post-apocalyptic

Riley from The Last of Us (HBO)

Riley (played by Storm Reid) is the roommate and love interest of Ellie on HBO’s series The Last of Us.  Riley is a former classmate of Ellie’s who escaped the Fedra school where they lived together and joined the Fireflies to help liberate the Boston QZ.  Riley lives in an abandoned mall where she’s been stationed by Marlene and sneaks Ellie out of her dorm to see it before she leaves the city.  Riley wears her long blonde braids in a ponytail, with a green headband.  The rest of her attire includes a t-shirt, a navy twill button-down, a hoodie, and jeans.  She also dons sturdy boots and a burgundy backpack.

Melanie Cavill from Snowpiercer

Melanie Cavill (played by Jennifer Connelly) is the Voice of the Train on TNT’s TV reboot of Bong Joon-Ho’s 2013 film Snowpiercer.  Melanie is a cunning and intelligent woman who exerts her will over the passengers of the train by invoking Mr. Wilford’s name.  She is shown throughout the series to be cruel and calculating, capable of making alliances as suits her needs at the time, including an often uneasy back and forth with Andre Layton.  Melanie’s uniform consists of a blue-green skirt suit complete with a Wilford Industry pin and buttons.  During Fight Night on the train, Melanie lets her hair down in a chic black gown.

yorick from y the last man

Yorick Brown from Y: the Last Man

Yorick Brown (played by Ben Schnetzer) is the titular last man in the FX on Hulu series Y: The Last Man, based on the comics of the same name.  Yorick, an amateur escape artist, traverses the streets of New York with his pet capuchin monkey Ampersand after a global event wipes out every other man (and male animal) on the planet.  After he’s reunited with his mother Jennifer, Yorick is taken under the protection of Agent 355 as they seek to unravel the mystery of how Yorick and Ampersand survived.  Yorick wears a gas mask with a hooded raincoat to obscure his identity and carries his faithful companion Amp with him at all times in a plastic pet carrier.

Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2

Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2

Handsome Jack (voiced by Dameon Clarke) is one of the antagonists in Gearbox Software’s hit franchise BorderlandsHe is charasmatic, engaging, and thoroughly evil. Of course everyone loves a good villain and Handsome Jack is no exception. Of course it helps that he is modeled after two other fan favorite characters: Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Mal from Firefly. Neither man would get along with Handsome Jack, unless of course we’re talking about their style.

There are two keys to getting Handsome Jack’s look: His mask and his layers.

You can buy a premade mask on Etsy. Or, if you want something more pliable, you can use face paint to recreate the look of his mask.

His layers are a little bit easier. Start with a long-sleeve yellow shirt and add a long white collared overshirt on top. Then put on a brown leather vest and finally a short blue coat. Once all that is in place you can finish off the clothes with black jeans and a brown belt with a large buckle, brown sneakers, and a large digital watch. The finishing touch, a brown wig, will have you set to hatch your own schemes in no time.

Firefly from The Last of Us

Fireflies from The Last of Us

The Fireflies are a paramilitary group of antagonistic rebels in The Last of Us and its sequel. They fought against military control in quarantine zones and sought a cure to CBI on their own. Though they are more organized than other rebel groups, their uniforms do vary from person to person based on what they can get their hands on. Every member, however, has the Firefly symbol somewhere on their gear.

There are two sets of paramilitary clothes pictured above. One is more of a woodland set while the other would be good in urban or snowy climates where cooler colors would blend in well. Both sets can be turned into Firefly gear through the use a Firefly patch on the clothing, decal on the gear, or dog tag added to the outfit.

marcus abbott from a quiet place

Marcus Abbott from A Quiet Place

Marcus Abbott (played by Noah Jupe) is the younger brother of Regan, and the son of Evelyn and Lee Abbott in A Quiet Place. Marcus has grown up in the post-apocalyptic world of the film and understands the importance of staying quiet. Noah is very close with his father and spends a lot of time foraging and exploring with him. Noah’s outfit consists of a knit hat and sweater with geometric prints that can be fun to mix and match with the plaid shirt he layers underneath.

evelyn abbott from a quiet place

Evelyn Abbott from A Quiet Place

Evelyn Abbott (played by Emily Blunt) is the wife of Lee and mother to Regan, Marcus, and Beau in the movie A Quiet Place.  During the course of the film, Evelyn also gives birth to a new baby while attempting to remain silent so as not to provoke the extraterrestrial creatures who have devastated Earth.  Evelyn wears a long, flowing dress that fits comfortably over her baby belly, and a cozy sweater to stay warm.  Finding the exact dress would be difficult, so choose a maxi dress with a similar pattern or color scheme to layer with a white tank top and beige cable knit cardigan.

lee abbott from a quiet place

Lee Abbott from A Quiet Place

Lee Abbott (played by actor/director John Krasinski) is the father of Regan and Marcus, and the husband of Evelyn in A Quiet Place. A utilitarian survivalist who was an engineer before the arrival of the extraterrestrial creatures responsible for the decimation of Earth’s population, Lee’s sole purpose is trying to keep his growing family safe. Lee’s most memorable outfit includes a cozy dark red sweater, and beige pants.  Don’t forget to pair your survivalist gear with a rugged beard to match.

Loners from S.T.A.L.K.E.R

Loners from S.T.A.L.K.E.R

Loners are the post-fallout survivors that don’t ascribe to any faction in the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Set an an alternate history and taking place in the area around Chernobyl, each letter in the title stands for one faction of the society in The Zone. And of course Loners, well, work alone.

Loners have many different looks but they all follow a generally militaristic look. This means that most of the pieces for their costume are Army surplus. A tan tactical vest, tan tactical jacket, tan balaclava, camo pants, and tan combat boots make up the body of the costume. Many Loners also wear goggles and fingerless gloves. Accessories can include a gas mask and fake weapon, though be sure to check the costume weapon guidelines at any event you plan on attending!

Zed from Zardoz

In Zardoz, Zed (Sean Connery) lives in a post-apocalyptic Earth of the future, where humans are divided between poor Brutals and the immortal Eternals. Zed himself is a Brutal Exterminator, who kills other Brutals at the order of a huge flying stone head called Zardoz.

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