Jedi Costume

Looking to join the ranks of the Guardians of Peace and Justice in the galaxy? Well, then, you’ve come to the right place for your outfitting needs. The classic style of traditional Jedi attire never disappoints. The best pattern I’ve seen for this is Simplicity #4450 (pictured below), although it is out of print. That is what I used to make my costume. The standards as set forth by the Rebel Legion will be listed for each section of costume (highlighted in RED font). Click on any picture to be taken to a larger version.

Jedi boots can be very similar to the boots that a lot of the Star Wars characters wear. They are over the calf, tall leather boots. Here on earth, the most available of these type are English riding boots. You can also try to replicate the specific boot style of your favorite main character. Some of these are shown below.

Some of the above boots can be custom ordered from www.motorcowboy.com. You may also find some decent boots on ebay.

These are very simple in design and extremely easy to get a hold of. For my costume, I just used basic flat front khakis that I bought at Target. I modified them slightly by adding an elastic stirrup to the bottom that stays under my foot inside the boot. It helps keep the pants from riding up and puffing out above the boot. Don’t worry about the pockets because the tunic comes down far enough to completely cover them.

Belt with a wide leather main belt, thinner secondary belt on top of the main belt, and a buckle

You can use materials from Tandy Leather to make this. The main wide belt is 2” wide and the centered thin belt could be either ¾” or ½” wide. The thin belt is attached in the back, and held in place using knob rivets. There is a buckle on the thin belt in the front, but that is for decoration only. Belt colors can range in the light to dark browns, reddish browns, and black. The belt attaches in the back.

Belt Accessories

Belt pouches, Food pellets, Covertech clip

Jedi are usually seen wearing pouches, “food capsules”, and lightsabers on their belts. If you want a very generic look, than almost any leather (or leather looking) pouch will do. There is one seller on ebay that sells injection formed hard foam pouches . Also, pouches made from a wood are now available from this same seller. That is where I got mine. They are molded after the ones seen on Obi-Wan’s belt . The lightsabers attach to the belt using what is called a covertech clip. It is a discontinued cell phone belt clip.

Lightsaber

Every Jedi has a lightsaber. It is the right of passage for Jedi to make their own saber. Fortunately for costumers, we are lucky enough to be able to buy ours. You could also make your own if you wish. Below is a picture of my Obi-Wan saber made from PVC for the hilt and polycarbonate for the blade. A good site for custom making sabers is www.thecustomsabershop.com. For most of us during the last several years, Master Replicas had been making their Force FX sabers. Master Replicas recently lost their license to make Star Wars products. I’ve heard that Hasbro was going to be taking over the Force FX line, but have not seen a product yet. You can still find the FX sabers in some stores and online. Other sites that sell ready-made sabers are www.parksabers.com where you can purchase a fully complete EL wire saber. These are capable of full contact dueling without worrying about destroying the LEDs like in an FX saber. A drawback is that they are not as bright, and there is no sound. You could also buy parts to build a non-functional hilt. Another site for duel-worthy blades is www.hyperdynelabs.com/hyperblade/main.php. They are up there in cost, but look to be fantastic sabers.

The Inner Tunic

The first layer on the torso is the inner tunic. It is long sleeved and has a collar like the outer tunic. The collar attaches much higher up, closer to the neck and you can see the sleeve come down to the wrist. This is much different than in the Phantom Menace where Obi-Wan’s inner tunic was lighter in color than the outer tunic, and the collar was open much lower around the neck.

The Outer Tunic

The outer tunic is simple in design. The sleeves are wide and extend to the thumb joint. There is a tuck of the sleeve at the shoulder. I just use Velcro to attach the tunic together in the front. Be sure to wrap it so that the right front is under the left front. Another decent pattern for the outer tunic is Simplicity #5840. That one needs to be modified because it does not have the shoulder tucks.

The Tabards

Earth tone tabards

Commonly referred to as the shoulder “armor”, the tabards lay over the shoulders meeting at the belt both in front and in back. They extend usually below the outer tunic and can either match in length like Obi-Wan’s front, or be unequal in length. On the back, Obi-Wan’s tabards end at his belt, while Qui-Gonn’s extend much like his front. So, you have some choice there.

The Obi

The obi is also referred to as a belt or sash, but this is made of fabric. It wraps around the tabards and tunic, attaching in the back. It can be 4 to 6 inches wide.

Although most Jedi prefer to remove their cloaks before engaging in a saber fight, the cloak is clearly one of the most recognizable features of the Jedi attire. It is oversized and floor length. The sleeves come down over the hands completely or end just at the fingertips. The shoulders could either have the same tuck feature as the outer tunic, or can just lay flat into the sleeves. I believe that wool was used in the films, but any material that has that texture and a similar drape or flow to it will work. Typically, the cloak is a darker brown color than the tunics.