[[quoteright:324:http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anne_and_ice_princess.jpg]]

Often a character in a work dresses in an outfit practically identical to an outfit worn by another character or RealLife person, as a kind of {{Cosplay}} on the character's part, and a ShoutOut on the part of the costumer, designer, and/or artist.

The WholeCostumeReference is when you take the cosplay part out. The character is just wearing that outfit. ''There is no indication or clue within the work that this character is dressing as that other person.''
* There's no fan convention.
* It's not Halloween.
* It's not a costume party.
* No one mentions what the costume is based on.

This can include live action works, when the costume actually is the costume worn in an earlier work, as a form of PropRecycling. Many low budget works do this. But again, there has to be no mention or clue of the work it was reused from.

Compare HistoricalDomainCharacter, SerialNumbersFiledOff, WholePlotReference.
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'''Examples:'''

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[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* ''TrinityBlood'' ended with [[spoiler:Esther being crowned queen]] and wearing a gown just like one Queen Elizabeth I wore. [[spoiler:But not her coronation dress.]]
* In ''GundamWing'', Relena's Queen dress is the same one AudreyHepburn wore as Princess Ann in ''RomanHoliday''.

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[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* In ''[[XMen House Of M]]'', Magneto's costume (and medals, and pose, and backdrop, and... [[SoYeah yeah]]) was taken from, of all people, [[http://terranoticias.terra.es/sociedad/articulo/juan_carlos_i_magneto_262556.htm the Spanish king Juan Carlos]].

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[[folder: Film ]]

* A number of characters — the Bride in ''KillBill'' being the most famous — have worn Bruce Lee's ''Game of Death'' tracksuit.

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[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''LandOfTheGiants'' had an episode where one of the girls ends up in the skating dress from the beginning of ''SnowWhiteAndTheThreeStooges''.
* It was said the reason Klinger stopped crossdressing on ''{{MASH}}'' was that he had worn just about every dress in the studio wardrobe stock that would fit him. So inevitably many of the dresses would be this trope.

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[[folder: Theater ]]

* Christine's dress in ''ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' when she sings "Think of Me" is inspired by one worn by Elisabeth of Bavaria (also the subject of the musical ''{{Elisabeth}}''.

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[[folder: Video Games ]]

* The picture is of [[TheHouseOfTudor Anne Boleyn]] wearing an [[PrettyInMink ermine-lined]] [[PimpedOutDress gown]], and the [[WinterRoyalLady Ice Princess]] from the ''{{Spyro}}'' series wearing an almost identical one.

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[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* This happens all the time in ''{{Erfworld}}'', due to the hundreds of pop-culture references the characters make unconsciously. Significant ones include Ansom fighting while dressed as Evel Knievel, Jillian dressing as Sandy from ''{{Grease}}'' while Vinny and his group dress as ''WestSideStory'' thugs, several of Wanda's costumes referencing horror movies, and Jack veiling himself as Kain from ''FinalFantasyIV''. In addition, this is a ''game mechanic'' that gives them more bonuses.
* The man in [[http://www.drunkduck.com/The_KAMics/index.php?p=56855 this]] & a few following cartoons of ''{{The KAMics}}'' isn't a Mountie, he just likes dressing as one.

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[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In an episode of ''GummiBears'', Calla wears a dress that's just like SnowWhite's. No reason is given it looks like that, it just is.
* There was APupNamedScoobyDoo episode where they encountered a gamer girl who wore a pair of shoes identical to those worn by SonicTheHedgehog. Given that [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal shoes are all Sonic wears]], I'd say that counts as a "Whole Costume Reference".
* An episode of ScienceCourt had the resident idiot prosecutor Doug Savage parachute onto the scene in an [[StarWars Rebel Alliance pilot suit]], for no reason whatsoever.

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