A disguise can be anything incognito which conceals one's identity or changes a person's

physical appearance Human physical appearance is the outward phenotype or look of human beings. There are functionally infinite variations in human phenotypes, though society reduces the variability to distinct categories. The physical appearance of humans, in parti ...

, including a

wig A wig is a head covering made from human or animal hair, or a synthetic imitation thereof. The word is short for "periwig". Wigs may be worn to disguise baldness, to alter the wearer's appearance, or as part of certain professional uniforms. H ...

glasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses (American English), spectacles (Commonwealth English), or colloquially as specs, are vision eyewear with clear or tinted lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically u ...

makeup Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources or created sy ...

, fake moustache,

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress and/or makeup of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, occupation, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch—in short, culture. The term also was traditionally used to describe typica ...

or other items.

Camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

is a type of disguise for people, animals and objects. Hats, glasses, changes in hair style or wigs, plastic surgery, and make-up are also used. Disguises can be used by

criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

secret agents Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

and special forces operators seeking to avoid identification. A person working for an agency trying to get information might go "undercover" to get information without being recognised by the public; a

celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...

may go "incognito" in order to avoid unwelcome press attention. Protests often feature people dressed in humorous costumes while political publicity stunts and pranks sometimes employ disguises and imposture. In

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

s and films, disguises are often used by

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

es, and in

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

they may be used by aliens. Dressing up in costumes is a

Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...

tradition.

Types of disguise

Clothing

The most basic type of disguise is to use clothing to conceal one's identity. Such a method is commonly used by undercover police investigators, government agents and special forces operators, who go "plainclothes" during a

clandestine operation A clandestine operation (op) is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed by the general population or specific enemy forces. Until the 1970s, clandestine operations were primarily politic ...

to disguise themselves as an ordinary citizen rather than wearing their typical uniform. Most investigators and agents have a diverse disguise kit that includes makeup and different forms of clothing. Face-obscuring accoutrements can thwart

Facial recognition system A facial recognition system is a technology potentially capable of matching a human face from a digital image or a Film frame, video frame against a database of faces. Such a system is typically employed to authenticate users through ID verif ...

s, making them often used by

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

ers.

Costume

Costumes are usually intended to change one's identity so that they appear to be a certain fictional character and can assume the role of that character. They are an essential tool of actors in entertainment, such as in film and on stage. Costumes can range from simple clothing changes to more elaborate full-body outfits such as

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

Realistic

A realistic disguise can totally change the identity of a person down to their basic appearance, making it impossible to tell who they really are. While realistic latex

mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...

s are more commonly seen as a plot device in fiction, they have also been used in real life as well.

Creature suit Creature suits are realistic costumes used to disguise a performer as an animal, monster, or other being. They are used in film, television, or as costumed characters in live events. Unlike mascots, they are often made with a high degree of reali ...

s that disguise a person as an animal or monster are used in entertainment,

cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...

, as well as

hoax A hoax (plural: hoaxes) is a widely publicised falsehood created to deceive its audience with false and often astonishing information, with the either malicious or humorous intent of causing shock and interest in as many people as possible. S ...

es.

In fiction

Myths and legends

The concept of the

human guise A human disguise (also human guise and sometimes human form) is a concept in fantasy, folklore, mythology, religion, literature, iconography, and science fiction whereby non-human beings such as deity, gods, angels, monsters, Extraterrestrial life ...

is often used by various shapeshifting mythical beings, such as supernatural creatures and deities, to test or fool humans, or allow themselves to pass amongst them without suspicion. In epic poetry, Odysseus uses the disguise of a beggar to test his family's and servants' loyalty upon his return from a 10-year voyage.

Superhero fiction

In comic books and superhero fiction, disguises are used to hide secret identity, secret identities and keep special powers secret from ordinary people. For example, Superman passes himself off as Clark Kent, and Spider-Man disguises himself in a costume so that he cannot be recognized as Peter Parker. The Clay Camel, one of Mandrake the Magician's foes, is considered the Master of the Disguise, because he is able to mimic anyone and can change his appearance in seconds. In Marvel Comics, a common enemy of Spider-Man is The Chameleon, whose main tactic is his ability to easily blend into crowds, change his voice, and make masks that look identical to other people.

Detective and spy fiction

Disguise is sometimes used in criminal activity and in spying, and is a common trend in Detective fiction, detective and spy fiction. Arsene Lupin is feared in Maurice Leblanc's stories because of his extreme ability to disguise himself; this is a trademark of Lupin. Sherlock Holmes often disguised himself as someone else to avoid being recognized. Examples include dressing as a peddler in order to avoid being spotted on the moor so that he could get his investigative work done in ''The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939 film), The Hound of the Baskervilles'', or as an Indian sailor so that he could speak with Professor Moriarty about his evil plan in ''Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon''.

Science fiction

, aliens often take on a human appearance wearing "human suits" as a disguise. An example is the franchise ''V (franchise), V'', in which the alien Visitors are actually lizard-like in appearance beneath their realistic latex (or in the reboot, biological) disguises. Robots can also commonly pass themselves off as human using a realistic outer skin, sometimes leading to a plot twist if a character is revealed as an Android (robot), android. Robotic characters may be used as spies or moles within otherwise human groups. An example of such a plot device is the disguise of the Terminator (character), Terminator.

References

External links

* {{cite video, url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JASUsVY5YJ8, title=Former CIA Chief Explains How Spies Use Disguises, publisher=Wired (magazine), Wired, date=2018-10-22 Deception