History Main / ActionDressRip

* Morgan (Geena Davis) in ''Cutthroat Island''

* In ReBoot Dot did this after tripping in [[TheAddamsFamily Morticia Addams's]] dress. Then used the torn off cloth to tie her hair back.

* Happens to [[spoiler:Euphemia]] in ''CodeGeass'' when she begins her Geass-induced massacre.

* Lucy in ''FairyTail'' did this when she fought Lluvia.

Sometimes an ActionGirl [[RealWomenNeverWearDresses wears dresses]], but finds a dress (unlike a MagicSkirt) to be restraining [[BusmansHoliday when action arises at the most inopportune moment]]. This will result in said woman tearing the hem of her dress in order to give her knees the ability to move and efficiently run. She may or may not remember to ditch [[CombatStilettos the high heels]], though.

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

* In ''{{High School of the Dead}}'', [[ActionGirl Saeko]] does this to the [[CloudCuckooLander school]] [[GagBoobs doctor]].
* Alita in ''MurderPrincess'' does this each time she is ready to fight.

* [[{{Superman}} Lois Lane]] did it with a ''wedding dress'' while shooting up a church at her undercover wedding to a drug lord. And then storms into the Daily Planet like that to re-accept Clark's marriage proposal. No one at the Planet [[SeenItAll really notices,]] because Lois [[IntrepidReporter has a certain reputation]] [[WeirdnessMagnet for pulling this kind of crazy shit twice a month]], and [[CityOfAdventure Metropolis is wild and crazy like that.]]

Compare RipTailoring (a non-action version).

See also MiniDressOfPower.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]
* Hitomi did this in ''VisionOfEscaflowne'' when Millerna puts her in some GorgeousPeriodDress and immediately thereafter, a situation arises when she needs to run really fast.

* The movie of ''YoureUnderArrest'' has Yoriko do this to her skirt during a hostage situation so she can move better.

* In the ''GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' episode "Meme", Major Kusanagi is in her skirted (and rather tightly) military uniform when a situation arises. She tears it herself so she can run in it.

* Happens to [[spoiler: Euphemia]] in ''CodeGeass'' when she begins her Geass-induced massacre.

* Even though she's not an ActionGirl, Liz Ricarro does a variation of this in episode 22 of ''[[IGPXImmortalGrandPrix IGPX]]''. The 2050 IGPX All-Stars Tournament has a fashion show at the end of the night to see who wins the tournament, and one person from each team is sent to participate in the show, with Liz representing Team Satomi. However, during the show, her dress rips, and she decides to be creative by ripping off a significantly large portion of the dress to create a fanservicey minidress that could pass at [[ScrewedByTheNetwork its midnight timeslot on Cartoon Network.]] ([[GettingCrapPastTheRadar It's not like they still couldn't get away with making it more fanservicey.]]) [[spoiler: Liz's moment of creativity is the thing that allows Team Satomi to win the All-Star Tournament.]]

* Done by Galatea in ''{{Claymore}}'' in the fight against Clarice and Miata (chapter 74)
* In the Alabasta Arc of ''OnePiece'', Nami tears the skirt of her Dancing Girl Outfit in order to fight better against [[spoiler: the assassin Ms. Doublefinger]].
* In the last few episodes of ''PumpkinScissors'', Alice goes to a fancy ball with her fiance, [[spoiler:Lionel]]. She dresses up very nicely for the event, but when [[spoiler:a mob shows up, intending to kill a certain philandering Lord and the other guests too, she challenges that Lord to a duel to keep the bloodshed to a minimum. He calls forth two assassins as proxies instead of fighting her himself.]] After fighting for a while in her fancy dress and heels, the hem of her skirt is cut/torn by her opponent, and she pauses long enough to tear it shorter and more even, so as not to trip on the ragged end.

* One of the female reporters does this in the h-anime ''WeatherGirl''.

* In ''HighSchoolOfTheDead'', [[ActionGirl Saeko]] does this to the [[CloudCuckooLander school]] [[GagBoobs doctor]].

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

* Another Comicbook/{{X-Men}} story subverted this: When the Fury starts to attack the X-Men, Logan points out that Storm's dress isn't really suitable for fighting in, and makes the [[MundaneUtility appropriate adjustments with his claws]] with just as much glee as before. Storm looked rather annoyed, and then switched off the holographic image inducer she was wearing, revealing that she was actually wearing trousers, which are now shorts.

* BlackCanary did this in the first ''BirdsOfPrey'' comic, a one-shot.
* Kate Bishop turns her bridesmaid's dress into a superhero costume this way the night she joins the ''YoungAvengers''.

[[folder: FanFic]]
* A variation/aversion/deconstruction: In the notorious ''RanmaOneHalf'' FanFic ''Girl Days'', the characters find a store which specializes in Fighting Skirts: skirts which, thanks to conveniently placed fabric fasteners and snaps, can open on the sides and give the wearer more freedom of movement without having to rip the clothing. The discovery leads to the following exchange:
-->'''Ranma:''' What the heck gave anyone an idea like ''that''?
-->'''Clerk:''' Miss-- this ''is'' Nerima.
-->'''Ranma:''' Good point.

[[folder: Film]]
* IndianaJones ripped off part of Marion's dress, as seen on [=YouTube=] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I4QgTnRRw8#t=2m35s here, at 2:35 (if the display time doesn't jump there)]].
* A variation occurs in ''LicenceToKill'', where Pam's evening gown zips off at the knee.

* Occurs in ''SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'' before Polly starts running away from the robots attacking New York City. She carefully rips the side hems of her longish, straight skirt - but leaves on the heels.

