History Main / RainbowPimpGear

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' lets you equip battlefield items onto any playable character in the game, and sometimes it looks totally ridiculous. Want to give the aforementioned Bunny Hood to Bowser so his jump height will prevent him from falling off the arena? Do it! Want to make a tiny Pichu pick up a giant hammer that makes her go berserk and rapidly whack the hammer with the strength of a gorilla? Great idea!

* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'': a number of the clothing and weapon options look ridiculous as you get to higher levels (for example, the Warrior class gets the aptly-named [[https://miitopia.fandom.com/wiki/Warrior_Equipment?file=Garish%20Armor.jpg Garish Armor]]), but there's an option to change the appearance of the equipment you're using to make it look like another piece of equipment you have.

* In ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'''s current unfinished state, the best way to play if you want to go around killing people and not be caught is to walk around butt-naked and wield a magical girl wand. The nudity part is there because there are no special penalties for being nude, and not wearing clothes means you don't have to go burn them, just wash yourself off. The magical girl wand (a joke weapon) has the unique property of being undetectable to the police, so you don't have to burn it either.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'' every piece of armor has an effect on characters' appearance. They're divided into Head, Top, Bottom, Gloves, and Legwear, and that level mixing-and-matching can cause some... odd combinations. (Combining Heavy torso armor with light bottoms is particularly jarring, especially if said bottom is a [[ChainmailBikini bikini]].) And naturally, you will have to do this to maximize stats. And the best part is that the characters keep their armor in cutscenes, so you can [[{{Narm}} ruin dramatic scenes with ridiculous outfits for your amusement]]. The Definitive Edition UpdatedRerelease allows the player to avoid this (or make it worse) by keeping a running catalogue of every piece of equipment ever obtained, which can be freely used as a cosmetic override for any armour or weapon slot (with the exception of the SwordOfPlotAdvancement).

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' could theoretically wear all the [[TransformationTrinket miraculous jewelry]] simultaneously, but so many differing trinkets look unusual, to say the least, as shown in [[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS03E14Kwamibuster Kwami Buster]] and [[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS03E26MiracleQueenBattleoftheMiraculousPart2 Miracle Queen]].

* In ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'' your luck stat is [[OneStatToRuleThemAll the most useful stat in the game]] as random drops play such a huge role in gaining new abilities, crafting mbetter gear, and enhancing shards, and only the silliest items in the game seem to boost it. One of the best setups for the early game is to put Miriam in the Stone Mask, Santa Hat, Bunny Scarf, and Apron, all of which give substantial boosts to luck... and also make her look adorably stupid as hell.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' series has abilities wholly tied to clothing gear, but is generally able to avert this. Each piece of clothing can have a maximum of four ability slots: one main ability, and up to three sub-abilities that are decided at random as the gear item is leveled up. While the main ability is specific to each piece of gear and can never be changed, you can "re-roll" the sub-ability slots for different abilities. ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' onwards offer even more customization with the introduction of ability chunks, which are gained from "scrubbing" your gear or purchasing them directly from the Deepsea Metro vending machine, and can be used to more easily customize your sub-abilities exactly how you want them on top of the "re-roll" mechanic. Meanwhile playing Salmon Run, using the real-world [=SplatNet=] app, and even just checking the usual in-game shops can land you the same gear, but with an alternate main ability.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' series has abilities wholly tied to clothing gear, so you're bound to find a few players wearing an unfashionable combination of hats, shirts, and shoes. Each piece of clothing can have a maximum of four ability slots: one main ability, and up to three sub-abilities that are decided at random as the gear item is leveled up. The main ability is specific to each piece of gear and can never be changed, and while you can "re-roll" the sub-ability slots for different abilities, it's still up to chance what abilities you get (though each brand name has a greater affinity for a certain abilities than others).
** Downplayed in the sequel, ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', where ability chunks gained from "scrubbing" your gear or using the Deepsea Metro vending machine can be used to more easily customize your sub-abilities exactly how you want them on top of the "re-roll" mechanic, while playing Salmon Run, using the real-world [=SplatNet=] app, and even just checking the usual in-game shops can land you the same gear, but with an alternate main ability.

