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The Grand Unified Appearance Trope Clean-up:

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On TV Tropes, it's very common for editors to misuse appearance tropes, as well as tropes whose names make them sound like they could be appearance tropes.

Meaningful Appearance tropes are often misused in ways that overlook the "Meaningful" aspect, resulting in Zero Context Examples and misuse in the form of examples that have no meaning even if the tropes themselves are not People Sit on Chairs.

The Appearance Tropes Cleanup sandbox covers tropes with potential issues. Tropes that simply require cleanup will go through this thread, while tropes that require more significant action will have to go through the Trope Repair Shop.

April 2, 2023 update: This thread is no longer for making changes to tropes, and was brought back from the Projects Morgue solely for cleanup. Making changes to tropes is still a job for the Trope Repair Shop.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Apr 2nd 2023 at 9:18:26 AM

MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2426: Jan 29th 2020 at 1:46:20 PM

Cuter with Hair Decs is a valid trope but the trope will just be the same just with it's old name. Not really sure how you would add context to the examples beyond what hair decs and how cute they are which the page already does right now.

Macron's notes
ChaoticNovelist Since: Jun, 2010
#2427: Jan 29th 2020 at 1:51:44 PM

[up] I think you make a good argument and your posts contain useful information. Appearance tokens, such as hair decorations, are useful in making a character visually distinct from others and create the character's own specific "look". They work in aggregate but lose their meaning in a text-based environment like a character sheet. I think it would be most useful as a No-Examples-Please sort of page. This enables it to be linked to on other pages but not as a wick that will just be "Alice wears X".

If a girl wears a bow in her hair, and it doesn't have any in-universe meaning (whether this be symbolism, an explicit desire to be cuter etc.) then it will be inevitably become a ZCE magnet. Something more specific is needed to prevent this.

And, yes, Every Girl Is Cuter with Hair Decs does indeed sound like it would attract less ZCE than just "hair decs", because it sounds like the trope has a specific purpose.

MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2428: Jan 29th 2020 at 2:08:49 PM

I added a "rename back to Every Girl Is Cuter With Hair Decs and remove on page examples" option on the crowner. Hopefully it doesn't make the crowner look too crowded.

Macron's notes
4tell0life4 Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
#2429: Jan 29th 2020 at 5:07:54 PM

[up] while that's a good idea, I would agree more with the currently leading option

Although, that's not to say we can't do both - making an example-less trope wouldn't interfere with the rest of the splitting effort.

We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2430: Jan 29th 2020 at 5:51:48 PM

So I was thinking of writing a draft for Iconic Headgear but dunno how to figure in Nice Hat since I feel like the former tropers is what Nice Hat was supposed to be but now it's just a list of hats that people like. I guess I could make it Iconic Hair Decs but I don't think it needs to be narrow if Important Hair Accessory covers other types of headgear

Edited by MacronNotes on Jan 29th 2020 at 8:52:44 AM

Macron's notes
naturalironist from The Information Superhighway Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
#2431: Jan 29th 2020 at 6:10:01 PM

I like the rename/example sectionectomy option.


We should probably do Nice Hat next, I suppose, if we're combining it with hair decorations examples. My personal issue with Nice Hat is I kinda think of it as The Same But Less to Never Bareheaded.

"It's just a show; I should really just relax"
4tell0life4 Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
#2432: Jan 29th 2020 at 11:30:39 PM

Related is Cool Helmet

We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2433: Jan 30th 2020 at 12:14:32 AM

I am going to sort all the examples on Hair Decorations that have context beyond describing the hair decs.

But first, do we have a trope where character wears something in-universe because they want to appeat cuter/childish or younger?

Macron's notes
4tell0life4 Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
#2434: Jan 30th 2020 at 1:09:56 AM

"Wanting to appear/dress cute"? I only know of She Cleans Up Nicely or Deliberately Cute Child.

