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Princess Leia Princess Leia Hoth & Bespin city costumes

Discussion in 'Costuming and Props' started by Zam-the-Assasin, Jul 17, 2002.

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  1. Zam-the-Assasin

    Zam-the-Assasin Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 29, 2002
    Ok, I am getting ahead of myself since I am already working on 2 costumes at the moment. But, I was wondering. Has anyone made a Bespin Leia Costume? I am wanting to gather info on this for a future project, and also her Hoth Snowsuit. Any thoughts?

    S_S edit: just unlocking :)
     
  2. JediToren

    JediToren Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 20, 2000
    I'm certain that Brandi of Atlanta, GA has done it. I think she has done every Leia costume except for Bespin.

    I'm sure you can contact her through the Hothlanta Rebels fan force chapter, or through the The Rebel Legion. I think she has a handle here, but I can't remember what it is.
     
  3. HRH-Dior-Daala

    HRH-Dior-Daala Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 29, 2001
    please post your red bespin out fit if you ever make one

    that great chic red outfit is my first fav sw outfit, next the timeless and classic white throne room gown

    those designers deserve some credit for those 2 gowns
    these 2 outfits are being forgotten now with padme's great outfits
     
  4. StormtrooperPrincess

    StormtrooperPrincess Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2002
  5. Zam-the-Assasin

    Zam-the-Assasin Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 29, 2002
    Yes, I agree about it being forgotten. Bespin is my FAVORITE star wars outfit, I am currently working on Leia Slave, but I would love to do a Hoth and Bespin, I am just partial to ESB i guess ;)
    Thanks for the info guys!
     
  6. Jarsis_Stole

    Jarsis_Stole Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    May 26, 2002

    Being a self confessed Formula One fan I am pretty sure the suit she wears is of racing origins. Especially the way that collar is fashioned.

    The coat the luke wears at the end of the ANH as well Greedo wore, where the fashion of the time of the film and can be found on other films as such, Space 1999.

    The coats I am sure are made from leather or suede and all have the same collars.
    Im sure as mentioned they are from the racing scene in the 70's.
     
  7. Zam-the-Assasin

    Zam-the-Assasin Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 29, 2002
    I am half wondering if I could go to an Army surplus store to look for a jumpsuit for the hoth costume? hmm... I just thought of that one...what could anyone tell me about their experiences with Army surplus stores? Thoughts, anyone?
    Also, for Leia's bespin cape, I was thinking about using fabric from some old draperies.....Im getting way to ahead of myself.... [face_mischief]
     
  8. Jarsis_Stole

    Jarsis_Stole Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    May 26, 2002

    Could do, but most of the time the army surplus stuff is green, olive and black.

    Ooh what you could do is get some overalls that painters use cause they are white ?

     
  9. Obi-Dawn Kenobi

    Obi-Dawn Kenobi Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Best reproduction of the Bespin gown that I've ever seen: pretty! :D
     
  10. Zam-the-Assasin

    Zam-the-Assasin Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 29, 2002
    Hmmm...maybe.......what about those little "ski bunny" outfits things? : D heehee....that would be kinda funny, and it might work...hmm......i have a white puffy vest already that looks pretty close to hers. I need to do some more researching. It is kind of sad to me that most people are mor concerned with the Prequel (I.E. Padme') costumes... I myself have always admired Leia, and I am partial to the OT costumes. *Sigh* It is such a shame that not too many people are interested in the good stuff........
     
  11. Zam-the-Assasin

    Zam-the-Assasin Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 29, 2002
    Wow....**drool*** that is a beautiful and accurate costume.....im envious! hehe :)
     
  12. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    Hello!

    I haven't posted to the costuming board yet, but I have been lurking here for a few months and I thought that now was as good a time as any.

    I am currently working on my own Leia's Bespin Gown, and I am hand-embroidering it. It's about 2/3 of the way done, and I have entered into the GenCon costume contest in August.
    It has been quite an experience making this costume, and I cannot wait to see how it will look when it is finished. But it has been difficult and certainly has been a labor of love.

    I have been sewing Leia costumes for a number of years, but as an amateur seamstress, I've learned much along the way, and a number of my works I plan to redo in much greater detail and authenticity. And this Bespin gown was one such an attempt.

    Instead of the puffy paints and cheap cotton fabric that I had used years before (as an innocent teen), I have taken the time and money to purchase silks dyed to my specifications (I sent all the way to Texas for them), and determined that the embroidery would be done in silk floss. With shoes dyed to match and all the accesories/thread, etc., it has become an expensive but certainly satisfying venture.

