Line #49 Main/FutureSpandex


1	[[quoteright:226:[[Film/TronLegacy https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spacespandex_6057.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:226: High-tech, low-friction!]]
3
4	%% This is how the quote formatting is supposed to look: One indent, then dialog, then two indents, then the source. Don't mess with it.
5	->''"They showed me the costume and I said, 'You've got to be kidding me. Where are the pants? '''Where are the PANTS'''?"''
6	-->-- '''Bruce Boxleitner''', on the costumes used in ''Film/{{TRON}}''
7
8	You want to instantly show a setting to be futuristic, or show that a character in present day has access to technology magnitudes more advanced than the norm, what do you do? Why, outfit characters in ''spandex'' costumes, of course!
9
10	Nothing says "future" like a character wearing a [[FormFittingWardrobe skin-tight]] outfit made of stretchable synthetic fibers, especially if you add some cool accessories or TronLines for added effect! While the ''material'' may not be identified as such (in-universe, it can be anything from high-tech polymers to even a coating of liquid nanomachines), the visual effect is pretty much the same. [[SensualSpandex It's also a good way to provide a little fanservice.]]
11
12	This is a sort of TruthInTelevision: Spandex, Lycra and similar stretchable, form-fitting clothing material are a pretty recent innovation when compared to other fabrics, and its many distinctive properties (sheer fit, aero- or hydrodynamics, lightweight, body support) have made it a favorite as a technological solution to solve problems that can be caused by less form-fitting clothes in a variety of physical activities.
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14	While there's often overlap, this is not the same as SuperHero [[SuperheroesWearTights tights]]. While superhero tights are used to emphasize the physicality of the hero, Future Spandex is used to emphasize his technological superiority.
15
16	This trope tends to go hand-in-hand with WeWillHavePerfectHealthInTheFuture (no love-handles interfering with the lines of those sleek little outfits!) but ''WesternAnimation/WallE'' combined it with BigFatFuture to great effect, where the stretchy jumpsuits made the human characters look infantile and helpless.
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18	LatexSpacesuit and SpyCatsuit are both [=SubTropes=]. A SisterTrope to (and often overlaps with) SpaceClothes and SuperheroesWearTights. See also SpandexLatexOrLeather. Compare CrystalSpiresAndTogas.
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20	Contrast SensualSpandex, for when spandex is used for a whole other purpose entirely.
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22	----
23	!!Examples
24
25	[[foldercontrol]]
26
27	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
28	* This has been a trope associated with both the RealRobotGenre and the SuperRobotGenre since the genre's inception. It is EXCEEDINGLY rare to show a pilot in a robot show that wears anything bulkier than form-fitting lycra.
29	** Played with in ''Anime/CodeGeass''. The Black Knight pilots get to wear some form-fitting spandex-like suits, but many Britannians wear their [[BlingOfWar dress uniforms]] when inside Knightmare Frames.
30	** ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' is an exception until ''Anime/MacrossFrontier''. In the earlier shows, like ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'', Pilots wore space suits that, while less bulky than modern suits, were still not quite "form-fitting."
31	* ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis''. The Knight Sabers, underneath their power suits, wear form-fitting outfits. It's also [[JustifiedTrope justified]], as it's explained that the outfits serve as a neural interface between the user and the suit.
32	* The heroines of ''Literature/DirtyPair'' wear very skimpy and tight battle suits. In the original light novel, they also wear transparent bodysuits that work as combination body armor and spacesuits.
33	* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' outfits are this plus light armor, even the new ones after the time skip don't stray far from the original concept.
34	* The combat gear used by Section 9 from ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' is this plus tactical vests. Especially noticeable on the Major.
35	* Nena Trinity's season one outfit in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00''. Not to forget her brother Johann, who wears a midriff-baring top and short shorts. Also Tieria's in some shots.
36	* From ''Manga/InuYasha'', Sango's fighting outfit include this under her body armor.
37	* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'': All of the pilots wear skin-tight bodysuits as part of the interface for their [[HumongousMecha mobile suits]]. The substance is sort of like spandex, but they actually have transformation sequences (not always shown) that make it look like plastic wrap. Nearly all of the pilots are male, but there is one point where [[WrenchWench Rain]] goes through the process.
38	* Female plugsuits from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Remember, [[ClothesMakeTheSuperman Clothes Make]] '''Teh Rei'''. Especially Asuka's TEST suit (80% of the torso is '''transparent''') from ''Rebuild 2.0''.
39	* And in ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'', the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Numbers']] skintight jumpsuits, in a blatant ShoutOut to ''Literature/MuvLuvAlternativeTotalEclipse''.