* Occurs in the 2006 remake of ''NightOfTheLivingDead'' as Barb attempts to flee from a horde of zombies. [[TooDumbToLive She doesn't ditch the high heels, though.]]
* Occurs in ''TheMaskOfZorro'' in the romantic duel between Zorro and Elena, when Zorro strips Elena down to just wearing her panties without scratching her a bit - lots of FetishFuel, especially when they kiss afterwards!!

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: LiveActionTV]]

* [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] does this in "Hell's Bells" when she fights the demonized Stewart Burns when he attacks Anya.

** Why were the ostriches wearing ball gowns? (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ModestyBlaise'' ditched both her skirt ''and'' her high heels before the fight, at least in one episode.
** You haven't seen enough episodes. She could have named this trope...except that, as noted, she typically removed the skirt entirely rather than just rip it open.

[[folder: TabletopGames]]
* In ''CastleFalkenstein'', the heroine does this to a Worth of Paris gown when attacked at a ball (and it is mentioned as a standard tactic for female characters who are attacked at formal affairs).
* ''WorldOfDarkness Armory'' mentions this as a required tactic for any female characters who feel like using an inner thigh weapon sheath/holster.

[[folder: Theatre]]
* Parodied in ''EvilDead: TheMusical''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: VideoGames]]

** Running in heels on uneven ground might be a bit tough.

[[folder: Webcomics]]

-->'''Sid:''' Why did Nigel take off all of ''his'' clothes, too?
-->'''Larina:''' I...don't know. Solidarity?

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

--> '''Fashion Designer:''' I love It!
--> '''Kim:''' Me too!
** This also ends up happening in [[TheMovie So The Drama]], after her dress gets singed.
*** Strangely, she's perfectly fine fighting in a long cocktail dress earlier.
** The aforementioned cocktail dress was a ShowgirlSkirt, so her legs were already free to move.

* Done in ''TotallySpies'', to some Indian dresses. They even ditched the shoulder sashes, causing them to [[BareYourMidriff bare their midriffs]].

* In HighSchoolOfTheDead, [[ActionGirl Saeko]] does this to the [[CloudCuckooLander school]] [[GagBoobs doctor]].
* Alita in MurderPrincess does this each time she is ready to fight.

* Black Canary did this in the first ''BirdsOfPrey'' comic, a one-shot.
* Kate Bishop turns her bridesmaid's dress into a superhero costume this way the night she joins the YoungAvengers.

** The same variation occurs in the first CharliesAngels film, where Dylan strips off the bottom half of her ballgown to reveal more [[YourMileageMayVary action-friendly]] [[HellBentForLeather leather pants]].

* A male version in ''The Hunted'', in which a 20th-century samurai rips off his own shirt sleeves half-way through a fight with a band of ninjas, in order to give himself proper freedom of movement.

* Occurs in the 2006 remake of NightOfTheLivingDead as Barb attempts to flee from a horde of zombies. [[TooDumbToLive She doesn't ditch the high heels, though.]]
* Occurs in TheMaskOfZorro in the romantic duel between Zorro and Elena, when Zorro strips Elena down to just wearing her panties without scratching her a bit - lots of FetishFuel, especially when they kiss afterwards!!

* Used as a NoodleIncident in [[TortallUniverse The Immortals Quartet]] by TamoraPierce, referencing a fight where [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Queen]] [[ActionGirl Thayet]] rips and ruins a gem-encrusted dress in a fight.

** however, in ''Dragon Spear'', Creel is forced to utterly destroy her[[spoiler: wedding dress]] in order to [[spoiler: save Veilkca's eggs from falling into the sea]] this time it doesn't get better.

* WorldOfDarkness Armory mentions this as a required tactic for any female characters who feel like using an inner thigh weapon sheath/holster.

* Occurs in TheMaskOfZorro in the romantic duel between Zorro and Elena, when Zorro strips Elena down to just wearing her panties without scratching her a bit - lots of FetishFuel!!

* Occurs in TheMaskOfZorro in the romantic duel between Zorro and Elena, when Zorro strips Elena down to just wearing her panties - lots of FetishFuel!!

* In ''{{Primeval}}'', Abby and Sarah were running from bad guys and prehistoric ostriches in ball gowns, Abby ripped off the hem of her dress and urges Sarah to do the same.

* Occurs in the 2006 remake of NightOfTheLivingDead as Barb attempts to flee from a horde of zombies. [[TooDumb She doesn't ditch the high heels, though.

* Occurs in ''SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'' before Polly starts running away from the robots attacking New York City. She carefully ripes the side hems of her longish, straight skirt - but leaves on the heels.

* In the last few episodes of ''PumpkinScissors'', Alice goes to a fancy ball with her fiance, [[spoiler:Leon]]. She dresses up very nicely for the event, but when [[spoiler:a mob shows up, intending to kill a certain philandering Lord and the other guests too, she challenges that Lord to a duel to keep the bloodshed to a minimum. He calls forth two assassins as proxies instead of fighting her himself.]] After fighting for a while in her fancy dress and heels, the hem of her skirt is cut/torn by her opponent, and she pauses long enough to tear it shorter and more even, so as not to trip on the ragged end.

* Subverted with Colonel Sam Carter of ''StargateSG1'', who can still f' you up in her black evening gown ''and'' heels.
* Played straight in ''{{Primeval}}'', Abby and Sarah were running from bad guys and prehistoric ostriches in ball gowns, Abby ripped off the hem of her dress and urges Sarah to do the same.

* Hel in ''Film/{{Bitch Slap}}''.