For a franchise set long after the fiery demise of the fashion industry, the Fallout games boast an eclectic selection of outfits for players to model during their post-apocalyptic adventures. From elegant cocktail dresses to hulking suits of power armor, the RPG series has something for every persuasion and occasion. Whether it’s freshly stitched from the mutated wildlife or tastefully pre-distressed from centuries of post-nuclear warfare, a cool outfit can really set a player character apart from all those scruffy wasteland posers.

While the Fallout franchise’s most appealing outfits may not always be the best in terms of stats and general protection, it’s often more rewarding (and fun) to customize a unique player character instead of optimizing them for combat or skill checks. Thankfully, the artists behind over 25 years of games have clearly had a lot of fun dreaming up weird and outrageously cool threads to jazz up their ‘’50s-flavored wasteland. Fallout may be post-apocalyptic, but that doesn’t mean it has to be post-fashion.

11

Have The Best Vestment With The Children Of The Cathedral Robes

Fallout (1997)

Worn by the shadowy cultists serving the Master in the very first Fallout game, these stunning purple robes would look more at home in a wizard’s tower than a 22nd-century techno-cathedral. While the Bethesda titles have a tendency to stick slavishly to the ‘50s sci-fi aesthetic, the isometric Black Isle games mix and match styles far more freely. This diversity lends credibility to the setting by suggesting that post-war culture isn’t stagnant but rather progressing and regressing in constant flux.

While the cathedral robes’ air of inquisitorial terror whispers chilling societal devolution, their sweeping silhouette and fabulous yellow trim screams high fashion. Boasting a whopping armor class of 5, players will have to depend on divine intervention if they decide to go swishing into combat with this colorful set. Thought-provoking, flimsy, and unique, the Children of the Cathedral robes are the ultimate testament to the old adage: fashion hurts.

10

Take Fashion To The Catfish-Walk With The Rescue Diver Suit

Fallout 4 (2015)

Added by the surprisingly wonderful Far Harbour DLC for Fallout 4, this rusty diving suit is awarded to the player for completing Captain Avery’s quest, The Changing Tide. Likely lethal, considering that nobody in the Fallout universe has ever had a tetanus shot, this antique set is nevertheless perfect for trudging through sea-fogs and stomping on mirelurks. Moreover, its charming 19th-century vibe fits right into the Commonwealth’s rich nautical history.

Fittingly, the diver suit also gives the player the ability to breathe underwater, opening up an irresistible opportunity for underwater fashion. With this outfit, players will not only be able to scour the seabed for Jaws references and inexplicably well-preserved paintings of cats, but look wickedly cool while they’re at it. Surely even the mirelurks would be impressed — if they could actually see anything through that murky radioactive water.

9

Strut Through The Slums In Vera’s Outfit

Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

Found on Vera’s skeleton in the Dead Money DLC for Fallout: New Vegas, this outfit comes in two very different styles depending on whether the player wearing it is male or female. While stylish, the male version is disappointingly similar to many of the other suits found throughout the game. The female variant, however, is about as classy as Fallout gets.

A sleek black evening dress accessorized with a red bow, Vera’s outfit is the perfect choice for any player wanting to look the part of a high-roller. Its pitiful DT rating is negligible, considering that even the rudest fiend would balk at the idea of putting a bullet in an outfit this put-together. For player characters aligned with capitalist god-emperor Mr. House, this is the ideal costume for a tasteless poverty safari through Freeside, Red Rock Canyon, or really anywhere outside the Strip.

8

Go Back To Basics With The T-45 Power Armor

Fallout 3 & 4 (2008 & 2015)

Canonically the first and thus the most basic power armor in the series, the T-45 model appears in every game from Fallout 3 onwards. Plain and austere, this armor is the grim face of the pre-war US military and later the fascistic Brotherhood of Steel. While not exactly pretty, its fearsome appearance is undeniably striking and well-suited to the combat-focused Bethesda titles.

Toss in Fallout 4’s options for power armor customization, however, and the T-45’s savage plainness suddenly becomes a blank canvas for all sorts of wacky paint jobs. Hot pink racing flames, shark heads, garish adverts for Nuka-Cola — with the T-45, Fallout 4 really pushes the boundaries of fascist-fashion. It’s hard to determine what clunking around in a mech-suit painted to resemble the logo for a popular brand of cereal says about capitalism, or the player for that matter, but it’s extremely entertaining.

7

Rise And Grind With The Brotherhood Recon Armor

Fallout 76 (2018)

Like most sets in Fallout 76, the snazzy Brotherhood recon armor must first be painstakingly crafted before it can be worn. Depending on the player’s luck (or wealth), it can take several in-game hours to obtain the plans and resources required for putting the set together. It’s difficult to say whether the recon armor is worth that kind of time investment, but this inspired cross between police riot gear and a medieval plate suit is easily the coolest set in the game.

