History Main / TheBeautifulElite

* ''Manga/UndertakerRiddle'': The Undertakers. Everybody else are just {{Bishounen}s.

* Inverted in the Australian school comedy ''HatingAlisonAshley'' by RobinKlein (later made into a play and film), where the beautiful and talented Alison is a genuinely nice person, but the 'ordinary' protagonist persists in believing she's a snob who's constantly showing off her superiority.

To some degree, this tends to be TruthInTelevision. In most societies, wealth, success and attractiveness are highly correlated: The wealthy have much greater access to resources that improve their own appearance; the attractive have much greater access to material success, whether through marriage or career opportunities; and, more often than not, it's the higher classes or castes of a given society who get to define what's considered "beautiful" to begin with.

To some degree, this tends to be TruthInTelevision. In most societies, wealth, success and attractiveness are highly correlated. The wealthy have much greater access to resources that improve their own appearance and the attractive have much greater access to material success, whether through marriage or career opportunities.

* In DanAbnett's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} GauntsGhosts novel ''Necropolis'', the mere outside of the noble level in Vervunhive stuns the troopers escorting Gaunt. (Gaunt, fortunately, is made of sterner stuff; then, he's a BlueBlood himself.)

* The Koryon [Korean] royal court in ''[[{{Conqueror}} Bones of the Hill]]'' is described in such a manner - the Koreans are all incredibly good-looking and exotic, the gardens are gorgeous, and the wall hangings and decorations are spectacular. Of course, that scene is told from Chagatai's PointOfView; since this is probably the first time Chagatai has been in a building other than a tent or fort, it's only natural for him to be awed.

** {{Deconstructed}} in ''TheGreatGatsby,'' a classic novel that starts off by showing all the glamor of the rich, then revealing the ugly truths behind why some of them are this way.
* During the first few chapters of ''WarAndPeace'', there are various beautiful ladies hanging around a beautiful people party, where all the other beautiful people notice them being beautiful even in relation to their beautiful-to-begin-with-selves, and in fact whatever they do must be accompanied by a beautiful description of how beautifully beautiful they are, and their beautiful dresses, and the beautiful way they do their graceful beautiful beauty walk, and overall their beautifully beautiful beauty, lest you for a second forget what these ladies' apparent defining characteristic is. [[http://www.quoteworld.org/quotes/5974 And also, you're drunk.]]
* The good guys in Ayn Rand novels. Example: John Galt from ''AtlasShrugged'' is a brilliant enough scientist to rewrite the laws of physics, a brilliant enough engineer to build a perpetual motion device using his discoveries, a brilliant enough philosopher and orator to Author Filibuster on Objectivism for HOURS, and a brilliant enough leader to get every industrialist on Earth to join a utopian society of his own creation. Also, he's [[IncorruptiblePurePureness incorruptible]]. And torture proof. And every word of his physical description is dripping with swooning adoration.

* ''{{Friends}}'' is one of the most famous examples, where the supposedly middle-class friends [[FriendsRentControl have apartments]] that only the richest people in Manhattan could afford in real life, and everyone looks awfully good.

* In ''TheCosbyShow,'' nobody wore the same outfit twice, everyone's hair was perfect when they woke up, and the parents were overachievers who could catch up on twenty tasks before breakfast. In fairness, the parents in question were a doctor and a lawyer, so money was probably not a problem, but they should have had a lot heavier demands on their time.
* Many, many, many sitcoms on {{Nickelodeon}} and DisneyChannel take place in a world where everyone is LivingInAFurnitureStore, everyone looks pretty except for ([[InformedAttribute we're told]]) the resident HollywoodHomely, and everything is decorated in bold, gaudy primary colors. Examples include ''DrakeAndJosh'', ''ICarly'', and (probably the worst offender) ''{{Zoey101}}''.

* ''GilmoreGirls'' Lorelai says of her family's lifestyle that "These people live in a universe where they feel entitled to get what they want, when they want it, and they don't care who's in their way..." They'll dress in gown and tux whenever they get the chance or talk about their boarding school experiences.

* ''TheComicsCurmudgeon'' website refers to the ''JudgeParker'' cast as "The Pretty People Posse" who, in spite of doing virtually nothing (even by realistic serial-strip standards), routinely get huge sums of money dropped into their lap.

