but there's one major problem. The outfit [[ImpossiblyTackyClothes looks ridiculous]] and its powers can't be accessed without wearing it. Despite the benefits, the character is usually hesitant or refuses to wear the outfit all together.

* In ''Fanfic/TheInfiniteLoops'' [[Film/StarWars Darth Vader]] commissions [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rarity]] to create a cape capable of inspiring fear. She does so... but decorates it with [[NightmareRetardant smiley bats]]. He also asks for a cape that inspires awe, and gets one that's white and gold... which doesn't really mesh with his color scheme.

* In ''FanFic/WaterAerobicsForTheAquaphobic'', Hermione's [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Jusenkyo curse]] (Spring of the Drowned Warrior Goddess) comes with a clothing transformation into a ChainmailBikini, complete with CombatStilettos. While the outfit actually does protect her (notably, it can absorb magic), it also doesn't change back. Asocial bookworm Hermione is not amused about having to wear it in public.

* In ''Fanfic/TheInfiniteLoops'' [[Film/StarWars Darth Vader]] commissions [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rarity]] to create a cape capable of inspiring fear. She does so... but decorates it with [[NightmareRetardant smiley bats]].

* ''{{Series/Charmed}}'':

--> "Why do I always get stuck with the wig?"
** Piper must defeat a WickedWitch exploiting FairyTaleMotifs...by donning Little Red Riding Hood's cape.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Persona3}} Persona 3]]'' there's a bonus female-only costume you can get called the High Cut Armour. It significantly raises a party members attack and defense, can be gotten early on in the game and isn't usurped as the best armor for a while. However, it's also very skimpy and one the few costumes that the girls will comment on specifically if you equip it (usually you get a generic "thanks!" message, but with the HCA you get a "...really? I have to wear this?" one instead).
** In [[VideoGameRemake Persona 3 FES]] you can actually see [[http://imgur.com/0uRG04y what it looks like]]. Meanwhile, in ''Persona 3 Portable'', the item was renamed to "Battle Panties". Hilariously, the female main character can also wear it, with pride too! This additionally gives amusing reactions from male team members.

* The "Feastday Gifts" DLC from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' allows you to manipulate your party members' approval ratings by giving them "gifts" or "pranks" to raise or lower the approval score. The pranks usually follow this trope, being an item that grants bonuses but would be completely out of character, such as a chastity belt for [[TheCasanova Zevran]] or a greatsword that emits rainbows and butterflies for [[TheStoic Sten]].[[/folder]]

* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' has a subversion, when Minmax complains loudly about Forgath forcing him to wear a suit of magical pink armor. He doesn't realize that one of the armor's properties is the ability to take on any color he chooses.
* In one strip of ''{{Webcomic/Oglaf}}'', a man asks an apparently really misogynist blacksmith to commission him some armour. The blacksmith, disgusted by the man's lack of facial hair, begins haranguing him for his supposed lack of masculinity. The man ends up getting a breastplate [[BreastPlate with an enormous bust]] and the word "SLUT" embrossed on the front in big block letters. The man concedes, though, that "it's really good armour".
* In the ''Webcomic/{{Xkcd}}'' strip titled [[http://www.xkcd.com/1065/ shoes]] a character is rewarded shoes that make their wearer immortal. He can't decide whether or not to wear the shoes since they have "[[http://tinyurl.com/zoqeo8j those creepy individual toes]]".

* ''LightNovel/IsThisAZombie'': The costume worn by MagicGirl Haruna contains lots of ruffles and bows. This isn't so embarrassing for her, but when she accidentally passes on her powers, costume included, to the zombie Ayumu (pictured above), he is not so amused by the outfit. Unfortunately, in order to activate his powers, the pink bow-covered costume is included. Also when he uses his own LimitBreak abilities while wearing it, ''the costume proceeds to get even girlier''. Complete with commentary on his rising cuteness from whoever's on the sidelines.

* Mai Tsurugino, the primary protagonist of the ''[[VideoGame/KendoRage Makeruna! Makendou]]'' trilogy (quadrilogy if you count the OAV), is not at all fond of the outfit she finds herself in as Makendou Ichi-go.

SubTrope of ClothesMakeTheSuperman.

* On ''Anime/KillLaKill'', this is a plot point: the Kamui that both Ryuko and Satsuki wear bare your torso from the chest to the upper leg, in a very skimpy way. You need to be able to wear them without shame or rejection in order to access their full power. This later gets some justification when it's revealed that [[spoiler:Kamui are sentient aliens and in order to get as much power as possible from them without them overwhelming the wearer's mind they need to be touching as little skin as possible.]]

* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' Gilgamesh Wulfenbach acquires a hat so impressive that no one who sees it can doubt who he is (well, except that one guy). It's [[BiggerIsBetter huge]], [[PurpleIsPowerful purple]], [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]], and has "[[FunetikAksent Gilgemesh Wulfenbash: Schmott Guy]]!" written on it. The moment he's done using it to establish his identity, he orders it taken away and [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain never spoken of again]].

** Most God-Tier outfits (a.k.a. God Hoods) are pretty decent-looking, but some of the class-based variations are just embarrassing -- particularly the Page, Prince, and Bard outfits. The hypnotic terribleness of Jake and Gamzee's speedo shorts and jutting codpiece respectively get PlayedForLaughs. Fortunately, while the outfit comes with ascending to the God Tiers (and is super-comfy and self-cleaning), it isn't required to access any of the other perks. Furthermore, Meenah reveals that it ''is'' possible to modify them.

SubTrope of ClothesMakeTheSuperman

Compare to ImpossiblyTackyClothes, ChainmailBikini

* ''Anime/ProjectAKo'': B-ko's battle armor, [[ChainmailBikini Akagiyama 23]] enhances her speed and reflexes to match A-ko's. However, [[{{Stripperiffic}} it's basically nothing but a skimpy bikini with boots, gauntlets and a visor]].

* ''Anime/ProjectAKo'': B-ko's battle armor, [[ChainmailBikini Akagiyama 23]] enhances her speed and reflexes to match A-ko's. However, [[{{Stripperiffic}} it's skimpy]] and comes with a visor.

* The ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' villain "The Shocker" wears a quilted and padded yellow and brown suit many find ridiculous. It's a necessity to use his powerful vibro-shock gauntlets. Without the suit, the shockwaves from his weapons would fracture his own bones.

-->'''Haruna:''' It's gonna make you stronger, and way more brave, so don't knock it you jackass!

** Gamzee's codpiece might be an Embarrassing Outfit for anyone else, but he actually seems to like it (especially since it's outright stated by another character that his "god tier" outfit is a fake).