History Main / BulletproofFashionPlate

* In ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles'' Catherine Weaver always looks composed, even when a warehouse has just exploded on her. This is mostly because her hair and clothing are made of shapeshifting liquid metal.

%%* The Great Leslie in ''TheGreatRace'' (Film, 1965).

* JustifiedTrope in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. Edna, the FABULOUS fashion designer for supers, made the costumes for each superhero bulletproof, rocketproof, fireproof, and adapt to each user's superpower (for example, Violet's costume became invisible when she did).

In other words, the trope is the [[DistaffCounterpart Spear Counterpart]] of BeautyIsNeverTarnished. Compare ImprobableHairstyle and MagicPants. Such people are often a BadassInANiceSuit.

* Real Life Example: [[Series/MythBusters Jamie Hyneman]]. The man regularly works with oily, greasy, filthy machines in a white shirt and beret, and ends each episode spotless.
** Episodes are shot over the course of weeks...and there's several instances where he's shown [[ShirtlessScene taking off his shirt to do strenuous work]], like when they were making the tree cannon.
** There's an amusing Adam-rant about this in the DVD of "Jet Taxi". (Presumably in the non-US broadcast versions as well, most of the DVD extra footage is stuff cut in the US for more commercials.)
** Adam once noted how Jamie's hands were completely covered in oil and grease, right up to his rolled-up sleeves, which were completely immaculate.
*** Adam also pointed this out during a build when Jamie was painting their ramp black, using a paint roller. (Which, for those who haven't repainted their house recently, tends to splatter.) The shirt was pristine afterwards.
** Averted a few times, like the "when [it] hits the fan" myth. Adam was wearing protective gear; Jamie was in his usual outfit. Both got spattered by the fake fecal matter in the final test.

* Most action heroes also fall into this trope to a large degree: the fight isn't serious until they start to bleed slightly or get a tear in their shirt.

[[quoteright:306:[[Comicbook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/NotBlownUp.JPG]]]]

* Legolas in the ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' films, especially when you compare him to Aragorn, who gets suitably filthy repeatedly. This is brought up in Martin Pearson's comedy show ''TheUnfinishedSpellingErrorsOfBolkien'':
-->Legolas, meanwhile, still has perfect hair--still braided--and appears remarkably clean, yet he has no backpack. Where does he keep his brush?

* The "Never Look Mussed" talent in ''Pulp Hero'' (5th edition ''[[TabletopGame/Champions Hero System]]'') lets your character stay pristine even when you've just been pulled out of quicksand or fought an entire gang.

* Most old westerns did this. Franchise/TheLoneRanger never got mussed, despite the fact that his shirt was light blue and his pants were tan. Neither did GeneAutrey or Creator/RoyRogers. Creator/JohnWayne never got mussed, either. In fact, it was so pervasive in westerns that it was parodied in ''Film/TheVillain'' -- Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger is dressed all in white and he still never gets dirty.
* The [[Film/TheBluesBrothers Blues Brothers]] have full black suits and crisp white shirts that NEVER get dirty or damaged. Until they become coated in mud. That's when you know they're in trouble.

* Creator/StevenSeagal used this rather often - it's most noticeable in ''Film/UnderSiege 2'', where he kills dozens of armed terrorists and escaped an exploding train, without ever getting a stain on his suit. Despite the fact that at one point he actually gets shot by a sniper rifle.
* In the olden days, Film/JamesBond also fell into this more often than not - but not so much anymore.

--> Legolas, meanwhile, still has perfect hair- still braided- and appears remarkably clean, yet he has no backpack. Where does he keep his brush?

* Semi-subverted in ''Film/{{Twister}}'' - clothing sometimes gets dirty, only to appear clean again in the next scene even though the characters have no time or opportunity to clean their clothing.

* CodexAlera discusses this trope in relation to the cleanliness and grooming of legion officers; after suddenly finding himself TheCaptain right as all hell breaks loose, Tavi is reminded to shave. He thinks this is hardly the time for that, but gets reminded that the captain he's replacing was never seen unshaven, and it's important for troop morale that their commander at least ''looks'' like the situation is so well in-hand he can spend time making himself look the part.