* Princess Voluptua in ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob.'' Lampshaded by the fact her appearance ''is'' an illusion, and she actually [[StarfishAlien isn't humanoid at all.]]
* All main characters in ''{{Noblesse}}'' - ''especially'' the nonhuman characters who live with Rai. It gets very funny when one of the characters (a young, spoiled idol) visits school bringing her famous "handsome" boyfriend, only for a bunch of her friends to dismiss him as "average" and "not so good looking." She's pissed off, until she [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/noblesse/v02/c096/3.html gets a glimpse of the people they've been hanging out with]] - M21 and ''especially'' Rai.

* The Goodkinds of the ''WhateleyUniverse'', particularly Phase's big sister Heather Goodkind who chose not to go into the family business and instead has 'worked' as a supermodel and a Hollywood actress. Apparently, Phase's mother Helen Hilton-Goodkind counts as well.

* The ''{{Castlevania}}'' series received a makeover with more beautiful characters for both heroes and villains, males and females, courtesy of character artist Ayami Kojima. Her art is associated with Team IGA's tites, which started with ''CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''.

[[quoteright:348:[[XXXHoLic http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xxxholicbeautifulpeople.jpg]]]]

* ''TrinityBlood''. Being [[PerpetualPoverty Perpetually Broke]] has never looked so good, and it must feel great being a ChurchMilitant wearing such elaborate and sexy garments - though Abel's robe gets torn off all the time, Tres is a bullet wall and Esther isn't immune to wounds either. The vampires are of course uncannily beautiful, being vampires and all, but so are almost all the human characters (see more in the evil part of the trope). Caterina has the complete dashing beauty + regal paraphernalia in addition to RegalRinglets.

* Most of Rumiko Takahashi's characters don't fit this trope. But there are some exceptions. Some of the beautiful people in her series are Tatewaki and Kodachi Kuno from ''RanmaOneHalf''.
* Anyone in ''OuranHighSchoolHostClub'', which pokes great fun in the snooty, upper-crust societies in high schools.
* Justified in ''GundamSeed''. You'd expect DesignerBabies to be prettier than everyone else.

* Absolutely everyone, including insignificant characters, in ''ShatteredAngels''.

** ''XXXHolic''
** ''CodeGeass,'' for which they only did the character designs.

** ''LegalDrug''
** ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', which is made up with characters from all their series.
** ''[[Main/{{X1999}} X/1999]]''
** ''CLAMPSchoolDetectives''
** ''{{Blood-C}}'', for which they collaborated with ProductionIG.
** ''Gate7''
* Exemplified in ''StarDriver''. ''Every single character'', not just the main characters, is beyond beautiful (even, nay, especially the men). There's a reason why the main character of the series is called the "Galactic [[{{Bishounen}} Pretty Boy]]".
* Good god, ''everyone'' from ''{{Alichino}}''. Just [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dyn003_original_413_600_jpeg_2537066_b50bf1de6a6ad892bc700411f2a8baea.jpg look]] [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alichino5hr3.jpg at]] [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alichino.jpg this]].
* Most of the cast of ''FruitsBasket''. Mostly applicable to the Sohma family however, who are all incredibly good-looking, rich, and mysterious (to the point at which one person asks if their good looks are a genetic trait). On the other hand, the good looks aren't ''always'' a good thing, as proven by Yuki (who is constantly either mistaken for a girl or forced into dressing like one for his lovesick fans).

* The entire ''PandoraHearts'' cast.
** Save Isla Yura.
* ''PetShopOfHorrors'''s Count D, as well as his whole family (given that [[GenerationXerox they all look almost exactly like each other]]), and what a lot of the pets look like (at least to their owners and to Chris).
* ''{{Nana}}'' is riddled with them.
* Subverted in ''YamadaTaroMonogatari'', in which the eponymous Yamada Tarou is so amazingly beautiful that everyone in his school believes that he has to also be rich, noble, and a candidate for princehood. Tarou, who has more practical concerns, uses Valentine's Day chocolate as 'emergency rations' for his six hungry siblings.
* ''SakuraGari'', with Souma being the most standout case. However, it's obvious that [[SoBeautifulItsACurse his gorgeous looks are the cause of most of the problems in his life]].
* ''VampireKnight'': The vampires. Later, possible deconstructed with characters that, despite everything, still suffer and hide their pain under this.
* ''SpecialA'': Not only is the entire cast ''beautiful'', but Special A is the most elite class in the already prestigious academy.

