Line #66 Main/DressCodedForYourConvenience


1	[[quoteright:330:[[Film/TheMatrix https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/matrix_dress_code.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:330:In [[LotusEaterMachine The Matrix]], a BadassLongcoat = [[LaResistance Freedom Fighter]], while Clean-Cut Hair, Earpiece and [[SharpDressedMan a Suit]] = Evil Tool of The Man.\
3	CoolShades are universal.]]
4
5	->''"There's a reason armies wear uniforms even though they make them easy to spot. Sometimes that's what you want. Uniforms suggest organization, power and numbers. These in turn inspire fear. And as any good operative knows, there is no more effective weapon than fear."''
6	-->-- '''Michael Westen''', ''Series/BurnNotice'', "[[Recap/BurnNoticeS2E11HotSpot Hot Spot]]"
7
8	Basically, when you can tell sides in a conflict by what they wear. It doesn't matter the specifics of what they wear, just that one side has a distinctly different dress than the other.
9
10	This is actually quite common in fiction. One example is wearing a uniform for any military, either in fiction or RealLife ([[JustifiedTrope since you need to tell who to stab/shoot at]]). This also means this trope can be enforced by an actual DressCode.
11
12	Other times, it can be cultural dress or the personal styles of the heroes and villains.
13
14	This can also apply even with GreyAndGrayMorality. Just because you don't know which side is really the bad guys, doesn't mean you can't still tell one side from the other.
15
16	A SubTrope of DistinctiveAppearances.
17
18	A SuperTrope to:
19	[[index]]
20	* EvilWearsBlack
21	* DressedToOppress
22	* GasMaskMooks
23	* PuttingOnTheReich
24	* SensibleHeroesSkimpyVillains
25	* ShabbyHeroesWellDressedVillains
26	* SpikesOfVillainy
27	* SukhomlinovEffect
28	[[/index]]
29
30	A SisterTrope to GoodColorsEvilColors.
31
32	Compare ColorCodedForYourConvenience, GoodEyesEvilEyes, ObviouslyEvil, HighlyConspicuousUniform, CharacteristicClothingColors, SlobsVersusSnobs, AlikeAndAntitheticalAdversaries.
33
34	Not to be confused with SignificantWardrobeShift.
35	----
36	!!Examples:
37	[[foldercontrol]]
38	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
39	* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' zigzags it: at first, it looks like the stylish, uniformed Claymores are the good guys protecting humanity from the amorphous, shapeshifting yoma. Then it turns out, they aren't that different from yoma, after all. However, their ''real'', much worse enemies are the Awakened Beings who don't wear special clothes, but each have a distinct appearance in their Awakened form (in contrast to Claymore uniforms whose only distinct feature is their symbols). Then, after the TimeSkip, we get the Good-But-Misguided uniformed Claymores working for The Man, the Good, rebellious, black-clad Sexy Seven, and the Ultra-Evil Awakened Beings, each with their distinct appearance.
40	* ''Anime/{{K}}'': The Blue Clan, [=SCEPTER4=], known as a policelike force in the series, has a very strict dress code. All members wear the same blue coat and are equipped with swords. Their chief adversary, the Red Clan, has no dress code, but most of its members dress like gangsters and rebels, putting them in sharp contrast.
41	* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'': All Sailor Soldiers in the UNIVERSE share some semblance to this, even if it's just a Sailor Collar and some form of Tiara. When the final arc introduces evil ones, it's still easy to tell them apart. Heroes: same as always or bikini top, hotpants, thigh high boots, elbow length gloves (Sailor Starlights), and the Villans have...everything else.
42
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Comic Books]]
46	* In the ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' story ''Recap/TintinTheCalculusAffair'', a fight has broken out between the [[{{Ruritania}} Syldavians]], who all wear brown coats, and the [[CommieLand Bordurians]], who all wear grey coats and have shaved heads. Despite this, the Captain doesn't know which side to aim for, so Tintin just tells him to go for the ugliest mugs.
47	* ''ComicBook/RogueTrooper'' - the Norts wear rubbery suits and [[GasMaskMooks gas masks]], while the Southers wear harder armour and clear visors.
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
51	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie'': The Master Builders dress in colourful, out-there outfits which represent their free and rebellious attitude and are often related to pop-culture, whilst [[BigBad Lord Business]] dresses accordingly to his name with his minions in dark, enforcement related clothes to symbolise a stricter, more systemised nature. Hell, [[TheDragon Good Cop Bad Cop]] is wearing an imposing black police officer's outfit and the [[SecretPolice Super Secret Police]] are all dressed in black.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
55	* In the Swedish war movie ''Film/BlackCrab'', one side wears snow camoflage while the side of the protagonists wears black (they are infiltrating enemy lines at night, so this makes sense). This is the only way of telling them apart as [[HammerAndSickleRemovedForYourProtection we are told nothing about the aims or identity of the enemy]], and EvilWearsBlack is averted because neither side is presented in a good light.
