CUSTOMIZE
Don’t be content to just find a garment and use it ‘as is.’
Tear off the sleeves, rip out the lining, add patches, cut one pant leg short. Add pieces of your profession, tools, weapons, pouches, war trophies, bones, feathers, animal furs or skulls.
Don’t be afraid to make pieces unique and unusual. Tie it to a rope and drag it behind your vehicle, tear all the stitches out of the seams and sew it back together with something weird, stain or custom dye it, cut or tear off the cuffs, collar, pockets etc.
PRACTICE ASYMMETRY
The world of the Aftermath is one of scarcity and want, finding a matching pair of anything would be nearly impossible. Consider wearing mismatched gloves, two different boots, adding an odd sleeve onto a garment that obviously doesn’t match.
Scarcity should be the rule of thumb in the wasted world.
ARMOR UP
You don’t necessarily have to be armored from head to toe like a tank, but you might consider having a few strategic pieces here and there to protect you. And remember, armor doesn’t just serve to protect, it can also serve to strike fear and awe in the hearts of your enemies!
MISUSE THINGS
You’re a survivor in the Aftermath, sometimes you have to make due with things you can salvage. That means, make use of things in ways they weren’t intended to be used.
Make an elbow pad into a knee pad or a mask, use a leather garter belt as a bra, use a grimy dishrag as a scarf, make some slotted spoons into protective eyewear, tear up an old tent to make a jacket. Be creative!
WEAR & TEAR
The most important part! The Aftermath is a rough and tumble place full of hardscrabble survivors, your clothes should reflect that idea.
Sure colors existed before the end came down on us, but in the Aftermath, everything has gotten so filthy and grime coated, you can hardly tell red from brown these days. Be sure to keep your colors muted and dirty. The Aftermath is not a day-glow rave or a brightly colored affair.
Everyone’s occupation and environment will wear their clothing in different ways. Be sure that they have an appropriate level of damage, wear, weathering and grime to reflect WHO you are and WHERE you come from.
Remember, everything you wear and carry with you has been touched by the filthy world that is the Aftermath.
BE ORIGINAL
We want to see the best and most original version of your post apocalyptic self.
Please don’t show up as the Post-Apoc version of your favorite comic book character, or the PA version of your favorite cartoon/video game, or the PA version of your favorite sci-fi show character, that’s like painting the rebel flag on your Stormtrooper armor and showing up at your local Civil War reenactment; it makes no sense.
Save those PA hybrid costumes for your favorite con. Instead, we urge Aftermath participants to create their own unique and original looks.
TRY NOT TO KILL ANYONE
While weapons seem like a given as part of any realistic post-apoc impression, safety should be the first order of business around other people or at events.
Any guns you bring as part of your outfit should be painted up toy guns or weapons that have been rendered non-firing. Likewise, bladed weapons should stay sheathed or blunt enough not to hurt people.
Additionally, no one wants to run into you in the Aftermath and get their eye poked out or tetanus from the sharp pointy bits on your costume. Design your outfit to have the post apocalyptic aesthetic, but with real world safety in mind.
THINK ABOUT WHO YOU ARE
So much of your outfit will create itself if you just give some thought to who you are supposed to be in the Aftermath and what you do to survive.
Are you a fast-moving raider who has to travel light and hide his identity? Are you a black finger who stays greasy and carries all his own rusty tools? Are you a grizzled gun-for-hire who needs to be armored up? Are you a member of a cult whose robes are emblazoned with the symbols of your beliefs?
Giving a little thought to WHO you’re supposed to represent on the front end can make putting together your outfit easier in the long run. Your clothing should tell the story of who you are as a survivor in the Aftermath.
For more examples of what type of costume you should bring to Aftermath, check out our Pinterest page.