Carbon Costume

Embry G. Oliver is the protagonist of the horror game It’s Not Me, It’s My Basement.  After their parents are eaten by the monster in their basement, Embry takes over feeding the creature by making it sandwiches.  Embry lies to their neighbors about the whereabouts of their parents, claiming they are very ill.  When Dr. D. Light attempts to help Embry and their parents, he meets an untimely end, too.  Embry has long, messy white hair and wears green bunny slippers, pink striped pants, and a burgundy turtleneck sweater.  Their apron has a yellow star on the chest with a red and green stain on the lower portion, which you can recreate with a little bit of paint.

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.

Frank (played by Murray Bartlett) is a survivor of the fungi outbreak in HBO’s video game adaptation The Last of Us.  Frank is on his way to Boston from Baltimore when he lands in a trap laid by Bill, who is initially reticent to let Frank stay on his property.  Soon enough, though, Bill demonstrates that he’s an excellent chef, and the two bond over their love of Linda Rondstadt.  It’s not long until they fall in love and spend the rest of their lives together in Bill’s fortified neighborhood.  When Frank first appears, he is dirty and disheveled from his travels.  He emerges from the trap wearing a ribbed crewneck sweater.  After a shower, he changes into one of Bill’s plaid shirts.  He continues to wear plaid as he ages, and when the two marry at the piano that first brought them together, Frank wears a black blazer over a white shirt.

Bill (played by Nick Offerman) is a survivalist in the apocalyptic series The Last of Us on HBO.  Bill evades the military when they come to round up survivors and outfits his house and neighborhood to be optimally secure.  When Frank lands himself in one of his traps, Bill’s solitude is brought to an end, and the two fall in love and share a life together for many years.  Bill’s look varies throughout the episode because it spans so many years.  When he first meets Frank, he’s wearing a grey sweatshirt and jeans, is outfitted with plenty of weaponry, and has long brown hair and a full beard.  As he ages, his hair goes grey and he wears it a little shorter, but he never quite ditches his lumberjack-inspired fashion choices, opting for sturdy clothes and plenty of plaid.  When he and Frank marry, he wears a tweed blazer.

Joy Wang (played by Stephanie Hsu) is the daughter of Evelyn and Waymond in the A24 film Everything Everywhere All at Once.  Joy has a fairly strained relationship with her mother Evelyn; the two often butt heads over a variety of things, including Joy’s desire to introduce her girlfriend to her grandfather.  As originally introduced, Joy favors baggy clothes and has a penchant for comfortable flannel shirts.  Her costuming gets pretty wild, though, when she becomes Jobu Tupaki, an interdimensional villain Evelyn must stop from destroying every universe that exists.  As Jobu, Joy wears a multitude of colorful and unique ensembles.  It might not be possible to completely recreate any one of them in full, so don’t be afraid to go a little wild and interpret one of her looks to make your own.

Bex Warren (played by Hari Nef) is one of the main characters in the satire film Assassination Nation.  Bex is best friends with Lily, Em, and Sarah.  As a transgender teen, Bex faces discrimination from some of her fellow students, which turns deadly after a hacker leaks important secrets about the residents of her hometown Salem.  One of Bex’s best looks from the film is the one she wears after the town descends into violence, which includes a red leather jacket that matches her friends’.  She also dons cropped black jeans and a multicolor striped crop top.  Finding an exact match for the top might not be possible, so don’t be afraid to focus on either similar colors or vertical stripes if you can’t get both in the same piece.  Similarly, a plain red trench coat can be substituted for an exact match, which might be kinder to your costume budget.

Jo is one of the main characters in the comic series Lumberjanes. Jo is lifelong best friends with April and is a natural leader, with a love of science who enjoys creating inventions.  With an affinity for STEM subjects and adventure, Jo attends space camp.  Jo’s style consists of a striped shirt, red sweatshirt, and durable jacket for all her outdoor adventures.

Molly is one of the main characters of the comic series Lumberjanes. Molly is a skilled archer who also enjoys knitting, mythology, and puzzles.  Bubbles, the raccoon that sleeps on Molly’s head is a friend she made the first day of camp.  Molly is Mal’s girlfriend, and their personalities often offset one another.  Molly wears cargo shorts and a two-tone green shirt and styles her blonde hair in a braid.  Rather than have a wild animal sleep on your head, a raccoon cap can achieve a similar effect.