Plus Size professional costume

I'm looking for a plus size professional Star Wars costume. I'm going to Disney during Star Wars weekend and want it to be good quality. I'm thinking about making the Jaina Solo tunic, but I'm not sure if it will be good enough. Anybody have any ideas for plus sizes?

 

I'm plus size, and right now I'm working on a Royal Guard. It's a bit heavy cuz it's pretty much 10 yards of Velvet, but the robes hide enough.

 

I too struggle with being plus sized and trying to make an awesome costume. Finally I just say forget what everyone else thinks and go for something that you want. Who cares if you are a little bigger! Everyone comes in different sizes. I actually made the sleepless knights gown. People didn't like it too bad! Hope you find what you want. Jedi would be great too! Just my two cents.

 

I'll second the Jedi idea- Jedi robes properly fitted look good on just about everyone. I'm plus-sized and look wicked in mine
When I say properly fitted, I'm not talking rediculous amounts of tailoring- just make them not so baggy they're falling off, yet not too small or tight either. Asian clothing like that tends to be fairly forgiving of many body types.

 

In my opinion, it helps the overall look of a costume when the wearer is about the same size as the character. It helps to capture the essence of the character. For example, a 5?-6? Darth Vader does not look right. Likewise, a plus sized Jedi, Darth Maul, or Slave Leia just does not look right.

You are certainly free to make whatever costume you want. However, if you want to create a realistic and eye catching costume, I would find a character that is closer to your individual body size.

Please don?t take this the wrong way. This is not meant to insult plus sized people.

 

In one of the Tales comics, there's a very chubby Jedi; he's a chef and competes in some sort of Jedi Iron Chef competition. But the point is, he has normal Jedi robes, and they look great. Jedi robes look excellent on almost every body type; of course the 'average' human Jedi is medium-tall and athletic, but not all of them are.

One thing that's interesting that I noticed about Jedi robes is that they actually look better if they look large. Not large in proportion to the person wearing them, but as in making the person look bigger. The tabbords especialy have to do with this; they help present a very solid figure. You'll notice most of the female Jedi who wear traditional robes (rather than, say, Luminara or Aayla's custom ones) look solid rather than slight or delicate. Tailoring the tabbords would probably be the most important part to the costume. Perhaps widen the shoulders of them (they're supposed to make the shoulders look broader anyway) but make the rest of them (the parts that go over your torso) a bit thinner and contoured to you, or whatever would even out your porportions.

I hope at least some of that made sense.

 

I'll agree that a plus-sized Slave Liea might not look right, since that skimpy costume leaves little to the imagination and exposes practically all of the "problem" areas that plus-sized people deal with. But that holds true for ANY skimpy costume or outfit.

If I limit myself to characters that "look like me", then what am I supposed to wear? I'm 5'3 and plus sized. Not a lot of characters from the Star Wars universe who match that description.
Unless I decide to be a short Gammorean or the Rancor Keeper's female counterpart, which I'm really not that interested in. What's left? wear pants and T-shirt while the slimmer people get to wear costumes? Heck with that, I would rather stay home.
Sorry if I'm coming across as harsh, but being plus-sized is a frustration for me, even when it comes to "normal" clothing. Most clothing patterns stop at a size 20, and even a lot of ready-made things just don't get translated into plus-sizes, even though they would certainly look good. It's bad enough that my mundane options are limited so severely, but to have somebody tell me that my costume choices must also be so constrained, just because I don't look like a Bally's ad model..well, that just sucks. If anything, I find long Jedi robes to be quite slimming, not to mention one of the most comfortable, livable costumes I've ever made. There's also the way I feel in them- They feel a LOT better to wear than standard pants and t-shirt. There's a certain aura of grace and power in those robes and other garments like them, which shows through when I wear them. I've had people tell me "You don't wear that outfit like a costume. You wear it like it's your normal clothing".
I think that that's got to figure into choosing a costume somewhere. No matter what your body size, if you feel uncomfortable, awkward, or what-have-you, then no amount of tailoring will make it look right- your discomfort will show. OTOH, if wearing the thing makes you feel awesome, then that too will show through, in the way that you carry yourself. Observant folks will notice!

