Working Titles takes a closer look at specific films with a denim and workwear aesthetic with the goal of examining the material’s shifting cultural image.

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Fortunately, we live in a world where the only fungus attack we have to worry about is a bad case of athlete’s foot. This is a shame for no other reason than that we will never get to look as cool in a survival situation as Joel Miller from The Last of Us. Traditional workwear and outdoors gear have been two of the primary influences on popular men’s fashion for a while now, which means we probably all have a decent amount of gear in our closets that would see us through a post-apocalyptic landscape. 

Both the game designers at Naughty Dog — who invented 3D platform video games with their legendary jort-wearing denim head, Crash Bandicoot — and the wardrobe department for the HBO series did an excellent job of realistically outfitting their protagonists. When the bulk of the story takes place, the survivors are just trying to get on with their lives. They’re not camping and, aside from FEDRA (Federal Disaster Response Agency), they’re not soldiers. Most of the people are wearing whatever clothes they have left or could find. There must be a degree of style involved but for the most part it is all about dressing for comfort and survival.

Form and Function

When we find survivor Joel Miller in Boston, it has been twenty years since the outbreak. This means his well-put-together wardrobe is an indication that he is a man of means. As smugglers for the Quarantine Zone (QZ), Joel and his partner/love interest, Tess, have access to luxury items like guns, drugs, and new clothes. Joel went through a lot in those twenty years, the details of which gradually emerge as the show plays out. He knows well enough that his attire has to be durable and versatile. 

That Jacket

The show’s Costume Designer Cynthia Ann Summers did a remarkable job replicating the wardrobe from the game. In the game, Joel wears a tan  brown work jacket with four front pockets and what looks to be a corduroy collar. The game designers, Naughty Dog, were probably going for something like a Carhartt 103825 jacket. Since Joel was a contractor before the outbreak, this would have been a likely part of his wardrobe.

However, the show went for a more unique look by putting Joel in the Flint and Tinder waxed trucker jacket. This jacket has a cult following and has been one of Huckberry’s best-selling items for years. The Flint and Tinder waxed trucker comes in a lined and unlined version. We learn in episode 3 of The Last of Us that Joel is wearing the lined version. This is not only the much more popular version in real life, but it is also the better option for someone living in Boston. The choice to place Joel in the waxed trucker rather than a more game-accurate jacket makes sense.

Writer and producer Craig Mazin worked with Neil Druckman, who wrote the original story for the game, to flesh out the characters and plot in a way more fitting for a TV show than a videogame. As a piece of wardrobe that is going to get a ton of screen time, Joel’s jacket had to have more magnetism than a ubiquitous work jacket. It could also be argued that using something from an iconic workwear brand like Carhartt would bring obvious comparisons to Matthew McConaughey’s character Joseph Cooper in Interstellar – an arguably similar protagonist to Joel Miller.

A Couple Good Shirts

Joel wears one shirt for the majority of the video game, which the HBO show has adapted into two different shirts. The game had Joel wearing a plaid snap button western shirt. In the show, he starts out in a denim western shirt when he and Tess escort Ellie out of the QZ. There really is not a more perfect shirt for the lead protagonist in Joel’s circumstances than a denim western shirt. It is durable, utilitarian, functional, and most importantly for character appeal, it looks cool.

When the story presents a situation where Joel would logically change his shirt at Bill and Frank’s house, they gave him a plaid flannel shirt. The costume department did an excellent job finding a plaid that matches the one worn in the game, and the fact that Frank is seen wearing the shirt earlier in Episode 3 is a great little detail.

The Right Boots

From a functional perspective, probably the most important part of Joel’s wardrobe is his boots. You can’t smuggle goods in and out of a compound controlled by a military dictatorship, surrounded by a zombie-infested derelict metropolis without top notch boots. A beautiful pair of leather workwear boots just wouldn’t work. Sure they would look nice, but Joel’s needs require more comfort for movement and prolonged wear.

A quick closeup in episode 2, as Joel approaches the State House, reveals a pair of brown leather modern professional-grade work boots made by Irish Setter (as identified by Gear Patrol via costume director Cynthia Summers). A quick look at the specs shows they’re stacked with utility and traction, so it’s no surprise that these topped Cynthia Summers’ shortlist. They really nailed the combination of believable functionality and on-screen visual appeal.

