Black Sith Outfit
This outfit is based off of pictures in The Art of Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I really liked the illustrations and directions the artists had on a female sith warrior, and yet the final incarnation of Asajj Ventress was a little lacking in my opinion. I really felt the need to take some of the illustrations and make my own interpretation. I wanted to go a little sleeker, with more details and little touches that just don't translate as well to a comic as they do in fabric. I centered my project on three illustrations, and decided to take the theme of the tiny pleats and sleek lines that dominated the pictures, making a costume that is less full and flowing, and more utilitarian and functional, setting close to the body with practical armor and pieces that are tight and more practical than Asajj's long, flowing skirts.
Supplies:
Black Raw Silk
Black Lycra
Heavy Black Leather
Light Black Leather
Black Linen
Black Grosgrain Ribbon - 6 spools
Black 7" Zipper
Black 20" Zipper
5 sheets tagboard
Black Duppionni - 1/2 yd.
Combat Boots
Black Elbow-length Gloves
Silver Cloak Clasp
2 black hook-and-eye closures
2 black sew-on snaps
Black rayon thread
Procedure:
1. Pants -
Cut the pants from the raw silk using pattern . I cut them using the selvedge as the hem, and cut each piece in half so I could insert an extra two feet of fabric in the middle. After cutting I sewed each leg, then sewed them together. Using the facing as a guide, I pleated each leg with large knife pleats, making the pleats face the back on each leg. There are 7 pleats on each leg, 14 pleats total. I then took a leftover piece of raw silk and cut it to be 18" long and the width of the fabric. I finished the sides with a tiny hem, then pleated it with two pleats on either side. I sewed the finished flap to the front of the pants to cover the fly, then inserted the 7" zipper. The pleats were then ironed from the waist to the hem, and kept in place by ironing with a 1:4 vinegar:water mixture. I'm not too sure yet on how it's holding the pleats, but it sure made an awful smell while I was ironing! A bonus, however, is that it really cleaned my iron, it took off some gunk I didn't even know was there!
Update: It's not holding well enough, I'm going to edge-stitch the pleats into place. There are too many of them, and they are too long to worry about re-pleating if I wash the pants. I'm doing the stitching with a sharp needle and regular poly-cotton thread, the rayon thread I used in the cloak was way too shiny and noticeable.
Update #2: July 27
I've finished the edge-stitching in the rayon thread. I like it better, and you can't really notice either. I also hemmed the pants. I couldn't decide which shoes I was going to wear when I hemmed it (see boots, below), so I hemmed for both. In the spike heels the hem just hits the instep, and in the jungle boots it just brushes the floor. I also attached the center piece to the left side of the pants. Next I'll put in the waistband, then put a hook at the top of the zipper and another one on the right side of the center piece, so that it can be used to cover up the fly zipper.
2. Bodysuit -
I cut the lycra using Butterick pattern 5781 - view D with the long sleeves from B & C. I modified the pattern by cutting the leg holes lower, and thus smaller, and putting the seam in the front instead of the back. I also made the neckline higher. I cut the two fronts and the back and sewed them together using a zig-zag so the seams would stretch with the material. I used black 1/4" elastic on the side seams and shoulder seams to help them keep their shape. I had to modify the back quite a bit to make it more form-fitting, it didn't want to follow the curve of my back very well. Right now it doesn't have arms, but I'll get to it!
Update #2: July 27
Okay, so the whole bodysuit idea was a total wash. The seams kept splitting on the sides, and I cut the back on the fold, which apparently can't be ironed or steamed out. I gave up and ordered a turtleneck leotard from freemotion. I'll report on how good it is when it comes in the mail.
3. Breastplate and neckpiece -
I cut forms for the neckpiece and breastplate from tagboard, making mock-ups until the pieces looked right. I then cut the pieces from the thicker leather, using a thick piece of cardboard to protect the floor and cutting with a sharp box cutter. Originally I cut the neck pieces from the same leather as the breastplate, but it was evident early on that this would be too thick for the smaller pieces, so I dug up a scrap of thinner leather I had laying around.
Update: I've finally got nickel rivets in from Tandy Leather Company, so soon I'll be working on this again. I'm going to rivet the point of each layer to the layer underneath it. I haven't decided yet what I'll do to the sides, I've thought of both riveting them or lacing them. I'll decide after the centers are done, since I need them in to determine where the ends go anyway. This'll be my first experience with rivets, so wish me luck!
Update #2: July 27
The rivet thing didn't go so bad. My boyfriend did it while I was sewing. He didn't seem to have any major problems, and it looks pretty good. Next I have to do a final cut on the sides to make it even, then punch the holes for the side lacing. I'm still not sure how this will attach. I may just sew the lacing to the leotard, I don't plan on using it for anything else.