* This is kind of how ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' works, for both men and women. The rangers will go through hideous looking fights, either in street clothes or in very thin spandex bodysuits. There are usually guns, swords, lasers, and every other weapon imaginable. Yet, they never get scratched, bruised, or end up limping. Hell, half of the time, after a fight, they're not even sweating or breathing hard. There are aversions for dramatic effect though; the ''[[Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy Lost Galaxy]]'' and ''[[Series/PowerRangersTimeForce Time Force]]'' Red Rangers both had their visors shattered, for instance.

** Episodes are shot over the course of weeks...And there's several instances where he's shown [[ShirtlessScene taking off his shirt to do strenuous work]], like when they were making the tree cannon.

* In the original ''Series/RandallAndHopkirkDeceased'', Hopkirk (Deceased) had the standard in-universe ghost's outfit, a pristine white suit. Since it had to be kept clean to indicate his ghostly nature, the actor - Kenneth Cope - was forever having to change suits when he got marks on them; at the end of the series, he apparently amused himself by jumping, in-costume, into a pool of dirty water, changing, and then doing it again, and again, and again, until he'd messed up every last one. TrashTheSet is an established trope; but is this the only case of Trash The Costume?

** Those in [[spoiler:Purgatory]] don't seem to suffer any noticeable ClothingDamage, despite many having battled there for decades or centuries with only the clothes they died in.

* The "Never Look Mussed" talent in ''Pulp Hero'' (5th edition HeroSystem) lets your character stay pristine even when you've just been pulled out of quicksand or fought an entire gang.

** There is also the No Visible Damage perk, which lets a character appear unharmed no matter what happens to her body. Combined with Supersuit perk its possible for a person with no other powers to stand at ground zero from a nuclear blast and leave an immaculate corpse fifteen miles away.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Adventure}}'' has an implacable trait that the BadassNormal can take; it makes him immune to clothing damage, mud, dirt, and stumbling or looking foolish. It gives him [[Film/JamesBond Bond's]] level of never looking foolish.

* The host of The Quiz Broadcast (remain indoors) in Series 4 of ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' is sharply-suited and impeccably groomed despite the show's post-apocalyptic setting in a world destroyed by "the Event." By the sixth and last sketch his hair is ruined and his suit is more or less rags, showing how desperate his situation has become.
* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E21AllHellBreaksLoosePartOne "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, Ep21)]], Ava has been in a ghost town, presumably without a change of clothes or running water, for 5 months, but her clothes appear clean and undamaged.

* The "Never Look Mussed" talent in ''PulpHero'' (5th edition HeroSystem) lets your character stay pristine even when you've just been pulled out of quicksand or fought an entire gang.

* In the ''DianaWarriorPrincess'' universe, one of the powers of royalty is that they never get dirty.
* ''TabletopGame/TalesFromTheFloatingVagabond'' has this as a trainable skill, 'Look Good at All Times'.

* ''VideoGame/TheSuffering'' series uses this as part of the moral barometer. Good Torque stays clean and his family photograph he was carrying perfectly intact despite the lack of any carrying case and the fighting he's involved in. Neutral Torque [[spoiler: which is still pretty bastardy but not psychopathic given the backstory]] ends up dirty with some photograph damage. Evil Torque looks less healthy on top of that and the photograph majorly degraded.

* ''VisualNovel/YoJinBo'' has you and your team of bodyguards running through a forest and fighting ninja. Both [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished Sayori/Hatsuhime]] and the guys remain equally clean, with untattered clothes, despite the amount of bloodshed the guys cause. Shoot, even when they're said to be injured in text, it never shows up in the art.

* In ''Webcomic/TheZombieHunters,'' Charlie rocks a BadassLongcoat, the impressive DirtForcefield of which is {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in this [[http://www.thezombiehunters.com/index.php?strip_id=92 gag strip]]. However, in a particularly tense moment, he was forced to befoul his coat when he had to [[spoiler:''punch a [[TheUndead zombie]]'s head in.'']].

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* Legolas in the ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' films. This is brought up in Martin Pearson's comedy show ''TheUnfinishedSpellingErrorsOfBolkien'':

In other words, the BulletproofFashionPlate is a SpearCounterpart of BeautyIsNeverTarnished. Compare ImprobableHairstyle and MagicPants. Such people are often a BadassInANiceSuit.

