Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Dress-Up Episode

 Dress-Up Episode
type
FeatureClass
 Dress-Up Episode
label
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode
page
DressUpEpisode
 Dress-Up Episode
comment
In this trope, the modern Main Characters of the work in question suddenly need to dress as if it's the Victorian Era, or Heian Japan, The Wild West or whatever.
It could be that they have to attend a Masquerade Ball without attracting attention to themselves, or that trace amounts of Time Travel have suddenly and inexplicably thrown them back to the era in question. Maybe they have to establish diplomatic relations with an alien race that is convinced they live in the 1920s. Whatever the reason, the main characters of the work dress up in recognizable, elaborate, or anachronistic costumes that they wouldn't otherwise wear.
Note that while examples of this trope are predominantly historical costumes, time travel is not a requisite. It's any time the main characters dress in costume for the duration of an episode/scene/whatever, usually to blend in or deflect suspicion.
It is most commonly (but not exclusively) seen in visual media like television and comics because it can have the greatest effect without cluttering the narrative. In literature, this can easily turn into a wordy Costume Porn.
Is separate from, but may overlap, Halloween Episode. Subtly different from Costumer, in which characters wear period costume in a dream sequence or alternate reality. Related to Costume Porn and applicable to Going Native. Compare Changed My Jumper.
 Dress-Up Episode
fetched
2023-05-16T08:28:01Z
 Dress-Up Episode
parsed
2023-05-16T08:28:02Z
 Dress-Up Episode
processingComment
Dropped link to NancyDrew: Not an Item - CAT
 Dress-Up Episode
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Dress-Up Episode / int_1d1591e8
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_1d1591e8
comment
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has an interesting variation with "Clothes Don't Make The Turtle". The episode sees the turtles doing an 80s fashion montage...only to realize partway through that they don't actually know what they're dressing up for. It's then revealed that the whole thing was a magical trap created by Hypno-Potamus.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_1d1591e8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_1d1591e8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_1d1591e8
 Dress-Up Episode / int_22f49cdf
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_22f49cdf
comment
A season 6 episode of Castle requires the entire cast to dress and act like it's The '70s for most of the episode, in order to not confuse a witness who thinks it's still 1978.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_22f49cdf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_22f49cdf
featureConfidence
1.0
 Castle
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_22f49cdf
 Dress-Up Episode / int_2ea6ae26
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_2ea6ae26
comment
Star Trek: Picard: As part of their undercover op on Freecloud, Picard, Rios, and Elnor wear costumes that are very different from their normal attire in "Stardust City Rag."
 Dress-Up Episode / int_2ea6ae26
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_2ea6ae26
featureConfidence
1.0
 Star Trek: Picard
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_2ea6ae26
 Dress-Up Episode / int_39e45334
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_39e45334
comment
In the episode "The Affair at the Victory Ball", Poirot and Hastings are invited to a fancy-dress (masquerade) ball and told to come as "someone famous". Poirot comes as himself.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_39e45334
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_39e45334
featureConfidence
1.0
 Poirot
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_39e45334
 Dress-Up Episode / int_3b05a9de
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_3b05a9de
comment
Power Rangers Time Force has the two-parter episode "Movie Madness", in which a mutant transports the Rangers to different movie genres, all with appropriate clothing (Trip and Wes as cowboys in a Western, Jen in a quipao in a Chinese martial arts film, etc.). When they're able to escape the movie dimension, even more dressing up occurs, complete with crossdressing and even an Actor Allusion to Vernon Wells' previous role in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_3b05a9de
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_3b05a9de
featureConfidence
1.0
 Power Rangers Time Force
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_3b05a9de
 Dress-Up Episode / int_3c471e90
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_3c471e90
comment
Dead Gorgeous: In "Reliving History", the school recreates life as it was 150 years ago, so the entire school is dressed in period garb.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_3c471e90
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_3c471e90
featureConfidence
1.0
 Dead Gorgeous
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_3c471e90
 Dress-Up Episode / int_43576f5
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_43576f5
comment
Happens all the time on Supernatural. In one episode, "Frontierland", Dean wears a cheesy cowboy costume and is made fun of because it looks nothing like how the people actually dress. However, in another Time Travel Episode to 1944, he lets someone from that time period dress him, and quite likes being a Badass in a Nice Suit.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_43576f5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_43576f5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supernatural
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_43576f5
 Dress-Up Episode / int_468bebb0
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_468bebb0
comment
In the Discworld novel Jingo, Nobby, Colon, and Vetinari disguise themselves as performers while infiltrating their current enemy city. Hilarity Ensues.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_468bebb0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_468bebb0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Discworld
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_468bebb0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_671d5c19
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_671d5c19
comment
The Powerpuff Girls (1998): "West In Pieces," has the cast in an old west steampunk setting and dressing accordingly.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_671d5c19
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_671d5c19
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Powerpuff Girls (1998)
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_671d5c19
 Dress-Up Episode / int_7041cf12
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_7041cf12
comment
Chapter 112 of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War has Kaguya testing out multiple costumes in preparation for the cosplay cafe her class will be doing during the culture festival. She also uses it as a chance to get a rise out of Shirogane and force him to confess, but it fails because he had already decided to start being honest with his feelings for her in the previous chapter, which catches her completely off guard.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_7041cf12
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_7041cf12
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (Manga)
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_7041cf12
 Dress-Up Episode / int_81692f99
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_81692f99
comment
Happens in Star Trek on a regular basis.