    I have seen Surlygirl's beautiful creation, but only recently, and my kudos must be directed to her and her great efforts. I know exactly what she went through to get that. :)

    If you attempt this costume, my advice to you is first determine how far you are willing to go. My attempt has meant a $1000 commitment, not counting the numerous hours spent in its production. Then, the trick is locating pictures. I even went so far as to travel to Minneapolis to see the original in the "Myth to Magic" exhibition, as there are never enough pics of these fabulous garments (there are rumors that it may not have been the original, although I can't see someone spending all that time to make two of them--but who knows?). I did everything I could to get pictures, and it's unfortunate that the film is in the end a terrible resource (Carrie wore this costume for less than 5 minutes in the film, when all was said and done--a sad time limit for such a great garment). But pics are seriously important. And don't let the pics in the "Myth of Magic" book fool you. Having seen the original on display, the colors come out different in print than in person. Needless to say, it was a shock to me at times, and I am grateful for the pics I snapped at the exhibition.

    I next recommend that you make a muslin of this costume, at the very least of the cloak. I myself made two muslins, sewed them together, and spent much time wearing and walking in them, not just to get the right fit, but the right flow, before I ever cut into the silk. It was a time consuming process, but well worth the effort, and I am certain that once the embroidery is finished and I have put the cloak together, it will look quite good.

    If you decide to make this costume, my good wishes go out to you! And I would hope you can post pics of the finished product in the future. I myself hope to post pics of my finished gown (although I have yet to get a website with which I can). And if you would like to see jpegs of the pics I took at the exhibition of the gown (or if you would just like to know more), please do not hesitate to PM me with your email and I will forward them to you.

    I have also made the Hoth costume, but I was forced to combine a simple shirt pattern and pants pattern together, so that I could add the correct details and such. However, it's on my list for a serious redo, as it came out too thickly padded in my opinion, among other little things. But that's for another day. And my Slave Leia costume is another discussion for another day (and is also on the redo list).

    Anyway, good luck to you on your Slave Leia costume, and I hope what I have contributed helps you in your attempt at the Bespin gown. Thank you for enduring such a lengthy post! :)
     
  13. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    Gosh -- thanks everybody, for your compliments and kind words! I'm all blushy.

    I was speaking with a friend just the other day about the fact that last year at this time, I was living, eating, and breathing Bespin Leia embroidery!
    Like LeiaYT1300, I too made the trek, from Atlanta to Houston, to see this dress on display -- and it is a WHOLE different animal in person than in print. I spent two entire days sitting in front of this thing, taking notes and making sketches. And I felt like I could have really used more time. There is just so much tiny detail to this thing, it's unbelievable.
    I actually upgraded the piping on mine, because the stuff they used on the original was thoroughly craptacular. It's a really icky metallic mylar-type thing. My piping is made with a silk copper and black cross-weave fabric that has a nice sheen to it.

    In any case, if you're going for authenticity, clearly the embroidery is the killer part. The rest is fairly easy -- and I also suggest making a muslin for the outer vest/cape. But beyond that, it's just a longish tunic and harem pants. The belt can be a little tricky, but it's entirely doable. (I think it's the weakest part of my costume -- it looks ok, but it's supremely ugly on the backside, and has a slight warp to it).

    This is fairly meandery -- I apologize. If there's any specific question you have, feel free to ask. :)


    -sg
     
  14. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    Again, my kudos to you, Surlygirl, for your spectacular creation!

    Is it just me or is the original lighter in person than it is on screen? I beat my head against the wall trying to decide on the right shade, plus flash and non-flash photos were just not enough for me to make a decision (I'm not color-blind, but I began to wonder for awhile). But I finally just had to bear down and make a choice. Did you find that to be challenging?

    And I agree, the trim is awful (a rather grotesque metallic rose), but I discovered that Kreinik makes a metallic cord that is virtually the same color, so I've decided to stick with it (off the top of my head, I think it's size #32...).
     
  15. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    I agree, the color on this thing is EVIL! It was so bizarre, even in person, it looked a different color depending on what angle you viewed it from. Raaaahr!
    We have a very cool fabric store here in town, and the owner actually sat down with me and looked over all my reference material and we went through all of her sample books together to decide what fabric to order. We even walked outside with all of it to get the natural light effect. In the end, I doubt that the color is 100% accurate, but mine also looks a completely different color from one photo to another, so I'm happy with it. :)

    -sg
     
  16. Tri-Som_Gare

    Tri-Som_Gare Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2000
    My wife made one last year for the San Diego Comic Con. I amde the belt form real leather. It turned out pretty good. SHe sold it on Ebay afterwards as she is not into the Star Wars costuming quite like I am, but she did it for me. She wants to make a Hoth Leia, but does not have enough time. She really wants to be Boushh, but that is like the hardest one to make! I think we have some pics of it still. I am tryin gto get her to register here and maybe she can describe how she made it.
     