* Justified in ''TheFiveStarStories''. The fashions worn by [[ArtificialHuman Fatimas]] literally are bulletproof, being made of several layers of space-age polymers & alloy mesh over silk or cotton. When they suffer ClothingDamage you ''know'' things are getting serious.
* ''{{Hellsing}}'' plays with this trope with Alucard. His clothes always appear to take damage, but they regenerate when he does.

* This is actually one of {{Superman}}'s many powers; any clothing that touches his skin is as impervious as he is (and in an episode of ''LoisAndClark'', shrinks with him). Only the part that actually ''touches'', though, which is why his cape always gets shredded.
** In the comics this is a result of a nearly skin tight forcefield. During the SilverAge it was because ''everything'' from Krypton was as invulnerable as Superman.
* [[TheComicallySerious Samuel Steele]] from ''[[Comicbook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck Hearts of the Yukon]]'' by Creator/DonRosa. [[TheAce A superintendent of the North-Western Mounted Police]] does not get... [[DirtForcefield 'Muddy']]. Nor, for that matter, 'blown-up'.
** Sam Steele was a real person, incidentally, and would probably have given his right arm for this ability.

* Most old westerns did this. TheLoneRanger never got mussed, despite the fact that his shirt was light blue and his pants were tan. Neither did GeneAutrey or RoyRogers. JohnWayne never got mussed, either. In fact, it was so pervasive in westerns that it was parodied in ''Film/TheVillain'' -- Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger is dressed all in white and he still never gets dirty.
* The [[TheBluesBrothers Blues Brothers]] have full black suits and crisp white shirts that NEVER get dirty or damaged. Until they become coated in mud. That's when you know they're in trouble.

* The Great Leslie in ''TheGreatRace'' (Film, 1965).
* StevenSeagal used this rather often - it's most noticeable in ''UnderSiege 2'', where he kills dozens of armed terrorists and escaped an exploding train, without ever getting a stain on his suit.
** Despite the fact that at one point he actually gets shot by a sniper rifle.

* This is parodied in the JackieChan movie ''Film/TheTuxedo''. The tuxedo not only can fight, but it's impossible to damage.

* The dress of the Mother Confessor in ''TheSwordOfTruth'' is long and white and trails behind the wearer. And can be worn while running for your life through the woods without smudging it.
* The cape of a warden cannot be stained with blood in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', and ClothingDamage is far rarer than direct injury (particularly in the case of Harry's magically armored [[BadassLongcoat leather duster]]). Muck, bruises, cuts, and any gunge on the skin itself, on the other hand, tends to avert this with a vengeance for anyone who's not a high-level [[TheFairFolk magical being]] (especially Harry). For said high-level magical beings, the rule that "if his/her hair is mussed, we're all boned" still holds, and thus plays the entire trope straight for them.
** One of the less-well-known properties of putting spell defense on clothes is that if they get muddy or gunked up, you can ''throw them in the fire and then scrape off the dried gunk''.

* Explored in the ''ColdfireTrilogy.'' SmugSnake Gerald Tarrant is always impeccably neat in beautiful clothes, no matter how much mud or char or fire they have to slog through. It soon becomes obvious that he is using magic to maintain his appearance, as he's incredibly vain. There's even one instance in the second book where he's half-dead from overextending his powers, but he still pauses in the middle of enemy territory to use his almost-drained powers to clean himself up.

* The TV show ''MiamiVice'' was so egregious in this respect that it was parodied by both ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''{{Doonesbury}}''.

* This is kind of how ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' works, for both men and women. The rangers will go through hideous looking fights, either in street clothes or in very thin spandex bodysuits. There are usually guns, swords, lasers, and every other weapon imaginable. Yet, they never get scratched, bruised, or end up limping. Hell, half of the time, after a fight, they're not even sweating or breathing hard.
** There are aversions for dramatic effect though; the ''[[Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy Lost Galaxy]]'' and ''[[Series/PowerRangersTimeForce Time Force]]'' Red Rangers both had their visors shattered, for instance.