* Cossette in ''LePortraitDePetiteCossette''.

* Relena's family from ''GundamWing''
* Everyone in ''UragiriWaBokuNoNamaeWoShitteiru''.
* The vast majority of the signifcant cast in ''Hanasakeru Seishounen''. They're all so regal that even when the situation is funny they stay in bishounen/bishojo mode! And then you have the occasional normal looking character (Gonk by comparision).
* ''InfiniteStratos''. All IS pilots have snazzy school uniforms, a 5 star hotel grade dormitories, pimping mecha suit, and of course, look very good.
* Most regulars in the ''PrinceOfTennis'' anime are this. Especially Atobe.
* Virtually every named character in ''IkokuMeiroNoCroisee'', especially when the story involves [[TheOjou Alice]]. It fits classical Japanese notion that everything in the GayParee is beautiful.
* The DearS of the series of the same name are a race of beautiful alien slaves who are practically perfect in every way.
* The nobles in ''ReimeiNoArcana''.

* Just about everyone in ''PrincessPrincess'', especially the titular "princesses".
* Just about everyone in ''LightNovel/ZeroNoTsukaima'' barring a few fat/old men.

* ''SailorMoon'': For all its GenericCuteness, CostumePorn and [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Princesses]], the manga and anime mostly avert this. No truly beautiful character is shown without serious flaws that spoil the image of elitist perfection, whether they're the [[ThisLoserIsYou good]] [[TheKlutz guys]] ''or'' the [[VainSorceress bad]] [[NotSoAboveItAll guys]].
* ''RoseOfVersailles''.

* ''GokujouDrops'': Komari lampshades it all the time, usually something along the lines of "it's different for beautiful girls". Except Sai, who is a slob.
* ''TheBrideOfTheWaterGod''.

* This is one of the complaints that the Morlocks - a community of [[TheMorlocks sewer-dwelling mutants]] - and especially their leader Callisto and flesh-shaper Masque had about the XMen. The X-Men - self-appointed ambassadors of the mutant community - are almost all powerful and attractive (even the inhuman-looking ones wouldn't have much trouble getting a date) and live in a mansion (or they did when the Morlocks were around), while the Morlocks were all freakish (some due to the afore-mentioned flesh-shaper) outcasts who lived in a sewer, relatively few of which had impressive powers. They accuse the X-Men of being elitist snobs who have a [[ButNotTooForeign "but not TOO mutant"]] policy toward new recruits.

* ''LastYearAtMarienbad'' takes place in a gorgeous chateau filled with loads of rich people in [[MemeticMutation really, really ridiculously good-looking suits.]]
* ''TheTourist'' features two of the best-looking people currently making movies ( ie; JohnnyDepp and AngelinaJolie), and a series of ''really'' nice hotel rooms.
* In ''AttackOfTheClones'' Padme can be seen having an intellectual discussion, using proper grammar, while sitting in a green field against a waterfall and dressed in a golden summer gown.
* The ''[[TheFilmOfTheBook Twilight]]'' film series introduces us to the gorgeous [[BadassFamily Cullens]], who are an altogether [[InhumanlyBeautifulRace different breed]]. As the "saga" progresses so does our view of just how very [[VampiresAreRich well off]] the family is. Their designer clothing, collection of [[CoolCar imported/armoured automobiles]], a patriarch with centuries of medical experience, their beautiful [[CoolHouse home]], the magazine worthy dream wedding, and private island honeymoon clue us in to just how beautiful and elite life as a vampire can be.
* Whit Stillman's films (including ''Metropolitan'' and ''TheLastDaysOfDisco'') are all about this type.

* Almost all cases of [[OurElvesAreBetter high elves and space elves]], from Tolkien elves to the [[BabylonFive Minbari]], will look like this. Taken to impressive levels in the ''LordOfTheRings'' movies, where elves apparently caused everything to move in slow motion and all looked like Australian and New Zealand models. Or they look like [[FlightOfTheConchords Brett McKenzie]].

* The {{Zeerust}} World of Tomorrow from the 1930s-1950s, (Up to the early-60s TheJetsons) with shiny new CrystalSpiresAndTogas and not a speck of dirt anywhere -- in some cases, not even on the ground (which is artificial).
** ''BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'' joke with this, where in the future, everything--"even the dirt"--is clean.