40	%%(ZCE)* Ryoko's skintight battlesuit from ''Anime/TenchiMuyo''
41	* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'''s Puru Two, although not too noticeable since [[TokenMiniMoe she doesn't have a figure]] to begin with. If she did, it would likely be similar to a Plugsuit.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Comic Books]]
45	* ''ComicBook/DCOneMillion'': The CrisisCrossover has [[SuperheroesWearTights Superhero Spandex]] that is ''also'' Future Spandex -- the present-day heroes note that their future counterparts' costumes are shiny, seamless and ''even more formfitting'', and wonder what they're made from.
46	* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': When the Fantastic Four started the ComicBook/FutureFoundation, they started wearing white spandex with black piping, as did their pupils- that included ComicBook/SpiderMan (though he only wore it when appearing specifically in that title, presumably giving him a chance to air out his standard red-and-blue).
47	* ''ComicBook/IronMan'': In more recent years, Tony Stark usually wears something along the lines of this under his regular civilian attire. {{Justified\|trope}} in that it's meant to interface with his Iron Man [[PoweredArmor suit]]. Part of his Extremis upgrade meant that this "inner suit" was kept within his bones and he could manifest it at any time. This inner suit is also present in his ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' incarnation.
48	* ''Magazine/NintendoPower'': Worn by [[ComicStrip/StarFox Fara Phoenix]] in the 1993 comics. It's a rather [[FormFittingWardrobe tight fit]].
49	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'': Spoofed in vol 2. When Miguel, who is presently trapped in the modern day, is confronted by Liz Allan having worked out he's not who he says he is, he reveals he's from the future, and his holographic assistant Layla gives him an appropriately "futuristic" looking outfit that looks ridiculous. Once Liz is gone, Miguel asks Layla what that was all about, and she explains that she figured that was what Liz would ''expect'' someone from the future to dress like.
50	%% * ''ComicBook/{{Superboy}}'': N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s uniforms, and the ComicBook/{{New 52}} version of ''ComicBook/{{Superboy\|New52}}'''s "Containment Suit".
51	* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': Many depictions of Krypton run with this idea. Occasionally, they even go for the route that Superman's costume is designed after a traditional Kryptonian outfit.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
55	* ''Film/{{Tron}}'' is a particularly noteworthy example, as is the sequel, ''Film/TronLegacy''. {{Justified\|Trope}} due to the setting being InsideAComputerSystem and NoFlowInCGI. ExpandedUniverse and AlternateContinuity material show a bit more variance; robes, sashes, and sometimes heavy looking armor.
56	* ''Film/{{Flash Gordon\|1980}}'' (1980). Both General Kala and Princess Aura wear lycra/spandex costumes.
57	* In the ''Film/JudgeDredd'' film, Judges wear a lycra/spandex bodysuit undergarment under their body armor.
58	* ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'' has this in spades. The main cast threatened to quit if they didn't get rid of them seeing how not everyone looked good in them. Plus, the spandex costumes were hard to get into and out of, requiring the help of assistants every time the actors needed to use the bathroom, hence the uniform change in the rest of the Star Trek movies.
59	* ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'' features this in its 2015 scenes. Of note: a woman leaving the Cafe 80s, making Marty do a DoubleTake and Griff's female gang member Spike.
60	* ''Film/{{Megaforce}}'' has these as combat gear, presumably as they're a BadassArmy using "the most powerful weapons science can devise". They're gleefully derided in the Podcast/RiffTrax.
61	-->"Well I guess they've all agreed not to laugh when they see him."
62	-->"Are we supposed to wear underwear under these suits? I feel chafing in my sexy place."
63	-->"Do they sell men's unitards where you bought that?"
64	* Played with in ''Film/TheTimeMachine2002''. The protagonist travels from 1903 to 2030 and asks directions from a female bike rider who from his point of view is wearing SensualSpandex (much to his discomfort) but we recognise as cycling clothes.
65	* In the final battle of ''Film/GeminiMan'', the protagonists are attacked by a SuperSoldier version of the cloned Junior, who is wearing some kind of flexible head-to-toe body armor (he can FeelNoPain, explaining why such armor would be effective despite the blunt force trauma of the bullets hitting him).
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Literature]]
69	* ''Literature/GregMandelTrilogy'': The combat suits used to radiate heat from {{Energy Weapon}}s away from the wearer look like a diving suit.