Jedi robes bear a good many similarities to men's traditional Japanese clothing. And Japanese clothes tend to look good on many body types if they're scaled properly. I've seen skinny men who looked amazing in traditional Japanese attire, and I've seen pictures of massive Sumo wrestlers wearing the full kimono/hakama/haori ensemble and looking awesome while doing it.
They look very dignified and imposing, NOT somebody you would want to cross in a fight.
Although I did see a picture once of some Sumo wrestler in full robes holding a little orange kitten- Too cute!
So if Sumo Wrestlers can make robes look good, I see no reason why plus-sized people can't make Jedi attire work. Just get a proper fit with the robes, and adjust the width of the sash and tabards to fit your proportions, and you should be fine. About the only major problems might be making the sash and tabards too big or too skinny.


Here's a few pics of plus-sized me in Jedi kit:
http://img47.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf0817su1.jpg
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/433/img0558hi5.jpg
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/34/longrobesxm4.jpg
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/9946/dscf06679lq.jpg

And a couple of Sith pics
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/2561/img0649copyci1.jpg
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/9861/img0676copyhu2.jpg

 

many of the queen amidala gowns, if you proportion and fit the gowns correctly, can be effectively made and the wearer does not look so plus sized (those hoop skirts do wonders!)

its all about fit - if a garment fits correctly, while the wearer still looks larger than a size 0-2 model, but can still look nice in the outfit..

jen

 

Thank you for sharing your photos.

For those wanting an option other than Jedi robes, I suggest the various Galactic Senators and aides. Both men and women can find costumes that are flattering.

The in-universe purpose is to make the wearer appear larger than life, in more ways than one, so the petite, whether plus-sized or not, can find good outfits. The aesthetic is rather Tudor. For example, the petite and delicate Padmé is transformed into an image of power and authority by her gown worn in ATOC when she meets in Palpatine's office. That gown was dubbed the African Elizabethan in DAG for the mix of African headgear and Spanish court dress of the Elizabethan era. Recall too that Padmé Amidala hid her pregnancy by appearing to be plus-sized. The highly embellished fabrics and trapezoid silhouette worn previously in ATOC by Lexi Dio, now worn by the senator from Naboo, did not seem out of place.

With some alterations to the gown, Senator Bana Breemu would be another good choice. http://www.rebelshaven.com/SWFFAQ/bana.php

The Naboo courtiers seen briefly in the throne room in TPM and ATOC would also be a good choice.

Edit: As abodeofthedamned suggests below, the best costume is whatever pleases YOU the most. It took a near-miss from the Grim Reaper to drill into my head that life is too short to spend it wondering what other people might think. If you are confident and happy, it will show. The most confident and attractive ROTS Anakin at CIV looked more like an offensive lineman than a tennis player.

 

Another option is, if you're comfortable with your body (and you should be), and you have a sense of humor about it, do a 'after they let themselves go' version of a character. Heck, get a bunch of plus sized friends to troop around with as various characters.

But the main thing is, do something comfortable and something you're happy with. This is your costume.

 

Honestly, I think a plus-sized Jaina tunic would be great! If I'm thinking of the same one you are, then it's basically a Jedi tunic with some personal Jaina-ish touches. Just make it for you, and make sure it fits you correctly. Then show off your creation with pride!

 

I'm still in complete agreement with the make the costume for YOU statement. It has to be something that you love to wear. Believe me, it'll show when you put the costume on and you feel great in it!

 

It may not look right but I've seen shorter Vaders and heavier Mauls. I know they won't win a contest since they aren't movie accurate versions but costuming should just be an extension of "dress up" from when we were kids.

