Yep ya’ll are getting multiple posts for FAQ Friday today!
With Halloween creeping up, I get asked about my Leia costumes a lot. A lot of times it’s folks who are new to sewing and not sure where to start. And a lot of times they’re interested in what I consider to be costumes that are pretty tough for a beginner.
So today I’m going to rank Leia’s costumes in order of ease, with some notes on construction that may help the less experienced costume makers.
Before I start, I want to point you to Padawan’s Guide. It’s a website dedicated to Star Wars costumes, and includes references photos and construction notes from various sources, including other costumers! It is an AMAZING resource and it’s the first place you need to go when researching a Star Wars costume.
1. Ewok Village Dress
(My portfolio entry is here.)
Out of all of my Leia costumes, this was the easiest to make. It may not be as recognizable as some of the others, but it’s actually pretty popular, since ewoks are a popular thing to dress cute little kids up as. So the Ewok Village dress is a great option for a mom wanting to match their child’s costume, or anyone wanting to make a simple, comfortable Leia costume without going the obvious route.
There are a LOT of pattern options out there, since it’s a pretty basic dress style. I think I used this pattern, altered for the neckline shape, adding the second sleeves, and the jagged hemline. You could probably find a pattern even closer if you looked through the pattern books closely. The important thing is having those front princess seams.
You don’t have to use leather or suede for this dress, either – while that would look very nice, it might not be very affordable (not to mention, it can be very hard to work with). I found a faux stretch suede on ebay for really cheap – the colour was a little bright, but it’s extremely comfortable and was fairy easy to work with. You could also use a nice brushed cotton. I used a plain white cotton for the second sleeves.
For wrapping the hair braid, finishing off the hem on the white sleeves, and doing the large stitching up the front princess seams of the dress, I found a thick lacing in the leather section of my local Hobby Lobby. It was just thin enough I could fit it through the eye of an embroidery needle. It did take some elbow grease to work it through the fabric of the dress, but I was really happy with the final look.
So with the right materials and a good pattern, this is a great starter costume.
2. Classic ANH Senatorial Robes
(I have two portfolio entries for mine – 2006 version and 2004 version)
This is the classic Leia look, the most recognizable and honestly the easiest dress to make, especially for a beginner. The costume is basically a giant “t” shaped cut of fabric, with the sides sewn up, hemmed and with a collar and a hood added. At the time I made mine, Joann’s sold a white fabric called, “JetSet Poly” which was a thin, soft poly material. I had to double mine over. I don’t think they carry that exact same fabric, but when I made Romana last year I found something very similar there again, it’s just a little thinner. For my 2004 I used a heavier, almost crepe like material – it hangs a little differently, but works fine, especially for a Halloween costume – it was definitely warmer than my 2006 version 🙂
I absolutely recommend Padawan’s Guide for helping you in building this costume, as they have the same instructions I used for making my own. Now, if you really want a physical pattern to go by, Simplicity did have a Leia pattern fairly recently – it’s out of print now, but you can still find it for sale on ebay or etsy… for a price. The cheapest I currently see is $25 plus shipping. But you don’t HAVE to use that one. There’s always some sort of robe pattern available – for my 2004 I version I used this one, just widened the sleeves, and added the collar and hood (both pieces are just rectangular shapes – see the Padawan’s Guide link for help).
The belt can be tricky, which is why I ranked it at #2, but there are ways to do it if you don’t want to get into leather/metal work. If you can find some silver and/or white vinyl or similar, I’ve seen some girls use those materials to make great looking belts. You could also buy from a prop maker!
3. “Gentle Giant” Variation
(My portfolio entry is here.)
A very similar dress with similar challenges to the classic look, but also a decent project for a beginner. This look is based on the “Gentle Giant” maquette, which had a style similar to the Clone Wars cartoons.
This is basically what Rubies (Halloween costume manufacturer) sells as a Leia costume now, so you can go buy a cheap (and cheap looking) version of it right now. I used this Kwiksew pattern for mine, just adding the sleeves and the slits up the front. I made mine using basic white spandex and lined to the hip with nude spandex. It was honestly a fairly simple project, even if you’re new to sewing spandex. I hadn’t done a lot of spandex work at that point myself, and didn’t much trouble at all.
Again there’s the problem of the belt if you don’t want to tackle leather or metal – but I again suggest finding white and silver vinyl! Halloween time is the best time to find materials like that at local fabric stores!
4. Ceremonial Gown
(I’ve made two versions, my 2007 version and a quick version in 2005.
I’ve been on both sides of the “fence” with this costume – I’ve made a “serious” version in 2007, and a quick “for fun” version in 2005.
My 2007 version I used the same fabric I used for ANH Leia, with chiffon sleeves and a chiffon overlay on the bust (should have been one layer of the same dress material, but my material was not sheer enough). My necklace was resin cast and my belt was dyed silver leather with metal pieces. I think I used this pattern for it. Even after doing some reworking in 2010 I’m still not super happy with it. The sleeves/bustline is tricky. I’d love to remake mine actually!
The 2005 version is much simpler. I actually used the wrong side of white satin because I couldn’t find anything else I liked! I again used chiffon for the sleeves and the bust overlay – but it seemed easier – maybe because I wasn’t trying so hard? LOL. My necklace was just pieces of craft foam covered in metallic foil! And I reused my other Leia belt.
If you want to tackle this project, I would give yourself plenty of time to do it. It’s a beautiful dress and if you give it the time it deserves you will be very happy with it. Again I suggest visiting Padawan’s Guide and seeing some of the ways, tips and tricks from other people who have made the costume.
5. Slave Bikini
(My portfolio entry is here.)
