Warning: Spoilers for Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary, the sun is dying and humanity has come together to find the solution in the form of the spaceship the Hail Mary to travel to the Tau Ceti system to figure out how to save themselves. At it’s core, the story is one of cosmic hope, cooperation, and survival, and this made apparent in the costuming of the protagonist, Ryland Grace.

Outfit One The Translucent Suit: 

He emerges from the orange sleeping bag with the help of Armando like a butterfly and we are presented with his costume. Grace (Ryan Gosling) is wearing a semi-translucent orange suit with wires dangling from the outer shell all but naked except for his transparent suit and underwear. Translucent materials used in such a way represent he’s in a vulnerable state, appearing to be clothed but unclothed at the same time (Lodi, 2021).

The suit creates a paradox of protection and exposure. On one hand, Grace is dressed, contained, and physically supported by life-sustaining machinery. On the other, the transparency of the suit leaves him visually vulnerable, stripped of privacy and control. The outfit implies that he did not dress himself, a point that is later reinforced by the narrative. Instead, he has been dressed by others and preserved for a purpose he does not yet understand. His body is cared for, even treasured, but he is also rendered passive. He becomes something observed, handled, and protected rather than someone in command of himself. 

This vulnerable state is central to how the audience first encounters him. Grace is exposed not only physically, but psychologically. He does not fully know who he is, where he is, or why he is there. His near-nakedness becomes symbolic of this lack of knowledge. Nakedness often suggests vulnerability to the elements, to danger, and to the gaze of others. Here, Grace is vulnerable to the ship, to Armando, to the audience, and even to his own fractured perception of himself. The costume therefore externalises his internal condition: he is alive, but disoriented; protected, but powerless; seen, but not yet fully known. 

The orange colour of the suit also contributes to this reading. Light orange is commonly associated with warmth, happiness, creativity, optimism, and approachability (Figma, n.d.). These qualities reflect the version of Ryland Grace that gradually emerges throughout the film. Although his introduction is unsettling, the colour softens the scene. It prevents the costume from feeling purely clinical or alienating. Instead, the orange gives him an almost gentle, hopeful presence, suggesting that beneath his confusion and fear there is warmth, curiosity, and humanity.

At the same time, the semi-translucent quality of the outfit complicates what the audience is allowed to see. The suit seems to reveal Grace, but it does not fully expose him. Its opacity filters our view, suggesting that we are only being given partial access to who he is and what has happened to him. Like Grace himself, the audience believes they are seeing the truth, but the full story has not yet unfolded. His costume becomes a visual metaphor for the film’s larger mystery: he is visible, but incomplete; revealed, but not fully understood.

Outfit Two Jumper:

Progressing onward, Grace is wearing a white jumper with a few navy blue stripes with the Project Hail Mary initials embroidered in red on the right side. There also appears to be additional embroidery on the left side, although it flashes by too quickly to make out clearly. He’s using the jumper to cover up his nakedness to hide from himself. The colour white he’s wearing denotes his isolation and mournfulness of the situation (Cherry, 2026). However, because the jumper is part of the Project Hail Mary uniform, it can also mean the spiritual beginning of his journey. This is further emphasised by him appearing to wear open-toed sandals and his long hair in this scene, making him appear almost like a man from biblical times and reinforcing the idea of a spiritual journey.

This spiritual imagery becomes even more pronounced when Grace’s appearance is contrasted with his surroundings. He awakens to find his crewmates dead, making him the only living figure among the team. The white of his jumper therefore takes on an almost funerary quality, reflecting both mourning and the death of the life he can’t quite remember. Yet Grace himself is alive, positioning this moment simultaneously as an ending and a beginning.

The vastness of space further intensifies this sense of isolation. Grace is not merely alone in a room; he is separated from Earth and from humanity itself. Never to return to the blue planet. Because of this, the navy blue and Project Hail Mary insignia become even more significant. The likes of Navy Blue on his jumper is meant to show authority and trust given to the person when tied to the Project Hail Mary logo (Verma, 2026). The uniform therefore becomes one of Grace’s few remaining visual connections to Earth and to the responsibility that has been placed upon him.