Especially if you're going to Disney. Its not like Disney is filled with skinny Sith, any costume you make will ad to the fun of being there. Trust me, a place where people wear mouse ears isn't going to have people who care if you are thick or thin, tall or short. I was there after Thanksgiving, its like its own isolated world where kids dress as pirates and princesses everyday no matter the shape or color. Adults get there faces painted and everyone wears silly hats.

Its so much fun to let go and do as the Disney do while you're there. Cause at home nobody waves Mickey gloves and says "Have a magical day"- I think I'm in withdrawal now. [face_alien_1]

 

Just my 0.02 since the talk is going into what is suitable for Plus Size Costumers and what isn't.

Well, being a Plus size person myself, I feel that we should stay away from certain costumes that "not meant for us" like Slave Leia. Ya, maybe the exception is when it's meant as a parody (like Abodeofthedamned said) or for private or minor events. Seriously, every time I see this local Cosplayer who's Plus Size and body shape is like a Ruler (everywhere is plus size) wear sleevesless tight costumes or one with way too much Laces around the wrong places, I want to puke.

Bodysuits are dependable. If it's fitted properly, maybe made slightly loose or fitted nicely around certain areas and have "other parts" to offset the tightness of the Bodysuit like a Cape or Coat, then it's "okay" for us Plus Size people to wear it. For me, I won't wear my Padme Battlesuit or Snow Bunny Costume without its Capes as I feel that it help to distract people from how tight my Bodysuit it (yes, between 2005 and now, I gain a bit too much already ). And regardless of me in costume or Armor, I will usually wear a Tummy Corset or Shaper, no matter how uncomfortable it's gonna be when I sit down or those Bones poking into my thigh (ya, must remember to adjust those Spiral Bones before wearing the Shaper but some times I just forget). Not sure if you are aware of this but unless you have bloody trim Tummy or wearing costumes that're not body hugging around the waist, you can't live without the Sharper.

Seriously, I do not put much limit to what Costume or Armor I want to wear unless it's too revealing or expose my weak spots.

And yes, Short Vader is okay as long as the Armor is well-done. In Singapore, we used to have it and ironically, at that time, the rest of us are not that tall either or those who're taller than our Vader will try to be in the Background or stand away from our Vader when having our photos taken. Of course, things had change, we got Tall Vaders now and even they are into Platform Shoes to give the almost 2m height.

Overall, just do which ever costume you want but when it comes to those "really not meant for us Plus Size Costumers", do have a thought to how others will feel upon seeing us. Then again in SW, I only see a few.

 

I remember somebody here saying that one of the best Vaders they had ever seen was not only 5'3 but female!
I think a lot of it depends on the quality of the costume, and how the person wearing it carries themselves. What they lack in size, they make up for in attitude.

 

If I saw a 5?-3? female Vader I would assume that they meant to be funny. You know, like the Elvis Trooper. The best Vader costumes I?ve seen are the ones that are tall and imposing. They give you an idea of what it might actually feel like to be in Vader?s presence if he were real.

 

I happen to be a big guy (6? 7?, 265 lbs., 44 inch waist, & 52 inch chest) and figured this might be a good place to get some assistance. I think I?d make a great Vader but, my size isn?t helping matters unless I had $2500 to spend on a tailor made costume.

The only thing I can think of doing is buying the Rubies Supreme Edition XL costume and using it with a custom made cape. I realize that I may have to get the suit tailored, but that?s a minimal price to pay as compared to buying a custom made piece.

Anyway, I?m hoping someone here has better advice or can point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance,

Harry

 

That would be VaderKinde, IIRC. She was about 5'3" tall, and used a heavily-modified Don Post STANDARD helmet, which was proportionately the correct scale (about 75%). The rest of her (handmade) costume, from photos I saw, looked FANTASTIC. Of course, I never saw photos of her with a bunch of troopers.