  17. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    Well, I at least feel better about that (not that anyone's misery should make me feel better, but misery loves company ;) ). I even bought those true-color lightbulbs, aside from viewing in yellow, florescent, and outside. A pain, indeed. But I'm pretty happy with what I have, and it really does change depending on the lighting and angle. I have the tunic on a bodyform and between day and night lighting, it looks completely different.

    Unfortunately, as Milwaukee lacks many of the wonderful fabric sources that larger cities have, I had made up my mind to have the silks dyed-to-order from the get-go. Granted, I searched around anyway, even to Chicago, to see if I could save myself the agony (and cost) but I wasn't pleased, so it was the best choice in the end. Although it was nerve-wracking... But between paint swatches and pictures that I sent down, it came out rather well.

     
  18. Zam-the-Assasin

    Zam-the-Assasin Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 29, 2002
    I have been having the hardest time finding *ANY* reference pics of the Bespin costume. For some reason, every single one i have come across is just a headshot, and doesnt really show too much on the bottom half :( Has anyone else here come across any good pictures?
    Also, Surly, did you use any patterns to make the dress and slacks or did you just wing it? I was thinking along the lines of a female vampire costume pattern, since the belt somewhat reminds me of the ones on those types of costumes, Hmmmmm....any thoughts?
     
  19. Jarsis_Stole

    Jarsis_Stole Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    May 26, 2002

    The snow bunny thing isnt far away from the look they got in ESB. I still think the race driver jump suit is the closest thing to it.
     
  20. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    For the tunic pattern, I used McCall's 8721 with a few modifications. I believe it's out of print now, but there's surely a current pattern that will fit the bill. I'll hunt around a bit and see what I can come up with.

    For the pants, I just used a pull-on pants pattern (I think it was for full-legged sweatpants) and altered the bottom to have the harem cuff finish.

    For the belt, I just came up with it on my own -- it's really a pretty simple shape -- a diamond that extends into the long arms of the belt.

    -sg
     
  21. Tri-Som_Gare

    Tri-Som_Gare Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2000
    For a reference pic, we went to the MOM in San Diego a few years ago and took a bunch of pics. She just winged it from the pic. IF you are interested, I can scan it and send it you. I can also post some pics of her costume if anyone is interested?
     
  22. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    Please do post costume pics, Tri-Som Gare! We'd love to see them.


    -sg
     
  23. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    Ditto, Tri-Som_Gare--please post pics! :)

    Zam, I agree with Surlygirl on patterns. You should be able to find patterns for the tunic and pants, and slightly modify them. I know McCall's and Simplicity have great simple pants patterns to use, and Vogue has a couple of tunic patterns that are also great.
    I did use retail patterns also--one I altered for the pants, but two for the tunic (I found it difficult to find a tunic with a similar neckline--the main style is V-neck this year in patterns--and I ended up working between two I had with a major neckline change). It's the cloak/caplet that you'll probably have to draft from scratch (a French curve with fast become your best friend for that), as well as the belt, as Surlygirl stated.

    I have pictures I took in Minneapolis of the gown scanned on my computer at home that I can send you over email, if you like. Plus, I also found great full-length pictures in the action figure archive book (they were rather tiny, but I was able to blow them up for something more usable) that I can send also, and they are great for getting an idea of how the emsemble falls on her body and such. I think they were the usual studio shots taken of Carrie in the costume for posterity (note the red soda can you can just see in her hand in one of them--for those of you who saw the original on display and noticed the stain--maybe a soda stain?) Anyway, these pics were very helpful to me. Just PM me your email. :)
     
  24. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    Okay, after looking around for patterns a bit, I think New Look 6086, view C may do the trick for the tunic.
    The neckline may need to come up just a hair, and the sleeves would have to be modified into the pointed shape. It *might* need to be lengthened a little bit as well.
    Also, I'd make it a little big, so you have some room to get that slight blousing when you belt it.

    Hope this helps!

    -sg

    Edit: Eeeek! Forgot to give you a link!
     
  25. Zam-the-Assasin

    Zam-the-Assasin Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 29, 2002
    Hey thanks so much! I am definitely going to be going to the Joanne's to take a look at some patterns soon! :)

    I am sorry ,but I do have a couple more questions. What kind and color fabrics would anyone reccommend? I was thinking of a Nutmeg color and maybe an off white Ecru color for the cape/coat?

    PS- Thank you all for advice and your help!!!
     
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