Best Stuff for Men

A Trinity costume from The Matrix is fun for Halloween, but you can give this costume as a gift any time.  Listed below is everything you’ll need, and you can acquire it all from the links on this page.  Also included is how to create a Neo costume for yourself.

It helps, of course, if your girl likes The Matrix.   I put together this Matrix costume as a Christmas present for my GF awhile back and it was a hit.  The Matrix is one of her favorite movies.

Will it look good on anyone?  Carrie Anne Moss is definitely hot in her skin-tight black outfit, but she’s got that slender, college-pole-vaulter build.  How about on a woman that is a bit more curvy — someone, say, like Scarlett Johansson? Well, after seeing my GF in it, I just have to say, it works.

Any day of the year is a good day for her to dress up in her Matrix outfit.  And if you feel like doing a Neo thing (sort of like a catholic priest without the, uh, catholicism), that’s good, too.  (Scroll down to the see the section on how to look like Neo.)

Note: This post was updated with new info and additional links on September 21, 2011.

 

 

Trinity wore a variety of outfits in the 3 Matrix films but the one most people remember is what she wore when she and Neo attacked the military installation to save Morpheus in the first film.

Several pieces comprise this costume.  For greatest authenticity, you’ll need to acquire them from different places.  Trinity’s full outfit consists of a coat, pants, top, black boots, and shades.  You can add elbow-length gloves to create Trinity’s look from The Matrix Reloaded.  First and foremost is the long black shiny coat.  This is the piece that will be the most “costumey” in quality – that is, it’s a costume coat that is not necessarily meant to stand up to years of daily wear.  But that’s not a problem, it’s not expensive.  And the Trinity sunglasses are included (though you’ll probably want to upgrade to a pair from Matrix Eyewear).  You can find the deluxe black vinyl Trinity jacket and glasses at BuyCostumes.com, one of my favorite online costume sites.

 

 

 

The real deal when it comes to the shades are these Trinity sunglasses from Matrix Eyewear.  They’re fully functional sunglasses at a good price, with a 1-year guarantee.

 

Next, you’ll need the pants.  Remember to keep to the “shiny” motif.  Generally, that means vinyl.

I (and my GF) like these straight-leg vinyl pants (at left) from Flirty Lingerie (a fun place to shop).  They are really flattering and look great with black boots.  However, it’s a discontinued style (i.e., they’re not producing them anymore), so eventually they’re going to run out of the remaining inventory.  You can still get them as this is written.  Don’t wait.  (When you go to the webpage, even though the product description says “Discontinued,” you can still click to put them in the shopping cart; they currently have size “Large,” which will work for most women.)

 

The vinyl pants pictured at right would also fit the bill.  These are black vinyl pants from Pierre Silber, an extensive lingerie and adult costume site.  Right now you can get them for less than $50.  You might want to keep Pierre Silber in mind to explore other Halloween costume ideas.

 

 

 

An alternative pair of pants would be tight vinyl or faux leather (or real leather) leggings paired with thigh-high boots.  Try these:  Latex Leggings (not pictured).

 

 

You could go with leggings that she could also wear for clubbing, such as these stretch polyurethane pants:  Coffee Shop Junior’s Stretch Leggings, which are inexpensive at Overstock.

 

 

Or you could go in an even sexier direction and try this black vinyl catsuit (below), which has the perfect texture and shine, and would go well with the costume coat.  It would be a pretty warm outfit, though.  Good for a cold Halloween night…

 

 

 

 

 

 

If she already has some black boots, they should work.  However, if she doesn’t, or if you’re going with tight leggings, a provocative option would be  this pair of thigh-high black boots:

 

4-inch Heel Thigh-High Boots.   They should fit over a pair of tight leggings.  And they’re under $60 at Flirty Lingerie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want something that looks more like the actual boots Trinity wore in the movie’s lobby shootout, you can go to MotorCowboy and have a pair custom-made for just over $300, or you can go with these Funtasma Gogo boots from Wayfair in black patent, which look almost identical and cost only $50.  These boots are also very similar to the ones Trinity wore in The Matrix Reloaded.  They are suitable for kicking butt and piloting helicopters.  If you want to go all-out with high-end leather boots, get her the Jenny Boots by La Canadienne at Zappos (yeah, she’ll love those).

 

 

 

Then you need a top.  Again, go with black and sleek.  Here’s another all-in-one option.  This Black Tank Top Unitard is just right.  It’s sexy, athletic, and she can wear it under other outfits.  She can also slip those thigh-high boots over it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could also go with this cotton tank top (click the image at left).  It’s got a shaping fit and smooth texture.  It’s the Yummie Tummie Joelle Cotton Wow Tank from Revolve Clothing.  She’ll be able to wear it for many other uses, too.

For a less expensive alternative, check the Splendid Supima 2×1 Tank (not pictured) — a versatile tank with high-quality fabric you can find at Zappos.  Or the Fitzwell Annie Sleeveless Sweater, a very cool-looking garment, and only about $30.  Or, for a slightly different approach, the Calvin Klein Essentials Long Sleeve V-Neck, from Freshpair.  At least ONE of those tops should work for her.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, round out the outfit with some long shiny black vinyl gloves (the photo’s a little risqué if you happen to be reading this at work).   

 

Remember, as you’re shopping for all these items, to check the merchant’s sizing chart, if they have one, plus customer reviews.  Since all these garments are tight, you can usually err on the side of ordering a size larger and they should still work.

You should be able to put a decent Trinity costume together for around $100, or a bit more if you go with all of the best options.

