Padme Amidala Episode 3 Dresses (Spoilers)

"Obi-Dawn said once that Padme was rumored to have red outfits..."

No, no, no. I was referring to something McCallum said about the overall visual look of the movie which he described as being influenced by the paintings of Mark Rothko. His work incorporated a lot of red. I said if Padme did have red costumes it would go along with this, but I have no idea what colors she is actually going to be wearing.

If that 'red dress' was really a costumed person on the set it could have just as easily been one of Palpy's guards for all we know.

Master Domtis, your posts are very insightful. I think you are on the right track and those are great pics.

 

No problem, Obi-Dawn Kenobi. I love history, and any time I can apply it for any reason, I am more than happy to!

If I may suggest something more, I have noticed a trend in the last two movies concerning Amidala's outfits that may be continued into the next. Mind you, this is all speculation, but I thought that I'd throw it out there anyway.
Each wardrobe (well, most of the outfits) in each movie seems to be based off of the outfits from at least one time era....
Now this is seen better with examples from ep I, but can still be seen in ep II.
Ep I being inspired by the ancient or triditional costumes of different cultures, whereas Ep II being inspired by both modern outfits and those of Elizabethan England.
(I'll get picts for another post later)

If we, for the sake of speculation, say the same for ep III, we may be able to predict the look of more than just one gown, or the style for at least parts of gowns. Or even, rather, the fashion "don'ts" for the next movie.

All of this was just inspired by the conversation on red. If we want to base any outfit on the renaissance era (or around then) then I'll almost promise you that red is a major don't. As a member of a renaissance re-enacting group (as much as I love red) I would never be caught dead in it, at least while in garb.
Red was reserved strictly for the "ladies of the evening" and no woman would ever wear it as more than an accent color.

A propos, just a warning, (because I see it all the time) if anyone reading this wears red to a renaissance fair and is chuckled at, you now know why ...just a warning as much as it is a suttle beg...

 

here's what I found for ep I:

Being a major in Egyptology, I'll start with the one most obvios to me: the purple travel dress...well the headdress at least. The sleeves themselves remind me of the red senet dress (which is mongolian through and through) but the headdress is certianlly Egyptian.

[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/amidala/purple_front.jpg] [image=http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/egypt/cairo/djoshead.jpg]

You've got also, the gray dress worn in the apt. with Sen. Palp....very Japanese as many people have already noticed and pointed out:

[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/amidala/coruscant4.jpg] [image=http://www.masakoformals.com/english/kimono/kimono.jpg]

I always get a sort of Chinese imperial feel with this one...

[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/amidala/coruscant_black.jpg] [image=http://athene.mit.csu.edu.au/~rmclachl/hst209/man.jpg]

And of course, the mongolian dress:

[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/amidala/senate2.jpg] [image=http://www.padawansguide.com/amidala/mongolian.jpg]

In Ep II, many were modern and need no comparison, but there are a few that are rather Elizabethan:

This has almost a James VI feel to it. (Also, James I of England...yes, I prefer the Scottish title)

[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/padme/dark/padme_dark.jpg] [image=http://www.baeli.com/pics/rozi/bluedress3.jpg]
no this isn't anyone from my group, but it was such a perfect example, I couldn't help but to use it

as does this one, notice the lines of the dress. Those shoulders are very typical of the late 1500s and early 1600s.

[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/padme/purple/padme_purple_promo1.jpg] [image=http://www.fashion-era.com/ironclad_small2.jpg]

[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/padme/purple/padme_purple_myth.jpg] [image=http://www.ancientthreads.com/img/cat2.jpg]
had to show the shoulders....


well, anyway, I think you get the idea...every movie has its theme....I doubt this one will be any exception. Personally, I'd love to see a renaissance inspired wardrobe...so many possibilities. What do you all think?

 

Wow, Master! That's a great comparison--I think you are right on track.

Sorry for the misunderstanding Obi-Dawn.

-sky

 

Wow, Master! That's a great comparison--I think you are right on track.

