AFE's Unofficial Official Guide to Star Wars costuming:PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS! I will answer to the best of my knowledge or point you to official/unofficial source material.
If any other Yarders are current or former members please chime in!
This is for anyone considering a fan-made costume and/or joining the 501st Legion or Rebel Legion.
I was a Stormtrooper in The 501st Legion Costuming organization for a little over a year. I had a great time! Won a costume contest and trooped at some awesome events! I bought and refurbished an existing Stormtrooper costume, repaired it, refurbished it, and then hand weathered it for a Desert motif. I was TK-9849 of Garrison Excelsior and EMpire State Garrison. I am currently looking into a Jedi Costume to wear at events.
For photos of me troopin:
http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=6632.0First before we get into the details of costuming you should be prepared for a few things:
1. You must be 18+ to join either Legions! Men and Women both welcome! No exceptions to the age rule!
2.Be prepared to spend a pretty penny. Set a budget. These items are all fan made so there's no real rules to what people charge. It's only an outrageous price if it's more than you can spend or afford to spend.
3. No costume/prop (or toy) is worth going broke over, ending a marriage over, or other problems!
4. Get something that fits. If it doesn't be prepared to have to solve that problem yourself. Hardly anything is returnable.
5. Shop around! Find a good deal for a good price and something reliable!
6. Buy from a former member/current member! This is the most recommended way!
7. If it's a halloween costume, child's toy, or other object you intend to modify, chances are people will know that that is what you did and you won't be accepted for membership. Ruby's "Supreme editions" are never as supreme as to be movie accurate. Avoid them!
8. Be prepared to wait! Be patient, check eBay/forums regularly and you will find what you want! Be picky! Don't settle on something that isn't to your liking.
9. Costumes--of any kind--are delicate and fragile!!! Be careful! You should not go out and fight crime or become a stunt person in you "armor". It's plastic.
10. No real weapons. They are dangerous, unpredictable, and illegal. You won't get into events, and you won't be "cooler" than anyone. Keep an orange rifle tip handy for events to signify that, even tho it's a "fantasy weapon" your blaster isn't going to vape anyone.
11. There will be hordes of fans of all ages and small children surrounding you. Play it safe.
Here's something I wrote with Tamer's AT-AT costume in mind, but it also applies to anyone who wants to costume:
-As for the commlink custom for the glove. I used a lot of sticky-backed velcro for those sorts of things. The Velcro brand "Heavy Duty" style works great and is affordable and at Walmart. I used it for my suspender straps on my ab piece and it never popper. I also used it to hang my power boxes from my belt (aka the cigarette boxes). This way for packing and transporting you can remove the more easily damaged greeblie from your glove and bubble wrap it, without folding the glove over it or having to bubble wrap any of your soft goods. Make sure it goes on the left glove!
-For your harness you might want to start with something like a rock climbing harness, or a tactical M-Harness for a sturdy material and then have your wife help you customize it or paint it white. Here's a link to a fan-made Harness and flak vest for X-Wing pilots but it's white so it could be used for your Driver as well.
http://www.spitzfire.com/RebelLegion/xwpe.htm As for the flak vest you could easily modify it to line your chest armor so it doesn't rub you or chafe.