I’m putting this kinda right in the middle because, I think it would be fairly difficult for a beginner to MAKE – however, there are LOTS of options for buying a kit and just making the fabric parts/accessories yourself. Rubies makes an affordable version, but I recommend checking out etsy or ebay before buying that, as there are various craftsmen who make the costume at varying cost levels. The Rubies version is fine if you just want the costume for a fun Halloween party and nothing more, but if you want something that will last and look more accurate, dig around and do some research on other sellers.
My version came with the hair accessories, collar, bra piece, armbands, and waist pieces. I created the bra inserts out of faux suede and glued them in place, and made the skirt panels (just rectangles gathered at the top). Check out my portfolio entry for more info on what I made.
I do know several girls who have jumped into making the whole thing themselves. Some have gone the route of sculpting and casting the entire costume themselves – wow! I know one girl who made hers out of re-enforced cardboard. So if you want to get creative, there are plenty of ways you could tackle the entire thing yourself.
6. Hoth/Bespin Escape Jumpsuit
(My portfolio entry on these are here (Bespin) and here (Hoth))
I put this a little lower in the list because I found parts of it very challenging. Parts of it were surprisingly easy – but, I’d say back then I was probably at about an “intermediate” level at sewing and I had some issues with this.
Part of the problem is there’s really not a good “jumpsuit” pattern for women. I had to try to alter a pattern meant for stretchy fabrics, which led to a lot of fit problems. However, since I’ve made this, there may be other options now! I haven’t looked in a while. I do know Green Pepper has a women’s jumpsuit pattern, though it would need some modification. For a more recent project that called for a similar suit (Trillian), I used this and just made a mock-up first and worked the fit down to what I needed – and I was pretty happy with it. So that could be an option!
I ended up using cotton as a lining – and lining material as the outside as I couldn’t find anything else I liked. I used the same stuff for the vest, just in an off-white. The boots were actually pretty easy since grey knee high boots aren’t hard to find right now, and the outside I made out of grey faux suede. The quilted sections were actually a lot of fun to make (the vest, collar, belt, arm and leg pads, etc).
With patience and a good pattern to go off of, I think a beginner could tackle this. Just talking about is making me want to remake mine.
7. Rebel Uniform/Endor Gear
(My portfolio entries are here (Uniform) and here (Endor))
I get a lot of interest on this one, especially the Endor Gear. Since this one has so many variations – you could just do the poncho/pants, or you could do the whole uniform without the gear, or you might want the helmet – it’s pretty flexible and you can do an “easier” or a “harder” version. I’m considering the entire costume, so I’m ranking it a bit low (or is it high? which way am I going here?).
I’m not going to go into my entire build of both costumes, since I’ve remade pieces and there’s a lot of parts – so check out my portfolio entries above if you want specifics. I will say that when I made my rebel uniform, it was probably a bit above my skill level. It’s one of those things I’d love to remake. My final version ended up with a pair of stirrup pants I made out of stretch knit, with a ribbon for the side stripe. The shirt was one I bought and altered, and the vest was made without a pattern out of denim.
The Endor Gear poncho was fun – but I ruined my first one! I had to start over. It’s just a large piece of heavy fabric – it’s a bit like a lighter-weight canvas. I used RIT dye to create the camo pattern, I lined my dyes up in little storage bins outside next to me, and applied each colour with sponges. I had always planned to go back and darken some areas with some more dye or possibly paint, but never got around to it. The poncho itself is basically just a giant rectangle with a slit cut in the top for my head and the collar attached. Go check out the comment sections of my Endor portfolio page – I broke it down for some folks in the comments there.
My helmet was made from a vintage WWII flying helmet and a plastic kit I got from the Rebel Legion. The flying helmets are hard to find, especially anything larger than a small (which is luckily what I wear) but it can be done. The kit was the two pieces of the “donut” section, made of plastic, which my husband painted and weathered for me. I honestly don’t know how I would have made this without the vintage helmet and the kit, but I’m sure it’s do-able. There’s plenty of times she doesn’t wear it if you want to skip it.
The belt I made out of webbing, a buckle, and my husband made my holster for me out of leather. My original holster I made out of vinyl, so there are alternate ways!
8. Boushh Disguise
(My portfolio entry is here.)
I’m putting this one at the end because honestly, without a lot of help from various people, I would not have gotten this costume made. It was a lot of leatherwork, a lot of various accessories that, even though I had kit pieces bought from another 501st member, they needed a LOT of work.
It was honestly one of the hardest and most expensive costumes I’ve made. There are ways you could make it easier – using faux suede for the pieces and skipping the helmet. But if you’re a beginner, unless you have some really good help, I’d suggest starting with something else – or give yourself PLENTY of time to make this, so you can research all the pieces, ways to make things, and so you have plenty of wiggle room with time and money in case you make mistakes or need to buy extra of something.
9. Bespin Gown
You’ll notice I have no picture or portfolio entry because my version of this is a pile of chiffon wadded into a bin, and it’s been in that state since 2006.
Technically I’m not even really ranking this costume because of that. I haven’t gone through making it myself outside of the beginning steps and some research. There are ways to do this costume that could be fairly easy or fairly hard. You could used fabric paint to do the design, or you could dive in and do all the embroidery yourself. But as I’ve never made it past the draping stage with the cape piece, I really don’t have a lot of thoughts on it. So you’re on your own for this one!
(2020 Edit: I should update this now that I’ve finally done Bespin. I’ll add that to my website update to-do list.)
And just for added reference! Here are my various Leia hair tutorials: ANH Leia Method #1 (Cinnamon Bun Method), ANH Leia Method #2 (Donut Method), Ceremonial Leia, Bespin Leia, Slave Leia, Hoth Leia, and Rebel/Endor Gear.