If like me you have stared in amazement, before giving a little chuckle at the die hard sci-fi fan dressed as Captain Kirk, Spiderman or even the Borg, come to assimilate the collectables you may be surprised to learn that the hobby of costuming has a large following worldwide and it’s appeal is growing here in the UK.
Charity
I recently had the opportunity to experience this hobby first hand. I was lucky enough to be invited along to join a charity group who dress as characters from film and TV and raise money at public events. Needless to say I enjoyed the experience, so much so I started to look into the possibilities of create my own costume.
Why?
Simple; the belief in the young child’s face, the terrified mum confronted by Vader! The teenager who is too cool for these "people dressing up", but hangs around to get his photo taken with a Stormtrooper. There is huge enjoyment to be had bringing these iconic characters to life and the whole community of friendly people that help each other develop these screen accurate costumes. This video is a great example.
This community surprised me the most. A highly organised group of talented prop and model makers with guides, tutorials and forums dedicated to creating just about any costume I could imagine, from Dr Who to Count Dooku!
Spend, spend, spend.....
As with most things in life, you really do get what you pay for. Costumes can vary greatly in quality and cost and the amount of work you can put into your own costume is reflected in the overall cost. Costuming can be about creating a costume as much as wearing it, most start the next as they finish one, that is if it is ever really finished, you can always find a part to upgrade somewhere. As an example on how much you can expect to spend to appear at an organised event, anything from £500 to £1,000 and on to upwards of £3,000 for something high quality and “ready to wear”, such as a Darth Vader.
Getting Started
Probably the one of the easiest routes into Star Wars costuming would be a Stormtrooper, which you could achieve for around £500 with a little work yourself. I would recommend getting involved with a website forum dedicated, or with specialist knowledge of the costume you are interested in creating. This route will save you money in the long run. Members often trade items and it is a safer route than simply buying from ebay, where bad quality may be an issue.
My costume choice
As a big Star Wars fan I was drawn to the hugely iconic Imperial Stormtrooper, but after talking to friends and people enthusiastic about costuming and a little research I decided to create one of the most elusive characters from the Star Wars universe, Boba Fett.
I will post updates of my costume as it progresses over the following months, but in the mean time here are some links for sites which may be of interest.
Links
www.501st.co.uk - Knights of the Empire - The Star Wars Costuming Club for most Star Wars costume
The 99th Imperial Garrison for imperial (bad guy) costumes
The Dented Helmet - Boba Fett & Jango Fett Elite Costuming Forums for Boba, Jango and Mandalorian Super Commandos
TK409.com Do-It-Yourself Star Wars Props for Stormtrooper, Tusken Raiders, Boba Fett and C-3PO.
George Lucas Sues Over Stormtrooper Rights
http://www.morningstarr.co.uk/forum/...rmtrooper.html
The beginers guide to costuming.....
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