At first glance the colourful band around Grace’s upper chest appears to be the colours blue, purple, red and yellow. On closer inspection its cyan, magenta, red and yellow. (CMY) Cyan, magenta and yellow are the optional printing colours of large printing companies to produce a myriad of colours. Red, yellow and blue are primary colours and it’s believed you can make all the colours by just using these three, that’s not exactly true. If you use all the primary’s you can make all the hues but you cannot make saturated vivid colours (Konstantinovsky and Bowie, 2024). These colours inform the viewer that this is not a singular mission created by one nation, but a collective effort involving many. The band therefore becomes a visual symbol of unity, collaboration and collective responsibility, reinforcing the idea that Grace represents humanity as a whole rather than any individual country. Its simple design, which resembles a flag, further strengthens this symbolism, making it clear that Grace is not there for one nation, but for the survival of humanity as a whole.

Outfit Three The Suit:

He’s wearing a grey wool jacket, a crimson red tie with a two-colour vertical pattern dress shirt, glasses his teaching lanyard and light-wash jeans in the classroom. The striped dress shirt he’s wearing is called the Bengal Stripe Shirt (Savile Row Company, 2023) vertical stripes make you seem taller (Mohr, 2012) and around middle school students he appears to tower over them. Stripe shirts have reportedly been around since the 16th century (Savile Row Company, 2023) and this garment has endured its place as a professional working shirt from fishermen to teachers. This history makes the shirt particularly appropriate for Grace: it feels traditional and professional without being excessively formal.

The blue in two-colour vertical pattern offers feelings of tranquillity, relaxation and can also enhance focus and productivity on others. The white a calmness to balance out the blue and make it stand out (Ruth, n.d.). What the blue pigment says about the wearer is that he’s trustworthy and dependable. The white highlights he’s organised, clean, and detail-orientated (Blake Mill, 2024).

The crimson red tie is typically called a “power tie” as it’s a singular colour that symbolises passion, energy and leadership without distracting from his overall message that he’s preaching to his young students (Talisman Tie Ilic, 2025). Its contrast with the lanyard creates a clear visual distinction, allowing both accessories to stand out without overwhelming the outfit. The grey jacket moderates the intensity of the red, preventing it from appearing overly dominant. 

The mid-grey wool jacket creates an impression of professionalism without appearing excessively corporate (Rampley & Co., 2023). When he moves around he shows off an expensive red watch around his right wrist. From the price tag he can be impulsive, but with the way it’s hidden up his sleeve he often tries to push down these emotions (van Braam, 2025). Although they remain and eventually can only be masked for so long. The striped shirt adds structure and visual interest without competing with the jacket. Grey is often associated with intellect, balance and compromise, which reflects Grace’s position at this point in the story: he is attempting to reconcile his love of science with his commitment to teaching (Smith, 2007).

Although he is not wearing a full suit, and the light-wash jeans create a more casual appearance, they also make him seem approachable (Duong, 2026). His glasses further reinforce his attentiveness, functioning as a visual symbol of clarity, awareness and his ability to properly perceive the world around him.

Overall, his clothing communicates respect for his students and suggests that he takes both them and his role seriously. At the same time, the combination of formal and casual garments allows him to command respect without appearing intimidating or distant (Wasiche, 2023). His outfit therefore creates a balance between authority and accessibility, supporting clear and open communication with his students.

Outfit Four Mismatch:

Progressing back to space where Grace is processing his situation. For a majority of this sequence he’s wearing a polo version of the jumper we saw him delve into when he first awakened. The uniform is to give him a sense of identity a place to belong as he slowly figures himself out. He goes through the mementos of his deceased crew mates, but only flashes of his memories return to him. It’s when he goes through his bag he first finds his glasses and puts them on that the audience gets a sense of accomplishment. Now we know he wasn’t seeing clearly before now he can, a piece of the puzzle has come together. Though his glasses are quickly discarded as the situation dawns on him, he’s alone, in space, million miles from home and he will perish out here in the vastness of space. Grace can finally see his situation clearly, only to discover just how horrifying that situation actually is.