This tended to be much more of a problem in the past. Nowadays, developers are wise to the problem, and many games try to circumvent the phenomenon by allowing equipment to be dyed or cosmetically altered so that it looks like another item, or [[EquipmentHidingFashion simply keep stat-affecting and appearance-affecting equipment completely separate]]. One other way to counteract this is with the SetBonus, where the best possible clothing combination is by definition a set that matches.

This tended to be much more of a problem in the past. Nowadays, developers are wise to the problem, and many games try to circumvent the phenomenon by allowing equipment to be dyed or cosmetically altered so that it looks like another item, or simply keep stat-affecting and appearance-affecting equipment completely separate. One other way to counteract this is with the SetBonus, where the best possible clothing combination is by definition a set that matches.

'''Omochao:''' You got [[RealityEnsues a serious spinal condition from carrying so much junk]]! You got [[GraveHumor a tombstone]]!

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' when first released was [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/01/02 particularly guilty of this]] due to its pseudo-cartoony style. Items were designed independently of each other, meaning that it was very easy to build an efficient but stupid-looking [[http://wowpedia.org/Clownsuit clownsuit]]. However, it was at its worst with the release of the first expansion, dubbed "Outland Clown Syndrome" after the name of the new expansion zone, Outland. Bright colors, tight pants, and stupid hats abounded. The page image is, horrifically, only a ''slight'' exaggeration. Blizzard got the message, and the gear from the next expansion onwards was designed to mesh well with each other and use [[RealIsBrown more muted colors]]. Blizzard also later included a feature for players to change the appearance of their gear at will.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' has it especially bad, considering that most of Night City dresses like they picked garments at random from a glam-rocker's wardrobe to start. You can try to avoid this by constantly upgrading your gear, but it will get really expensive to keep your armoured coat on the same level of protection as a Legendary neon green tanktop from the street.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' could theoretically wear all the [[TransformationTrinket miraculous jewelry]] simultaneously, but so many differing trinkets look unusual, to say the least.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' has it especially bad, considering that most of Night City dresses like they picked garments at random from a glam-rocker's wardrobe to start. You can try to avoid this by constantly upgrading your gear, but it will get really expensive to keep your armoured coat on the same level of protection as some literal rags from the street.

[[quoteright:349:[[WebAnimation/DorklyOriginals https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_rpg_kingdom_ugly_mismatched_powerful_outfit.png]]]]

** The "Gibusvision" is a player (of any class) wearing a crumpled old top hat with a hanging toy ghost, a set of clunky gray goggles ([[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness which makes you see the world as]] [[UltraSuperHappyCuteBabyFestFarmer3000 a cute pastel land]]), and rarely, a bronze recruitment emblem. All aforementioned items are the only ones that are available for free. Hence, most players who wear them are usually considered "clueless newbies".

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is infamous for the disparity in art style between the game's release and every subsequent update. Wearable cosmetic items (or simply "hats") can be combined to personalize players, creating vaguely themed costumes. Alternatively, a player can also end up as an incomprehensibly gaudy mess, be it accidental ("I unlocked Pink as Hell from this crate and by Gabe, I will wear it even if it doesn't match anything!"), to be [[ConspicuousConsumption purposely]] [[{{Troll}} obnoxious]] ("Why, yes, all of my custom-colored items clash, but that just makes me the rich motherfucker who can ''afford'' to!"), as a BadassBoast ("Look at all this eye-blinding lime I'm wearing and you ''still'' can't hit me!"), or some combination thereof. The game also includes "unusual hats", or cosmetics blessed with incredibly rare particle effects,[[https://kek.gg/i/4Y8SDX.png which often exacerbates the issue]]. There are a few particularly infamous getups:

** The "Gibusvision" is a player (of any class) wearing a crumpled old top hat with a hanging toy ghost, a set of clunky gray goggles ([[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness which makes you see the world as]] [[UltraSuperHappyCuteBabyFestFarmer3000 a cute pastel land]]), and rarely, a bronze recruitment emblem. All aforementioned items are the only ones that are available for free.