56	* ''Film/TheMatrix'': The heroic Nebuchadnezzar redpills wear black stylish outfits (except Switch, who has a white one instead), while the antagonistic Agents are dressed in government agent-esque [[SharpDressedMan business suits]] that are green rather than the typical black or dark grey.
57	* In the original ''Franchise/StarWars'' trilogy, the rebels have a variety of uniforms, and so does TheEmpire. It's just the styles of them are easy to tell apart. Rebels have rougher, practical-looking uniforms that resemble military fatigues, while the Empire's dress code is much snappier, with clean lines, an emphasis on monochrome, and [[PuttingOnTheReich a few tips of the peaked cap to Nazi Germany's fashion sense]]. This also extends to the Sith and the Jedi for all three trilogies; in fact, even before his FaceHeelTurn, Anakin was wearing tons of black leather in sharp contrast to Obi-Wan's tan robes.
58	* In ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'', at first, Brad and Janet wear more conservative clothing compared to Frank N. Furter (who is in women's lingerie). Later in the film, when they are corrupted, they are stripped down to their underwear and also end up wearing the same clothing as Frank during the floorshow.
59	* ''Film/TheDarkKnight'': The Joker [[ExploitedTrope used this trope to his advantage.]] [[spoiler: [[InvokedTrope The doctors were the Joker's men and the clowns were hostages]].]]
60	* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Film/TheHobbit'' trilogies both use uniquely designed armour so that combatants are easy to tell apart in a fight. Naturalistic Art Nouveau shapes were used for elves, sharp angles and geometric designs represented the dwarves, Nordic and Viking-like designs were attributed to the Rohan (going with Tolkien's idea of the Rohirrim as, essentially, Horse Vikings), and Roman-esque armour with seabird motifs were used by Gondor (going with the striking parallels between Gondor and the Byzantine Empire, being a rump of a once-great empire, but one which retained considerable naval skill). For the villains, dark armour with horns and fur and a general slapped-on look were used for orcs, and Uruk-hai and Sauron's "Uber Orcs" had armour was still crude but felt more solid to show that they weren't messing around.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Literature]]
64	* Literature/NineteenEightyFour: Members of the Outer Party, such as the protagonist Winston Smith, wear blue overalls. Members of the Inner Party wear black overalls. Children belonging to the Youth League wear red handkerchiefs, gray shirts, and blue shorts.
65	* In Creator/StevenBrust's ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'' stories, Dragaerans in the Dragaeran Empire belong to one of 17 great Houses. Each House has its own colors, and most Dragaerans typically wear some variant of those colors. Jhereg wear grey and black, Dragons wear black and silver, Phoenix wear gold, and Orca wear pale blue and green. The House of the Yendi is the only one which doesn't have set colors. House colors become a plot point in ''Literature/ThePhoenixGuards'', when an independent-minded Dragaeran causes a romantic misunderstanding when she wears another house's colors.
66	* Wizards in ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'', at least prior to the Second Cataclysm, had a strict dress code: Good wizards wore white robes, [[TrueNeutral neutral]] wizards wore red robes, and evil wizards wore [[BlackCloak black robes]]. [[spoiler:Raistlin]]' had to dye his robes when he changed sides and broke the rules by not officially declaring his change of colour to the Conclave.
67	** Don't forget brown. Brown robes meant that you didn't go through with the test.
68	* Terry Pratchett averts this trope on multiple occasions, most notably with Lady Margolotta from ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'' . Fluffy pink cardigans are not standard vampire wear, not even when patterned with a bat motif, but Margolotta's manner of dress is almost certainly [[ObfuscatingStupidity deliberately designed to make the unwary underestimate her]].
69	* In ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'', when the BigBad decides to take over the Vampyre High Coucil, she changes her colourful wardrobe for skin-tight revealing black dresses. It's also a case of SensibleHeroesSkimpyVillains and she has FemmeFatalons to complete the look.
70	* ''Literature/WarsOfTheRealm'': [[GoodColorsEvilColors Angels wear white, demons wear black]] (both with wings to match).
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
74	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Invoked in "The Laws of Gods and Men", when the defendant is brought in shackled like a beast even though the idea of him overpowering the guards and fleeing is ridiculous. His accusers also appear in their finest and most conservative attire to play up their nobility and innocence.
75	* ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' has each side wearing their respective military uniform, with a few off-worlders in native dress thrown in for variety. But flip the Matrix example for fun--it's the good guys who wear the regular military clothes and the Wraith who wear the leather.
76	** And going the other way, the expedition's baggy battledress contrasts nicely with the Genii and their habit of PuttingOnTheReich.
77	* In ''Series/StargateSG1'', it's pretty easy to tell Jaffa in full gear apart from everyone else. They were metallic armor that was mostly ineffectual against bullets and is mostly ceremonial. Different [[AGodAmI Goa'uld]] also have different styles of headdress for their Jaffa. Only two are shown on-screen: the falcon-headed guards of Ra's family (including Ra, Heru-ur, and Hathor) and the serpent-headed guards of Apophis (Ra's brother, by the way). The armor also makes a loud clang when marching, making them easy to spot from afar.
