"I'm so comfortable with nudity. It's difficult for me to keep my clothes on just in my normal everyday life. As soon as I walk in the door when I come home, off go the clothes."
The all-time classic line prefacing seduction spoken by our Femme Fatale. "Comfortable" will nearly always mean either naked or the sexiest lingerie scene imaginable, accompanied by some Male Gaze.
Some men will try to use a variation of this as a pickup line. It rarely works that well. There is however a Spear Counterpart that works better in the form of Intimate Open Shirt.
Parodies of this are also frequent, where "something more comfortable" may mean sweats, a sweater and jeans, or any other sort of comfy-but-unsexy attire.
No relation to A Form You Are Comfortable With.
Examples
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Advertising
- In a commercial
for Chevy, a woman takes off each article of clothing until down to her underwear, then the trope name appears and she gets into a Chevy truck.
- One commercial for Ford's "Imagine TV" campaign in 1997-98 for their Mercury marque features a romantic movie scene with a man telling his lover to do this after putting on some sexy music. However, instead of giving the man some you-know-what, she gets into the new Mercury Grand Marquis in the front yard and drives away. Cut to the man's expression complete with a Record Needle Scratch.
Comic Books
- Inverted in an issue of Detective Comics, which has Zatanna being hit on by a gangster turned club owner who wanted her to perform at his opening night. She goes behind a shade, saying she needs to "slip into something more comfortable" and magics away her uniform in exchange for track pants and a hoodie, which hide her curves. She sure did look more comfortable though.
- In Uncanny X-Men, Deathbird asks Bishop if a dress she walked to him in is okay, using this very line.
- In Spider-Man, the Black Cat uses this line when she's in a hotel room with Spidey (Spectacular Spider-Man #75). Unfortunately, Doctor Octopus attacks them before she could do it.
- "The Funniest Book Of The Year" (a 1950s collection of cartoons) includes the parody version, with the woman changing out of a slinky dress into her gardening clothes.
- Doctor Who Expanded Universe: At the conclusion of "The Iron Legion," the Roman Empress says this as she sheds her morphic illusion, revealing her true form as a Malevilus underneath.
Comic Strips
- Parodied in FoxTrot where Jason dreams of being seduced by Lara Croft: "Sweetie, you seem tense. Let me slip into something Lo-Res..." And Jason is absolutely horrified, still being firmly in the Girls Have Cooties phase.
- The Far Side parodied this in a comic where a woman is wearing a dress that has (among other things) a chainsaw, crowbar and mallet strapped to it. Anything is more comfortable than that.
- Baby Blues: Wanda says to Darrell she's going to slip into something more comfortable. Which apparently is into bed. Without Darrell.
- Garfield once seduced a lasagna inviting it to slip into something more comfortable: himself.
- The comic strip F Minus had a strip featuring a woman in skimpy lingerie announcing to a conference table of suited business men that she would start the meeting after slipping into something less comfortable.
Fan Works
- Parodied in this I'm a Marvel... And I'm a DC, where Dr. Manhattan puts on a G-String so that Wolverine will feel more "comfortable".
- Parodied in this Young Avengers fancomic. Seeing that Billy's had a hard day, Teddy changes into something more comfortable - a beanbag chair.
Films — Live-Action
- Actress Jean Harlow is credited as the line's Trope Maker from her performance as Helen in Howard Hughes' 1930 film Hell's Angels when she said: "Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?" (while already wearing a backless dress).
- Inverted and averted in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) with Jeff Custer slipping into something more comfortable, only to come out with another tuxedo.
- Played with in Return to Oz, where Mombi says this to Dorothy before she steps away to switch heads.
- Catwoman's alter ego of Ms. Kitka says this to Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Movie, prompting Robin to shut off the Hidden Camera.
- James Bond
- In Dr. No, Bond bursts into his apartment with gun drawn only to find Sylvia Trench playing golf, dressed in nothing but Bond's shirt and a pair of golden shoes.
Bond: Tell me, do you always dress this way for golf?Trench: I changed into something more comfortable.
- Tiffany Case says this when Bond first meets her (under an alias) in Diamonds Are Forever.
- In Dr. No, Bond bursts into his apartment with gun drawn only to find Sylvia Trench playing golf, dressed in nothing but Bond's shirt and a pair of golden shoes.
- Barb Wire:
Barb: You want to slip into something a little more comfortable?
Sweaty Guy: How about something a little less comfortable? - The Monster Squad:
Dracula: (addressing Wolf Man) I'll grab a bite while you slip into something more comfortable...
- Blazing Saddles: Lily Von Schtupp says this to Sheriff Bart, and slips out of her naughty showgirl outfit into... another naughty showgirl outfit. "I feel so wefweshed!"
- Rear Window:
Lisa: (removing jacket) Why don't I slip into something more comfortable?
Jeff: Oh, by all means.
Lisa: I mean like the kitchen and make us some coffee. - Parodied in The Naked Gun. After Frank Drebin arrives home late at night, he finds Jane (then working for Ludwig) wearing one of Drebin's shirts. After some suggestive dialog, Frank, who is wearing a collared shirt, slacks, and a tie, says that he will go slip into something more comfortable. He emerges wearing a tuxedo.