A Personal Pack

Of all Joel’s gear, the item that he appears to have had the longest is his rucksack. Abundant wear and tear, treated with makeshift patching and tape, suggests that this bag has seen some shit. Being a smuggler, Joel would have been able to procure a new bag over the years since most of his wardrobe appears to be on the newer side, but he has hung on to this one. It doesn’t look exceptionally functional as far as backpacks go. It must have significant sentimental value to him – maybe it’s one of the last remnants of his pre-outbreak life in Texas.

On Tess

Tess wears two noteworthy wardrobe items while she and Joel escort Ellie to the State House. Her jacket is a Barbour Ashby a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The waxed cotton finish has taken on some beautiful patina throughout this cordyceps-zombie apocalypse. Her boots are those trendy Tazmanian trotters from Blundstone. If you need a pair of boots that can handle both Boston winters and fungal-induced maniacs, then you can’t go wrong with Blundstones. They’re comfortable, durable, and waterproof. 

Shop Joel’s Look from The Last of Us

Like any great cinematic hero, it is not enough for Joel to just be Ellie’s guardian, he has to look good doing it. The game designers at Naughty Dog gave Joel a solid wardrobe in the original The Last of US, but the team behind HBO’s adaptation upgraded it to genuine ‘fit envy status. Rest assured that you don’t have to face down the fall of human civilization to dress as cool as Joel. By relying on the three fundamental materials of workwear — quality denim, waxed cotton, and leather — you will have a rock-solid foundation to build your wardrobe around. This is the only lesson to take away from The Last of Us that you can apply in your everyday life. Well, that and you should always wear flip-flops in public showers. 

Flint and Tinder Lined Waxed Trucker Jacket

If this style of jacket wasn’t already iconic enough, The Last of Us will have launched it further into the stratosphere of ubiquitous menswear. And whilst it could be argued that whatever jacket they put Joel in would have got some interest, you have to say that this Flint and Tinder piece is just perfect.

A classic trucker jacket style with a singular chest pocket and dual hand-warmer pockets, this is the kind of workwear you rely on for your whole life. And as the above picture confirms, it’s not how you wear the jacket, it’s how long. The patina you can obtain from waxed cotton is among the best in the world, whether that world is a post-apocalyptic one, or not.

Available for $298 from Huckberry.

Levi’s Premium Essential Western Shirt

As a handy and practical fella hailing from Texas, it comes as no surprise that Joel Miller was wearing a denim Western shirt when the cordyceps-induced outbreak hit.

Cynthia Summers opted for a yoke-less budget Wrangler shirt, which was exclusive to Walmart and has now sold out completely, presumably due to its appearance on The Last of Us. But Miller is also a reliable fella, so one can assume he would have also owned a piece from an ol’ reliable like Levi’s.

Despite having a rear Western yoke, the Essential Western Shirt by Levi’s Premium is pretty close to Joel’s button-down. It’s washed-d0wn already, meaning you have a head start on those global crisis-induced fades. And whilst it’s from a mainline Levi’s label made overseas, it’s probably higher in quality than an $18 Wrangler shirt.

Available for $80 from Stag Provisions.

Bradley Mountain Scout Backpack

Remember what I said earlier? Relying on Leather and waxed cotton? Yep, Bradley Mountain knows about that, too. Their Scout Backpack is the kind of backpack you need for running from fungus boyz and smuggling contraband into a quarantine zone.

A hard-wearing 14L backpack, the Scout is made from 19 oz. waxed canvas and fitted with 9 oz. bridle leather straps. Solid brass and copper hardware add to its reliability and functionality. All of this is concocted and built in San Diego.

Available for $299 from Bradley Mountain.

Danner Ridge

If Joel’s agricultural boots have given you some inspiration to invest in some hardwearing stompers, the Danner Ridge is a classic silhouette that you will find steps into your current wardrobe with ease.

Comparable to the iconic Danner Light, the Danner Ridge — seen here in the ‘smores’ colorway — is a robust boot made from heavyweight nylon and leather. It comes fitted with a waterproof Gore-Tex liner and a lugged Vibram sole.

Available from Lost & Found for $388.

3sixteen Crosscut Flannel

No matter how many shirts were in Frank’s wardrobe when Joel raided it for new garms, I doubt there was anything as tough or handsome as this 3sixteen Crosscut Flannel. We’ve picked this one out as it has similar tones to Joel/Frank’s aforementioned button-down, but it’s made by one of the most important menswear brands in the raw denim/heritage scene.

Available for $299CAD (~$222USD) from Brooklyn Clothing.