Exclusive: Eulyn Womble Explains Walking Dead’s Zombie Clothing

Have you ever noticed the earthy tones of the zombie clothing in ABC’s The Walking Dead? Have you ever noticed the change of wardrobe in different locations? How about the way zombies blend into their environment? Pay attention, and allow me to introduce The Walking Dead‘s costume designer, Eulyn Womble—the person in charge of the clothing worn by your favourite stars and the zombies.

Introducing Eulyn Womble

For eleven seasons, AMC’s The Walking Dead became the premier source of undead entertainment for horror fans the world over. The show, set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, faced the unique difficulty of going over ten seasons where the main cast would rarely get the chance to get some new threads – you know, with the end of the world and all that.

More notably, however, the hordes of zombies always wore clothing that reflected the current status of The Walking Dead as a series. As you might know, a good chunk of the show follows Rick and the other survivors as they look for a place to settle down and reestablish a semblance of civilization.

A good part of the credit for how realistic the zombie apocalypse in The Walking Dead looks goes to Eulyn Womble. The South African costume designer dressed both the living and the undead for over 70 episodes, and she shares some valuable info on what it was like to dress the zombies to look as positively decayed as possible. She also attributes her innate costume-making skills to her grandmother, who was a seamstress.

Byron: You went on to study for a Bachelor of Commerce degree. How did you conclude that designing was your true passion?

Eulyn Womble: My natural talent for creating characters was undeniable. I’ve always loved film. In my profession, you need to have a good understanding of the business as a whole so my accounting studies are not in vain. I have to work within a budget.

Rules For Zombie Clothing Design In The Walking Dead

One of the first rules Womble and her team follow is that the world of The Walking Dead has to be as real as ours. “Clowns, brides, etc., would be comical and distract from the story,” mentions the costumer. Even though “special” zombies have always been a landmark of the genre, they would certainly feel out of place in this show.

The costume department for the zombies in The Walking Dead reflects the spread of the zombie plague. Walkers who were bitten when the outbreak began display tattered clothes – sometimes missing entire parts of their outfits. Just one look at the iconic “bicycle girl” from Season One is enough to get a feeling of the kind of tone The Walking Dead set from its beginning.

Byron: Prior to working on The Walking Dead, you worked on titles such as The Joneses, Secret Life of the Bees and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. How did you end up shifting from family titles to horror?

Eulyn Womble: I’m not sure (Ha!). I’m always open to new challenges when creating costumes. I love the characters on The Walking Dead. Greg Nicotero’s zombie make-up inspires the zombie costumes. I try to enhance the make-up with the clothing. For example, with the prison jumpsuits, I made them blend into the prison so that the walkers would be camouflaged and seem to appear out of nowhere.

How The Wardrobe Evolved With Every New Season

When the series moved from Atlanta to more rural landscapes, Womble adapted the zombie wardrobe to reflect the more natural tones of the Georgian countryside. “I started using a camouflaged earthy tone on all the walker clusters.” Then, by Season 4, the show introduced “fresher” walkers – survivors who fell victim to the undead. Womble took the chance to make the distinction between the more active “survivor” zombies and the older generation of walkers, who would usually wear “suits and ties,” according to Womble.

As the series progressed, the antagonists in The Walking Dead suddenly got more violent – and less dead. Humans became more dangerous than the zombies early on, but the Governor and Negan proved the most memorable nemeses in the show’s run. While the show took some creative liberties with the Governor that ultimately led to a more memorable villain, Negan looked just as he did in the comics.

Byron: What is the most difficult aspect when creating a zombie?

Eulyn Womble: To make them as realistic as possible. Clowns, brides, etc., would be comical and distract from the story.

Dressing The Humans On The Walking Dead

Womble also commented on her affinity for dressing the living characters in the series, citing Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) as her favourite cast member. “We see eye to eye on all of my costume choices for Rick,” the costume designer had to say about Lincoln, who’s now the star once again in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

Early on in the series, Womble and the wardrobe department settled on a look for the series that would mimic what fans had come to expect from the Walking Dead covers. According to Womble, the colour palette changed in Season 2, focusing more on earthy tones that gave the show a more decayed look.

Womble’s tenure as the show’s costume designer gave The Walking Dead a more natural look that helped nailing the series narrative tone. It would have been easy just to make a “gritty” post-apocalyptic show, but Eulyn Womble and the rest of the wardrobe team on The Walking Dead made sure this was a zombie apocalypse that felt frighteningly realistic. And well-dressed, to boot.

Byron: The zombie clothing and colouring seem to differ slightly in each season of The Walking Dead. Is this done intentionally?

Eulyn Womble: In Season 1 of The Walking Dead, we were in the city. The colours were more vibrant, and people were dressed in suits and work attire. Season 2 was a transition from city to country, so I introduced farm-like attire and changed the colour palette. I drew inspiration from the covers of the graphic novels. By Season 3, we realised that the walkers form herds, so I started using a camouflaged earthy tone on all the walker clusters surrounding the prison. In Season 4, there are more ‘survivor’ type walkers. If a walker is in a suit and tie, it has been dead for a while and would be more tattered and mouldy.

For more information on The Walking Dead costume designer and the zombie clothing on the show, feel free to visit Eulyn Womble’s personal website: eulyn.com.

Update: According to her personal website and IMDB profile, Eulyn Womble now uses the name Eulyn Colette Hufkie professionally.