Basic Trope: Mermaids cover their breasts with seashells, starfish, seaweed, etc.
- Straight:
- Marina wears a bra or bikini top made out of scallop shells.
- Alice, stripped naked on the beach, covers her breasts with seashells.
- Exaggerated:
- The "fish" part of Marina ascends to her bustline, like a strapless dress.
- Even prepubescent mermaids with no boobs to speak of cover their chests like so.
- Alice fashions an entire outfit out of seashells and seaweed.
- Downplayed: Marina wears a pearl necklace, consisting of several strands of pearls.
- Justified:
- Even in the world of mermaids, breasts are considered "private," so they are to be covered.
- It's a fashion statement.
- Mermaids need supporting too given their human upper body.
- It's protection. Swimming around things like coral mean their breasts are more likely to scrape against them.
- Inverted: Marina is topless, perhaps covered only by Godiva Hair or several strands of pearls, if at all.
- A clam or starfish decorates itself with mermaid scales.
- Marina wears seashells on everything except her breasts.
- Subverted: A couple of seashells accidentally stuck to Marina's chest, and she casually takes them off.
- Double Subverted: Because the shells in question are not her actual bra, she then puts on another pair of seashells.
- Parodied:
- A merman (or a human man pretending to be one) wears something like this.
- Marina wears these, but she's always behind a Scenery Censor, such as a piece of coral.
- Marina experiences A-Cup Angst when she sees her friend Pearl wearing larger shells.
- Mermaids wear full bikinis, even though they lack visible genitalia.
- Marina wears tiny shells over huge boobs.
- Marina freaks out when she is seen wearing her seashell bra.
- Marina wears conch shells, like a cone bra.
- Zig Zagged: Some mermaids wear shells over their breasts and some do not. It is based on personal preference.
- Mermaids might cover one breast with sea shells but not the other.
- Averted:
- Mermaids in-story wear either normal tops, or are topless.
- There are no mermaids in-story.
- Enforced: "We can't have topless mermaids; this is a family-oriented show and/or we're in a place where uncovered female breasts are unacceptable. Let's give them some Improvised Clothes!"
- Lampshaded: "Hmm...should I wear seashells or starfish today?"
- Invoked:
- Seashells and such become fashion statements in Marina's society.
- A new ruler comes to power who dictates that mermaids must cover their breasts.
- Exploited:
- Stealing this from a mermaid will cause her to transform into a human. Ready for Abduction Is Love, Bob tries to take Marina's top from her.
- Marina takes one of her seashells, breaks it into two and slashes Bob's throat with the jagged edge.
- Defied: Marina chooses to go topless.
- Discussed: "Why would a mermaid need to wear a bra? I mean, wouldn't her boobs be supported by the water around her?"
- Conversed: "Well, they can't have topless mermaids on TV! Think of the Children!!"
- Implied: Though Marina wears more typical clothing, her breasts are also clearly big enough a human would need support. Yet as she's never seen without a shirt, nobody is certain.
- Deconstructed: Not having the technology of the surface dwellers, the mermaids are unable to disinfect the components they use. Thus it isn't uncommon for them to get sick using these constructed bras.
- Reconstructed: Even when the mermaids are presented with modernized surface world clothing, it is usually worse as it degrades in seawater over long periods of time and mermaids are proud of their culture to the point that they continue to use traditional attire.
- Played For Drama: Essentially strapping corpses to themselves, mermaids like Marina are just creeped out using these bras.
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