History Main / WigDressAccent

* In ''Series/{{Star Trek|the Original Series}}'', the wife of Creator/GeneRoddenberry, Majel Barret, was in the first pilot episode as the female first officer. When that character was [[ExecutiveMeddling discarded]] for the actual show, she bleached her hair blonde and cut it short. It was specifically an attempt to get back in the show without the executives catching on. Even her husband didn't recognize her at first. She was recast in the smaller role of Nurse Chapel.

** Also, Mara Jade disguises herself as Jabba's dancing girl Arica. Sometimes Arica is depicted with black hair, [[HeroesWantRedHeads unlike]] Mara's actual hair color (and is therefore most likely a wig), while other times Mara appears to be using her real hair. [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/5/5e/Arica.jpg Here's]] [[http://freewebs.com/mskywalker/gallery/illust34.jpg some]] comparisons, for the curious.

** Shego wears a wig and dress to distract Martin Smarty while Drakken and Frugal Lucre implement one of their schemes. It ''does'' fool him, despite her [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation distinctive skin color]] and her involvement in a previous scheme to hold him for ransom. Fortunately for the scheme, Mr. Smarty is too DistractedByTheSexy to notice or care. Smarty Mart's [[ForInconveniencePressOne phone tree menu]] includes: "To demand an enormous amount of money for the safe return of our founder, press three." so maybe [[ButForMeItWasTuesday the incidents all blur together]].

** [[spoiler:Liquid's disguising himself as Master Miller]] retroactively is this, as not only did he mimick [[spoiler:Miller]] in both [[spoiler:appearance and in voice]], he also changed his [[spoiler:overall demeanor]] to be more similar to how [[spoiler:Miller]] would act. Originally, it was closer to PaperThinDisguise, but the rereleases of the MSX ''VideoGame/MetalGear2'' redid the design for [[spoiler:Miller]] to match his "appearance" in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', and his appearance in ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]]'', ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidGroundZeroes Ground Zeroes]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Phantom Pain]]'' was based on his Metal Gear Solid appearance.

* In ''Series/OrphanBlack'', this is basically how Sarah impersonates Beth and Katja. With Alison, it's basically hairband, blouse, and accent. Though given that [[CloningBlues they all look exactly the same]], that's pretty much all she needs.

* In a commercial for the Seattle Mariners baseball team, the team's star pitcher Felix Hernandez attempts to trick the coaches into letting him pitch on days where he's supposed to be resting by disguising himself as "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HVZuMjm3Y0 Larry Bernandez]]" His disguise consists of a wig, fake sideburns, and converting the "H" on the back of his jersey to a "B" using electrical tape. The coach sees right through it. However, his "Jerry" disguise in the stinger, which consists of a full blonde beard and pretending to be left handed is a bit more successful.

** Jessie and James have a tendency to do this in a number of episodes, usually involving some {{Gender Swap}}ping and including, but not limited to, dressing as vikings, Pokémon stylists and traditional Japanese samurai.

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': When Ranma Saotome needs further disguise than what his GenderBender [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting Jusenkyô curse]] can provide, this trope is more or less how he goes about it. Though he does on occasion go a step further by pretending to be a {{Meganekko}} (see the Japanese Nanniichuan and Ryôga & Akane's First date storylines) or applying make-up and other accessories (lipstick on date with Tatewaki, make-up powder when pretending to be Ryôga's fiancée, etc.). This trope tends to work because the people he plays it against are either desperately lonely (Ryôga), [[LovableSexManiac utter perverts]] (Happôsai) [[BlindWithoutEm have rotten vision]] (Mousse) or are just plain stupid (Tatewaki Kunô). And even he was surprised it worked the first time he tried it: he was expecting Ryôga to see through it, though since it did work, he does it again and again.

* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'': Kaguya's personal maid Ai Hayasaka is actually a master of disguise, but uses this trope to keep Miyuki Shirogane from recognizing her from school when he visits a sick Kaguya. She styles her hair differently, puts in colored contacts, pads her bra, affects an accent to make her sound like a foreigner, and introduces herself as "[[RealNameAsAnAlias Hayscaya]] [[AlanSmithee A. Smithee]]".

* Shows up surprisingly often in ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'', even with the title character having access to LatexPerfection. {{Justified}} as only Diabolik can make the plastic for those masks, so everyone else can only hope they somehow get their hands on those (the police in fact keeps many confiscated masks just for this purpose) or resort to this trope-and, as Diabolik's mask are known, Diabolik himself sometimes uses this kind of disguise to get around face checks.

* ''Fanfic/AllAssortedAnimorphsAUs'': When Jake gets his morphing ability back in "What if Jake was stuck in morph?", he turns up at Rachel's academic award ceremony in human form with dyed hair, a pair of sunglasses, and a scarf so his aunt and uncle don't recognise him, since Rachel faked his death.