-As for the blaster, Spooky's idea is good, but I would
definitely stay away from anything like that. Any time I, or other members of my Garrisons (Excelsior and Empire State) mentioned doing a new costume we were always reminded that customizing anything--I know we're customizers--but anything would have a harder time passing approval. From custom built to scratch fabricated (sculpted/cast/etc.) always came with warnings and the possibility of long deliberations over whether it would be approved. This even occurred when I was talking about scratch building an EU character with tons of continuity, back story, and many visual examples (Rohlan Dyre the Mando from the TOR comics). That being said it should also go without saying that NERF guns are guaranteed to be rejected and frowned upon. Customized NERF, repainted NERF, etc. You will be told "We're not Mando Mercs, we're the 501st." I was asked by one of the Garrison leaders when I mentioned I was looking for a gun to customize, "PLEASE do not use NERF!" and everyone groaned at them. Just don't go there
Also in addition to the "Never NERF" rule is the Hardcore (in the costuming realm meaning: as accurate and authentic as possible, involving such activities as trooping your Sandtrooper costume in a real red sand desert for REAL weathering, etc.) attitude people take with the costumes. If you've seen my TK Trooper costume in this forum you'll see that I am a Sandtrooper/Stormtrooper stationed on Tatooine. However I don't have the backpack, nor the heavy blaster, nor the Diamond knee plate, nor the pauldron. I had remembered seeing troopers in Mos Eisley attached to Sandtrooper Squads without that gear too. Trooper here with no backpack:
http://www.looksirdroids.com/images/Publicity_Roadblock_04.jpg 2 Troopers bringing up the rear no Sandtrooper gear:
http://www.looksirdroids.com/images/Publicity_Garindan.jpg I brought this to the attention of my Garrison out of curiosity and wanting to justify the Tatooine weathering on my armor and my lack of Sandtrooper equipage and they thought it was interesting but threw out the possibility of being a sandtrooper without all the easily indentifiable gear. In their minds I was a TK with a silly paint job and not a TD (Sandtrooper) because I have no gear, despite the fact that the movies showed more than 1 example of my fellow gearless sandtroopers. The point being, Legion members pick apart the minute details like we pick apart and notice the minute details of our figures. So be prepared to back up what you do with references in case people ask. Check and double check where you put stuff! Commlinks are always on the left! (just reminding you again) So what kind of blaster can you have if all those cool possibilities are out? Well I don't ever like limiting my options, but any Imperial weapon will pass a preliminary approval, however we never see the Drivers armed or bearing/wearing any kind of weapons (unless you count the awesome might of an AT-AT Walker!) so stick with known Imp weapons. There are two options you'll see the Drivers with at legion troops, the standard E-11 (because should the Driver need to grab a gun from the Walker ready room, there'd most likely be racks of E-11s) and secondly if the Drivers are armed with a side weapon they're secondary weapons as they're primarily pilots and we know the standard Imperial pilot is armed with an SE-14r Light Repeating pistol:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f39/Firebladejedi/SR14R030.jpg and that would be the most likely candidate to be strapped to the Driver's hip much like his Tie Pilot counter parts. If you're worried about blaster bulk and weight I'd go with the SE-14r and personally I've always really liked those guys! Another thing to remember as far as the Legion, Action Figures are not agreed upon references to continuity. Some changes are almost always made to the figures in comparison to the original costumes, so keep that in mind too.
-Holster: In the same vein of on screen continuity, which is the highest level out there, as any Legionnaire will admit, so a shoulder holster, or underarm holster or even a belt holster is not going to be continuity, heck in TESB, and correct me if I'm wrong, but we never even see the AT-AT pilots above the waist much or at all, and they're only in 2 scenes. But as far as agreed upon continuity of the character there is no holster. An interesting history talking about what we see on screen:
http://www.starwarshelmets.com/original%20atat%20helmet.htm So I would say no holster of any kind, as much of a drag as that is. Or if you do a holster, holster an SE-14r and you can always tell people "My other armor is a Tie Pilot"
-Comfort: I don't know how sensitive anyone else's skin is, but mine is sensitive. You may think your flight suit, or jumpsuit or costume's clothing is, but it could be cheaply made, or rough material. A good solution is a spandex under-suit/catsuit/leotard which most troopers wear anyway, but this might be a good idea under your Sith robes, or your Tusken bandages too! Also keep in mind you can wash your under-suit but you might not be able to wash your softgoods without ruining them so an under layer can keep you and your softgoods cleaner. This is also a good layer in cold weather trooping, and it helps you avoid unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions! Remember there are kids around you! Always wear undergarments and cover your private areas securely! No one wants to see your Janet Jackson! Nextly, consider padding. Armor is bulky, tight, and has hard edges. Anything from a little foam, to some extra straps or taping, to heavy duty helmet padding will add more comfort and allow you to wear your costume longer. be smart about it, more padding adds more weight and more layers so find a good balance for your comfort so you're not carrying bricks and melting in august. Also if buying a second hand costume is your route to Legion membership (and it's one I recommend. Especially if it's from a former/current member who won't try to scam you) you never know where it's been. Lysol that thing down, Fabreeze it, wash it down so you don't have to worry about getting dirty. Many people store these things in garages and attics, so be mindful of other little critters that might be trooping them... like spiders.
