History Main / ShouldersUpNudity

Compare to, and sometimes see it combined with, ToplessnessFromTheBack, especially to "prove" that the character is actually at least partly unclothed.

* The famous sequence at the end of the clip for Music/MichaelJackson's "Black or White" features men and women of various ethnicities morphing into one another. The bare shoulders certainly helped making the morphing more seamless, with no clothes getting in the way of the special effect.

** Another in "https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/HisDarkMaterialsS1E8Betrayal Betrayal" when Lyra is taking a bath while talking to Roger. Keen's shoulders are just visible above the water.
* ''Series/TheHoganFamily'': The fourth season episode "The Naked Truth" centers around a painting of Sandy that is on display at an art gallery (where Mark and Willie are touring as part of a school trip). Viewers only see the painting from angles showing the shoulders upward, but it is very clear, by Mark and Willie's stunned reaction, the painting shows far more. Sandy learns about the painting and demands that its painter -- an old college boyfriend, who had painted another student's nude body, but then painted on Sandy's head instead -- fix the situation immediately. [[spoiler:He does... by painting a dress on the bottom half. He admits he had fantasized about her in college and wanted to advance their relationship.]]

* ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'': For a time from the mid-1980s through about 1992, whenever a prize such as a sauna or a hot tub were being shown, one of Barker's Beauties -- despite likely wearing a ModestyTowel or a strapless bikini top -- would pose in such a way that everything below the shoulders was beneath the edge of the window, hot tub deck, etc. Host Bob Barker would then joke to the audience implying that said Barker's Beauty was naked. The joke faded once Barker's affair with Dian Parkinson became public and, after leaving the show, filed a sexual harassment claim against the legendary game show host.

* In the Seltzer and Friedberg movie ''Disaster Movie'', when Juney strips she's only scene naked from the shoulders up.

* In ''How to Beat the High Co$t of Living'', a naked Elaine (Jane Curtain) is shown from the shoulders up after she [[YouCanLeaveYourHatOn performs an impromptu striptease]] to distract the crowd and security from the ongoing heist.

* Many women's magazines will show models with this trope in simple photos depicting hairstyles, makeovers or both. Presumably, this is done to avoid bias, or so clothes don't add to or subtract from the new look.
* ''The Washington Post'' published a photo of newsanchor Wendy Rieger [[SkinnyDipping swimming]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Westernanimation/{{Mulan}}'' employs this during the scenes where the title character takes a bath, the makeover in the beginning (with [[GodivaHair her wet hair helping cover naughty bits]]), and when she goes in the lake (where [[SceneryCensor the surrounding foliage as she undresses]] also goes up to her shoulders).

* In the DVD movie ''WesternAnimation/BigTopScoobyDoo'', Velma is shown clothesless from the shoulders up after a botched practice session as "The Human Comet", a circus human cannonball stunt. She tensed up, causing only her costume to fly out when the cannon is fired.

* In ''AliceInWonderland2010'', After Alice is left naked due to her clothes being torn off after becoming giant, she's only seen from the shoulders up due to SceneryCensor.

* ''Series/TheSecretWorldOfAlexMack'': The first time Alex Mack turns into a puddle, she inadvertently [[ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing leaves her clothes behind]]. When she re-materializes behind a convenient stack of boxes, only her head and bare shoulders can be seen.

** ''Series/TheSecretWorldOfAlexMack'': The first time Alex Mack turns into a puddle, she inadvertently [[ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing leaves her clothes behind]]. When she re-materializes behind a convenient stack of boxes, only her head and bare shoulders can be seen.

* The famous sequence at the end of the clip for Creator/MichalJackson's "Black or White" features men and women of various ethnicities morphing into one another. The bare shoulders certainly helped making the morphing more seamless, with no clothes getting in the way of the special effect.

* The cover of Music/{{Heart}}'s ''Dreamboat Annie'' album shows sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson sitting back to back, apparently topless, but the image is cropped below the shoulders.
** Other publicity photos from the same session exist that make it clear that {{modesty towel}}s were involved.

* The cover of The Judds' 1987 album ''Heartland'' shows Naomi (then 43) with bare shoulders; the photo is posed and cropped in such a way that Wynonna's bare shoulders are not seen; however, the image on the back – bare backs – makes it clear she was also (at least) bare-shouldered.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* The video of the DixieChicks' 2000 video "Without You" involves each of the people in the video being naked, including the trope-fitter with Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire shown from the bare shoulders up. One source indicated that vulnerability was the general tone.

* In one episode of ''Anime/{{Pokémon}}'' Ash, Misty and Brock are relaxing together in a hotspring. This would raise a few alarms on its own, until a commotion startles them and they jump out, revealing that Misty is actually wearing a strapless bikini.

* A poster for ''Series/InspectorRex'' for ''Rex: Special Unit'' shows Marco Terzani pointing with his pistol while being shirtless.

* In ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' episode "The Inside Man" has an naked Daisy Johnson shown from the shoulder's up after undressing herself before having sex with Lincoln.

* In [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll6334RqecQ#t=3m37s this scene]] Kendra Reilly [[WalkingSwimsuitScene wears a monokini]] when she goes swimming with Cody Madison in the "Baywatch Down Under" episode of ''Series/{{Baywatch}}''.