Mmm, Star Wars Fashion Flashback

[sunnyskywalker]

Waaaaay back in 2005, I posted a couple of entries in my starwars.com blog about how impractical certain clothing in Star Wars would be. For nostalgia purposes, I figured I'd repost them here. (Translation: I'm too busy to write something new, but want to procrastinate.)

Knights in White Tunics

June 02, 2005

Does anyone else think the Jedi robes are a little impractical?

I remember the first time I saw A New Hope thinking Obi-Wan was wearing an awful lot of layers. There's boots, trousers (at least, I presume; I can't see them), and a belt. So far, so good. But then there's the brown robe, at least one tunic, though I think it's actually two, and then a brown shirt underneath it all.

First of all, that's way too many layers for noon in the desert. Yes, you want to keep the sun and sand out - but the brown shirt and the robe should cover it! Why tunics too?

My confusion grew throughout the Prequel Trilogy. I don't care how in tune with the Force you are: long, multi-layered outfits are just not practical for fighting. Sure, Jedi often went on purely peaceful missions, and in those cases their "simple" (ha! even the queen has less layers sometimes!) attire was probably just fine - but aggressive negotiations seemed far from rare or unexpected, so why hamper themselves so much? Can you imagine how waterlogged Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan must have been after swimming to Otoh Gunga? Can you imagine how much drag those robes would have been exerting as they swam?

And even when they ditch the top robe to fight, they still have the issue of the other three layers. That much fabric restricts your movement. Especially when it's as thick as those tunics appear. I can see the reasoning behind Anakin's leather tunic-thingy (blast damping or something), but he still has too many layers under it. Again - why not just a thick shirt, maybe with a very thin undershirt, with the trousers and robe? If they're going to Hoth, they can bring sweatshirts. Or use the Force.

I decided I was overanalyzing the costumes and tried to forget about it - until I read a quote from either Hayden or Ewan, I can't remember, to the effect of, "The EIII duel was really hard because we kept getting tangled in our robes."

Someone should have told Yoda that if design practical clothing an order cannot, fall it will.

I also noticed that Luke does not choose to don the robes. He sticks to simpler attire. This gives me confidence in his ability to reform the Jedi Order better than it was before :D



Killer (on the clothing budget) Queen

June 05, 2005

In the same vein as Knights in White Tunics: why do Naboo officials wear such elaborate outfits?

"Because it's tradition." Yeah, sure. Check out the clothes (and the suspiciously familiar white facepaint) Queen Elizabeth I wore just four hundred years ago, or the crazy costumes of Louis XIV's court - that's our tradition in the West, but you don't see anyone dressing like that anymore, do you? You notice men don't wear silk stockings anymore either. Judges still wear black robes, and British barristers still wear wigs, but that's about it - and that's not very elaborate, really. Traditional costumes as elaborate as Elizabeth's or Amidala's just don't stay in fashion; they're too much of a hassle to put on and too cumbersome to wear. Furthermore, taxpayers get awfully troublesome when they're expected to pay for your manicures. Besides, when you have a country - or a planet - to govern, you just don't have time to spend four hours getting dressed and primped.

So why? Is the over-the-top fashion a sign that the Republic's decadence and corruption have reached even Naboo? Is it a clue that the office of Queen is usually just symbolic? (Maybe part of the reason Amidala was so beloved was because, unlike most Nubian monarchs, she actually did something.) Is it just because it looks cool - and don't get me wrong, I love Padme's clothes - and the queen needed to be able to swap places with a handmaiden without anyone noticing?

Come to think of it, none of those are mutually exlclusive, so why not all three?

This concludes today's flashback. We will return to our regularly unscheduled programming shortly. I think I finally thought of an explanation for Cylon!Cally that would not be totally useless, so I'll probably get that up soon.

Comments

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

Now I have pictures of Obi Wan humming "Knights in white satin..." Hee.

