What You’ll Need
Dark Khaki Belted Trench Coat
Khaki Trousers
White Dress Shirt
Solid Red Tie
Brown Soft Toe Work Boot
Long White Scarf
Pig Snout
Aviator Cap with Goggles
Black Round Rimmed Sunglasses
Black Handlebar Mustache
Assembling Porco Rosso’s Aviator Silhouette
The whole costume depends on getting the early twentieth-century aviator layering right. Start with a long-sleeved white dress shirt with a collar that holds its shape—this matters because the tie and trench coat collar will sit against it all day. Tuck it into high-waisted khaki trousers with a relaxed, straight leg. Modern slim-fit pants will break the vintage military look immediately, so look for something with a fuller cut through the thigh and a slight taper at the ankle.
The red necktie is a small piece but worth matching closely. A solid, deep red tie in a classic four-in-hand knot works fine; the exact knot doesn’t matter as much as keeping the collar crisp beneath the trench coat. If you can find a tie with a slightly wider blade from the 1930s–40s, that helps, but any solid red tie that doesn’t look contemporary will do.
The dark khaki belted trench coat is the most visible garment. A double-breasted coat with epaulets and a storm flap gives the right military-aviation character. Wear it belted at the waist for the classic Porco look, or leave it open with the belt hanging loose for a more casual scene. The coat should fit comfortably over the shirt and tie without feeling tight across the shoulders—you’ll be wearing it for hours, and the silhouette should look relaxed rather than fitted.
Brown soft-toe work boots ground the outfit. They should look like they’ve seen use, not like they came fresh from a box. If yours are too clean, a light sanding on the toes and a bit of watered-down brown acrylic paint applied in streaks will add believable wear without much effort.
The pig snout is the single most important prop. A pre-made theatrical snout attached with spirit gum gives the most convincing result, but it requires practice to apply cleanly and to eat or drink around. If you’re not comfortable with adhesives, an elastic-band snout works and is far easier to manage across a long day. Whichever you choose, test it before the event—figure out how it sits on your face, whether it shifts when you talk, and how much of your upper lip it covers.
Position the black handlebar mustache directly beneath the snout so the two read as one continuous facial feature. Styling wire inside the mustache will keep the curls rigid, but clear craft glue applied to the tips works in a pinch. A drooping mustache undermines the entire face, so this is worth checking periodically throughout the day.
The aviator cap and goggles complete the head. A leather-style cap with ear flaps and a chin strap is the right shape; the goggles should have round metal frames and can sit either over your eyes or pushed up on the cap’s forehead. Black round-rimmed sunglasses pair with the goggles—they add the character’s detached, cool expression and help sell the look in photos even when the goggles are up.
Drape a long white scarf loosely around your neck, letting the ends fall unevenly over the trench coat. It should be long enough to catch movement when you walk or turn, but not so long that it drags on the ground or gets caught in doors. A lightweight cotton or synthetic scarf will flow better than a heavy knit.
One detail worth noting: the trench coat and boots should look lived-in. Porco spends his days repairing seaplanes and fighting pirates, so a pristine coat breaks the illusion. Sandpaper on the cuffs and elbows, plus a few streaks of gray or brown acrylic paint along the hem, will add the right amount of grime without making the coat look dirty from across the room.
