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When a character is referred to by a signature outfit or piece of clothing that they wear. It is NOT just for any character who has a signature article of clothing; the clothing must be in the title of the work or else be part of the name the character is consistently called by. Often, no other name is even given for the person in question.

See also The Adjectival Man, Clothes Make the Legend, Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep", Iconic Outfit, Signature Headgear, No Name Given. Compare The Noun Who Verbed and "Burly Detective" Syndrome. This trope is not related to The One Who Wears Shoes.


Examples:

    open/close all folders 

    Anime & Manga 
  • Luffy from One Piece is often called "Straw Hat" and is the leader of the Straw Hat Pirates (despite being the only member of the crew wearing one). He even has it on his Jolly Roger! Ironically, Shanks and Roger never were identified with the hat in quite the same way despite wearing it constantly during their early years as pirate captains.

    Art 

    Asian Animation 
  • In Lamput, Fat Doc is sometimes named Specs Doc. The doc with the specs.

    Comic Books 
  • In Bone, the villains frequently refer to Phoney Bone as "the one who bears the star" after the star on his shirt.
  • One of the members of the Elite in The DCU is called Hat, after his magic hat.
  • The Hood, whose cloak and boots came from a demon and are the source of his magical powers.
  • Red Robin: The only other name Ra's al Ghul's sister the "Mysterious Cloaked Lady" is referred to with is Daughter of Acheron, a title used by multiple people with the same power set to indicate their allied status and the source of their powers.

    Fairy Tales 

    Film — Animation 

    Film — Live-Action 

    Literature 

    Live-Action TV 
  • Raina, the titular character of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "Girl in the Flower Dress". Other characters identify her by outfit (a whole wardrobe of slinky floral dresses) more often than by name.
  • Arrow
    • In Season One, the protagonist was called by most people "The Man in the (Green) Hood" or simply "the Hood" when not referred to as "the Vigilante". Oliver Queen doesn't like this moniker and so in Season 2 adopts the name "The Arrow", and in Season 4 "Green Arrow".
    • When The Canary appears in Season 2, she's referred to as "The Woman in Black" or "The Woman in the Mask".
  • Bananas in Pyjamas: the title characters and Rat in a Hat.
  • CSI: NY: A mild example in "Pot of Gold." After Mac and Aubrey first Meet Cute in a deli, she leaves a note with the owner to pass on to him. Knowing where she'll be later, but not having a clue as to her name, he addresses one back to "The Beautiful Brunette Woman in the Green Coat." The woman he leaves it with addresses Aubrey as such when she arrives.
  • Days of Our Lives: "Patch" Johnson.
  • In Desmond's Augustus Neapolitan Cleveland Grant is only ever referred to as "Porkpie", because he always wears a porkpie hat.
  • In the first season of The Flash (2014), before the heroes learn Reverse Flash's actual name, they refer to him as "the man in the yellow suit". In fact, Reverse Flash's introduction episode is even has this name as it's title.
  • The Red Woman in Game of Thrones.
  • During the first season, Bennett from Heroes was known as "the Man with the Horn-Rimmed Glasses", or simply "HRG", by the fans, the production staff and even the actor playing him. The use of the nickname/alternative name came about in the pilot, to preserve the surprise that the sinister Man with Horn-Rimmed Glasses is actually Claire Bennett's father.
  • The Man in Black in Lost.
  • Person of Interest. Vigilante Man John Reese is always referred to as "The Man in the Suit" by the police detectives pursuing him and by New York's criminal underworld.
    Elias: Personally, I think they could've come up with a better name.
    • This causes a problem for the FBI in Season 2 when they capture Reese along with three Corporate Samurai, all Badass in a Nice Suit types so they can't tell which one is the man they're looking for.
  • Pretty Little Liars where one of the main villains and Alison was simply "Red Coat".
  • Not clothing-related, but similar in spirit: The Cigarette-Smoking Man from The X-Files.