- Superman II: After dinner with Superman in the Fortress of Solitude, Lois sheepishly says she'd better change into something more comfortable.
- The Wildcat (1921): "I want to get comfortable", says Alexis, a rare male example of this trope and a decade before Trope Maker Jean Harlow in Hell's Angels—but in this case he's talking about changing from his uniform into a smart civilian suit, although the implication of seduction is still the same.
- In The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe, the Honey Trap Christine switches into a very transparent nighty when the hero comes to visit her in her Feng Schwing.
- The Eagle: A variant, as Catherine the Great says "I have a little surprise for you" and then disappears into her bedchamber. Vladimir knows what this means and gets the hell out immediately. (Sure enough, Catherine is wearing a nightie when she reappears.)
- Rancho Notorious: When Vern and Altar are alone at Chuck-a-Luck, Altar sends Vern out of the house to deal with his horse. When he returns, she has changed from her grubby ranch clothes into the slinky black dress he had asked her to wear for him earlier.
- Like Normal People: While trying to seduce Roger, Donna utters this line before she changes into a pink nightgown, to his discomfort. When Roger tells Virginia about the incident, he mentions that Donna undressed, causing Virginia to burst into tears.
- Call Me Bwana: When Matt knocks at Honey Trap Luba's hotel room door, she tells him to wait while changes into something more comfortable, which turns out to be a bathrobe.
- Inverted in Barbarella. After the famous Title Sequence involving the heroine doing a zero-G striptease, the President of Earth calls on the Subspace Ansible and Barbarella answers the call while still naked. She offers to slip something on but he tells her not to bother as he has an urgent matter of state to discuss. Yeah, right.
Literature
- Lampshaded and subverted in Rally Round the Flag, Boys!: Angela tells Harry to wait while she goes upstairs to "slip into something more comfortable," and Harry has seen enough movies that he expects her to come on and seduce him in see-through lingerie, and prepares the scene accordingly. He is disappointed when she returns wearing velvet pants and a silk blouse, both quite opaque. She explains that she didn't "do the kimono bit" because she didn't see him as the "Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am" type.
- Parodied in So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish: Fenchurch asks Arthur to wait while she changes into "something less suitable" for a walk round Hyde Park.
- In one story by outdoor humorist Patrick McManus he sneaks around to a married woman's apartment to engage in some illicit fish-filleting. And no, that's not a euphemism. Before they start, the woman gets more comfortable by putting on some jeans and a bulky stained sweater.
- Kris Longknife: Admiral: Invoked by Kris's husband Jack in one scene. He undresses her from her uniform and then redresses her in a sheer negligee because she's had a long day and he feels she needs to be reminded that she's beautiful.
Live-Action TV
- In Cheers, Diane invokes this trope for Sam—but she pauses before the last key word, and innocently says "flimsy" instead.
- Friends parodies the line: "Let me slip into something a little less comfortable and a little more slutty."
- In Stargate Atlantis, Robert Woosley says that he's going to slip into something more comfortable—the suit he wore before he became Atlantis base commander and got a uniform that doesn't flatter him whatsoever.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
- In the episode "The Freshmen", Buffy shows up unexpectedly at Giles' apartment and Olivia answers the door wearing only his shirt; Olivia subsequently leaves the scene saying, "Let me slip into something a little... less comfortable."
- In "Sleeper" Buffy has accused Spike of siring vampires, which he has no memory of doing. A woman starts hitting on Spike at the Bronze, despite his strong non-verbal signals that he's not interested. She says, "Maybe I'd better slip into something more comfortable" and morphs into Game Face.
Vampire: Is that all I was to you; a one-bite stand?
- Buffy is wearing a nice tight dress, but is told to investigate the Big Bad's office. She says she'll slip into something a bit more break-and-enter-ish.
- Parodied in Red Dwarf when Lister escapes from his Gelf wife a little earlier than he planned:
Lister: OK, just give me a couple of minutes. I want to slip into something a little more comfortable.... it's called Starbug.
- Parodied by Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It: "I'd rather slip into something a bit more comfortable — like a fuckin' coma..."
- Inverted in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine James Bond Parody Episode "Our Man Bashir", where Julian's sexy valet Mona, asks him if he would like to slip into something more comfortable (meaning more casual attire).
- Star Trek: Voyager:
- Q is in Captain Janeway's quarters trying to seduce her. After saying "Why don't you slip into something more comfortable" her Starfleet uniform is instantly converted into a satin nightie. Janeway is not impressed.
- Harry Kim finds a Lady Land planet where the women offer to get him into something more comfortable, changing his Starfleet uniform for local dress. Turns out that's part of a process meant to condition him into thinking he's a member of their race.
- An episode of Herman's Head played with this by having Herman's date say something along these lines. While Herman's lust was prepared to strip down, the more logical parts of his brain didn't want to jump to conclusions, and settled for taking off his jacket and tie. When the date does indeed come back in something slinkier and asks about him, Herman says that he didn't want to be presumptuous.