70	* In one of the books from the ''Literature/Level4'' series, the protagonists find themselves in the year 2049, where people wear garishly-colored, transparent full body suits (with only the most private area being covered) so they cannot hide weapons under their clothing.
71	* In ''Literature/PosterGirl'' the main character Sonya Kantor observes a young woman wearing an outfit like this, noting that under the old regime clothing like this was considered a gros indecency and would be heavily punished.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
75	* The ''Franchise/StarTrek'' series have a few examples.
76	** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]'' uses this in the first two seasons before phasing them out because they were so form-fitting that they were a health and safety hazard; Patrick Stewart had to seek a doctor because they were playing hell with his back, and they were also extremely hot and uncomfortable under the studio lights.
77	** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' used this with Seven of Nine. For [[BestKnownForTheFanservice obvious reasons]]. Ron D. Moore, in his brief stint writing for the show, commented that it was like having a nudist seated at the briefing table and handing out tactical instructions. The outfit had to be glued on with individual pieces ("That woman knows me ''way'' too intimately", Creator/JeriRyan spoke of her stalwart wardrobe assistant) and caused the actress to pass out a few times from lack of blood flow/oxygen. Makes those TOS miniskirts look like an Amish community, doesn't it?
78	--->'''[[http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/voyager-season-five.html Doc Oho]]:''' Whilst I am sure it appeals to the horny geeks out there who watch this show for kicks, Seven’s outfit here is so tight it ridiculously leaves very little to the imagination. Speaking as somebody who [[SorryImGay doesn’t unusually bother to notice such things]] about women, I could clearly see a precise representation of her genitalia which is demeaning for both the character and Creator/JeriRyan. She may as well walk around the ship completely naked since she is pretty much doing that anyway.
79	** Children in the ''Next Generation'' era always seem to be wearing color-blocked spandex outfits. Jake Sisko on [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]] modeled them until his teenage years, when he switched to more normal-looking things.
80	* ''Series/BuckRogersInTheTwentyFifthCentury'' First season. Colonel Wilma Deering (CreatorErinGray) and Buck Rogers sometimes wore spandex jumpsuits.
81	* ''Series/DoctorWho'' had this in certain stories, especially in the late sixties:
82	** The human guest characters in "The Ice Warriors" all wear catsuits with circuit-diagram like patterns.
83	** Zoe's famous glittery catsuit from "The Mind Robber" and "The Invasion".
84	** "The Seeds of Death" has everyone in hideously ugly form-fitting jumpsuits that make all the guest characters look like diaper fetishists.
85	* The Disney Channel's ''Film/{{Zenon}}'', a sci-fi movie set in 2049 AD, has many of its characters wearing spandex and other form-fitting materials.
86	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': They embody this trope. In every season, beginning to end, the rangers always wear skintight spandex suits. These suits are so tight, in fact, some of the male ([[ShesAManInJapan and female]], at least until Disney took the rights from Saban) rangers have bulges, and the female rangers wouldn't even need to wear a bra due to the tightness.
87	** In ''Series/MiraiSentaiTimeranger,'' the Rangers' unmorphed uniforms are, perhaps because the aesthetics of a full ''thousand years'' in the future probably would be quite alien to us, are random-colors-on-gray skin-tight outfits, more {{Fanservice}}y than the Ranger suits. (Thinner material, perhaps?)
88	** The ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'' versions are a more down-to-earth futurish uniform and are perhaps something you'd expect a police force in ''Franchise/StarWars'' to wear. (Fanservice duty goes to [[DaddysLittleVillain Nadira]].)
89	** {{Lampshaded\|Trope}} in ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'', where the rangers complain to Dr. K -- the person who helped give them their powers -- for designing their "''Covert'' Infantry Bio-Suits" [[HighlyVisibleNinja with "bright red, yellow, and blue spandex"]]. Turns out that Dr. K [[BerserkButton is particularly defensive about that last bit]] -- it's [[InsistentTerminology a "self-assembling nanofiber formed with an intracellular shape memory alloy,"]] ''[[SeriousBusiness not spandex.]]''
90	* On ''Series/{{Automan}}'', it's easy to see that [[ProjectedMan Automan]] is something different because he's dressed up in sparkly Future Spandex.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Music]]
94	* Referenced in "I.G.Y." by Donald Fagen.
95	* Averted in the 2010 Azerbaijani entry to Eurovision, "Drip-drop" performed by Safura; she wears an LED bodysuit under her dress.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Pinballs]]
99	* Worn by Quorra and Gem from ''Pinball/TronLegacy''.