Grace cycles through a variety of outfits. None are well coordinated or flattering. Some are his own clothes, others are pilfered from the dead crew members. I believe this was done to help him spark recognition and clear up his amnesia. Which demonstrates his lost identity, his comrades place in his mind, and trying to once more find the man who was brave enough and crazy enough to go on a one way trip to the Tau Ceti System. This is particularly hammered in when Grace is dancing with the broom dressed in Ilyukhina’s dress in the “Don’t Go Crazy Room”. Dressed in a transparent raincoat once again showcasing how vulnerable and stripped of control he is in this situation and trying desperately to grasp another person even if it’s just their shadow (Lodi, 2021). Significantly, he is without his glasses in these sequences, changing to sunglasses or is without glasses at all. Visually distorting his perception and suggesting that he is not yet able, or perhaps not willing, to see the situation clearly. There is an ironic paradox in the way he dresses himself: Grace is searching the clothing of the dead in an effort to recover his past, while simultaneously shielding his eyes from the present.

In between these scenes of Grace spiralling we are shown that he is trying to remember who he is and during this time he’s wearing, worn white sneakers, his glasses, a red dressing gown and a red fox mask perched on top of his head making it appear as though he’s slowly morphing into a red fox. The red fox can symbolise cleverness, resourcefulness, adaptability and the ease at navigating difficult situations (Thorn & Claw, n.d.). Though with its position on the top of his head we can deduce that these are qualities he processes but is yet to fully acknowledge them because of his memory loss. This idea is further reinforced by his glasses. At the beginning of the sequence, Grace wears them properly, briefly allowing him to see clearly as pieces of his identity begin to return. By the end, however, the glasses are hanging beneath his chin. The means to see clearly is still close at hand, but Grace is no longer using it, visually reflecting how the clarity he briefly gained is slipping away as he becomes overwhelmed by his situation. His white sneakers showcase he’s practical and active, but values comfort above all else, making his place in the stars all the stranger (Lemon & Pepper, 2024).

Outfit Five The Suit:

Grace is wearing his suit from outfit three with a few alterations that reveal details that the audience wasn’t originally allowed to see. His iconic white sneakers are almost pristine, which implies he doesn’t spend a lot of time on the bare Earth (I mean dirt here). The cleanliness hints at Grace’s tendency to avoid getting his hands, or in this case his shoes, dirty whenever possible. It also subtly foreshadows his eventual situation in space and how he came to be there.

When meeting Eva Stratt for the first time he’s wearing outfit three but is missing his red-tie. Without his red power tie, he is no longer in command of the space. The power symbolically belongs to Eva, with the confrontation of his old paper “An Analysis Of Water Based Assumptions and Recalibrations of Expectations for Evolutionary Models.” Leaving Grace defensive, unsettled and fearful. As he moves through the school grounds, he puts on his yellow raincoat, a garment that visually separates him from his surroundings while also suggesting vulnerability and a need for protection.

Yellow reflects more light than other colours in the spectrum, it is the first colour the human eye notices (Smith, 2025). It also has a variety of meanings that Grace inhabits; happiness, optimism, positivity, energy, warmth, creativity, attention and caution (QuillBot, n.d.), but it can also represent cowardice (Smith, 2025). Grace has become enveloped with this colour as he exits the school. He’s cowering away from Eva trying to hide away in this perfect world he’s created where he’s respected albeit by middle students and is listened to, all that was denied from him in the scientific community. This colour represents his hesitance at re-entering that world that mocked and turned him away.

As the scene progresses, Grace puts on a grey bicycle helmet, although he leaves the chin strap unclipped. This suggests that he is preparing to leave while remaining engaged with what Stratt is saying. The grey helmet continues the visual associations of intellect, balance and compromise, qualities that begin to draw him back into his scientific identity. When Stratt offers him the possibility of seeing an alien organism he had previously theorised about, the same theory that got him kicked out of academia, Grace’s curiosity overrides his hesitation, ultimately persuading him to go with her (Smith, 2007).

That’s the end of part one, subscribe to keep up to date with the next part of the series.