** The "Demopan" loadout appeared to be a player wearing every cheap promotional item they could get their hands on. The result is a Demoman wearing a pirate hat with a little treasure chest on top, reflective shutter shades, a medieval spiked buckler, and a frying pan.
** The "Gibusvision" is a Demoman wearing a crumpled old top hat with a hanging toy ghost and a set of clunky gray goggles. It (and the "Demopan") can be obtained by killing a player with a Demoman a few times in a row, meaning that a player could potentially pick them up over the course of their first match ever. Unsurprisingly, "Gibusvision" is also a pejorative for "clueless newbie".

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' has it especially bad, considering that most of Night City dresses like they picked garments at random from a glam-rocker's wardrobe to start. You can try to avoid this by constantly upgrading your gear, but it will get really expensive in the long run.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' has it especially bad, considering that most of Night City dresses like they picked garments at random from a glam-rocker's wardrobe to start.

* The trope image comes from [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/01/02/the-ungift-part-two this]] ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' strip, which parodies the phenomenon. It's also uncomfortably close to reality (most cloth-wearers, after gearing up in quest rewards in the first zone in the ''Burning Crusade'' expansion of VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft, looked way too much like this).

** Players in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'''s multiplayer are allowed to color their armor as they see fit. Some players invoke this trope and paint themselves in clown colors because it's funny, but Geth players have a [[JustifiedTrope very good reason]] to do it -- there are enemy units that look just like them, and in a pitched firefight they don't want their allies wasting bullets or special abilities on friendlies. So they paint themselves weird colors like hot pink or lime green, just to stand out.

** Averted in the sequel, ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', where ability chunks gained from "scrubbing" your gear or using the Deepsea Metro vending machine can be used to more easily customize your sub-abilities exactly how you want them on top of the "re-roll" mechanic, while Salmon Run, [=SplatNet=], and even just checking the shops can land you the same gear, but with an alternate main ability.

* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' has abilities wholly tied to clothing gear, so you're bound to find a few players wearing an unfashionable combination of hats, shirts, and shoes. Each piece of clothing can have a maximum of four ability slots: one main ability, and up to three sub-abilities that are decided at random as the gear item is leveled up. The main ability is specific to each piece of gear and can never be changed, and while Spyke can "re-roll" the sub-ability slots for different abilities, it's still up to chance what abilities you get.[[note]]In addition, each article of clothing is of a certain brand name: each brand name has a likely chance (x5) to receive a certain sub-ability than others, as well as an unlikely chance (0.5x) to receive a different sub-ability.[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' added two new mechanics in regards to abilities that help avert the prevalence of this trope:
** First, [[https://splatoonus.tumblr.com/post/159041611894/weve-managed-to-learn-the-name-of-the-young-boy Murch]] can scrub your gear to reset its sub-abilities. The subs already on the gear turn into "ability chunks" that can be combined to attach a specific sub-ability to a piece of gear.[[note]]The number of chunks required to install a sub-ability depends on number of the same ability already present on the gear item. It's 10 chunks for the first of a specific sub-ability, 20 for another of that same ability, and 30 for a third.[[/note]] It is also possible to get ability chunks without scrubbing your clothing by playing the Salmon Run mode or using the vending machine in the Deepsea Metro, unlocked after completing the ''Octo Expansion'' campaign.
** Second, [[https://splatoonus.tumblr.com/post/162958153734/is-thatannie-it-seems-like-shes-taken-up-a-new Annie]] runs a digital store called the [=SplatNet=] Gear Shop that sells gear with different main abilities than what they would normally have. The shop can be accessed via the Nintendo Switch Online app, and the gear you order can then be picked up in-game from Murch.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'', various outfits gave specific boosts to certain stats and could either not touch others or even nerf those stats. This would lead to players wearing a mix-match collection of costumes just to get the best stats. This was changed in ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse2'', which introduced the QQ Bang Souls, which allowed players to have a set stat boost without mixing and matching pieces.