- In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode "M is for the Many Things She Gave Me", Phil's old friend says this almost verbatim to Will when she is interviewing him about an earthquake. Will is alarmed and says that this trope is why he's "uncomfortable with this higher level of comfort".
- In the pilot of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Princess Ardala uses this line. "Five hundred years and they're still slipping into 'something more comfortable'." Buck mutters.
- Played with in a first season episode of Lois & Clark, "Strange Visitor". Cat Grant, notorious for her ridiculously designed, skimpy "work" outfits, manages to get Clark to hide from the villain of the week in her apartment. She is, of course, planning to seduce him and says the classic phrase; but, in order to make Clark feel more comfortable, and therefore likely to respond to her advances, she goes and changes into an outfit (jeans and a sweatshirt) that is a "little piece of home" for a farm boy from Kansas who's moved to the big city.
- Inverted on One Life to Live. After failing to seduce her distracted boyfriend, a frustrated woman grabs her coat and storms out to the local bar to drown her sorrows. When her friend notices her reluctance to remove her coat, he snarks, "I guess you didn't have the time to change into something less comfortable."
- Inverted in Rome. Attica of the Julii is having Marc Antony for dinner. She has her slaves dress her informally, pretending she's forgotten about her invitation, then goes to "dress properly" in formal wear.
- In UFO (1970), Lt. Gay Ellis slips into something more comfortable during her break — though it's hard to see how the silver metallic mini-skirt and go-go boots are any more comfortable than the silver metallic duty uniform, also with go-go boots.
- In The Dick Van Dyke Show Rob alarmedly thinks he is being seduced by a woman wearing office clothes who says she'll slip into her bedroom and change into something more comfortable. Much to his relief she reappears in a sweater and stretch pants. Then she tries to seduce him.
Music
- "Anna Marie" by Benny Hill:
She said "Now we're alone, let's get cosy
I'll put something more comfortable on".
And I stood there biting my fingernails
For the full half an hour she was gone.
The door burst open, she stood there,
With all of my mates from the docks.
And they all sang Happy Birthday to You,
And all I had on was my socks!
Radio
- Star Wars Radio Dramas: Inverted by Leia after the escape from Tatooine in Return of the Jedi. She goes to her quarters on the Millenium Falcon to take off the metal bikini, saying that she's going to "put on something more durable". Han then asks her if she's going to "just throw it away," and her response is "we'll see."
Stand-Up Comedy
- George Carlin, in his book Brain Droppings, actually inverted this.
"When a masochist brings someone home from the bar, does he say, 'Excuse me a moment, I'm going into slip into something uncomfortable?'"
Theater
- In One Touch of Venus, Savory propositions Venus with the line, "Why don't we slip into something comfortable — like my den?" She respectfully declines.
Video Games
- In Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Deb of Night uses this phrase in one of her radio shows. The twist is, however, that we never see Deb in person, only hear her voice, so we can only imagine what she looks like... In fact, a few people have suggested that she's actually a Nosferatu.
- Parodied by Evelynn, Agony's Embrace in League of Legends, a sadistic lust demon who uses the lure of her gorgeous, mostly-naked body to draw people in before brutally torturing them to death. One of the lines she says when recalling isn't all that subtle.
Mind if I slip into something a little more... painful?
Web Comics
- DevilBear: Lucy changes from wearing nothing but an apron to wearing a black corset.
- Subverted in this Cyanide and Happiness comic; after a date the woman says the trope name, the man gets excited, then she comes back in sweats eating sweets.
- The xkcd strip "Synonym Date" features a Love Interest whose "hobby is finding the most unsettling possible words for any sentence."
Web Original
- Everything2 provides an in-depth analysis akin to our description of this trope here.
Western Animation
- Batman: The Animated Series:
- In the episode "Harlequinade" Harley Quinn takes Batman back to the Joker's last hideout to look for clues. Once there, she says, "Have a look around while I slip into something more comfortable," and changes out of her Arkham jumpsuit and into her regular costume.
- While Poison Ivy never quotes the line in "Pretty Poison" the way she slinks behind her modesty screen to undress and then slip into her racy costume to coyly greet her entangled "date" Batman evokes this.
- Gargoyles, "Leader of the Pack". After breaking The Pack out of prison, Xanatos starts distributing their costumes, suggesting they may want to slip into something more comfortable.
- Alluded to in, of all things, Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet. Destiny Angel states that she intends to "take a shower and slip into something more comfortable" after a particularly rough mission. Whether this was an intentional Lampshade Hanging of the questionably practical nature of the form-fitting spandex flight suits the Angels wear in the remake, or just more Ship Tease between Destiny and Scarlet is not clear.
- Invoking Groucho Marx, Bugs Bunny would quip "I hope you won't mind while I slip out of these wet things and into a dry martini."
Real Life
- Found on this◊ Fun T-Shirt, asking "Would you be shocked if I changed into something more comfortable?".
