# Matching bank heist costumes
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 13, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613 "2015-02-13T23:22:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/1 "2015-02-13T23:22:44Z")
If movies have taught me anything about robbing a bank, it is imperative that your entire crew wears matching getups to both conceal their identities, inspire fear and impart a sense of style. Some classic examples:
Heat - McCauley’s crew wore business suits, balaclava masks (later sunglasses), automatic rifles and giant duffle bags to carry the cash.
The Town - Wicked creepy nun costumes with latex masks
Inside Man - Blue painter’s jumpsuits and white masks (also incorporated into the escape plan).
Sugar & Spice - The girls wore their cheerleading costumes with plastic masks.
and of course…
Point Break - The Ex-Presidents each wore a mask of an ex president
Any others?
BONUS: What would your crew wear to rob a bank?
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### Author:  [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/2 "2015-02-13T23:26:41Z")
Dead Presidents - the whiteface paint.
The Dark Knight Returns - the Joker clown masks.
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### Author:  [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/3 "2015-02-13T23:36:38Z")
Just about every criminal gang on the _Batman_ TV show. They often wore their names on their shirts, too.
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### Author:  [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/4 "2015-02-14T00:53:50Z")
Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor: Stir Crazy
–G!
Oh, and their “competition” at the bank…
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/5 "2015-02-14T01:17:13Z")
Fat naked middle aged white guys.
“Can you describe the perpetrators?”
“Oh, God no!”
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/6 "2015-02-14T02:01:39Z")
_[Reservoir Dogs](http://cdn.indiewire.com/dims4/INDIEWIRE/01091ad/2147483647/thumbnail/680x478/quality/75/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fd1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net%2F12%2F763da01d3411e2938622000a1d0930%2Ffile%2F5-things-about-reservoir-dogs-facts-trivia-20th-anniversary.jpg)_, of course, although they were robbing a jewelry store rather than a bank.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/7 "2015-02-14T02:20:18Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> _[Reservoir Dogs](http://cdn.indiewire.com/dims4/INDIEWIRE/01091ad/2147483647/thumbnail/680x478/quality/75/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fd1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net%2F12%2F763da01d3411e2938622000a1d0930%2Ffile%2F5-things-about-reservoir-dogs-facts-trivia-20th-anniversary.jpg)_, of course, although they were robbing a jewelry store rather than a bank.
I think A Fish Called Wanda.
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### Author:  [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/8 "2015-02-14T02:31:29Z")
> [@msmith537](#):
>
> BONUS: What would your crew wear to rob a bank?
Stripper pants and vests.
As in the finale to The Full Monty one deft movement has them off to reveal our completely different getaway gear, baffling police and arousing innocent bystanders.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/9 "2015-02-14T02:38:38Z")
The best costume was Bill Murry’s clown suit in **Quick Chaange.**
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### Author:  [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/10 "2015-02-14T21:27:16Z")
It seems to me that there’s actually a good reason to do this: It makes it harder for the people at the bank / any cops showing up to know how many robbers there are, or where any given robber is at a particular time. Confused and disoriented police and bystanders are more complacent police and bystanders.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/11 "2015-02-14T22:39:21Z")
My crew will knock over a bank dressed as **The Residents!**
> **[the residents - Bing](http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=the%2Bresidents&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=9275BE45FFF0632E17DBA9370F13C1A823AC0C67&selectedIndex=7)**
>
> Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.
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### Author:  [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/12 "2015-02-15T00:25:18Z")
There’s some obvious exceptions but the [bag men in Beverly Hills Cop II](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YRfs7gLc4YY#t=93) wear uniforms.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/13 "2015-02-15T00:39:46Z")
The guys who robbed a bank in _[Kelly’s Heroes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt8hQk76GcA)_ all wore similar outfits. But that probably doesn’t count.
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### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/14 "2015-02-15T02:47:11Z")
From an episode of CSI: NY, the [Breakfast at Tiffany’s](http://axn.co.jp/program/csiny/img/fg/003/049/049_04.jpg) gang.
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/15 "2015-02-15T03:15:30Z")
**The Taking of Pelham One Two Three** (1974):
The hijackers wore matching caps, false moustaches, identical trenchcoats, gloves, glasses, slacks (and I believe boots), and had phony names based on colors, Mr. Gray, etc., and had the same machine guns.
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/16 "2015-02-15T03:17:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> The guys who robbed a bank in _[Kelly’s Heroes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt8hQk76GcA)_ all wore similar outfits. But that probably doesn’t count.
They didn’t rob a bank. They made a deal. You know, a DEAL deal. The German was probably a Republican. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/17 "2015-02-15T03:26:14Z")
When you case the bank, don’t forget to conceal the camera in an [unsuspected place](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-FFUhTVJyto/hqdefault.jpg).
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/18 "2015-02-15T04:25:17Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#):
>
> It seems to me that there’s actually a good reason to do this: It makes it harder for the people at the bank / any cops showing up to know how many robbers there are, or where any given robber is at a particular time. Confused and disoriented police and bystanders are more complacent police and bystanders.
Yeah, but it also makes it easier to see who’s the robber and who isn’t at a glance. And is the number all that important?
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### Author:  [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/19 "2015-02-15T04:55:11Z")
Just to show off my esoteric knowledge, the matching-costumes tactic became well-known after the [1950 Brink’s Robbery](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Brink%27s_Robbery) (I don’t know if the tactic was used earlier but it probably was). The Brink’s robbers did it so the guards wouldn’t know for sure how many robbers were involved. I think they went so far as to make the ones who went into the building all the same height.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2015, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matching-bank-heist-costumes/712613/20 "2015-02-15T06:11:42Z")
> [@Lumpy](#):
>
> From an episode of CSI: NY, the [Breakfast at Tiffany’s](http://axn.co.jp/program/csiny/img/fg/003/049/049_04.jpg) gang.
There was an episode of _[Castle](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2069215/)_ where a group of bank robbers all dressed up as surgeons and used the names of TV doctors as codenames.
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