References: 

Blake Mill. (2024, March 26). The influence of shirt colour on perception and mood. Blake Mill. Available at: https://blakemill.co.uk/blogs/styling/the-influence-of-shirt-colour-on-perception-and-mood 

Cherry, K. (2026) ‘What does the color white symbolize?’, Verywell Mind, 4 June. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-white-2795822 

Figma. (n.d.). Light orange color: Hex code, palettes & meaning. Retrieved July 1, 2026, Available at: https://www.figma.com/colors/light-orange/ 

Hien Trang Duong (2026) ‘Are jeans business casual? How to pull it off’, Hockerty, 16 June. Available at: https://www.hockerty.com/en-us/blog/are-jeans-business-casual 

Konstantinovsky, M. and Bowie, D. (2024) ‘Primary colors are red, yellow and blue, right? Not exactly’, HowStuffWorks, 6 November. Available at: https://science.howstuffworks.com/primary-colors.htm 

Lemon & Pepper. (2024, August 7). The psychology of footwear: What your shoes say about you. Available at: https://www.lemonpepper.in/blogs/blog/the-psychology-of-footwear-what-your-shoes-say-about-you?srsltid=AfmBOoqwgzpxPU2hdoyhlqe4fg3Adzhmj0Fx8_5p77Xx1M7tKV3PTge-

Lodi, M. (2021, November 17). Romeo + Juliet’s costume designer reflects on the film’s fashion, 25 years later. Nylon. Available at: https://www.nylon.com/fashion/romeo-and-juliet-costumes-1996-fashion 

Mohr, A. M. (2012, July 3). The results are in! Do horizontal stripes affect the way you look? Threads. Available at: https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2012/07/03/the-results-are-in-do-horizontal-stripes-affect-the-way-you-look

QuillBot (n.d.) ‘Yellow color meaning: Symbolism, shades and palettes’, QuillBot. Available at: https://quillbot.com/blog/color-meanings/yellow-color-meaning/ 

Rampley & Co. (2023) ‘Grey suit combinations’, Rampley & Co., 21 February. Available at: https://www.rampleyandco.com/blogs/the-journal/grey-suit-combination 

Ruth, A. (n.d.). The psychology of white and neutral paints: Calm, clarity and design impact. YesColours. Available at: https://yescolours.com/blogs/news/psychology-of-white-neutral-paint-colours 

Savile Row Company. (2023). Everything you need to know about men’s striped shirts. Savile Row Company. Available at: https://savilerowco.com/en-intl/blogs/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-mens-striped-shirts-2023?srsltid=AfmBOopE__jumwhOelWLYnZenKZ8YhV2eSSfMFAV-2K363NgtkeN3o6f 

Smith, K. (2025) ‘Meaning of yellow: Color psychology and symbolism explained’, Sensational Color. Available at: https://sensationalcolor.com/meaning-of-yellow/ 

Smith, K. (2007) ‘Meaning of gray: Color psychology and symbolism’, Sensational Color. Available at: https://sensationalcolor.com/meaning-of-gray/ 

Talisman Tie Ilic. (2025, May 26). Dress like you mean business: Power ties explained. Talisman Tie. https://talismantie.com/blogs/lifestyle-professional-use/dress-like-you-mean-business-power-ties-explained 

Thorn & Claw (n.d.) ‘Fox symbolism and meanings: Folklore and fox as a spirit animal’, Thorn & Claw. Available at: https://www.thornandclaw.com/blogs/news/fox-meaning-and-symbolism 

van Braam, H. (2025, April 23). Red color psychology, symbolism and meaning. Color Psychology. Available at: https://www.colorpsychology.org/red/

Verma, A. (2026) ‘Navy color meaning, psychology, and famous use cases’, Octet Design Journal, 9 March. Available at: https://octet.design/journal/navy-color-meaning/ 

Wasiche, S. (2023) ‘The power of the suit: Why suits are a gentleman’s wardrobe staple’, Medium, 3 October. Available at: https://thefashiontalker.medium.com/the-power-of-the-suit-why-suits-are-a-gentlemans-wardrobe-staple-13efb253b430