-Squiring: Another good thing is always having a wife/husband/buddy along to help you squire. Think knights and their pages. Someone to help you dress, and guide you if you're in low light or the dark, to help you disrobe your armor (softgoods is up to them lol) after an event, to help you take breaks (helmet removal, butt-armor removal) so you can sit and hydrate. They also should remind you to hydrate! To take breathers, and to, if necessary, remove the right pieces for bathroom trips. or be a bathroom buddy, so your precious props aren't picked up by over-eager fans. or grabbed off you by kids. This happens a lot with thermal detonators on troopers. Little kids pull off velcro pieces and if you're in armor or a helmet you might need someone to track them down and return your "stolen cargo". Also keep in mind what Luke said "I can't see a thing in this helmet" so true! So watch your step until you're on the ground where you'll be for a while. If you don't have a significant other, maybe ask one of the Sith/Jedi in your Garrison or find and make a new friend at the event, someone in a costume that can move and I'm sure they'll help you out! Or get your significant other or buddy into the hobby too and get them a Jedi/Sith costume or an officer or rebel pilot costume or other costume that affords good mobility. Also I will add kids are the best fans at events! Their whole faces light up at seeing their favorite characters in real life! Also, they WILL want to hold your props! Try on your helmet, swing your saber, hold your blaster, or just play fight you in general. This can lead to broken props! Assess the kid's age, if their parents are right there to jump in, and always remind them to be very careful with your precious pieces. Or carry a special prop for them to hold for photos with you. Hasbro RP gear is best!
-Lastly and perhaps one of the most important things to keep in mind is that trooping is never ever mandatory. Your Garrison mates and your Legion mates (SHOULD) remind you to come as you are (in/with costume, obviously) but also as a fan. Legionnaires are some of the coolest, warmest, and most welcoming people in the Star Wars fanverse. It should feel just as cozy as we do here at the Yards. Also come as often as you can, but never over do it. Don't travel beyond your means, don't over exert yourself (especially if you have pains, conditions, disorders, etc.) know your limits and then add more caution to that. The most important thing is to have fun and help others have fun! You should never be made to feel bad about not staying at an event if you know you're at your limit. be kind, friendly, and bring your inner child every time and every time you'll have a blast. I won't lie, it's a lot of work, so prepare for it in advance, get psyched up, and play it safe. Especially depending on climate too! You may think these costumes breathe more than others, but don't assume! Hydrate, or go inside and warm up/cool off!
-Remember this isn't the army, it's not Civil War reenactment, you don't have to eat hardtac and not wear your glasses "Because they didn't have those in star wars". no one wants a blind trooper falling down the stairs for "the sake of continuity". Don't go to boot camp to "prepare for a troop" or loose weight or gain weight unless you want to and have professional help with that. Take it as seriously as it is. Fans in fan-made, movie accurate costumes, for the enjoyment of the hobby and the enjoyment of the fans not in costume.
You will be asked for autographs so be gracious and sign your name or call numbers (i.e. TK-9849). Some fans won't realize you weren't the people in the movie. Or they'll call you the wrong character. Star Wars=Star Trek to some people. Let it go on your troops. (Blog about it later) It's just cool that you're there.
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