We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#2435: Jan 31st 2020 at 12:15:48 AM

Kawaiiko looks to cover some of that but that name only covers those who are that naturally. Ones deliberately trying to invoke that would be named Burikko.

That trope's examples are all over the place... like they don't get the point of either trope.

Edited by Memers on Jan 31st 2020 at 12:17:01 PM

Pichu-kun ... Since: Jan, 2001
...
#2436: Feb 1st 2020 at 4:11:45 PM

Maybe there should be a "Hair By Decade" super-trope some day. Instead of separating into '70s Hair, '80s Hair, '90s Hair, 2000s Hair, 2010s Hair, etc.

Edited by Pichu-kun on Feb 1st 2020 at 4:14:23 AM

MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2437: Feb 2nd 2020 at 8:02:33 PM

So, I think we have a clear winner in the crowner. Hollering for it to be called.

Macron's notes
Willbyr MOD Hi (Y2K) Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Hi
#2438: Feb 3rd 2020 at 6:20:55 AM

Indeed; calling for the winning options.

Malady (X-Troper)
#2439: Feb 3rd 2020 at 7:51:49 AM

So, it should be something like:

''Hair Decorations'' may refer to:

* IconicItem, a character-defining prop or accessory.
* ImportantHairAccessory, wearing or removing a hair accessory signifies character development.
* TertiarySexualCharacteristics, stereotypical aspects indicate something's sex, such as bows or baseball caps.
* MeaningfulAppearance, when the way a character looks shows something about their personality.

If a direct wick has led you here, please correct the link so that it points to the corresponding article.
----

Edited by Malady on Feb 3rd 2020 at 8:14:25 AM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2440: Feb 3rd 2020 at 8:34:37 AM

[up] That works.

So now have to create Symbolic Hair Decs or Iconic Headgear.

I still think that Symbolic Decs can br folded into Important Hair Accessory if we broadened/tweaked the latter a little bit

Edited by MacronNotes on Feb 3rd 2020 at 11:35:04 AM

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MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2442: Feb 3rd 2020 at 11:28:36 AM

[up] No it would be a subtrope /sister trope to Iconic Item and will be objective.

Macron's notes
Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#2443: Feb 3rd 2020 at 12:51:50 PM

[up][up] No, nothing ymmv about it.

It is a permanent fixture on the character and unique to them in the work, its quite objective.

MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2444: Feb 3rd 2020 at 1:19:50 PM

Rough draft for Signature Headgear. Its a bit barebones. Any help with is appreciated:

"Clothes make the man" is a common saying but we all know it's specifically the head gear that makes you who you are.

Distinctive headgear (or hair accessories) make people stand out in the crowd. Most of the time the headgear is unique to that character but another character who is connected to them in some way might decide pick up their style. They also might tell you a little something about the characters personality.trope to Iconic Item.

Related to Iconic Item, where the item/headgear is well recognized by the audience

Edited by MacronNotes on Feb 3rd 2020 at 12:19:27 PM

Macron's notes
Pichu-kun ... Since: Jan, 2001
...
#2445: Feb 3rd 2020 at 4:12:38 PM

[up][up] Why not "Signature Headgear" instead? "Iconic" implies real world fame, but not all examples are iconic.

Edited by Pichu-kun on Feb 3rd 2020 at 4:15:18 AM

MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
4tell0life4 Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
#2447: Feb 3rd 2020 at 7:16:46 PM

[up][up] No, in Iconic Item "iconic" simply means "iconic to a character".

We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#2448: Feb 3rd 2020 at 7:18:22 PM

[up] But it has to be iconic to someone- the audience.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2449: Feb 3rd 2020 at 7:24:26 PM

So before I take it to TLP, should I mine Iconic Item or no? I might just mine Hair Decorations

Edited by MacronNotes on Feb 3rd 2020 at 10:24:40 AM

Macron's notes
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2450: Feb 3rd 2020 at 9:42:44 PM

Signature Headgear's TLP draft is up. I took a few examples from Hair Decorations. I will work on it more tomorrow.

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