How to Wear Post-Apocalyptic Fashion Every Day (Without Looking Like a Costume)

To wear post-apocalyptic fashion every day without looking like you are in costume, build each outfit around one worn or deconstructed statement piece. Keep everything else in two or three related earth or black tones, vary texture rather than color, and leave out props such as goggles, fake armor and face paint. The rest of this guide covers proportion, layering, footwear and fit, then gives five outfit formulas using pieces from GRIME STATE.

The five rules

1. One statement per outfit

A heavily distressed jacket, a pair of curved-panel jeans or a robe is enough on its own. Two or three statement pieces together start to look like a costume. Everything else should support the one that leads.

2. Control proportion

Many of these pieces are cut oversized on purpose. Pair volume with structure: an oversized top with straight or tapered pants, or a fitted base layer with wide cargo pants. If you go oversized everywhere, control the lengths so the hem of your top and the break of your pants stay deliberate.

3. Layer in three lengths

Short over long reads as designed. For example, a cropped vest over a hip-length hoodie over a longer base layer. Culted called layering "the crucial element" of avant-apocalypse dressing (Culted). Mandy Lee's own definition included "wearing clothes the 'wrong' way" (Refinery29), and short-over-long is the easiest way to do that.

4. Keep the palette narrow

Choose one family, such as black and charcoal, or sand, coffee and olive, and stay inside it. With so many textures in play, a narrow palette holds the outfit together.

5. Weight on the feet

Footwear sets the tone more than anything else. Lace-up combat boots, scuffed leather work boots or chunky trail sneakers in black, grey or earth tones all work. Clean white sneakers and dress shoes usually fight the look.

Five outfit formulas

Formula	Lead piece	Supporting pieces	Works for
The Wanderer	Layered distressed hoodie	Baggy ripped jeans, washed bucket hat	Everyday, weekends
Utility layers	Big-pocket vest	Quick-dry base layer, straight-leg cargo pants	Commuting, changeable weather
Desert neutral	Faux suede robe	Washed scarf cargo, crescent bag	Warm days, a dunecore look
All black, many textures	Crinkled hoodie	Raw flared denim, skull-buckle belt	Evenings, darkwear
One loud jacket	Hand-worked denim jacket	Crinkled long-sleeve tee, clean straight pants	Settings where the rest needs to stay quiet

Formula 1: The Wanderer

The UNDERWATER The Prisoner Distressed Layered Hoodie puts a short-sleeve layer over a long-sleeve hood in a single garment, so the layering is done for you. Add the UNDERWATER Muddy Ripped Baggy Jeans and the STEAM Washed Distressed Bucket Hat. Wear with black boots.

Formula 2: Utility layers

Start with the STEAM Paneled Quick-Dry Outdoor Long-Sleeve Tee, a half-turtleneck in modal and nylon. Put the RELABEL Detachable Hood Big-Pocket Vest over it, and finish with the STEAM Distressed Mesh-Knee Multi-Pocket Straight-Leg Cargo Pants. The straight leg balances the volume of the vest.

Formula 3: Desert neutral

The XIPHEVIL Deconstructed Utility Faux Suede Daoist Robe in Sand leads. Pair it with the RELABEL Multi-Pocket Detachable Scarf Distressed Cargo in Coffee, whose drawcord hems control the wide leg, and carry the UNDERWATER Distressed Wanderer Crescent Bag. More pieces in this palette are in the dunecore and desertcore collection.

Formula 4: All black, many textures

Wear the ULIPERY Dirty Fit Distressed Crinkled Hoodie in Black (crinkled cotton) over the UNDERWATER Bloodstained Raw Flared Denim Pants (heavyweight raw denim). Add the CINDER VEIN Three-Beast Skull Crocodile-Embossed Leather Belt as the one piece of metal. Each piece has a different texture, so an all-black outfit still has depth. See the darkwear collection for more.

Formula 5: One loud jacket

Let the CINDER VEIN Washed Distressed Back-Zipper Denim Jacket do the talking: it is hand-abraded, wax-brushed and runs large. Keep the rest quiet with the CINDER VEIN Distressed Washed Brush-Paint Crinkled Long-Sleeve Tee and the UNDERWATER Devil Embroidery Straight-Leg Pants, a clean five-pocket cut with a small embroidered patch.

Fashion or costume? A quick check

• Could you wear it on a weekday in your city without explaining yourself? Then it's fashion.
• Is any part of it a prop, such as goggles, a gas mask, fake blood or plastic armor? Then it's costume.
• Is there more than one statement piece? Take one off.
• Do the colors stay in one family? If not, swap the odd one out.

Costume has its place. Wasteland Weekend, a festival in the Mojave Desert, requires themed clothing from every attendee. Day to day, though, fewer props and better clothes go further.

Fit and sizing

Fit varies by label, and the same size can differ by several inches between two pieces. Read each product's measurement chart and the model's height and size before ordering. Some product pages tell you directly: CINDER VEIN's back-zipper jacket runs large, and its brush-paint jacket runs slightly small. If you are unsure, the FAQ explains how to contact us, and the return and exchange policy covers returns and exchanges within 14 days of delivery, with no restocking fee.

For the background to the style, read What Is Avant-Apocalypse Fashion?. For more pieces, browse post-apocalyptic clothing.

FAQ

How do I make post-apocalyptic clothes look less like a costume?

Leave out props such as goggles, fake armor, face paint and fake blood. Wear one statement piece at a time, and keep the colors to two or three related tones. Make sure everything fits you properly, even the oversized pieces.

What shoes go with post-apocalyptic outfits?

Shoes with weight and a worn finish: lace-up combat boots, scuffed leather work boots, or chunky trail sneakers in black, grey or earth tones. Spotless white sneakers fight the look.

Can women wear post-apocalyptic fashion?

Yes. The pieces at GRIME STATE are rooted in menswear but open to every gender. The formulas in this guide work for anyone. Check each product's measurements and model details to choose your size.

How should I wash distressed or wax-coated clothes?

Follow the care label for each piece. Many distressed pieces call for hand washing, and some wax-coated denim loses its finish in a washing machine or at the dry cleaner.