The Residents are one of pop history's best kept secrets; throughout the group's existence, the individual members have ostensibly attempted to operate under anonymity, preferring instead to have attention focused on their art output. Much outside speculation and rumor has focused on this aspect of the group. In public, the group appears silent and costumed, often wearing eyeball helmets, top hats and tailsa€”a long-lasting costume now recognized as its signature iconography.