Add all the above elements together and you’ll have a kickass costume, a delighted girl, and some fun…  (I was going to include a photo of other girls wearing the Trinity costume, but decided not to — I don’t want to spoil the surprise.  You will not believe how cool she looks when she finally models all your carefully-chosen items.)

By the way, if you want to see more variety of Halloween costumes and get info on current good deals at some of the best costume shops online, see my post on Costume Deals and Ideas for Halloween — or Whenever.

 

How to create the most authentic Neo look for yourself

I’m going to assume you want to match the movie wardrobe as closely as possible.  So…

First Neo’s coat.  The best coat I’ve found is the “Lobby Coat” made by AbbyShot Clothiers.  This is a high-quality coat and the design is very faithful to the coat Neo wore when he and Trinity attacked the military installation.  That’s it to the left (don’t worry, you’ll look cooler than their model).  Click the image or here to see more pictures.  This coat is made in limited quantities, so sometimes it must be pre-ordered; leave yourself plenty of time.  You can also see other high-quality movie and TV replica clothing (Firefly, Doctor Who) from AbbyShot, available at Entertainment Earth.

 

 

The easiest and least expensive way to get the Neo outfit is as a costume, which also includes the sunglasses.

Here it is from BuyCostumes (pictured below): 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the AbbyShot coat above is sold out or a bit pricey for you, there is a great alternative from JKL Clothing:  the Woodland Leather full length Matrix-style men’s trench coat (at left).  This high-quality leather coat is very similar to the coats both Neo and Morpheus wear in The Matrix.  Note that JKL Clothing is a British company and if you order from them you’ll pay in British pounds.  Multiply the price in pounds by about 1.6 to roughly convert the amount to dollars (as of now, the coat is approximately $335 plus shipping).  They accept all major credit cards and PayPal.  This is a stylish, well-made coat.

 

 

 

 

 

To get the most authentic Neo sunglasses (pictured at left), you should get them from Matrix Eyewear.  Click the image to the left.  These are good-quality sunglasses from Matrix Eyewear and will work for everyday wear, too.  Matrix Eyewear also carries sunglasses for most of the other characters in the Matrix movies.  And they’re very affordable.

 

 

To go with the look Neo was wearing in the lobby shootout in the first film, a fitted black T-shirt will work (you’re on your own for all the guns and holsters).  This fitted black T-shirt from Calvin Klein has a modern, sort of “cyber-punk” appearance, is not too expensive, and will look great under the long coat.  For an even more premium look, try the Long Sleeve Crewe from Icebreaker, which is made of Merino wool and has a similar texture to the shirt Neo wears.

 

 

 

 

 

Neo also wears long-sleeve buttoned shirts under his long “cassock” and the one pictured at left should work.  This is a Kenneth Cole no-iron Sateen Cotton Shirt in black.  It’s got a spread collar, features a modern look, and is priced around $60 at Zappos.  You could also try the Blackhawk Warrior Wear Lightweight Tactical Long-sleeve Shirt from Cabela’s in black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pants for your Neo outfit should be black work pants or field-style pants.  You probably own some black pants that will do the trick, but if not these are good:  DC Chino 2 Pants in black from Killer Dana.   They’re close in style and texture to what Neo wears in the film. (Tuck the pants into the boots.)  If they’re sold out, Overstock has a good selection of other styles that will work.

 

 

Another option for pants would be these  black “Best in Town” cotton canvas cargo pants from JKL Clothing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now you need some boots to round out your Matrix look.  You can wear any black boots and be fine, but if you want boots that closely resemble the style Neo wore in the first movie (remember when he kicks Agent Smith down the hallway in the final fight-scene and holds his foot in the air — those boots), then these will do the trick:  Corcoran Men’s Tanker 10-inch Work Boots.  These Corcoran buckle boots might be even cooler than the boots Neo wore in the movie.  And they’re nowhere near as expensive as having a set custom-made at Motorcowboy.  Tuck the pants into the boots.

 

 

 

If the Corcoran boots are sold out, or you want something with more buckles, try these boots from Harley-Davidson:  the Harley-Davidson Side Light Boots (pictured below).  They have a lot of buckles and the heavy toe, as in the film.  If you need to, you can black out or remove the chrome plates on the toe.  Click the image below to acquire them from Zappos, the company with the best customer service on the Web.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another alternative boot would be these Danner Striker II Side Zip Boots (pictured at right).  They have a quasi-military look and are black leather, with a zipper on the inner side.  Some people swear by Danner, and some say they could be more durable, but for costume purposes these boots would definitely work.

Finally, if you want a really substantial, cool-looking pair of black boots that would work for everyday use as well as for this costume (and are less expensive than the Danners), go with these 8″ Thorogood Jump Boots (at left).  Weinbrenner Shoe Company has been making Thorogood boots since 1892, so you know they’ve worked the bugs out.  They are known not only for their work boots but their tactical boots as well, and these boots obviously share that pedigree.  They’re leather and have a rubber-lug outsole — just the look to go for when you’re trying to subvert the Matrix.  You can find those styles and more at up to 70% off from Shoe Metro.

 

I hope you enjoy all your Matrix adventures with your lady and never forget:  the Matrix has you.

If you put one or both of these costumes together, please leave a comment below telling how it worked out.  Did she like it?

Hey, wait a minute…  You haven’t seen the Ultimate Matrix Collection on DVD or Blu-ray yet?  There is no future in that approach.  Please rectify that now, Mr. Anderson.

 

 

 

 

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