The Walking Dead: Fashion and grooming in the apocalypse

Clothes and baths are a practical consideration even in extreme circumstances. But fashion and other grooming is optional. The Walking Dead makes us think about the little things.

Let’s look at the necessities first. Clothing protects us from the elements and from harmful thinks in the environment. Sure, it’s possible that we could become nudists in the apocalypse, but most people have some modesty and running presents issues.

Clothing protects us from sun, rain, wind, cold, poison ivy and things like that. Shoes and socks protect us from rocks, grass, pavement, cuts on our feet, and things of that nature. For some reason one of my biggest fears about the zombie apocalypse is being taken down by a big ass blister on my heel.

Bathing is less important, but it can protect us from cuts becoming infected, from drawing animals, and from wanting to be near each other. Brushing our teeth makes us nicer to talk to, but also keeps our health better.

Fashion and grooming such as shaving and make up is about choices. Choices that reflect who we are as people and what we look like. I’ve discussed uniforms before and why so many characters who wore uniforms before the end of the world seem to hang onto those uniforms after things go wrong.

Is grooming, fashion and make-up simply vanity or is there more to it? Does it make us feel more like the person we were before the end. Does it give us some confidence? Does it help us feel better about creating a new world?

When Carol was in Alexandria for two months after the stand against the herd, she seemed tired of the blood from the walkers ruining her clothes all the time. The people knew who she was now, yet she chose the floral Laura Ashley looking cardigan to wear for baking and delivering her cookies. Ed never let her wear nice things. She told Lori so when she felt guilty for taking a nice top from someone’s car back on the highway in Atlanta.

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Rosita wears sexy army clothes to deal with the heat and feel like a woman. Of course, it’s television so I think that they are shaving legs and armpits way more often than logistics would allow in some situations for the viewers benefit.

If Rick wasn’t able to shave his beard because they were living out in the woods for so long, I don’t know if the girls would’ve had access to that many Bics.

And as far as make up goes, there would probably be days where I’d be going without the mascara simply because I wouldn’t have eye make up remover and washcloths to take it off every night in the woods with the walkers.

Nail polish would probably be the first thing to forego, although Andrea had a nice little Woodbury spa pedicure when she was grabbing the pliers to get un handcuffed to try to escape from the chair and stab Milton in the head with a very sharp object per his request.

Next: Do clothes make the man?

The tough thing at some point as the apocalypse moved further along would be finding clothes in your style in your size and shoes in your size. Socks would be important! I would think that you’d start to see more mismatched clothes. But I like the fashion we do see!

I’d like to explore some The Walking Dead fashion in future articles. They wear some bad ass jackets and wicked boots!

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