100	* The characters in ''Pinball/SpaceRiders'' wear full-body jumpsuits that show off their perfectly sculpted bodies. Whether that makes them this trope or SpaceClothes depends on the viewer's tastes.
101	* In ''Pinball/LaserWar'', everyone wears identical sleeveless spandex jumpsuits, differentiated only by their Army's color.
102	* The joggers of ''Pinball/FutureSpa'' wear '''very''' tight, form-fitting jumpsuits cut to their navels.
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
106	* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', Imperial Assassins (of all schools, but especially the majority-female Callidus), wear uniforms that are quite literally sprayed on -- the substance (called [=SynSkin=]) comes in large aerosol cans and provides whole-body protection from various airborne toxins and temperature variation whilst allowing the skin to breathe properly, but only if applied ''directly'' to naked flesh.
107	** In the more recent ''Dark Heresy'' series of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' {{RPG}}s by Fantasy Flight Games, Synskin has been changed to 'a bio-reactive bodyglove with an inert non-reflective surface that molds itself to the wearer's form'. In other words, it isn't literally sprayed on anymore, though it's still Future Spandex.
108	** More generally, form-fitting outfits are referred to as "body gloves" in the setting, and typically fit tightly enough that they could be worn under clothes. Some characters make a point to wear armoured body gloves to add some protection to their freedom of movement.
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Video Games]]
112	* Most of the truly [[http://deadspace.wikia.com/wiki/Advanced_Suit advanced RIG suits]] in ''VideoGame/DeadSpace2'' look quite tight fitting.
113	%%(ZCE)* Common in the ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' series.
114	* ''VideoGame/FZero'' plays with this a bit. While a large percentage of the cast is decked out in skin-tight spandex and latex, more than a handful of characters are instead shown wearing sleek armor ([[UnderwearOfPower if not both]]). Others, in fact, [[NoNewFashionsInTheFuture sport attire not too different]] [[FashionsNeverChange from present-day fashion trends]].
115	%%(ZCE)* Many of the uniforms and outfits in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series.
116	%%(ZCE)* The sneaking suits in the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series.
117	* Samus Aran's Zero Suit from ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}''. Similar to Tony Stark's outfit, it's to interface with her [[PoweredArmour Power Suit]].
118	* Sam Fisher wears a similar (albeit completely black) sneaking suit in ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'', at least until the later games when he wears more conventional clothing.
119	%%(ZCE)* Fortified Suits in ''VisualNovel/MuvLuvUnlimited'' and ''VisualNovel/MuvLuvAlternative'', though the role sort of crosses over with LatexSpacesuit.
120	* In ''VideoGame/PlanetSide 2'', the [[MachineWorship Vanu Sovereignty]]'s soldiers are infamous for wearing form-fitting spandex. Most classes have varying amounts of metal armor over vulnerable spots, such as the Engineer carrying an armored backpack, and an armored right wrist. Additionally, all the [[InvisibilityCloak Infiltrators armors]] from both games have form-fitting spandex regardless of empire, though the Composite Armor cosmetic item in ''Planetside 2'' adds armor to make them look like some sort of cyber-samurai.
121	* Terran Ghosts in ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'' and its sequel are elite commando agents who wear this sort of outfit, albeit liberally embellished with spy gewgaws. This is in contrast with run-of-the-mill troopers, who wear incredibly blocky PowerArmor with ShouldersOfDoom instead.
122	* All of the human-looking [=NetNavis=] in ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' have this. In fact, according to the [[AllThereInTheManual Complete Works]] the designers were expressly forbidden from having Navi characters wear any kind of cloth in order to reinforce the futuristic cyberworld vibe. The sole major exception is [[OptionalBoss Bass.EXE]] with his BadassCape, thanks to sheer RuleOfCool.
123	* Similar to the above, Lina from ''VideoGame/BladeStrangers'' wears such an outfit to reinforce her futuristic-cyberspace theme. [[spoiler:Ditto Exiva.]]
124	* In ''VideoGame/HonkaiImpact3rd'', several of the Valkyries' battlesuits, especially the MECH-type suits such as Kiana's White Comet and Himeko's Scarlet Fusion, are extremely form-fitting and spandex-like, starkly contrasting other battlesuits and outfits worn by the same characters which are much more like [[CivvieSpandex regular clothing]], [[AwesomeAnachronisticApparel old-style armor]], and military uniforms.
125	* Spoofed in the sci-fi themed "Close Encounters" DLC for ''VideoGame/TwoPointHospital'', where one of the comedic diseases, "Science Friction", has patients stuck permanently in shiny skin-tight jumpsuits, in danger of being eroded away completely by the terrible chafing they cause!