Time travel is a common cause of this.
Star Trek: The Original Series: In the episode "A Piece of the Action", Kirk and Spock are sent to a planet whose citizens base their entire livelihood on the mob bosses of the 1920s (think Al Capone).
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Holodeck is often the setup for the main characters to dress up in outfits that are appropriate for the setting of the program.
Star Trek: Picard: As part of their undercover op on Freecloud, Picard, Rios, and Elnor wear costumes that are very different from their normal attire in "Stardust City Rag."
 Dress-Up Episode / int_81692f99
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_81692f99
featureConfidence
1.0
 Star Trek (Franchise)
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_81692f99
 Dress-Up Episode / int_994e32db
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_994e32db
comment
In Rango, Rango and his posse masquerade as a traveling theater group in order to get close to the water thieves.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_994e32db
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_994e32db
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rango
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_994e32db
 Dress-Up Episode / int_9a7088bc
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_9a7088bc
comment
Star Trek: The Original Series: In the episode "A Piece of the Action", Kirk and Spock are sent to a planet whose citizens base their entire livelihood on the mob bosses of the 1920s (think Al Capone).
 Dress-Up Episode / int_9a7088bc
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_9a7088bc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Star Trek: The Original Series
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_9a7088bc
 Dress-Up Episode / int_c43df4d8
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_c43df4d8
comment
Doctor Who. Since the entire premise of the show is based on time travel, this is a given. Most of the time, however, they don't even bother with this, and the Doctor themself rarely changes their garb, but some episodes have the Doctor's companion dress up, such as when Rose dressed in '50s style clothing in "The Idiot's Lantern" and Donna dressed like a flapper in the '20s in "The Unicorn and the Wasp". On one occasion, both Clara and the Doctor dressed to the nines, 1920s style, for a trip aboard a spaceship replica of the Orient Express.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_c43df4d8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_c43df4d8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Doctor Who
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_c43df4d8
 Dress-Up Episode / int_c511c682
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_c511c682
comment
In Asterix the Legionary, Asterix and Obelix join up with the Roman Army and spend about half the book rockin' the uniform.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_c511c682
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_c511c682
featureConfidence
1.0
 Asterix (Comic Book)
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_c511c682
 Dress-Up Episode / int_cb6abea3
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_cb6abea3
comment
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The first season episode "Evil Spirit of the Ring" had the main cast wearing the costumes of their favorite duel monsters — Yugi as the Dark Magician, Joey as Flame Swordsman, Tristan as Cyber Commando, and Tea as the Magician of Faith.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_cb6abea3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_cb6abea3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Yu-Gi-Oh!
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_cb6abea3
 Dress-Up Episode / int_f10a65b
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_f10a65b
comment
Legends of Tomorrow: The show lives on this trope. Practically every episode has the crew going to some different time period requiring a costume change. In one episode Hank complains about the Legends spending 1.7 million dollars on historical costumes.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_f10a65b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_f10a65b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Legends of Tomorrow
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_f10a65b
 Dress-Up Episode / int_f1c2ef05
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_f1c2ef05
comment
The Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! episode "Party Like It's 1899" has the gang (and everyone else) in Elizabethian garb as part of a mystery party, unaware that a real mystery exists.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_f1c2ef05
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_f1c2ef05
featureConfidence
1.0
 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_f1c2ef05
 Dress-Up Episode / int_ff9ab17f
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dress-Up Episode / int_ff9ab17f
comment
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Holodeck is often the setup for the main characters to dress up in outfits that are appropriate for the setting of the program.
 Dress-Up Episode / int_ff9ab17f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Dress-Up Episode / int_ff9ab17f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Star Trek: The Next Generation
hasFeature
Dress-Up Episode / int_ff9ab17f

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Dress-Up Episode
processingCategory2
Costume Tropes
 Dress-Up Episode
processingCategory2
Episodes
 The 61st Annual Hunger Games (Fanfic) / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Café Flesh / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (Manga) / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You (Manga) / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Shadow Quest (Roleplay) / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Dead Gorgeous / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Star Trek: Picard / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Star Trek: The Original Series / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 The Amazing Race / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 The Two Ronnies / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Witch's Heart (Video Game) / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 EK Doodles (Web Animation) / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode
 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! / int_7bbef38e
type
Dress-Up Episode