If you’re one of those fans who drools over every battered jacket, frayed hem, or perfectly grubby wrap on “The Last of Us,” settle in. The way Cynthia Summers turns post-pandemic tatters into fashion statements is, honestly, kind of genius. She’s not just covering actors. She’s building worlds with thrift, grit, and a healthy dash of Northwest know-how. And thanks to a flurry of candid Instagram Q&As from late April, we’ve pieced together a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes magic. So let’s unravel how she dressed Abby’s unbreakable exterior, cloaked the mysterious Seraphites, thrifted Joel’s new signature jacket—and what all this means for fans thirsty for next-level cosplay.
Why Abby’s Wrist Wrap Isn’t Just a Wrist Wrap
So, picture this: Abby bulldozes through danger, charging like an avalanche in boots and a tank top. But there’s always that iconic wrist wrap gripping her arm. Fans speculated about it for months, but now Summers spills—the wrap’s not just a fashion flex or flashy bandage. She sourced recycled climbing webbing to create it.
Why climbing gear? Here’s the twist: it’s a subtle shoutout to Abby’s use of climbing picks in-game, yes, but it also hints at her rough, survivalist background. The material came from actual used gear, and Summers wanted the wrap to look like Abby might’ve whipped it off a long-defunct outdoors store rack.
And the effect? Pure practicality meets storytelling. Webbing resists water, dries fast, and handles punishment. So, whether Abby’s bandaging a wound or gripping rebar, the wrap just works. No lame costume jewelry vibes here. It’s utility, full stop.
Curious about how to recreate it? Grab some repurposed climbing webbing, snip, and wrap. Stain it, rough it up, and don’t forget the slightly uneven wind—Abby’s not about tidy knots.
Seraphite Robes: Nun? Monk? Apocalypse Cult? Yes.
Now, swing over to the Seraphites, those ominous, silent types with ethereal robes. If you thought their outfits looked faintly monastic, give yourself a gold star. Summers scoured historical images of Pacific Northwest religious communities: think “monk meets woodsy hermit.” No synthetic fabrics here, because the Seraphites live off the land and spurn luxury, so natural undyed linen and cotton ruled.
Her team block-dyed the robes, giving each a sun-faded, timeworn hue. The palette—muted moss, ashen brown, clay—feels earthy and cultish in the best way. For the hoods, they experimented with weights and angles until the silhouette looked intimidating but never costume-y. The result: robes that flutter, blend with fog, and look (almost) comfortable enough to join a commune…if fungal zealotry is your thing.
And it’s not just design flourish. Summer’s research dove deep into how garments would weather over years of use: torn hems frayed, elbow patches materialized, and little repairs dribbled down sleeves. The Seraphites, after all, don’t shop—they scavenge.
Cosplay crack for fans: hunt for thrifted linen or loose earth-toned bedsheets. Add a raw-hem hood. Stain with tea; rub some dirt for good measure. The subtle sigils? Hand-paint or stitch for that handmade fervor.
Joel’s Waxed Canvas Jacket: A Star Is Born At The Thrift Shop
Let’s be honest, Joel’s jacket practically deserves billing as a supporting actor. For Season Two, his look called for even more “been through hell” vibes. Summers brainstormed some custom builds, but nothing screamed “Joel.” Enter: the hunt for a ready-made jacket that lived and breathed grit.
Cue the legendary thrift find—a waxed trucker jacket from the American brand Flint and Tinder. (Yes, reddit users, you clocked it right). The original was waxy, almost shiny. That wouldn’t do. So Summers and team went to work. They literally boiled and beat the thing, stripping off the wax until the canvas looked sunbaked and rain-pelted. Then came heavy sanding on elbows, cuffs, and seams, peppered with spot stains and a little smoke-bath for that “campfire every night” authenticity.
And here’s the fun part: they made three backup jackets identically wrecked, just in case. Summers joked on Instagram, “We aged these jackets more than Pedro aged Joel.”
For cosplayers: Look for any waxed or cotton canvas trucker-style jacket in olive, tan, or faded brown. Sandpaper is your friend. Don’t be precious—distress, wash, scuff those cuffs, patch that pocket. Optional: a fake blood splatter for flair.