78	** A third type of headdress worn by Setesh's (AKA Seth) Jaffa is mentioned in a joke but never shown, as Seth has long ago been exiled.
79	** The metal mask things the MindControl gas comes out of ''looked'' like they were made of the same stuff as Horus Guard and Serpent Guard helmets; they were ''probably'' Setesh Guard helmets. If they are, you can see where the jokes came from.
80	* ''Series/BabylonFive'' takes a rather literal [[PlanetOfHats Planets of Hats ]]approach to this. The Centauri dress like the [[UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} Prussian military]], the Narn favour leather oddments dyed and visibly stitched together, the Minbari go for priestly robes, and later, we see the warrior caste use somewhat more functional clothing. The humans start in the same outfits, wearing high-collared tunics for the military (not entirely dissimilar to some current forces' uniforms) and weirdly-modified 90s clothing for civilian wear (the print patterns and preference for band collars for men are particularly {{Zeerust}}y), but then splinter and argue over the clothing bin--leading the early-90s Zeerust to expand to the military side.
81	* Played for laughs on ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' where the Nazi officers start wondering if the skulls on their uniforms [[HeelRealization make them the bad guys.]] At one point, one of them accuses the other of being taken in by Allied propaganda, pointing out that naturally the Allies would be trying to frame them in a poor light. The other retorts that while this might be the case, the Allies didn't also get to design their uniforms.
82	* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', the Jem'Hadar are an easily recognizable race of soldiers in conflict with Starfleet with a gray-on-gray motif for their uniform, equipment, and body armor. When the good guys need to team up with a Jem'Hadar squad to fight other Jem'Hadar, the "bad guys" for this episode were kind enough to wear an all-black vest so the audience could figure out who was who.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Video Games]]
86	* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': All the Lordsworn factions can be told apart by the brightly-colored tabards they wear; Godrick's troops wear green and red, Cuckoo mercenaries wear red and blue, Radahn's forces wear red, Leyndell soldiers wear gold, and the Haligtree faction wears white. Rykard's knights wore black, but he doesn't have any of those any more. Mausoleum Knights and Soldiers wear green, but you're more likely to notice the whole 'headless' thing first.
87	* In ''VideoGame/{{Overblood}}'', the good guys wear "jackets" that are too small for them. The bad guys don't.
88	* Republic troops in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' wear orange, yellow, and black, while Sith troops wear chrome or metallic red.
89	* All gang members, police and pimps in the ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series have the same kind of uniform which makes them easy to spot.
90	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' combines this with ColorCodedForYourConvenience with street gang members (Grove Street Families green, Ballas purple, Vagos yellow, and Aztecas cyan) so that you knew who would shoot at you on sight (Ballas and Vagos).
91	* In the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series, you can tell which Koopas are good and which aren't (at least in the first three or so games) by whether they're wearing sunglasses or not (the former are the evil/brainwashed/villain versions). The evil ones also have red shells and spiked arm bands and collars like those worn by Bowser
92	* Some RTS games, such as ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'', will avoid using two of the same nation in randomized skirmishes to avoid confusion when not using the [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience trinary color option]]. For a non-opposing example, upgrading your units gives them significant cosmetic changes that allow skilled players to identify the tech level of opposing units on sight. For example, upgrading ''VideoGame/AgeOfMythology'''s Ulfsarks to the highest rank makes their [[HeadHat bearskin hats]] vividly white, as opposed to the usual brown.
93	* This is a popular trope in video games, particularly first- and third-person shooters. This is because the player needs to be able to quickly distinguish enemies from allies
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Webcomics]]
97	* The mercenaries, French soldiers, and rebels in ''Webcomic/CryHavoc'' all wear different styles of gear. The mercs wear green or olive armor that is much larger and bulkier than the French's tan and brown vests. The rebels wear much brighter colors with light vests and armor or none at all.
98	* ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'': This is [[InvokedTrope a design feature]] of Sburb, in which natives and dreamers of Derse and Prospit dress according to their planet. Subverted in the kids' session, when the Black Queen liked harlequin colors enough to enforce it in uniform, and apparently so did the White Queen, as both Black and White armies dress similarly. The Kings still wear their own color.
99	** There are still differences in color between the two: the Prospitans usually going for light blues, yellows, greens, and pinks, while Dersians use darker versions of those colors with red instead of blue and purple instead of yellow.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Western Animation]]
103	* As where Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls are identified with the colors pink (Blossom), baby blue (Bubbles) and lime green (Buttercup), their {{Evil Counterpart}}s, the Rowdyruff Boys, are crimson red (Brick), dark blue (Boomer) and forest green (Butch).
104	[[/folder]]

Context Main / DressCodedForYourConvenience