126	[[/folder]]
127
128	[[folder:Web Comics]]
129	* ''Webcomic/FarOutThere'' has Stilez spend most of her time running around in a [[http://faroutthere.smackjeeves.com/comics/2049438/page-693-explosive-cliffhanger/ very tight-fitting]] pink plugsuit.
130	** Alphonse's [[http://faroutthere.smackjeeves.com/comics/1701261/page-523-new-costume-time/ interface gear]] and Layla's [[http://faroutthere.smackjeeves.com/comics/1719409/page-531-and-were-finally-off/ containment suit]] are very form-fitting and futuristic, but they also have very... bulky extremities which disrupt the sleekness.
131	* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' -- The insectoid Nemesites seem to favor skintight bodysuits leaving their arms and legs bare — even when they're disguised as humans.
132	* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive:'' In their native culture, pretty much the only clothes Uryuoms wear are stretchy skintight bodysuits (they're shapeshifters and can morph away awkward anatomy when it's not in use, so they only wear clothing for protection against hazards and need clothes that can accommodate sudden changes in size and shape).
133	[[/folder]]
134
135	[[folder:Western Animation]]
136	* In ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'' Season 4, the new {{Digital Avatar}}s of the heroes -- boys and girls alike -- have a serious Future Spandex look. Being virtual costumes, they don't have to be realistic... but still, they're supposedly designed by Jérémie, a 13-year-old TeenGenius (except for William, who got his custom-made by ''XANA''). You have to wonder what was going through their minds... (though on the other hand, maybe that makes it a JustifiedTrope).
137	* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'':
138	** When time-travelling shenanigans result in Kim and Ron having to save the world from [[spoiler:Shego]] who has become a dictator, everybody not in LaResistance is forced to wear jumpsuits in her signature colour.
139	** Kim's [[ClothesMakeTheSuperman battle suit]] is a visual ShoutOut to the original ''Film/{{Tron}}'' suits.
140	* Many gems in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' wear skin-tight clothes, though none have a full bodysuit--if only because [[SleevesAreForWimps almost none of them have full sleeves]]. For many this is based more on such clothes' associations with dancing (since gems perform literal {{Fusion Dance}}s and Pearl is a DanceBattler), but the single-piece, sleeveless jumpsuits Peridot and Jasper wear are definitely a form of SpaceClothes.
141	* In ''WesternAnimation/ThreeTwoOnePenguins'', Zidgel, Midgel, Fidgel, and Kevin all wear orange skintight jumpsuits. Enforced, in that the low-budget computer animation wouldn't be able to depict looser clothing.
142	[[/folder]]
143
144	[[folder:Real Life]]
145	* In RealLife, form-fitting material is used in a wide range of applications. Extreme sports, the space program, the military, and many other activities and organizations require form-fitting outfits for optimum performance. However, in combat situations and where there is a high risk of fire, many form-fitting materials tend to ''melt'' when exposed to extreme heat, sticking to the skin and making burn injuries much worse.
146	* Space suits often have form-fitting under layers, to regulate temperature and/or to maintain pressure. But they will often have looser outer layers, to protect important things like air tanks and air tubes.
147	* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeggings "Jeggings"]], a portmanteau of "jeans" and "leggings", have become a popular fashion choice of the late '00s and early 2010s. They're considered more practical than jeans in many ways, including the ability to be worn under a skirt or dress, being thin enough to tuck into high boots, and of course, retaining a sexy snugness while still functioning similarly to jeans. Ditto for other forms of skinny jeans in the '00s.
148	* The largely popular yoga pants. Somewhere, a rich man is bragging to his buddies that he convinced women to wear skin-tight pants that are see-through when they bend over.
149	* Ironically, while the above examples prove that this trope is somewhat TruthInTelevision now, the height of spandex and lycra fashion is generally regarded as being in ''the past'' -- specifically, the '80s and early '90s.
150	* In one respect, predictions of form-fitting clothing really ''have'' come to pass ... but with undergarments, not outerwear. Most of the people one encounters on the street are likely to be wearing briefs, panties, undershirt and/or bra that smoothly and snugly wrap their physique, unlike the baggy, elaborate linen or woolen underthings of times past, but (barring a WardrobeMalfunction) you won't actually ''see'' it.
151	* UsefulNotes/FormulaOne drivers wear balaclavas under their helmets that provide protection from fuel fires. The racing suits aren't totally form-fitting but are similarly fire-resistant, unlike some form-fitting fabrics.
152	[[/folder]]

Context Main / FutureSpandex