    Music 
  • The Beatles, "The Ballad of John and Yoko":
    ''The man in the mac says you've gotta go back, you know, they didn't even give us a chance.
  • "Bananas in Pyjamas" written by Carey Blyton. See also Live-Action TV.
  • Johnny Cash, "The Man in Black".
  • Ray Charles's "What'd I Say":
    See the girl with the diamond ring
    She knows how to shake that thing
    See the girl with the red dress on
    She can do the Birdland all night long
  • Chris DeBurgh, "The Lady in Red".
  • The Hollies, "Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)".
  • Marty Robbins, "Cowboy In a Continental Suit."
  • "The Guy with the Polka-Dotted Tie," one of the earlier song compositions of Jule Styne.
  • This is inverted in the Logan Whitehurst song "The Villain Who Wears No Pants".

    Pro Wrestling 
  • ECW's Hat Guy.
  • Veteran Japanese referee Red Shoes.

    Theatre 

    Video Games 
  • ANNO: Mutationem: The Mysterious Stranger that Ann encounters several times throughout the story is referred as 'The Masked Lady'.
  • A Hat in Time: The protagonist, Hat Kid.
  • Although they don't have official names, most of the mask-wearing characters in Hotline Miami are referred to by the name of their masks. This trope applies straight for the protagonist, nicknamed "Jacket" after his letterman jacket. The term has become a semi-official name for him.
  • As of Kirby: Triple Deluxe, the unique Waddle Dee character with a bandana is officially known as Bandana Waddle Dee.
  • Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty: Before his first encounter with Raiden, Solidus referred to him as the man in the sneaking suit.
  • On account of being an unnamed protagonist, the main character of the original Persona is most often referred to as The Boy with the Pierced Ear.
  • Pyramid Head from the Silent Hill series. Listed as "Red Pyramid" in the movie credits.
  • Pokémon Red and Blue: The first generation of games, where opposing trainers other than unique ones, weren't named. All are Lost in Translation:
    • Lasses are "Miniskirts" (ミニスカート) in Japanese.
    • Youngsters are "Shorts Youngsters" (たんぱんこぞう OR たんパンこぞう) in Japanese.

    Web Comics 
  • The Idiot in an Awesome Hat (listed as such on the vol.7 cast page) from Girl Genius.
  • The Order of the Stick has Redcloak. As Cerebus Syndrome kicked in, we learn that he's formally called the Bearer of the Crimson Mantle, and that his cape is actually an Artifact of Doom that slows down his aging while also making him the prophet of his god, the Dark One. The Booted Wight also qualifies.
  • Tower of God: Word of God says that Baek Ryun is an orphan and the name originates from the fine silk cloth that he was wrapped in when he was first found.
  • Black Hat Guy from xkcd. Also Beret Guy.

    Web Original 
  • That Guy With The Glasses
    • And derivatives like "That Dude in the Suede".
    • Linkara called himself That Guy With The Hat when auditioning.
    • That Chick With the Goggles.
  • Welcome to Night Vale has The Man in the Tan Jacket, whose other features - aside from a briefcase filled with flies - are quite literally immemorable.
    • As of episode 32, he has a potential name. Everett, Emmett, and Ernest are all mentioned.

    Western Animation 
  • A Looney Tunes short titled "Boston Quackie" had secret agent Daffy Duck tracking down a MacGuffin stolen by the Man in the Green Hat
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Twilight Sparkle's hastily improvised cover identity in the episode "Friendship University". "My name is Eyepatch. I wear an eyepatch".
  • An animated segment on Sesame Street about the letter V featured "the villain in the Panama hat" (who even referred to himself as that).
  • Throughout the South Park episode "Woodland Critter Christmas," the narrator refers to Stan as "the boy in the red poofball hat."

    TV Tropes 

    Real Life 
  • Man in the Iron Mask (also a book by Alexandre Dumas and a few movies).
  • Many figures seen in the famous Zapruder Film (the most complete and clear recording of the Kennedy Assassination) are known only by their clothing and possessions, most notably the Babushka Lady and the Umbrella Man.

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