Come as you are – or whoever you want to be: 11 unforgettable Inkcarceration outfits

MANSFIELD — The Ohio State Reformatory becomes one of the loudest places in America for three days each July.

It also becomes one of the most colorful.

Sure, plenty of Inkcarceration attendees stick with the unofficial uniform of heavy music festivals – cutoff band shirts, cargo shorts, combat boots and a lot of black. Others opt for lightweight tops and athletic shorts to survive the July heat.

But for many fans, getting dressed is part of the festival experience.

Some spend months designing custom outfits. Some lean into horror, pop culture or the prison setting itself. And many see Inkcarceration as one of the few places where they can wear something they’d never dream of wearing anywhere else.

That’s part of what makes people-watching one of the festival’s top attractions. Festival fashion is creative, funny, sentimental and sometimes a little outrageous – but almost always designed to spark conversations.

Here are 11 of the most memorable looks we spotted this weekend.

Towering platforms, head-to-toe metal

Classic goth style meets festival practicality

Towering platform boots, lace and black-on-black styling have become staples of festival fashion, and Kaylee embraced the look from head to toe.

She first wore the outfit at Sonic Temple earlier this year and decided it deserved another appearance at Inkcarceration.

“I got these boots from my friend,” she said. “Overall, it’s a cool outfit. I really like wearing it, and it’s surprisingly comfortable.”

“It really just fits this music festival.”

**Kaylee’s head-to-toe metal look.** Photo: Zac Hiser

The festival power-up

Pop culture with a metal twist

Not every costume has to come from the world of heavy music.

Friends Nea and Niya transformed Nintendo’s famous plumbers into festival-ready versions of Mario and Luigi.

“For the past two years we’ve been going to festivals,” Nea said. “She’s always had green. I’ve always had red. We were like, ‘Let’s just do Mario and Luigi.'”

They laughed that they wanted to make sure it still reflected their own style.

“It had to be cute though.”

**Nea and Niya’s take on Mario and Luigi.** Photo: Zac Hiser

Dressed for the cell block

Handmade costumes inspired by the venue

When your music festival takes place at one of the country’s most famous former prisons, orange jumpsuits practically design themselves.

Ethan and Laurel each created their own versions.

“His girlfriend helped make them,” Ethan said, pointing to his friend. “Me and my mom spent an hour or so ironing everything on.”

Laurel built hers from scratch.

“This is my first year,” she said. “They had the jumpsuits, so I was like, I’ll make my own. So I made this in less than a night into a body suit. I work at a Goodwill, so I take and reuse everything.”

**Laurel, Ethan and a friend’s inmate fits.** Photos: Zac Hiser

Homemade vests that tell a story

Battle jackets that tell personal stories

Tony Maurer’s custom vest features albums and bands that have shaped his life.

“It has not only great albums on the back of it, but albums that mean something to me,” he said.

He even took it to a tailor so every patch would be sewn exactly where he wanted it.

“Each album has a special meaning to me.”

Alex Ashiolas received her vest from Maurer and has since made it her own.

“He gifted me this vest,” Ashiolas said. “I’ve started putting my own patches on it and adding bands I’ve seen.”

**Tony and Alex’s sentimental metal vests.** Photos: Zac Hiser

The masked canine

Alternative fashion and fearless self-expression

Wearing a black canine-inspired mask with mesh and leather accessories, Alex Hyde described his outfit as another form of self-expression.

“It’s my first time at Inkcarceration,” he said. “I figured I’d bring a little bit of rock fetish wear into the mix.”

After looking around the festival grounds, he felt right at home.

“It seems like I’m with the right crowd tonight.”

**Alex’s “fetish wear.”** Photo: Zac Hiser

Pick your character

A graphic tee, a banana suit and a handmade masterpiece

Standing together were three people whose outfits perfectly illustrated how broad festival fashion can be.

One leaned into cannabis-themed humor with a graphic T-shirt.

Another wore a full banana costume that doubled as an autograph board.

