1. Introductions
Every year in October I do the Fall for Costume challenge, which always has a lot of fun prompts for posting different costume pictures. This year it wasn’t vibing with me and I gave up on it last week, the prompts just weren’t doing it for me. I’m still checking the prompts each day to see if it’s something I want to post, so it may make a return to my social media before the month is over.
But last night I was checking to see what the prompt was today, and I don’t know what made me think of it, but I thought, I wonder if I could do this whole challenge with one costume? Like answer every prompt with a different photo of the same costume. I only have one costume I have enough photos of to even attempt it – senatorial Leia.
I wouldn’t ever do this on my social media feed, because nobody wants to see an entire month’s worth of nothing but Leia pictures, so I decided, let’s make the whole thing one blog post and just see how I do. Is it even possible? We’ll find out!
Now I’m already cheating a bit because I’m going to use all 4 of my senatorial Leia versions for this – 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2018. I mean it’s the same Leia costume, I just happen to have made it 4 times. So with that all said, onto the next prompt…
2. The beginnings
Of course that has to be the 2002 last minute Leia! But I do also want to say here I had an even earlier Leia. When I was a kid, in my bag of dress up clothes, i had a white robe sort of thing — it was part of a Bride of Frankenstein costume my mom had done. And i’d put it on and pretend to be Leia.
But as for things I DO have photos of and that’s the 2002 Leia. This was a very last minute costume — originally, I was actually going to wear my mom’s SECOND Bride of Frankenstein costume, with a belt, to be Leia at the AOTC midnight show that year. But when I tried it on it was too short and I didn’t think about the edges being ragged. so I ran out to Hancock Fabrics, bought new fabric, and mom and I threw this together in one night. Nothing is hemmed, in fact, nothing on this is sewn. Its just 2 big cuts of fabric with holes cut in the side for the belt to go through and a hole for the head. I used my She-Ra belt and some (braided) extensions. And I had so much fun wearing this.
3. Autumnal Sun
That brings me to my second Leia from 2004. Here I am, October 2004, late afternoon sun. I’ve always liked the warmth of these photos.
4. Small budget, big results
For this one I’m going to go with my 2004 leia boots. I bought these used, 1980s white boots on ebay in 2004 for dirt cheap. They have a plaid flannel interior! When they arrived they were a little more “natural white” than i would’ve liked, so I painted them to be a more “bright white” but then wearing them in the rain at Celebration 3 a few months later made some of the paint around the foot area bleed off. You can see how much “dirtier” the feet portion look in every photo since LOL
But – I did get big results of this cheap purchase. I wore these with Both the 2004 and 2006 Leias (and for a about a year with the 2018 version!) – so they were my Leia boots for 15 years until I got the new ones in 2019.
Not bad for a used pair of boots off ebay.
5. Upcycled, resurrected, patched up
My Leia belt has definitely been “patched up” more than a few times. I still absolutely love it, and whenever I retire it, I plan to have it framed.
Basically the white leather paint I used in 2004 has cracked NUMEROUS times. I’ve painted over those spots so many times that the entire white portion has kind of a crinkly effect to it LOL. The craft metal on the conchos has also developed some spots where the sheen has rubbed off (or something, I dunno), and I’ve touched up with silver paint. Or tried to.
I’m also missing a snap on the back but I’ve never fixed that, it’s a series of 3 snaps so I just use 2. I’ll talk more about belt plans in another prompt.
6. Adventurous Outdoors
Getting arrested by the empire back in 2006!
It’s funny but I don’t really have a lot of “outdoor” photos of this costume. I mean yeah obviously I’ve worn it outdoors a lot but like, outside at a baseball arena or in front of a store. Not really what you think of when you think “outdoors” especially “adventurous outdoors” LOL
7. Surprise
Surprise! I accidentally sewed a flower into my 2018 Leia dress. I’d finished getting the lining attached all along the bottom and was moving onto the sleeves and thank GOODNESS I noticed this little white flower leftover from another project had gotten stuck inside between the outside layer and the lining. And I was able to fish it out through the unfinished neck opening. Otherwise it would’ve stayed in there forever LOL
8. The tools of the trade
My set up for recording some tiktok videos on my Leia buns back in 2020 – my multiple bun options, comb, hair pins, hairnets, etc!
I’ve been saying for a while I’m going to do an instagram live doing the buns and I just never think about it when I have time. One of these days. Then I can save the recording and upload it somewhere.
9. Medieval Romance
Ok here’s where I run into trouble… because I do have a medieval Leia costume but if I’m sticking to only senatorial then I can’t use it here. So I’ll interpret this as “old” romance and here’s an ancient pic of me and Chase back at dragoncon 2006. Me and Ash manning the Rebel Legion table while Chase fixes my Leia collar closure for me (my hook and eye was always coming undone). How chivalrous LOL
10. In the Forest
At first I was thinking oh crap I have no pics of this costume in a forest. But then I remember that we did an entire mini photoshoot during an event at the Botanic Gardens in 2019!
11. Gothic
I feel like this photo is just ready and primed to be repainted in the Gothic style.
12. Pride and Prejudice (or any book) and Zombies
I mean
13. Friends and Foes
The 2007 toy drive was a great collection of friends and foes, I’m often the only rebel standing amongst a sea of imperials, but we had a good RL turnout for this one.
