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aelie · 2 years

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Fashion on the Outer Rim

Disclaimer: I am not a professional costumer. These are only observations that I’ve made over decades of being a huge nerd about fashion history and Star Wars. And my fashion history is mostly limited to European/western fashion. I’m making this to help a friend with references for drawing Star Wars art, and using tumblr as the easiest way to share it.

If you want to talk, know that I rarely check tumblr except to post fic-related things.

I suspect that life on the Outer Rim is very similar to living out in the American West in the 1800s. That means very few changes of clothing, as cloth is expensive. Garments are going to be multi-purpose and well taken care of. There will frequently be aprons, sleeve covers, undergarments, and accessories to protect the clothes from both bodily fluids and from stains. Clothes will be frequently patched and repaired until they can't be fixed anymore, then recycled into other uses.

That being said, there are definitely more sources of inspiration than just the American west! Basic East Asian clothing has a large influence on the design as well, with the use of wrapped garments and robes. On Tatooine, there’s also a lot of Southwest Asian and North African inspiration with the style of robes worn by both moisture farmers (well, Uncle Owen) and the Tuskens.

Here is the link to a pinterest board I’ve put together of both actual Star Wars art and costumes and inspiration references for future Star Wars art and costumes. I'll be adding to it occasionally.

Some tips on choosing clothes for your characters:

Undershirts are probably going to be common. They’d be very simple shirts with very simple seams with solid colors. Most undershirts in the past were white because color-fast dyes were really expensive, but this is Star Wars, so color everything to your heart’s content. Because they are the fabric that is against the skin, the shirts will have to be something that can really take a beating (aka be washed frequently) - meaning that lots of buttons and patterned fabric would not work very well.

Pants/Trousers/Jeans etc. are likely to be in a thick, tough fabric with thick seams that can endure a lot of wear and tear. Ironically, your best place to look for really tough pants are old style Levis. Those things were made to be used and abused. Color-wise, you’ll see a lot of solids, but in all shades of the rainbow.

Regular shirts would probably have the more fancy seamwork and loads of buttons than undershirts because they wouldn’t be washed as often as the undershirts. This is where you’d find your button-ups, your bib shirts, and your Lando shirts. You’d also find fancy embroidered tunics, your shirt pockets, your lacy trims, and your super bright patterned fabrics. The Jedi uniform-what-is-not-supposed-to-be-a-uniform-but-totally-is is supposed to resemble the clothing of the poorest in the galaxy, so shabby up some Jedi robes for spacers and smugglers. Tunics of varying lengths and styles are also a good place to look for inspiration.

On colder worlds/in colder climes, you’d see a LOT of layering like you do on Earth. For long skirts, though, you’d see a lot of petticoats under the main skirt to add to warmth. Also, stockings/tights, and wraps around the tops of boots to keep the cold and wet out.

Accessories wise, vests are awesome at protecting shirts and for carrying stuff! Sleeve covers used to be a thing to protect your clothes from food or dirt or stains, and would likely be used (it’s also a really good way to reuse old clothes!). Sleeve garters were similar - it would hold your sleeve up at the bicep so your cuffs would be pulled back. Aprons would probably be very common, especially in messier trades. Shawls would help with warmth, and scarves and hijab-like hoods are also commonly seen throughout Star Wars media. And let us not forget the humble and ubiquitous jumpsuit, or the omnipresent and tasteful poncho!

BUT KEEP IN MIND: these are all just my interpretations and opinions on a more realistic approach to clothing on the Outer Rim. This is STAR WARS, baybee! The only hard and fast rule is the RULE OF COOL.

#have a rough draft #star wars #outer rim fashion #art inspiration #art reference

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