* ''BeverlyHillsTeens'' was a half spoof, half straight version of this.
* ''DawsonsCreek'' is a different sort of dream world: an absurdly picturesque town by the shining crystal lake. Everyone is not only too beautiful, but more romantic than anyone living, and everyone talks in a language that sounds more beautiful than standard English, but doesn't really count as English. [[MusicVideoSyndrome Combined with the soundtrack]], it really does feel like a televised dream. The better class of dream, obviously, not the kind with the scissor man chasing you or the bottomless moebius pits.
* The middle school in ''NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'' looks like a cartoon come to life, with a dash of TwoDecadesBehind (in this case TheEighties) thrown in for good measure. Which makes sense, since the entire cast acts like the old WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes come to life.
* ''SexAndTheCity'' takes place in a fantasy version of upper-class Manhattan that appeals to the materialism in everyone. The main characters have absurdly easy but nonetheless well-paying jobs that give them time to be beautiful, have wild love lives, and own more shoes than Imelda Marcos.

* ''Zoey101'' may be the pinnacle of this trope. It takes place in a preppy boarding school that...actually, preppy doesn't begin to describe it. The indoor scenes are more like "rainbow technicolor fairy land." Multi-colored glass, rainbow knick-knacks, Rube Goldberg gadgets that [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum run on nonsensoleum]]...and that's just the backgrounds. The characters all look perfect, including the pair of HollywoodHomely girls, even when they brush their teeth without a mirror (as demonstrated in one episode). Everything is so bright that wearing dark clothes on this show is a notable personality trait.

* Siegfried's ''Contra Mundi'' team in the ''TrinityBlood'' manga. Perfect skins, stylish, expensive [[strike: Nazi]] uniforms and haircuts, and ''[[BishieSparkle ohmygod, he sparkles!]]''. (Then [[spoiler: Cain shows up naked and ruins the effect. Nice butt, though.]])
* Subverted in ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi''. The [[BigScrewedUpFamily Ushiromiya household]] is filthy rich, composed of good-looking people with ''astonishingly'' good fashion sense and... well, pretty. That is, until the murders start. The first incident of the series consists of 6 people locked in a shed with their faces almost completely gone. BeautyIsNeverTarnished, this is [[CruelAndUnusualDeath not]]. And one or more of them may be the culprit...

* ''RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' may be the peak of the evil version. Utena's school is literally a palace, complete with royal gardens, and the marble walls are draped in roses and ivy. Everyone is beautiful and has their closet packed with skeletons. It is, deliberately, a more extreme version of almost any portrayal of royal courts on television.
* Just about every character in ''{{Gankutsuou}}'' is beautiful and either endured some trauma in their past or ''will'' in their present life.
* Everyone in ''UragiriWaBokuNoNamaeWoShitteiru'' is impossibly good looking with some sort of DarkAndTroubledPast.
* ''VampireHunterD'' where most of the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Nobles]] and [[{{Dhampyr}} Dhampyrs]] are inhumanly beautiful, but hide predatory instincts behind their suave demeanour. One of the novels mentions that even the most kind-hearted Noble can't spend more than three days in the presence of a human without succumbing to the desire to drink their blood.
* Pegasus J. Crawford and Siegfried von Schroider of ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' are both impossibly rich, intellectual and [[{{Camp}} glamorous]]. Unfortunately, they're also ''very'' unhappy with their lives.
* ''SailorMoon'': The villains of the second season, the Black Moon clan, are all rather beautiful and seem to lead very dignified lifestyles. Special mention goes to Esmeraude, who is repeatedly seen in fancy clothes. The only one who does not abide by this lifestyle, is finally revealed as the BigBad.

* The highest-ranking members of society in ''InTime'', are very good looking and rich. In the film, everybody stops aging physically at 25.

* "Beautiful Dirty Rich" by LadyGaga seems to be about people of this nature. Many other examples from LadyGaga have also appeared in her work, most notably "Paparazzi". The video takes place in a nice looking mansion, but during the TalkyBookend part Gaga is thrown off a balcony by her boyfriend. It gets worse from there on out, as there are repeated shots of models' corpses throughout the video, among other things, and at the end [[spoiler: Gaga gets revenge on her boyfriend by poisoning his drink]].
* MarilynManson's ConceptAlbum ''Antichrist Superstar'' features a race of beautiful, superior beings who lord over the oppressed masses. The story is told from the perspective of "Wormboy", a downtrodden {{Muggle}} who seeks to join the ranks of these {{Ubermensch}}ian overlords and become the titular Antichrist Superstar. There's actually a song on the album entitled "The Beautiful People" (the original name of this trope).
* DavidBowie's "Oh! You Pretty Things" tells the story of a perfect next generation, homo superior, who will discard and destroy the current population of humanity.