14. Costuming Familiars
My forever baby
15. Unusual Materials and Textures
I’m going to go back to my 2002 Leia for this one because anybody who knows me knows I’ve been OBSESSED with this fabric since the early 2000s. I got it at Hancock back in the day and I’m pretty sure it was marked as some kind of lingerie fabric. It’s very lightweight, no stretch, but has this beautiful sheen and almost sparkle to it – not like a satin, it’s more like a shimmer than a shine. I used it for multiple projects back in the day because it also took dye really well – it’s also my first Padme lake gown, my Belldandy underskirt and cape, my manga Belldandy skirt, off the top of my head. I haven’t seen anything else like it since about 2004-2005. Every other lingerie fabric I’ve looked at doesn’t have the same weight and sheen. I wish I could find it again.
I also wish I could find my 2002 Leia dress. Sadly I haven’t seen it in years and it kills me. I must have loaned it out and not gotten it back, because at this point I’ve been through EVERYTHING and it’s nowhere, unless it miiiiiight be in my parents’ attic? I doubt it though. Unfortunately I think it’s gone. But if it ever does turn up, I have plans for it…
16. Reflections
Hey! I’m gonna be back here tonight.
17. Celebrations
Here I am at Celebration 3… celebrating folks that just got engaged at the RL photoshoot. Double celebration!
18. Cozy Indoors
Oh lord take me back… my grandparent’s house. When we used to do the Star Wars night with the Jackson Generals, I’d go up and stay at my grantparent’s for the weekend. Here i am doing a mirror check before heading out to the game. This was the “big room” upstairs where I’d stay when I was there. When they moved out of this house to move in with my aunt & uncle a few years ago, it felt more like I was losing my childhood home more than when we moved from my actual childhood home LOL. What I wouldn’t give to be snuggled up under a blanket on my Mema’s couch watching Law & Order with her while she does crossword puzzles…
19. Misty Memories
Let’s dig way back into Kell-Leia lore, something i often forget about – my 2004 Leia dress seen back in #3 was not actually my first 2004 Leia dress. This one here was. I had started out with a different pattern and a heavier fabric. I got it to the point you see here, decided it wasn’t looking right, and started over. I set this first attempt aside, until 2006 when this became the underdress for my Corde costume, with a new pair of sleeves.
20. Handsewn
While all of the seams were machine sewn, there was a lot of hand sewing that went into the 2018 Leia – a lot of basting to get the outer layer and lining layers lined up correctly, and hand finishing the the collar interior and of course the edges of the hood.
21. The elements
Ok I know I already used a similar pic for Celebrations, but i can’t NOT use another from that same shoot because when I tell yall it was actively raining in this pic, it was RAINING. Not sprinkling. I know it’s hard to see in the photo but that’s why my hood is up. My hair was all messed up. Dad is directly above me in his Qui-Gon, obviously also pretty miserable. We were all absolutely soaked after this and had to go change – that’s why I have very few pics of my Leia AT celebration, because it had to go back to the room and dry out.
22. By the Candlelight
I got nothing here. Does lightsaber light count? LOL
23. Fantasy
Getting to shoot a t-shirt cannon was a fantasy of mine. I got to do it, too, at this Memphis Grizz game in 2010. I practiced with it backstage (and got to keep the shirt). Unfortunately it jammed right as our time to go out during the time out, but i still got to run around the floor during an active basketball game and throw tshirts to the crowd.
24. The Circle of Life
04, 06 and 2018. I wish I could find 2002 to have the complete circle.
25. Next Project
New belt. Finally. I considered buying white leather for it instead of trying to dye or paint leather – took a pic of this here at tandy to remember it, but ultimately I went back to the same leather hide I used for the 2004 version. It’s been sitting in my closet waiting to be used since 2018. I need to find a weekend and take it out to my parents and have dad help me assemble it all again. He’s the master, I am but an apprentice.
26. Haunted Castles
Me out here in the dark looking for a haunted castle and coming up empty
27. Traditions
I always take a selfie before an event, usually in the car, to double check my hair. I have so many Leia selfies hidden in my smugmug gallery because like, who cares, who needs that many selfies of me in my Leia costume LOL
28. Spooky
I look a little ghostly here? Maybe? I’m reaching. But this was again at my Mema’s house and I’m 100% convinced it was haunted, so there, extra spooky.
29. Horrors and Monsters
About to get eaten by a polar bear
30. Witchy Hour
I miss the days of midnight shows and IHOP after. At least, I miss the idea of it. This probably would’ve been right around 2 AM after seeing AOTC at midnight, so as close to witching hour as I can get.
31. All Hallow’s Eve
I have only worn Leia on halloween proper once, and that was 2004. I found a lot of times where I wore her to Halloween events, trunk or treats, pumpkinfest, etc but never again on Halloween itself. I might change that this year. I’ve been wondering what to wear halloween night because it’s turning COLD here that day (like literally forecast right now is Monday is high of 80, Tuesday is high of 50), so Leia might be the ticket. I’m just handing out candy at home so it’s not like I need to be bundled up, but also dont want to get cold everytime I open the door, nor be uncomfortable while sitting around inside waiting on the doorbell to ring.
The End. I think I did pretty well, just a couple of things I didn’t have an answer for! Maybe I will do something like this again next year, I could do like, only my Donna Noble costumes, or only Padme, or only things I made that year. That would be fun.