Sorry for the misunderstanding Obi-Dawn.

-sky

 

Just a few little tidbits from the set diary today...Pablo talked about the detail that goes into set dressing, poining out in particular Padme's closet in her appartment. There are several gowns that were supplied by the costuming department that are hung on beautifully crafted hangers that have some Naboo emlems on them. Unfortunately, the camera won't spend much time exploring these meticulous details when they shoot the scene, but it's nice to know it's there. Also, Anakin has another shirtless scene in the next film (my prayers answered!!!) and they used a blue armcovering so they can ILM his arm out later in post.
Also, Chewbacca was featured. He will have a new more articulate mask to go with his new suit. Lou Elsey, Fabrication Supervisor is trying to recapture all of Chewie's looks from all of the films to come up with his new look. She says it will be a little more messy because George likes him that way.

 

^^^LOL at your sig, Nya! The wookie quote

 

Why thank you, skywalker. I got it from the Star Wars 20th aniversary souvenir book. Ah, Star Wars inspires us all, no?

 

Obi Anne:
That's a good point, to see something Mon Mothmaesc...even a bit Alderaanish perhaps?
It would be interesting for certian, but I guess would fit in nicely with the patterns that are already present. Mon Mothma has a very distinct Roman look about her way of dress...as does the rest of the generals and even some of the Alderaanian outfits. Just take a look:

[image=http://www.netcolony.com/entertainment/sithknight/misc/monmothma.jpg] [image=http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/toga2.jpg]

I couldn't find the picture I was looking for... I had seen one of a Roman boy with the exact same jewelry as Mon Mothma...oh well.

But yeah, that may be interesting to see it go back to the Roman look. Even Leia's ANH gown had that about it. I've seen outfit concepts from the 1200's that cross Roman with Early European. One sticks out in my mind...it had the slightly low empire waist, was a simple gown, with a rectangular poncho-like thing draped over the shoulders. It was rather elagant with an almost Greek look to it. I still have to favor the 1600's style of Henrietta Maria on the other page though...

 

More rambling:

In regards to the latest set diary which mentions a scene(s) between Anakin and Padme in her apartment on Coruscant, I was thinking that if Anakin is topless in some or all of said scene, then maybe we can assume that perhaps they are in her bedroom? And if Anakin is topless than perhaps we will see Padme in a nightdress or dressing robe of some sort?
It's been established that they designed costumes for her to help disguise her pregnancy, but I think it's safe to say that there will be at least a few costumes that won't hide it because it's important that the audience have some solid visual establishment that she is pregnant.

Back to the issue of red...I finally got the latest Insider that has the quote from McCallum regarding Rothko paintings and it really doesn't mention red. It reads:
The reason why his (Rothko's) work makes a great analogy for the look of Episode III? "By the time he committed suicide [in 1970], " explains Rick McCallum, "all of his paintings were black."
Taking into consideration that Lucas has always used color in all his films as a symbol for relating tone and emotion, we can look back at some of the times he has employed red costumes. They seem to be worn by characters in places and/or times of aggression. Padme wears red in TPM when she is the ruler of an entire planet confronting the Neimodians from her throne room in Theed and when she goes before the senate and takes the extremely aggressive action of calling for a vote of no confidence in Vallorum's leadership. Sabe, acting as her decoy, wears red in her costume when she asks the Gungans for help and then proceeds on invading the palace.
We also see red costumes brilliantly worn by the Emperor's guards who symbolize his power. Make a move against Palpy and the red guards will aggressively take you out.
Sith lightsabers have always been red....etc.
My point? I think Padme's clothing color will reflect her feelings and the situations she is in as they have in the other two films. When she is masking her pregnancy I would expect darker colors with brighter highlights around her face. In private I would expect either soft colors (impending motherhood will surely bring out the feminine side in her) or somber colors. We still don't know any details about her relationship with Anakin and how happy it is, so if Padme is happy or sad then I think her costumes will reflect that.