* Subverted in ''Film/ToWongFooThanksForEverythingJulieNewmar''. When the three drag queens are stranded in a Midwestern hick town, it seems that the townsfolk don't know the true sex of the "career girls". However, it's revealed at the end that they knew for awhile and simply didn't care.
* In the first ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' live action movie, dogs aren't allowed on the plane, so Shaggy brings his grandma...
* Used in ''Film/TwelveMonkeys'' at the end, when the protagonists use store bought disguises (a glued on mustache for the man and a blonde wig for the woman) to [[spoiler:get through airport security and escape to Florida.]]

* Chevy Chase in ''Film/{{Fletch}}'' swaps into and out of about 10 different disguises throughout the film. Including insurance adjuster, busboy, vagrant and basketball star (with afro and going one-on-one vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
* In Disney's ''Film/{{Condorman}}'', this is used twice. First, after TheHero Woody and DefectorFromCommieLand Natalia have been arrested by local cops, his {{Sidekick}} Harry shows up in a trenchcoat, fake glasses and moustache, and a truly absurd accent to spring them. Second, after [[spoiler:Natalia gets captured by the BigBad]], Woody and Harry together don ArabOilSheikh disguises to infiltrate the palace and pull off a rescue.

* At the beginning of the Brazilian film "Segurança Nacional", the main character is in a drug cartel disguised as an outsider with sunglasses, a beige hat, a flowered shirt and smoking a cigar. In the Tralhas do Jon's review of this film, he makes fun of it, saying:

** In ''A Scandal in Bohemia'', the tables are turned on Sherlock when opera singer Irene Adler disguises herself a man so successfully that she's even able to wish the detective a good night without him recognizing her as the woman he's supposed to be investigating.

** In ''Literature/MovingPictures'', in order to enter a clicky theatre without being found out, the wizards of UU remove their hats and use some wire to make their beards look like cheap fake beards. It works surprisingly well; no-one would assume a guy in a fake beard and without the trademark hat would be a wizard.

* In ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'', Tobias dons a dress, wig, and accent in order to disguise himself as a nanny and spend time with his daughter while he and his wife are separating, a la ''Film/MrsDoubtfire''. He doesn't fool anyone, especially since he can't get rid of his habit of accidentally saying homoerotic things, but everyone plays along so he can keep the house clean.

* In ''Series/OrphanBlack'', this is basically how Sarah impersonates Beth and Katja. With Alison it's basically hairband, blouse and accent. Though given that [[CloningBlues they all look exactly the same]], that's pretty much all she needs.
* ''Series/DueSouth'': In the second-season episode "Some Like It Red", Fraser goes undercover as a female teacher in an all-girls' Catholic school. It's a convincing woman disguise, even though he's six feet tall and not even close to slender and willowy.

* The Granada TV production of ''Series/SherlockHolmes'' mostly manages to avoid this trope; Holmes' disguises tend to be fairly convincing. Once in a while they go overboard: in "The Final Problem", Watson boards a train and sits down in his cabin opposite a man with an unrealistically long nose and a frizz of grey hair under an enormous hat, and doesn't realize it's Holmes until Holmes addresses him by name. When you get a good look at him in the moment before he takes off the disguise, you wonder how anyone could look at him and ''not'' think "that's a bloke in a costume".

* In ''Series/ICarly'', the main character's brother Spencer tends to do this a lot. In fact, he does it so much that one episode, he insists that he be the one who dresses up as a woman and, when the main characters agree, exclaims:

* In "And the Hidden Stash", the second-season premiere of ''Series/TwoBrokeGirls'', Caroline attends the auction of her family's property wearing a brunette wig, which causes Max to variously introduce her as Creator/ZooeyDeschanel, Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt and Creator/KatieHolmes.

* ''Series/WhiteCollar'': Neal Cafferey uses similar methodology in his work, relying less on disguises and more on the outfit, hairstyle and accent.

* ''Series/MacGyver1985'': Mac in his nerd alias of Dexter Filmore, which simply consists tying his mullet back, throwing on a jacket and some glasses and slightly changing his voice.

** Earlier, Jacob pretended to be his elder brother Esau by by dressing up in his brother's clothes and wrapping sheepskin around his arms (Esau was a hairy man). This caused their father Isaac to give the firstborn's blessing to Jacob by accident, as Isaac has gone mostly deaf and blind by that point.

** ...Another version has it that Arachne wove scenes which offended Athena or she was simply better (your call) and Athena transformed her out of anger.