* In Jim Butcher's ''DresdenFiles'', the White Court.

* In Creator/RobertEHoward's ConanTheBarbarian story "Literature/ShadowsInTheMoonlight", the PhysicalGod in [[DreamingOfTimesGoneBy Olivia's dream]]. This might go under "Too Good to be True" since all we see him do is [[{{Revenge}} avenge]] his [[HalfHumanHybrid son's]] [[ColdBloodedTorture torture]] and death. Then, it's a nasty revenge that endangers anyone who happens on it.

* ''TheTwilightZone'' episode, "Number 12 Looks Just Like You", may have been inspired by ''Literature/BraveNewWorld.'' (It was based on a Charles Beaumont story.) The future ''Dystopia'' in which the story is set forces its people to undergo an operation that makes them beautiful and ditzy. (Said people are only allowed to choose from a small number of idealized forms for their new bodies - which is why except for the main character [[spoiler: until she goes through the operation at the end]] all the roles in the episode are played by only three people - and thus have to wear nametags in order to identify each other.)

* High Elves in WarhammerFantasy.
** The Bretonnian Knights in WarhammerFantasy. They are brave, noble, courageous killing machines living off the sweat of the peasants bearing 90% taxes on them.
* Dark Eldar in Warhammer40000. Tall, pale and beautiful, but also complete sociopaths who literally feed on pain and suffering. Their Craftworld cousins are slightly more benevelont, in that they won't kill you for fun (but will kill you if you have any reason to do so).

* Many of the {{Exalted}} are like this, particularly ones old enough to reach a permanent Essence rating of 6 or higher (who can thus raise their Appearance stat to beyond-human levels). Abyssal Exalted, unless they are so horrifically ugly that their Appearance is permanently 0, actually ''have'' to become this as they grow stronger.
* The Galateids of ''PrometheanTheCreated'' can only be created from the bodies of beautiful people. They exude charm and grace, and their innate power allows them to become masterful manipulators. [[GlamourFailure And then you see what they really look like.]] Under the surface, they look like mannequins, statues... ''embalmed corpses''. When the world gets too much, they snap and [[{{Yandere}} try to claim what they want regardless of who suffers]]. Part of what drives them to try to BecomeARealBoy, even though it means aging and decay, is to stop living out the lie.

* ''FamilyGuy: Connie D'Amico considers herself to be ''the'' most beautiful girl at James Woods High School.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The BB Corps in ''MetalGearSolid 4'' are a collection of four stunningly-beautiful women from all over the world, described as being 'drop-dead gorgeous' and some of the most beautiful women in the world (in a universe where everyone has [[GenericCuteness Generic Sexiness]]). They also fall right into the UncannyValley due to being scanned into the game from real life actresses, and are really, really AxCrazy.
[[/folder]]

* "Beautiful Dirty Rich" by LadyGaga seems to be about people of this nature. Many other examples from LadyGaga have also appeared in her work, most notably "Paparazzi". The video takes place in a nice looking mansion, but during the TalkyBookend part Gaga is thrown off a balcony by her boyfriend. ItGetsWorse from there on out, as there are repeated shots of models' corpses throughout the video, among other things, and at the end [[spoiler: Gaga gets revenge on her boyfriend by poisoning his drink]].

* All main characters in ''{{Noblesse}}'' - ''especially'' the nonhuman characters who live with Rai. It gets very funny when one of the characters (a young, spoiled idol) visits school bringing her famous "handsome" boyfriend, only for a bunch of her friends to dismiss him as "average" and "not so good looking." She's pissed off, until she [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/noblesse/v02/c096/3.html gets a glimpse of the people they've been hanging out with]] - M21 and ''especially'' Rai.

* TheComicsCurmudgeon website refers to the ''JudgeParker'' cast as "The Pretty People Posse" who, in spite of doing virtually nothing (even by realistic serial-strip standards), routinely get huge sums of money dropped into their lap.