A lot of what we do may or may not be strictly "accurate" - my first true foray into the costuming world as an adult was Darth Maul, which I did for Halloween '01, and I'm no Ray Park (6' and a fraction, 265lbs or so), but my costume ROCKED, and everyone who saw it took pains to tell me how great it was. The only reason I don't still do that costume is that I got tired of scaring small children to tears every single time I wore it. Bottom line, there are plenty of opportunities to wear fantastic-looking costumes regardless of your body type, although there certainly are some choices that may open you up to... criticism, shall we say. Still, I say wear what you want! It's YOUR COSTUME.

As some have already commented, there are Senatorial and Royalty-type costumes which ought to serve well for plus-sized costumers. Jedi should be easily-doable, IMO, although you may need to do a custom pattern (the old Simplicity patterns don't get up to my size, for example, not to mention their inaccuracies). Even armor CAN be doable, although some types are more forgiving than others. I do a good Vader, but am not comfortable in my Stormtrooper (but it's not adjusted right anyways, I could work on it and make it look better even considering my size). You DON'T have to be a Gamorrean.

 

I was just wondering.....does Disney allow people in the park in costume? I know they use 501st and Rebel Legion in the parades, but because of problems last year they're being really strict this year with only pre-approved member costumes.

 

I don't think they are allowing anyone who isn't in the 2 Legions to go in costume this year.

Apparently last year, from what I gathered on the RL forums, since they posted about meeting places on the open public forums, people who were not in either group, and didn't necessarily have good costumes, thought they could just show up and tag along, and that created problems.

So I think this year only pre-approved costumes from the invited groups will be allowed, and they are using a private forum to talk about the Event and post where the meeting places will be.

 

Heehee...one reason why I worked towards getting a Biker Scout Trooper Armor 1st all these years instead of Stormtrooper was because I saw a very Plus Size lady wore it at SD ComicCon and she didn't look that bad. I think it's someone's GF/Wife here as it was back around 2002, right after GT had to close down thanks to LFL Lawyer's "Love Letter". Scout also seems to be more forgiving for those who're short or tall IMHO tho' skinny ones may need some paddings (remembering how my friend looked like when he wore his ex-Scout Armor and how much space there was when he wore his Clone before it was modified correctly ).

Other than that, I guess short people also seems to be better for Pilot; the joke we told in our Garrison here is that they needed shorter people to fit into the TIE Fighter Cockpit. And Fat people are okay for it too as when someone critic, you can always reply that you "belong to one of those Squadron who was posted on the Outer Rim and didn't get to see much action" like the Squadron Baron Fel was posted to in one of the DH Comics.

Other Imperials Costume/Armor are also okay for us Plus Size Costumers and the only Armor I see that have restriction is the Stormtrooper/Sandtropper tho' it can be fix like wider Thigh and Calf piece. Heck! One of the 1st Asian Stormie I knew was only 1.5m tall, around my height and yet after trimming and some modifications, she looked great in her Stormtrooper Armor.

Ya, the only reason why I haven't reconsider again getting a Stormtrooper Armor apart from the financial part, is that I knew my Thighs and Calf are still too big to fit into the size available in the market. Height can always be fix slightly with one of those Boots Height Inserts and wearing Boots with heels.

That reminded me, got to find better photos of Imperial Officer Boots and decide how high I want the heels to be. Gonna ask a friend to get her source custom make my boots for me as I have Fat Calves.

 

Thank you everyone for all the ideas!

 

In my opinion, it helps the overall look of a costume when the wearer is about the same size as the character.



In that case, since females in the movies are never anything but thin-thin-thin and ethereally beautiful, I'd never be able to dress up as anything.

 

Exactly. See my thread on Jedi garb for unusual body types. My friend fell in love with my Twi'lek garb, and now wants to be a Twi'lek Jedi. By that logic, she can't. She's 4'11 and plus-sized.

 

But in the bar/cantina scene in AOTC there is a plus size Twi'lek.

There is also Yarna from Jabba's Palace. I finally talked my husband into doing Malakili the Rancor Keeper if I costume Yarna the 6 breasted dancer.