Fairy Tale Magic - Star Wars
Costumes and Photography: Rachael Alcon
Star Wars
Return of the Jedi, an intergalactic story of good vs evil, is one of Rachael Alcon’s all-time favorite films. Many generations have been captivated by the adventure as well as the attire. The original costumes from this classic movie can be recreated not just in “a galaxy far, far away,” but here on Earth in the present day.
Rachael’s designs are inspired by events that took place on the moon of Endor, and the result is literally out of this world! Rachael’s iconic costumes focus on the fine points with unique fabrics and special detailing which bring this showcase feature to the next level.
Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia
Hooded Poncho
For Luke and Leia’s oversized ponchos, Rachael hand painted fabric to create a distressed, camouflage look. She used the Rivendell pattern, and here is the how-to.
- Square off the circle/cape and cut 2 pieces on the fold.
- Sew together along the open sides to create shoulder seams.
- Sew the front opening of the hood 2”, attach it to the neck opening with a 1” seam allowance.
- Press the seam allowance down and sew to create an elastic casing. Thread elastic through the casing, and cinch the neck for easy wear.
- Hem the outside edges with a deep hem to mimic the costumes in the movie.
Tops
The poncho was layered over a black mock-neck Benicia for Luke and for Leia, a crop Madison vest mashed with Pendleton sleeves over a Bayfield top. Bayfield was made one size larger in a khaki suiting fabric with an extra 2” of sleeve length and for top-notch detailing, she sewed pockets onto the sleeves.
Pants
Leia’s pants were the easiest part of her costume! Rachael stitched up a pair of Oaklands from an upcycled vintage sheet she already had on hand and added yellow ribbon over the side seam of each leg. This look is on point!
Luke’s pants were made from the Anderson pattern in some nice black suiting material, with the idea that dark dress pants can easily be repurposed for later wear.
Helmets
To make the helmets from the speeder scene, our talented designer used the Auburn and Beccar patterns and followed these steps to achieve the look.
- Add 2 ½” to the front of the side pieces, so the helmets come down over the forehead and add 3” to the center piece.
- Sew a million pintucks on a long piece.
- Cut the center pattern piece out of the pintuck block.
- Attach the sides and the Beccar brim.
- Attach the lining and faux leather straps.
- Glue green craft foam to the crown.
- Paint the helmets.
Purchased Items: Rachael thrifted the black belt, bought some black rain boots, a plastic blaster (toy), green lightsaber, and a braided hair headband to finish off the look.
Wicket the Ewok
Rachael shares that she was the most nervous and excited to make Wicket the Ewok. Baby Yoda’s got nothing on a toddler in an Ewok costume! Ewoks are fuzzy, little creatures whose talents were completely underestimated during the film, as the guerilla tactics they employed helped take down Death Star II.
Fur Suit
To design this furry creature, Rachael was required to work with faux fur (ack). She started with a hooded Madison jacket (plus bear ears) for the top half of the Ewok and Oakland pants for the bottom half. She combined patterns to create a one-piece fur suit.
She sized up one size in width on both patterns, accentuated with fun details like a fur patch in a contrast color on the stomach, and attached elastic in the hem of the legs and an invisible zipper in back.
Orange Hood
For the oversized orange hood, Rachael incorporated the Riverdell cutting the front of the hood on the fold and adding an extra 5” to the bottom. After sewing the hood together, she cut out a face opening, trimmed the bottom edge on an asymmetrical slant and added faux leather lacing.
Rachael is so glad she could bring the world of Star Wars to life through Fairy Tale Magic. This is definitely a core moment rooted in nostalgia.
She shared that it was so much fun making these costumes, and all the childhood memories watching Star Wars movies with her brothers flooded back as she watched her kids dress as Luke, Leia and Wicket.
Star Wars films seem to become a part of who we are, and costumes are a heartbeat that connects far off galaxies with the very real and universal human experience. Seeing everything come together is incredibly rewarding.
Disclaimer: Weapons pictured are plastic toys.