A sleeker and more subtle alternative to power armor, the recon set is another neat example of the Brotherhood’s pseudo-medieval aesthetic. Featuring quilting and glossy steel plating, the armor is a low-tech solution to high-tech problems. While it looks a little stuffy for running and gunning, any player who has taken the time to craft it understands that there’s no gain without pain.

6

Aggressively Cosplay In The Silver Shroud Costume

Fallout 4 (2015)

Fallout 4’s decision to lean into the hammy genres of ‘50s pulp results in some of the more charming quests and encounters in the game, as evidenced by this ridiculous noir-superhero armor. A trench coat and fedora with glittering silver trims, the Silver Shroud costume also comes with its own unique Tommy gun. The set may not be cool, exactly, but it is a lot of fun.

Handed to the player during the Silver Shroud quest, the costume is designed to resemble the outfit of a pre-war comic book character. In this sense, the player is not just wearing a funky coat but actually inhabiting the role of the Silver Shroud, adding an absurd dimension to their roleplaying experience. They’re cosplaying, basically, and taking it entirely too seriously.

5

End An Empire Wearing The Armor Of The 87th Tribe

Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

Of all the sets in New Vegas, the armor of the 87th tribe is arguably the most time-consuming to grab. At the end of the Lonesome Road DLC, players must launch nuclear missiles at the territory of Caesar’s Legion, then take a raft to the obliterated settlement of Dry Springs, where they can loot the armor from the ghoulified person of a Legion centurion. As Caesar is mentioned to have absorbed only 86 tribes into his army, it is likely that this armor belongs to the decorated leader of a newly dominated tribe.

Unlike the usual cobbled-together centurion armors, the 87th tribe set is similar to Lanius’s gear in the sense that they both appear to have been forged from scratch. Fierce and ostentatious, the armor reflects the vicious arrogance of Legion culture. It serves as a grisly trophy for Legion-hating players, and fitting attire as they wipe out the last remnants of Caesar’s army during the climatic assault on Hoover Dam.

4

Aviate In Style With Maxson’s Battlecoat

Fallout 4 (2015)

As the name implies, this impressive flight jacket belongs to Elder Arthur Maxson, the leader of the Eastern Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4. Maxson, as it turns out, is a bit of a xenophobe and quite hostile to lovable companion Danse when he’s revealed to secretly be a robot. Hopefully this knowledge will be enough to ease the consciences of fashion-conscious players, as they’ll have to straight-up murder Maxson if they want his sweet coat.

Maxson’s battlecoat has a retro flair that harks back to early wartime aviation, complete with a cozy turtleneck and fluffy lining to keep out those high-altitude chills. Its Dam Busters vibe is a great fit for a spy or Railroad character – particularly one that sympathizes with synths. Strangely, Danse will refuse to speak to any player who shoots Maxson in the face and steals his clothes, but since those interested in romancing the gruff paladin likely already have a thing for strong and silent types, perhaps that’s no huge loss.

3

Return To The Beginning With The T-51 Power Armor

Fallout 1 & Onwards

The T-51 model is the first type of power armor featured in the franchise and arguably the face of classic Fallout. While the T-60 and X models are more traditionally sci-fi in appearance, the T-51 takes after the T-45 by embracing a bulky, low-tech brutishness. Its slit visor and large shoulder plates resemble those of a medieval knight, while the visible rivets, thick gray steel, and the chunky simplicity of the overall design evoke the early industrial age.

The T-51 armor is an obvious choice for one of the best-looking sets in Fallout, but there’s good reason for this. Until Fallout 4, it really was the most potent symbol of power in the setting, and its acquisition often marked the endgame of a playthrough. It looks unstoppable and inhuman – perfect for weathering the end of the world.

2

Step Into The Shoes Of A Legend With The Desert Ranger Combat Armor

Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

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Forget power armor, fancy robes and dresses, the desert ranger combat armor from New Vegas’ Honest Hearts DLC is the best looking set in the entire Fallout franchise. Worn, sandy, even scribbled on by its various owners, the outfit is not only effortlessly cool but steeped in the rich history of the setting. Originally owned by a U.S. marine, it was later picked up by Randall Clark, a survivor of the Great War whose terminal entries are scattered across Zion Canyon.

Randall’s entries cover his entire post-war life and comprise some of the best writing in the series. His life’s rigors are stamped on the armor itself: the pants are threadbare at the knees, the long coat is patched and torn, and protective pads have been tied roughly around the wrists. By the time players pick up this gear, they likely know much of Randall’s story. A meaningful connection develops between them and the dusty piece of kit. Fallout players understand that they’re not simply looting this armor – they’re inheriting it.