Then there was artist Caitlin Reed, known as Coyote, whose handmade outfit represented different styles she likes.

“I just love the culture of being able to express yourself,” Reed said. “People are so loving and accepting, friendly and kind.”

“I like designing outfits and styles. I like the clown-core kind of stuff, and I mix that in with the goth aesthetic.”

**Three contrasting styles.** Photo: Zac Hiser

Scream Queen

Horror icons become annual traditions

For Shiyenne, aka Shy Baby, one memorable festival moment turned into a signature look.

Her first Inkcarceration, which was also her first-ever festival, came in 2024.

“The first day, I actually crowdsurfed with a turkey leg and I was on the big screen, so that was cool. Second day at Ink that year, I wore the Ghost Face mask and everybody loved it, so I brought it back the next year and brought it back this year.”

She paired the mask with platform boots, fishnets and a look rooted in modern metal fashion.

**Shiyenne’s horror/metal look.** Photo: Zac Hiser

The inflatable rooster

Humor, crowd interaction and a growing festival tradition

A guy named Ben-G wore a giant inflatable rooster, which drew laughs from passersby, but also doubled as a keepsake.

Covered in signatures from fellow festivalgoers, the costume has become an annual souvenir. Ben-G carries markers so strangers can leave their names behind, creating an inflatable scrapbook of every festival.

“I’ve got one from Sonic last year and one from Ink last year too,” he said.

He plans to keep adding to the collection every year.

His long-term goal?

“Eventually we’re gonna have a flock of cocks.”

To complete the bit, he also handed out miniature toy chickens to anyone who wanted one.

**Ben-G’s inflatable rooster. Yes, I did sign it on behalf of Richland Source.** Photos: Zac Hiser, Hayden Gray

Metal clowns

Horror makeup and spontaneous creativity

Sometimes a group costume starts with a last-minute lightbulb idea.

“We woke up one morning and we were like, ‘Clowns,'” they said.

Baylee, Kane, Ally and Allena are local and didn’t have to travel far to Inkcarceration. After one member tried the makeup first and received compliments all day, the rest joined in.

“Everyone loved it yesterday,” they said. “So we decided to all do it today.”

Scary clown face paint fit perfectly among the festival’s horror-inspired atmosphere.

**Locals attend Ink at metal clowns.** Photo: Zac Hiser

The mascot life

Mascot costumes built for endurance

Jonathan Gorton has learned that wearing a full-body mascot costume in the middle of July requires as much preparation as creativity.

He first noticed elaborate costumes at Sonic Temple in 2019.

“That’s where I saw a lot of costumes and it put it in my head — I gotta start doing this.”

Since then, he has worn costumes to Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Inkcarceration and Warped Tour.

Staying cool is part of the strategy.

“I’ve got a fan on my waist blowing up my shirt, a fan on my neck, cooling towels wrapped around my throat and a CamelBak on my back.”

By now, he says, he’s ready for the heat.

**Jonathan’s “Peeps” mascot costume.** Photo: Jack Slemenda

The phallic float squad

Absurd humor with an unexpectedly practical purpose

Sometimes the simplest joke turns into an annual tradition.

Carl Phelps and his friends carried oversized inflatable “props” throughout the festival — partly because they made people laugh, but also because they solved two common festival problems.

“At Blue Ridge a couple years ago, I took one and as I’m going to the pit, everyone gets outta my way. It just kinda took off, man. Quickest way to the pit.”

They also made finding friends easier in a crowd of tens of thousands.

“She got lost yesterday,” Phelps said. “All ya gotta do is hold this up and boom.”

**The “phallic float squad” was a fun way to put it.** Photo: Zac Hiser

Whether they spent months customizing their outfits, have annual traditions or simply show up to make a statement, every person featured here wanted to express themselves in a unique way.

At Inkcarceration, standing out isn’t unusual – it’s part of the experience.

Note: Adam Doc Fox, Jack Slemenda and Hayden Gray contributed to this story.