Wearing That Jedi Tunic

Okay, here I got a food for thoughts on how the Jedi Tunics should be worn.

As seen in the Prequels (TPM & AOTC), most Jedi wore the tunic like the typical kimono, Left-on-top-of-Right. But in AOTC, we can see some of the Females Little Jedi Padawans, and some of the Female Jedi Knights wearing it Right-on-top-of-Left.

BUT, in Japanese Kimono wearing context, Right-on-top-of-Left is only for dead people; they do that when they dressed their dead ones in the kimonos before cremation.

So what do you think? How do you wear yours?

Personally, I wore mine Left-on-top-of-Right.

 

I also wear mine , and all of the cast members of Sins of the Jedi wear theirs, left over right.

 

I wear both of mine Left-over-right.

maybe the wardrobe department goofed when dressing the ladies. Or hte people they assigned to dress them at any rate.

jauhzmynn

 

This is how I have got it explained to me:
The kimono does not have any pockets, so any artifact you carry have to be either in your belt, in a sleeve or under your tunic.
Thus, if you are right-handed, the kimono opens to your right. If you are left-handed it opens to your left.
Also, if you are a Samurai and right-handed and you seat yourself on the floor (as is the Japanese way) you put down your left leg first, in case you need to draw your sword.

 

Well Japanese robes were longer and to draw your sword (which was never on the right) you needed a smooth draw, no tanglements....

The right over left is also disrespectful in teh Japanese culture...

 

I wear mine left over right... mostly because that's how Obi-Wan's is..

 

I wear mine left over right after looking at all the photos in both Visual Dictionaries. Yes, there is one woman and some children who wear it right over left.

And after seeing Obi-Wan in Ep II pull the scanner device out from under his tunic, it occured to start carrying my small star-tac cell phone there! I put it on vibrate and carry it in my tunic under the belt!

 

I think what we've run into is a bleed of european style into a oriental outfit. In european styles(and therefore american) men's clothing goes left over right and women's is right over left(think about it the next time you wear a shirt that buttons ). So when the actors put one their costumes they laid it in the fashion they learned growing up.

BTW- I do mine left over right.

 

I'd say left over right, following Oriental tradition, is the proper way to wear the tunic.

The only exceptions seen in the movie can be attributed to a mistake by the person who dressed the character (I think its only the Bear Clan with the mistakes) or an artifact of reversing the image for a desired shot.

 

Mace Windu's is normally left over right, but in the scene with him on the clonetrooper gunship, it's right over left. Either they put it on wrong or they reversed the image.

14 times seeing AOTC... one notices these things.

 

The only difference I see is in the little Female Padawans from Bear Clan. And if I'm not mistaken, one of the female Jedi Knight also wore it the "wrong" way.

I agree with the theory of "blend of european style into a oriental outfit". Maybe all those people who dressed up the little girls thought that's the way to do it. Or they wanted to do a little variety in the way the little girls dressed compared to the boys (other than their length of hair ).

I just wonder what will the Japanese reaction if someone wore their tunics this way and walk down the streets of Japan.

Ps: Kimono does comes in 2 length; the long ones usually worn by the ladies and the shorter ones by the men (in summer I think).

 

You know... I hate to be the oddball here but I really fail to see the significance. Jedi robes are NOT kimonos and the Jedi from a galaxy far, far away are not going to have the same cultural objections to a certain way of dressing that traditional Japanese will.

 

EmprsHandMick: I agree, Jedi styles are not bound to those of the present world and culture. Jedi tunics are obviously BASED on eastern garments but are NOT the same.

I choose to wear mine left over right, though as a woman, that doesn't FEEL correct, because that's how the majority (all but one adult) of the Jedi in the films wear them.

 

IMHO, it's more like the theory wherther an error had been done with the way the Little Padawans were dressed. Remember that all the Jedi in TPM and majority in AOTC, even the female were wearing it Left-Over-Right. Anyway, the way the actual Kimono is worn is merely acting as a guideline/control to how it should be worn in order to create the similar look for all Jedi doning the basic tunics.