* In the original ''Series/RandallAndHopkirkDeceased'', Hopkirk (Deceased) had the standard in-universe ghost's outfit, a pristine white suit. Since it had to be kept clean to indicate his ghostly nature, the actor - Kenneth Cope - was forever having to change suits when he got marks on them; at the end of the series, he apparently amused himself by jumping, in-costume, into a pool of dirty water, changing, and then doing it again, and again, and again, until he'd messed up every last one.
** TrashTheSet is an established trope; but is this the only case of Trash The Costume?
* In ''TheSarahConnorChronicles'' Catherine Weaver always looks composed, even when a warehouse has just exploded on her. This is mostly because her hair and clothing are made of shapeshifting liquid metal.

* ''{{GURPS}}'' has a few ways a character can have the trait they prevent a character from looking messy but not much else.

* ''TalesFromTheFloatingVagabond'' has this as a trainable skill, 'Look Good at All Times'.
* ''{{Exalted}}'' brings us the Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Style, a fighting style that allows you to look refined and dignified at all times, even in the midst of combat.
** There's also an artifact that makes it so dirt never clings to you and you stay perfectly groomed. It gives a bonus both to social rolls and to rolls to resist disease and the like.

* ''TheSuffering'' series uses this as part of the moral barometer. Good Torque stays clean and his family photograph he was carrying perfectly intact despite the lack of any carrying case and the fighting he's involved in. Neutral Torque [[spoiler: which is still pretty bastardy but not psychopathic given the backstory]] ends up dirty with some photograph damage. Evil Torque looks less healthy on top of that and the photograph majorly degraded.

* ''YoJinBo'' has you and your team of bodyguards running through a forest and fighting ninja. Both [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished Sayori/Hatsuhime]] and the guys remain equally clean, with untattered clothes, despite the amount of bloodshed the guys cause. Shoot, even when they're said to be injured in text, it never shows up in the art.
* The Rocketeer in ''RedAlert3Paradox'' fights in full dress uniform and flawless hair, yet is considerably tougher than most other infantry.

* In ''TheZombieHunters,'' Charlie rocks a BadassLongcoat, the impressive DirtForcefield of which is [[LampshadedTrope lampshaded]] in this [[http://www.thezombiehunters.com/index.php?strip_id=92 gag strip]]. However, in a particularly tense moment, he was forced to befoul his coat when he had to [[spoiler:''punch a [[TheUndead zombie]]'s head in.'']].

* ''JustifiedTrope'' in ''TheIncredibles''. Edna, the FABULOUS fashion designer for supers, made the costumes for each superhero bulletproof, rocketproof, fireproof, and adapt to each user's superpower (for example, Violet's costume became invisible when she did).

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[[quoteright:306:[[Comicbook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/NotBlownUp.jpg]]]]

* In the olden days, JamesBond also fell into this more often than not - but not so much anymore.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Adventure}}'' has an implacable trait that the BadassNormal can take; it makes him immune to clothing damage, mud, dirt, and stumbling or looking foolish. It gives him [[JamesBond Bond's]] level of never looking foolish.

[[Comicbook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/NotBlownUp.jpg]]

[[quoteright:306:[[Comicbook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/NotBlownUp.jpg]]]]

* [[TheComicallySerious Samuel Steele]] from ''[[Comicbook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck Hearts of the Yukon]]'' by DonRosa. [[TheAce A superintendent of the North-Western Mounted Police]] does not get... [[DirtForcefield 'Muddy']]. Nor, for that matter, 'blown-up'.

* Space Marines in ''Warhammer40000'' almost always have immaculately clean armor. Justified, as they regularly have legions of chapter serfs polish it so that their heraldry is easily visible.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Adventure}}'' has an implacable trait that the BadassNormal can take, it makes him immune to clothing damage, mud, dirt, and stumbling or looking foolish. It gives him [[JamesBond Bond's]] level of never looking foolish.

* Space Marines in Warhammer40000 almost always have immaculately clean armor. Justified, as they regularly have legions of chapter serfs polish it so that their heraldry is easily visible.
* {{Adventure!}} has an implacable trait that the BadassNormal can take, it makes him immune to clothing damage, mud, dirt, and stumbling or looking foolish. It gives him [[James Bond Bond's]] level of never looking foolish.