* The Goodkinds of the WhateleyUniverse, particularly Phase's big sister Heather Goodkind who chose not to go into the family business and instead has 'worked' as a supermodel and a Hollywood actress. Apparently, Phase's mother Helen Hilton-Goodkind counts as well.

* The {{Castlevania}} series received a makeover with more beautiful characters for both heroes and villains, males and females, courtesy of character artist Ayami Kojima. Her art is associated with Team IGA's tites, which started with CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight.

* The [[TheFilmOfTheBook Twilight]] film series introduces us to the gorgeous [[BadassFamily Cullens]], who are an altogether [[InhumanlyBeautifulRace different breed]]. As the "saga" progresses so does our view of just how very [[VampiresAreRich well off]] the family is. Their designer clothing, collection of [[CoolCar imported/armoured automobiles]], a patriarch with centuries of medical experience, their beautiful [[CoolHouse home]], the magazine worthy dream wedding, and private island honeymoon clue us in to just how beautiful and elite life as a vampire can be.

* In the dystopian sci-fi film Film/InTime, the rich people from New Greenwich, due to their being able to afford the time and luxury to live refined lives, embody this trope.

* ''[[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sKUL4wxW9Rw/TG2_1Nr3eVI/AAAAAAAABDA/aTiD1--yuI0/s1600/%5Blarge%5D%5BAnimePaper%5Dscans_Count-Cain_Ramius_51807.jpg Cain]]'' ''[[http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww8/Vmanga13lover/Godchild/cain_h.jpg Hargreaves]]'' from ''Count Cain'' is also a good example of this.

* ''TrinityBlood''. Being [[PerpetualPoverty Perpetually Broke]] has never looked so good, and it must feel great being a ChurchMilitant wearing such elaborate and sexy garments - though Abel's robe gets torn off all the time, Tres is a bullet wall and Esther isn't immune to wounds either. The vampires are of course uncannily beautiful, being vampires and all, but so are almost all the human characters (see more in the evil part of the trope). Catherina has the complete dashing beauty + regal paraphernalia in addition to RegalRinglets.

* ''TrinityBlood''. Being [[PerpetualPoverty Perpetually Broke]] has never looked so good, and it must feel great being a ChurchMilitant wearing such elaborate and sexy garments -though Abel's robe gets torn off all the time, Tres is a bullet wall and Esther isn't immune to wounds either. The vampires are of course uncannily beautiful, being vampires and all, but so are almost all the human characters (see more in the evil part of the trope). Catherina has the complete dashing beauty + regal paraphernalia in addition to RegalRinglets.

* WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic has a straight example, and a subversion:

** [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 Princess]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 Mi]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E1TheCrystalEmpirePart1 Amore]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E2TheCrystalEmpirePart2 Cadenza]], better known as simply Cadance, is the subversion. When we first see her in the present, she seems a bit of a {{Jerkass}}, but it's subverted by the fact that it's an impostor. The real Cadance is just as nice and friendly as she was seen in Twilight's flashbacks.

* Anything in {{shojo}}. It is also prevalent in {{seinen}} where the main focus are {{bishojo}} but to a lesser extent due to a few male characters and the overall atmosphere of the series.

* When [[HouseMD House]] is in a coma hallucinating his team, they're all dressed in absurdly stylish clothing throughout the hallucination.

** [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS01E03TheTicketMaster Prince [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS01E26TheBestNightEver Blueblood]] is the straight example. He was always imagined by [[TheFashionista Rarity]] to be a sort of PrinceCharming. [[PrinceCharmless Sadly...]]
** [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS02E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 Princess]] [[[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS02E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 Mi]] [[[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS03E01TheCrystalEmpirePart1 Amore]] [[[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS03E02TheCrystalEmpirePart2 Cadenza]], better known as simply Cadance, is the subversion. When we first see her in the present, she seems a bit of a {{Jerkass}}, but it's subverted by the fact that it's an impostor. The real Cadance is just as nice and friendly as she was seen in Twilight's flashbacks.

* ThePictureOfDorianGray

* The BBC comedy series ''BeautifulPeople'' both supports and subverts this trope.

* Most everything by {{CLAMP}}, especially in their detailed drawings. Specifically,

* Whit Stillman's films (including ''Metropolitan'' and ''TheLastDaysOfDisco'') are all about these people.