And I'm beginning to think that that female Jedi I saw wearing it Right-Over-Left could just had been an error in the way the frame was put for the shot as it was in some promotion image or magazine.

Anyhow, I prefer the Left-Over-Right look cause I'm a right hander. Still can understand why female shirts must be Right-Over-Left.

 

Either way it's wrapped it STILL looks cool. left-over-right feels odd tome, but sicne i wrap a Gi and the jedi Tuic sooften, I'm used to it.

Jauhzmynn

 

The japanese culture is not the star wars culture. Just because japanese do things a certain way doesn't mean the star wars do. It would appear that the women in star wars go right over left and the men left over right. No mistake cause they're not in japan.

 

Left over right - for each layer that I have been working on - It is a habit for me as I also study Aikido. I havfta work on the belt thing though -
Reb

 

I teach American Kenpo, so I'm used to my gi going left over right. But I find that since I'm right handed the pocket that it forms that way on the right side is REALLY convenient. So if nothing else I'd suggest going with that in case your belt pouches cant hold some things or you want quicker and easier access. Uniformity is an eye catcher though, if you are going to be part of an event or display I'd suggest getting everybody standardized for that though.

 

ObiWill: I have found several images of Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi, Yoda and another Jedi on the Clonetrooper Gunship. In one image Mace Windu has his tunic left-over-right and is holding his saber in his right hand. In several other images, his tunic is right-over-left and Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi and the fourth Jedi are all holding their ignited lightsabers in their left hands.
That fact makes me believe that the footage (and CGI) of the gunship was flipped.

 

I was wondering how can I put something in my tunci anyway? Mine acutally IS an authentic japanese garment. I maye have to make a pocket in the garment's lining.

Sometimes I accidently fold it right over left, but can't do much once I've gotten that leather belt on. LOL I have to take it and obi off. The re-adjust, replace Obi, wiggle and squerm to get the leather belt fastened again. (Fastenes from behind, NOW you know why you always see TWO Jedi at a time.)
How do you keep your phone or beeper in there? Do yuo have some sort of "holster or pocket for them? (If the cell phone looks techie enough, having it on the belt would fit w/ the costume.) If it's on vibrate doesn't that tickle something aweful? It'd send me up the walls.


J

 

Well in my gi, my belt holds things tight enough so it acts as a sewn pocket. I see no reason why you can't add a small pocket to the inside for a pager or beeper, but if you tighten your sash or utility belt enough, it should work for you.

 

What VoidDancer said. With the tunic wrapped left over right, it works well as a pocket for small cell phone for me as a right-hander. My cell phone is a star tac, so without it's belt clip, it's very small. The obi and belt thus help the tunic form a pocket area.

When I saw Obi-Wan pull his scanner device out of exactly that spot in his tunic during Ep II, I had an instant "a-ha" experience! From then on I've been keeping my cell phone there.

 

Cool,
Doesn't it feel funny when it rings? Be absolutly hilarious to hear a Nikoia ring coming from a Jedi. LOL!! "hey, you'er ringing, you gonan asnwer your robe?"

jauhzmynn

 

Interesting.

I haven't had the slightest clue on how to start a Jedi Costume since Fabric Shops in my area are rare and far inbetween.

Really, I'm now thinking about aiming for a Luke ROTJ Jedi Wear from the Sail Barge for my first costume. But like I said I don't have any sewing skills or any means to start.

-Universal

 

Jauhzmynn: it doesn't ring. I have it on vibrate and since it is tucked so close to my rib cage, I can feel it.

UniversalDestiny: check out the FAQ....there is lots of info on doing a costume there. Still the best tutorial site is Ambers's:

http://www.rebellegion.com/jedigarb/

And fabric can be had on line...right now Phoenix textiles has lots of linen and linen/cotton appropriate for Jedi. They have less expensive fabrics, too.

http://store.yahoo.com/phoenixtextiles/index.html