But your point about the strangeness of the Jedi garb is a good one. With ANH I always assumed that the clothing worn by old Ben was more traditional tatooine than anything else. That would after all explain why Luke, Owen and Beru wore similar style clothing.
Then Yoda showed up in a similar robe and there went my theory. ;)

But seriously - the Jedi robes in the prequels are unpractical, and perhaps they can be seen as symbolic of the stagnating Jedi? Because IIRC earlier Jedi had different, more practical styles of clothing - some even had individual styles. Maybe the relocation of the Temple to Coruscant and the preoccupation with more administrative tasks allowed the Jedi to start wearing more impractical clothing?

As for Naboo clothing - I've always felt there was an element of Venice and the Venetian Carnival there as well. Naboo chooses a Queen, Venice chooses a Dodge.They are both accused of being slightly decadent - and they are watery! Okay - the last one is grasping at straws.

[sunnyskywalker]

Some of the Jedi still got away with wearing different clothing, like Aayla Secura - but I don't see how a bare midriff is any more practical. I think the stagnation theory is a good one. Once upon a time, the Jedi wore the various layers when they had reason to (robes for warmth and blending in and such, eg), but now they just wear it all... because. I mean, yes, you want to have some layers to be prepared, but that is excessive for everyday wear.

Oh, I like the comparison to Venice! I remember something about the designers' inspirations for Naboo. One was Morocco, but I think they also said Renaissance Italy, so I think you're on to something. I wonder whether those glowing orange glass baubles on Amidala's first dress in TPM were made at the Naboo equivalent of Murano? No wonder the trade embargo hit them so hard... they couldn't swap their luxury goods for food anymore!

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

Or maybe it was really cold in the Temple? The rooms are after all rather big? ;)
Now this is very EU, but in the Knights of the Old republic games the Jedi wear shorter robes. They are more like tunics really, without the billowing cloaks. But they are still in earth tones and shades.


No wonder the trade embargo hit them so hard... they couldn't swap their luxury goods for food anymore!

Exactly! *g* As for the inspiration from the Italian Renaissance, that makes sense. IIRC parts of the interior location of the palace was shot in a castle in Italy - so maybe the locations were a further inspiration? I just find it interesting how the Naboo-style is so different from what we have seen before.

Coruscant clothing seems to be inspired by multiple cultures. Corellia has this thing about stripes down the pant leg - like Han Solo has, and has generally a very Navy/Military like look. (at least that's my experience)
Tattooine wears Jedi style robes - hee. But Naboo has this very distinct, almost exotic style. I rather like it.

I also pondered if the Queen costumes on Naboo can be seen as symbolic garments. When the elected Queen is dressed in them she stops being a regular person, and becomes the symbolic ruler. This could also explain the face paint - since that in a way hides the individual behind a royal mask. If that makes sense?

[sunnyskywalker]

"Master, can't we turn up the heat in the Temple a bit!" "Need central heat, a Jedi does not!"

Yes, the lake retreat was also an Italian location, I think. It does stand out stylistically so much.

I can imagine the Jedi starting off trying to dress in Peasant Chic (popular on Tatooine and many other worlds!) for blending in and humility, and then slowly bringing in the raw silk shirts that only look rustic (looking at you, Yoda! who needs silk in a swamp, I ask you?)

The mask-like face paint does seem like it's meant to make the Queen a symbol. It reminds me both of Queen Elizabeth in her later days (when she really caked it on) and geisha. And a bit of The Last Emperor, where it's all about the symbolic ruling. (Amidala swiped her Senate hairstyle from one of the wives in that movie, too!)

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

looking at you, Yoda! who needs silk in a swamp, I ask you?)

"need silk to go to all them happening dagobah parties, I do! When you go to party look so good you do not!" - from the upcoming movie "Disco dagobah"

Sorry - my silly carried me away. ;P

I think the development of Peasant Chic is a good theory. It mus be a little odd though - because on outer rim worlds a jedi would, at least in theory, blend in rather well. But in on the core worlds the Jedi with their peasant chic would instead stand apart from local fashion. maybe that was the point?

Also I didn't know the Amidala hair-connection to The Last Emperor - that is rather cool.