 

Just to add one more historical comparison:

This costume always reminded me of this Egyptian statue. Granted, it is a statue of a priest, but the similarities are there.

[image=http://www.theforce.net/multimedia/archive/Images/Episode_2/Characters/Padme/aotc-padme09.jpg] [image=http://www.costumes.org/history/kohler/Fig15Egypt.JPG]

 

I just got extremely excited. I hope to GOODNESS she has some red dresses.

 

Probably! Movies always make things look extra perfect! Including the actors/actresses. Padme's hair is always perfect. Even when she just woke up! Wish my hair would do that!

---
PadmeWannaB

 

but I think it's safe to say that there will be at least a few costumes that won't hide it because it's important that the audience have some solid visual establishment that she is pregnant.

Are we even sure she will be pregnant in the movie? It's possible that the kids will already be born, right?

 

We're pretty sure that she's going to be pregant. Wasn't there something a while back about her costumes being like a disguise, much like the Episode One, and would be hiding the fact that she would be pregant.

 

I just looked at the site that someone had put up about Mark Rothko and I noticed how a lot of his later works are black and red. Maybe it will be a lot of those colors...

 

skywalker325, Ian McCaig, one of the concept artists who is responsible for Padme's costume designs, has said: "Ironically, in this one, she?s back to wearing disguises. As well as now hiding this marriage to a Jedi, which is not allowed, she has to hide the fact that she?s going to have babies."
This quote comes directly from the official site's Homing Beacon e-mail newsletter, so I think it's pretty safe to say she will be pregnant in Episode 3.

You can read his entire quote in my post on the first page of this thread.

 

k thanks, Obi-Dawn. I just wanted to check and make sure we weren't getting ahead of ourselves.

 

Looks like we may have just gotten our first glimpse of Anakin with Padme on the Hyperspace webcam. 9:33:00 shows a clear shot of their silhouettes. If it is her, IMO, she looks pregnant.

 

hm...actually I think she doesn't look pregnant!

But the outfit reminds me of the light blue tatooine one, except without the bare midriff--but it's straight and flow-y like that.

 

Thanks for posting that Obi-Dawn - I'm with you - I think it looks like her stomach is sticking out! If you go to the webcam image she pointed out (July 7,2003, 9:33:00 ) and click the next button a few times, the next few webcam shots show the two figures embracing and then at 9:34:00, the figure which I assume is Anakin walks off, and Padme stays standing there. Kind of interesting!

BTW, Obi-Dawn, I really liked your little commentary on the potential colors in costumes and possibly the different feel of "pregnancy-hiding" Padme, to private Padme. I think you may be right - that they will want to contrast the two. How she is dressed when alone with her husband may be different.

My only question is - does she hide the pregnancy from Anakin? Does he know? In the Original Trilogy he senses Luke is his son (not sure if he knew he had one out there, just didn't know where), but interacting tons with Leia without sensing a thing. I don't think he has any inking he has a daugther too.

Just curious because if Padme is more relaxed when alone with Anakin, and is wearing something that doesn't disguise her pregancy, than obviously he would know she's pregnant.

Unless they do one of those "TV movie of the week" things where they lie and tell Anakin that the babies are dead when they're not.


Maggie

 

I saw these webcam shots, and I must admit that I don't think she's pregnant yet. Granted, there's alot of fabric involved, but she just doesn't seem to be pregnant--things hang too straight. But then again we don't know the details of the script, so she could very well be in the early months of pregnancy. It's so hard to tell.

As for the color, the blue/aqua lighting really doesn't seem to affect the color too much, but I would agree with a similar match to the Tatooine blue cloak, or perhaps something lighter that turned aqua with the set's lighting.

Oh, I'm so desperate for details!

 

But then again we don't know the details of the script, so she could very well be in the early months of pregnancy.

I certainly don't think she's very pregnant in that pic, if she's pregnant at all. However, this movie is only a couple hours and a lot has to happen after the birth...so I'm just not sure where to assume they'll start it.