* Many different tales of mythology deal with gods or other powerful beings disguising themselves as mortals (almost always old people or beggers). The usual reason is to request food, shelter, or some other sort of favor or aide as a test of goodness. If the person being tested is smart (or kind) enough to comply, they are granted wishes, good fortune, or the general favor of the magical being. If the person isn't that smart or good, they can expect things not to go so well for them in the future.

* ''Myth/NorseMythology'': Thor and Loki went in disguise to retrieve Thor's hammer, which was held for ransom in exchange for Freya. Freya having made it ''very'' clear she wasn't getting married to a giant, Loki came up with the idea of disguising ''Thor'' as the lovely bride thatnks to lots of veils. It then fell to Loki to explain "Freya's" prodigious appetite, bulging muscles, beard, etc. Fortunately when the hammer was brought outto bless the couple, Thor grabbed hold of it first.

* In ''Anyone Can Whistle'', Fay Apple dons a slinky dress, red wig, and puts on a french accent to become [[{{Fauxreigner}} The Lady From Lourdes]]. While she intends to reveal the town's miracle is a fraud, she reveals to her love interest that this is also the only way she can get herself to relax and cut loose.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'': Zigzagged: While in-game the Spy whips out a perfect disguise of an enemy infantry unit, in-universe it's explained as applying practical psychology until they other person sees what they want to see. Animals, naturally, are immune.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Primal}}'', the protagonist briefly loses her ability to shapeshift into various demonic forms and is thus forced to dress herself up as demon in order to blend in.

** This inability to stick with one disguise backfires on him in at least two occasions. One when Haley got into a fight with him over creating new personalities and ran circles around his head (when all is said and done he has no idea what just happened) and another where his persona came to care for a girl he was seducing to steal an expensive watch and he wound up BecomingTheMask.

** Aang disguises himself as a old man with a mustache and hair made of fur from Appa the flying bison the first time Team Avatar goes to Omashu. He gets found out when it blows off.

** Shego wears a wig and dress to distract Martin Smarty while Drakken and Frugal Lucre implement one of their schemes. It ''does'' fool him, despite her [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation distinctive skin color]] and her involvement in a previous scheme to hold him for ransom. Fortunately for the scheme Mr. Smarty is too DistractedByTheSexy to notice or care. Smarty Mart's [[ForInconveniencePressOne phone tree menu]] includes: "To demand an enormous amount of money for the safe return of our founder, press three." so maybe [[ButForMeItWasTuesday the incidents all blur together]].

* Brain from ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' does this a lot. Penny rarely does this, but has at least once; she likely gets points from Brain. No-one ever sees through the disguises (especially not Gadget). Brain, by the way, is a ''dog''. Not a talking dog like Scooby-Doo, either.

* Creator/StephenColbert waxed his chest, put on a wig and posed for [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/raven.jpg this]] photo as Raven, the stripper from ''Literature/{{Wigfield}}'', who he voices on the audiobook.

* [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8106010.stm This man]], who ripped-off Social Security by disguising as his dead mother with a wig, a pair of glasses, a walking cane and heavy make-up. It definitely worked, because he managed to pocket $115,000 in welfare cheques before Social Security found out.

* An episode of ''Anime/OutlawStar'' involves Gene dressing up as a woman so he can enter an all-female wrestling tournament. He is defeated in the first round. There was at least the explanation that they bribed the judges, and the one guy who knew him, but was not in on the plan, recognized him instantly. In the same episode, Aisha infiltrated the competition by stealing the costume of one of the regular entrants, since Ctarl-Ctarl weren't allowed to enter.
* ''Anime/{{Monster}}'' has an interesting take on this: a wig, dress, and an affected voice is quite literally all [[spoiler:Johan]] needs to fool the ''reader''. (Don't forget, in the Anime, some make-up for skin tone.)

* In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]] of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', when Ed goes on the run he spends some time transmuting his hair a dark green and wearing platform shoes (to disguise his trademark short height). The disguise actually works remarkably well, even for the viewer.
* Yozak from ''LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh'', everyone's favourite spy, has this as his first resort. He carries around a dress for good luck. For a [[http://media.photobucket.com/image/yozak%20kyou%20kara%20maou/Isha-libran/Bishies/yozak.jpg huge, muscular man]], it's [[http://img1.lln.crunchyroll.com/i/spire3/686e3a797f9c50500c7cde71985059841280174897_full.jpg surprisingly]] [[http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v642/StarRose/Kyou%20Kara%20Maou/KKM%20gifs/?action=view¤t=yozak-breasts-LARGE.gif effective.]]

* ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'': In the middle of their adventure, the brothers stumble upon a situation that requires a stand-in for Peach. They weren't aware of this earlier, but, conveniently, have one of Peach's dresses with them and a wig that looks like her hair [[NoodleImplements (don't ask)]]. [[WholesomeCrossdresser Luigi dresses up in them]] to fool Cackletta and Fawful, barely speaking ([[HeroicMime even less than usual]]) and covering his nose and mustache with his daintily-gloved hands.

* ''VideoGame/RedAlert3'': Zigzagged: While in-game the Spy whips out a perfect disguise of an enemy infantry unit, in-universe it's explained as applying practical psychology until they other person sees what they want to see. Animals, naturally, are immune.

* ''Series/MyDeadEx'': Ben puts on a wig with glasses, passily easily as a fictional cousin of Charley's even with other people who knew him even though he doesn't really act much differently aside from this.

* [[https://twitter.com/krembeni/status/1562673107139428352/photo/3 This]] ''Manga/ChainsawMan'' fanart features what seems to be a desperate Makima begging people to let her step on them for 5 dollars at an anime convention... except the context and the moles on her face make it clear that it's actually [[ChewToy Kobeni]] cosplaying as her (i.e. [[spoiler:''impersonating the woman who tried to kill her'']]), using a red wig and ringed contact lenses and in her usual situation of desperately raising money for her abusive family.

* [[https://twitter.com/krembeni/status/1562673107139428352/photo/3 This]] ''Manga/ChainsawMan'' fanart features what looks seems to be a desperate Makima begging people to let her step on them for 5 dollars... except the context and the moles on her face make it clear that it's actually [[ChewToy Kobeni]] cosplaying as her (i.e. [[spoiler:''impersonating the woman who tried to kill her'']]), using a red wig and ringed contact lenses and in her usual situation of desperately raising money for her abusive family.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

** Earlier, Jacob pretended to be his elder brother Esau by by dressing up in his brothers clothes and wrapping sheepskin around his arms (Esau was a hairy man). This caused their father Isaac to give the firstborn's blessing to Jacob by accident, as Isaac has gone mostly deaf and blind by that point.

** OlderThanFeudalism: Old Testament, 1 Kings 20: A minor prophet disguises himself by wearing his headband down over his eyes.

When a character uses physical {{Prop}}s to disguise themselves. This is a staple of SpyDrama, where the hero will often use a wig and dress and affect an accent, thus the name of the trope. For impersonating a man, a fake mustache and beard may be used for extra facial concealment, and the dress is ([[{{Crossdresser}} usually]]) counterindicated.

Sometimes two boys will do this to be [[TotemPoleTrench a tall woman in a trench coat]].

When a character uses physical props to disguise themselves. This is a staple of SpyDrama, where the hero will often use a wig and dress and affect an accent, thus the name of the trope. For impersonating a man, a fake mustache and beard may be used for extra facial concealment, and the dress is ([[{{Crossdresser}} usually]]) counterindicated.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/SpellMyNameWithAnS": Dr Zebatinsky wears old clothes and a hat, neither of which he had been in for years, and left his prescription glasses in their case so that nobody recognizes him on his way to the [[FortuneTeller numerologist]].

** Kim Possible wears a wig and dress to infiltrate a club in ''[[TheMovie So the Drama]]'', about the only time she wore a disguise. It doesn't fool Shego for a moment.

* ''Fanfic/AllAssortedAnimorphsAUs'': When Jake gets his morphing ability back in "What if Jake was stuck in morph?", he turns up at Rachel's academic award ceremony with dyed hair, a pair of sunglasses, and a scarf so his aunt and uncle don't recognise him, since Rachel faked his death.

* ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'': In the middle of their adventure, the brothers stumble upon a situation that requires a stand-in for Peach. They weren't aware of this earlier, but, conveniently, have one of Peach's dresses with them and a wig that looks like her hair [[NoodleImplements (don't ask)]]. Luigi dresses up in them to fool Cackletta and Fawful, barely speaking ([[HeroicMime even less than usual]]) and covering his nose and mustache with his daintily-gloved hands.

* ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'': In the middle of their adventure, the brothers stumble upon a situation that requires a stand-in for Peach. They weren't aware of this earlier, but, conveniently, have one of Peach's dresses with them [[NoodleImplements ((don't ask))]]. [[BellisariosMaxim We probably don't want to know]] why they have the wig, but this fits the trope namer to a ''T'', because, in addition to the dress and wig, in all of the other scenes, both brothers have vague-italian accents -- though, in this instance, Luigi does a disturbingly accurate impression of Peach...

* Most {{cosplay}} veers towards this, as many enthusiasts seek to look as much like their character of choice as possible rather than simply looking like [[PaperThinDisguise they're their everyday selves but in different clothes]]. Bonus points if the cosplayer actually tries to act in-character as if they were a costumed Disney cast member.