4. Cloak -
I cut the cloak from black linen using pattern . I followed the pattern fairly closely, except I left the front pieces open from the arm opening to the floor, making two front flaps instead of a cloak with armholes. I sewed the pieces together with poly/cotton thread, then flat-felled each seam with rayon thread, paying attention to make them symmetrical. I mocked the hood out of muslin, then cut it from linen. It ended up being 6 pieces. After the hood and robe were finished, I cut the hem, zig-zagged the entire outside, then bound all the edges in Black Grosgrain ribbon folded in half. I actually went to the store for satin ribbon, but the grograin seemed to have that extra edge that the costume has. Finally, I sewed the hood to the cloak, bound the neck seam in twill tape (there was way too much fabric and odd curves to fell this seam), and added the clasp. I found the clasp at Hancocks during a sale, it was another great find at the right moment!
Update: after wearing the cloak in my room for a half an hour, I realized the hood was way too narrow with the points sewn to the shoulders. It looked tight and sleek up or down, which is what I was going for, but actually taking it off my head was very ungraceful. I solved this problem by pulling out the tacks that held down the top hood pleat and replacing them with tiny black snaps I can pull open to take the hood down, then refasten so it lays right. They're almost invisible, and they make things much easier.
5. Belt -
For a belt, I took a 1/2 yard of black Duppioni with some pretty rough slubs and pleated it at 3/4" to 1" wide. There ended up being 7 pleats. Then I turned it over and ironed heavy-weight interfacing to the back to help it keep it's shape. The belt doesn't work very well in one piece, since I have curves (maybe a bit too much curve in the hip area), so I plan on putting angled side-seams in. I haven't decided yet where the belt will close, or if I'm going to have the neat saber-carrier circle on the front. I guess that'll depend on whether I find someone who can make the neat curved sabers!
Update #2: July 27
I put the side seams in. The belt will close at the back with large hooks, so that it's mostly hidden. I'll probably hang the sabers on thin lines from the left side, like the last picture I put on the row from the Art Of book.
6. Gloves -
Right now, I'm planning on using a pair of black stretch-satin prom gloves bought at Claire's or some other cheap-jewelry store on sale. I cut out the fingers to use them with Padme's Fireside gown at DragonCon last year. I'm planning on adding some leather accents like the breastplate on the hand and up the forearm.
Update #2: July 27
Not too sure about the forearm accents anymore. I'm going to wait until the rest of the costume is done and see if it's just too much. I have a sneaking suspicion it may be.
7. Hair -
I dye my hair (yes, I'll admit it, it's not natural) with Loreal Feria Hair Color in 7.40-Sizzling Dark Coppery Blonde. It's a pretty dramatic color, and perfect for this outfit! There are a few different ways hairstyles in the book, and since I'm not too big on wearing a baldcap, I'm going to try and do something a little more along the lines of the book styles.
Update: I'm thinking of going more along the lines of the female pulled-back mohawks that were popular among celebrities a few years ago. The best example I could find was of Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels Full Throttle. I can also remember seeing Pink wearing it, and Gwen Stefani and Mandy Moore both sported the 'do in one of their videos. I plan on doing the hair with my current color, then getting a spray or extensions to add in some more 'true red' color into it. I'm thinking of painting/spraying the sides in a silvery color, just to highlight the red in the middle, but I'm not sure. When I get more research done as to brands and prices, I'll update again!
8. Make-up -
My original thought was to adapt this costume to an alien barely seen in Episode I. She has pale, bluish silvery skin and a red topknot. Doing this would require serious body make-up and finger prosthetics, since she has an additional joint on each finger. VillieGee from theforce.net costuming/prop board was nice enough to email me info on how to do the prosthetics out of latex, I just need the time and place! I may just skip it altogether and go with a more human look, but I've got months to decide.
9. Boots -
I was lucky on this one, I used an old pair of combat boots from a military store (the Navy Exchange). They're called Jungle Boots. I'm not sure how you'd find a pair for yourself, maybe military surplus, or I know that police supply stores carry them, I just don't know if they sell to the public. Ebay's gotta have tons as well.
Update #2: July 27
Not too sure about the jungle boots anymore. When I was unpacking winter stuff I found my spike-heeled black pointy-toed boots. They're suede with pleather straps that fasten in silver buckles. They would go really well, I'm just not sure which look I'm going for. I'll probably wait until everything else is done and put up a poll on theforce.net's costume board, since I can't decide.
10. Lightsabers -
I'm wanting a set of curved sabers, like Asajj Ventress' from the cartoon, I just don't have any clue yet how I'll do them. I may just break down and commission a pair, since I've never done anything like lightsabers.
