After a few years of turning to my trusty Link costume, I decided to go all out and create a Fallout 4 costume, inspired by this cosplay I encountered a few months ago online by April Gloria (an amazing cosplayer, by the way).

I used a New Look bodysuit pattern, which turned out to be a much easier pattern than I thought it would be. I made it primarily from a neoprene scuba knit, with an activewear spandex knit for the gold trim.

I debuted it at a friend’s Halloween party this weekend in Hartford, so I had him take me to a couple of old building sites to get photos. The first location we went to was the Spaghetti Warehouse, which is actually an abandoned factory building that did not make spaghetti but whose Spaghetti Warehouse sign was an advertisement for a nearby restaurant. It has been sitting abandoned for years in the Parkville neighborhood.

The second location was the old diner on Farmington Avenue, which has been closed for a few years now. I initially wanted to get photos in front of the diner for the retro-futuristic styling – perfect aesthetics to match Fallout 4’s landscape – but there were a lot of loiterers around the sidewalks and I felt weird taking cosplay photos with people staring at me. I know I shouldn’t care, but that’s anxiety for you.

The boots were ones I already had, and the two belts I purchased for a dollar each at a local thrift shop. I made the pip boy with a craft foam base, cardstock on the edges, and silver pushpins for the buttons. I printed out a Pip Boy screen and laminated it; spray painted the body of the pip boy; and used cinnamon as the rusted edges. Then I attached thick elastic to the back in order to fasten it to my arm.

The shoulder armor, arm guard, and caps pouch are made from pleather; I have actual caps in there to give out to people. At the Halloween party, a guest dressed as Walter White exchanged blue meth (in the form of rock candy) for a Nuka Cola cap, which was amusing if you are familiar with both Breaking Bad and Fallout.

On the back, of course, I had to show my vault of origin – Vault 111. I used a gold glitter paint for this. Maybe a little more glamorous than would be canon, but hey, it’s my vault suit.

Next week, I will be wearing this to another Halloween party, and in November, Saratoga Comic Con. I’ve already come up with a great comeback for any men who harass me at Comic Con, which I am sure only Fallout fans will understand: “No, but turn around and I’ll power fist you!”