The Breakdown Department: Where New Clothes Go to Die (Beautifully)
What sets TLOU apart visually isn’t just what folks wear—it’s how destroyed it all looks. Every item passes through the “breakdown” team. They dunk, sand, tear, and dye. Summers revealed that in Episode 6, Ellie’s shirt passed through over a dozen dye baths before achieving a believable sun-baked fade.
And it gets even more granular. The crew added faux water lines and sweat stains to collars. Shoelaces replaced belts on some extras, because, yes, actual belts are rare treasures in this universe.
Want your cosplay to stand out? Embrace mess. Use tea, coffee, even beet juice for staining. Fray edges with scissors or cheese graters. Add strategic hand-stitching (preferably in different thread colors, just for that scavenged effect).
Color: Muted But Never Boring
Summers never opted for the Hollywood “gray everything, forever” palette. Instead, she chose earth tones, but with real-world warmth and depth. Character groups each got their own range—even Fireflies look more sandy yellow while Jackson folk skew muddy ochre. It’s subtle, but on screen, it reads as both real and visually layered.
For cosplayers, the trick is to blend tones but avoid too much sameness. Layer browns, dusty reds, burnt greens, and of course, the holy grail: faded denim.
Layers Make the Survivor
Nobody in the TLOU world strolls out in just jeans and a tee. Layers mean survival—physically and for the story. Summers joked in her Q&A that “every pocket is stuffed, every waistband has a use.” You see Joel with axes tucked in belts, Abby with extra wraps and runners loaded with backpacks. Nothing’s blank or clean. Think survival, not style.
So, when assembling your cosplay, start simple but build up. Add underlayers, visible long-sleeves, then a battered vest or jacket. Even extras wore multiple shirts or patchworked sweaters. The more practical details, the better.
Accessories: The Real MVPs
Here’s a small detail that won big attention on Instagram: the crew ditched “normal” belts for most characters. Instead, they used rope, shoelaces, or whatever they could “find” in the world. Ellie sometimes uses twine. Abby? Paracord from that same climbing stash.
And the pouches—oh, the pouches. Summers explained they stitched and patched too-small army surplus finds into workable ammo bags. Some were held together by literal duct tape.
If you want that layered, packed, “ready for anything” look, stuff your costume’s pockets with makeshift survival gear—fabric scraps, charms, found wire. Add improvised water bottles or battered maps.
Fan Reactions: The Social Buzz
Let’s not forget the fans. When Cynthia Summers posted in late April, her comment section blew up with requests for breakdowns and cosplay tips. She responded with stories, like the time production “lost” a jacket during a rain scene—only to find it later in a drainage ditch, even grimier than before. Reddit’s r/TheLastOfUs gushed about Abby’s wrap and Joel’s new look, and Instagram reels comparing Season 1 and Season 2 threads raked in thousands of likes overnight.
Cosplay Takeaways: Go Feral, Stay Clever
Summers’ designs offer a goldmine for cosplayers, whether you’re heading to a convention or just want to frighten your neighbors in style. Some quick hits:
- Source thrifted, natural fabrics—think linen, cotton, or anything already beat-up.
- Embrace hand-stitching, obvious patches, and mismatched threads.
- Age everything! Sandpaper, dye, mud, even a little paint for faux grime.
- Accessories should look found, not bought. Rope, twine, ammo pouches, scavenged junk.
- Don’t overthink precision—err on the side of functional chaos.
A Stitch in End Times—And a Final Word
So there you have it: in “The Last of Us,” costume design is not just about style—it’s survival storytelling, aged to grimy perfection. Cynthia Summers and her team sweat every detail so viewers never once question if Joel’s clothes could survive a decade of horror. And with Season 2’s fresh looks pouring onto screens and socials, the cosplay world just got a lot more rugged, resourceful, and—let’s be honest—a whole lot dirtier. So grab your duct tape, raid your local thrift, and get ready to walk through the end of the world in style. We’ll see you on the ragged, rain-soaked trail!
