Call it TV romanticism; call it the internet's collective crush on Pedro Pascal and his ability to pull off just about every outfit like the daddy he is, but one fact from the many we've drawn out of survival thriller The Last of Us remains clear: life in the future apocalypse has never looked better.
As has been opined on in every men's fashion outlet between here and Boston, Pascal pulls off the character of Joel with a gruff, understated style that's both effortlessly fashionable while looking not-at-all out of place in a world of grease, grime, dried blood and fungal spores. How many times have you seen a dystopian drama drive men in their droves to the internet to ID a pair of work boots or a denim shirt? Well, Neil Druckermann and co have pulled it off.
Part of the reason for this is the way classic workwear, which most of the characters in the show adopt for its understated, hard-wearing and practical qualities, has worked its way into the modern menswear lexicon. Painter pants, chore coats and hardy overshirts are as popular among the fashionable crowd of the Lower East Side as they are on the worksites and dockyards of the world. There's never been a better time to work a little of Joel's industrious style into your own repertoire, and here's where to start.
The Work Coat
Designed to keep the weather out and somehow look better the filthier they get (which is handy when your main job in life is killing clickers), a waxed trucker jacket is almost constantly seen on Pascal throughout most of the show. Look towards brands like Carhartt (the Michigan is an icon) and Stan Ray to source your very own.
The Denim Shirt
Perhaps the signature piece in Pascal's extremely limited wardrobe, and a menswear move far too many guys are yet to have taken up. Fun fact: the costume department for TLOU actually sourced Pascal's Wrangler denim shirt from Wal-Mart, as they thought it would more closely align with what a no-nonsense character like Joel would buy. But while the exact shirt is sadly sold out, just about any classic denim western shirt will fit the look.
The Denim Shirt

The Flannel Shirt
Less noticeable but just as stylishly practical is a bottle green and orange Fjallraven flannel that one eagle-eyed writer for The Strategist ID'd last month. Just about any understated flannel will work in a pinch though.
The Jeans
Perfectly transferable for a world where versatile straight-cut silhouettes are all the rage right now, Joel spends most of The Last of Us rocking a pair of classic Levi's 505 utility pants. Best of all, they'll set you back less than $100.
The Jeans

The Wear-anywhere Boots
Joel wouldn't buy footwear that couldn't withstand a cross-country trip through rain, mud and snow, and nor should you. TLOU's costume department opted for a pair of Elk Trackers from American brand Irish Setter, but you can get equally hard-wearing-and timeless-lace-ups from Timberland and Wild Rhino.
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