History Main / TheissTitillationTheory

** [ChristmasCake Ru]][[EvenTheGirlsWantHer b]][[ShopKeeper y]] is wearing what appears to be a strategically-tied ''bedsheet'' with [[VaporWear no bra]]. The jury's out on whether it's being held up by her rack or by the sheer force of her hotness.

* {{Discussed}} in ''LightNovel/MondaijiTachiGaIsekaiKaraKuruSouDesuYo'' by [[LovableSexManiac Shiroyasha]] and [[ChivalrousPervert Izayoi]], with the former explaining this effect as the reason she invented a literal MagicSkirt.

** [[HotMom R]][[ChristmasCake u]][[EvenTheGirlsWantHer b]][[ShopKeeper y]] is wearing what appears to be a strategically-tied ''bedsheet'' with [[VaporWear no bra]]. The jury's out on whether it's being held up by her rack or by the sheer force of her hotness.

This basic theory underwrites {{Stripperiffic}} clothing, ImpossiblyCoolClothes, and pretty much anything else you stick female characters into: what makes clothing sexy is the hope of a catastrophic WardrobeMalfunction. The [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]] is William Ware Theiss, costume designer on ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', who first codified the concept.

The theory acknowledges that this possibility is entirely imaginary: the [[MagicSkirt true magic]] of these outfits is that no matter what SheFu the wearer attempts, she is ''never ever'' going to [[NippleAndDimed expose a nipple]]. Not in this time slot. Having said that, the TTT takes advantage of an odd side effect: a particularily sexy outfit actually ''out-titillates'' a nude woman. Evidently, [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving she who might become naked is more interesting than she who already is]].

Particularly common in ScienceFiction and related genres. However in ''WillAndGrace'', Debra Messing occasionally wore outfits that would not be anatomically feasible for a better-endowed woman.

Though Theiss was a costume designer, according to ''Inside Star Trek: The Real Story,'' by Herb Solow and Robert Justman, most of the costumes following this theory were actually somewhat more modest before being "[[ClothingDamage improved]]" by GeneRoddenberry. According to the "Art of Star Trek" book, Theiss preferred to design costumes that only ''appeared'' to be in danger of slipping or coming off, through the use of strategically-placed sheer or skintone fabric. He was further able (forced?) to add to the effect by the censorship rules of the time regarding what parts of the body could or could not be shown (the navel being the most well-known restriction). He found he could get surprising amounts of appeal from the carefully-arranged display of areas of skin not generally considered erogenous.

ImpossiblyLowNeckline ("What's holding it ''up''?"), AbsoluteCleavage and {{Sideboob}} ("What's keeping those two strips from slipping off to one side or the other?"), GodivaHair ("All she has to do is turn her head a ''little''...") and {{Underboobs}} ("That shirt should ride up!") are common forms of this[[note]]The answer to these questions is "Glue and a prayer"[[/note]].

** One of the best examples of it at work is Theiss' own creation in the ''Star Trek'' episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" In that episode, a female android named [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d9/Star_Trek_-_What_Are_Little_Girls_Made_Of.jpg Andrea]] has a costume the upper portion of which is merely two crossing strips of material. Off the set, public modeled displays of this costume ''never'' failed to get a dramatically appreciative reception from at least the men.

%% No quotes, please.

%% No quotes, please

* In the ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Sleeper" JamesMarsters is shown in bed with the sheet loosely bunched around his waist, just barely above the groin.

* KylieMinogue's video for ''Can't Get You Out Of My Head'' features a stunning outfit that ''must'' be just about to fall off. A still image can be seen [[http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/31692-popup.html here]]. Apparently there was a lot of double-sided tape involved.

* ''PrincessTutu''. Princess Kraehe wears a black tutu which looks like it might fall off at any second. Episode 13 of ''PrincessTutuAbridged'' even has the cast trying to figure out how it stays up at one point.

* Jessica Albert from ''DragonQuestVIII''. Her breasts are [[http://www.dqshrine.com/dq/dq8/dq8-40.jpg so large]], and [[http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/4547/304451-jessica_7_large.jpg her top is so low]], one would think her nipples were glued to the neckline, with how they never explode out--even with her [[http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb369/diony69/Jessica%20Albert/vlcsnap-2012-04-01-16h59m29s28.png idle stretching]], her [[http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb369/diony69/Jessica%20Albert/tumblr_lzv5qluESL1qzlgbao1_250.gif bouncing]], or her [[http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb369/diony69/Jessica%20Albert/vlcsnap-2012-04-01-17h07m52s162.png bending over]]. The "Sex Appeal" (as her skill in the game is) of Jessica's dress is that she is essentially naked from the nipple up. As such, her top attracts much attention and many camera shots in the game.

This basic theory underwrites {{Stripperiffic}} clothing, ImpossiblyCoolClothes, and pretty much anything else you stick female characters into: what makes clothing sexy is the hope of a catastrophic WardrobeMalfunction. The TropeNamer is William Ware Theiss, costume designer on ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', who first codified the concept.

* Mai in ''FatalFury''/''KingOfFighters''. Her outfit looks ''designed'' to fall off.

* Morrigan's robes in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. There are more {{Stripperiffic}} examples, but the loose fit, the cleavage and SideBoob indicating lack of a bra, make it look like she could escape her top during any of her magical gestures.

* Exactly how {{Vampirella}} keeps ''hey'' costume from falling off is a mystery. (''Wizard Magazine'' claimed that for RealLife models who dress as the character at conventions, they use aerosol spray glue.)

* Ursula Andress in ''TheBlueMax''. There is a protracted scene where she has a folded towel looped around her neck so that the two lengths of towel, draped strategically in front of her, both conceal most of a breast, or at least the nipples. Despite how she moves or speaks, despite how her unsupported breasts jiggle and move, ''her nipples are always concealed by the towel as if it was glued in place'' (and probably was).

[[quoteright:500:[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TTT.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:360:[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TTT.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:320:[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TTT.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:200:[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TTT.jpg]]]]