We Decoded the Secret Meaning Behind the Best Star Wars Costumes

Outside of cosplay, most of us don’t associate Star Wars with fashion. But not only do the (literally) out-of-this-world costumes take inspiration from (and give inspiration to!) the world of high fashion, they also play a crucial part in telling the story of the Star Wars film saga. Learning that Felicity Jones’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story character is purposely less sexualized than previous Star Wars women, we decided to take a look at the way clothes have shaped the series, focusing on the ten most iconic looks from a galaxy far, far away.

10. All the robes

Any geek knows that George Lucas based the Jedi off of Samurai and other Eastern/Asian/Martial arts imagery. In Star Wars, as in those cultures, robes can serve many functions. Typically, a character in a robe is concealing something. For the Jedi, it is their emotions; for the Sith, their true purposes. Padme spends much of Revenge of the Sith in robes both to visually conceal her pregnancy and to reflect how she’s inwardly worried about Anakin. The most important part of the robe is the hood; Anakin’s black hood goes up when he turns to the dark side, and the Emperor’s is always on. Leia’s white hood conceals her face in her holographic message to Obi-Wan sent through R2-D2 because she’s being covert.

Obi-Wan makes a habit of dramatically dis-robing to reveal his “true” identity to a Skywalker, to Anakin before the RotS battle and then to Luke on Tatooine.

After both Obi-Wan’s and Yoda’s death, all that’s left behind are their modest, monk-like robes.

Robes can also denote wisdom, as they do on so many wizards. Think about it: didn’t Jar-Jar just look wrong in a robe? Robes are for power players only.

9. Leia’s gold “slave bikini”

God, what to say about the gold bikini? it’s by far the most well-known costume of the franchise, perhaps one of the most famous movie costumes ever. It’s certainly the “sexiest” thing in the film series, though we must tip our hats to Padme’s conveniently ripped shirt-cum-crop-top in the Coliseum. It’s a little icky that so many men (and a few women) continue to lust after Leia hardest when she’s literally a chained-up slave, but that little detail always seems to be absent from the “fantasy” (AKA, that entire Friends episode).

Yes, the metal underwear is emblematic of Jabba’s misogyny, and he’s a bad guy. But it was also a way for Lucas & Co to get their hot young actress basically naked for a chunk of her screen time, and it’s not like Jabba’s male slaves were equally objectified (an imbalance the franchise took steps toward correcting by giving us shirtless Anakin in the prequel). So, is the movie gross, or are the fans?

A little of both, but either way, not too much. It comes back to symbolism. The first time Luke is sent to rescue Leia, she’s in white, the picture of innocence (discussed later). This time, Luke has to rescue Leia who got caught while rescuing Han; she’s not “innocent” anymore, and while the Empire valued her as a (to-be-killed) prisoner because of her political status, but Jabba has entirely different reasons for keeping her: she’s hot, and people whom he wants to manipulate love her. She’s bait, and she’s dressed like it.

Importantly, her “sexiest” moment has nothing to do with her relationship with Han. He doesn’t objectify her at all, and he’s literally blind the whole time she’s in the bikini (hint to the fanboys: gentlemen can fall in love with a girl who has clothes on).

8. Captain Phasma’s metallic armor and cape

There was a bit of brou-ha-ha at the reveal of Captain Phasma’s—the first prominent female soldier on the Dark Side—costume. And it’s true, there’s nothing particularly “feminine” about her gilded Storm Trooper look. Then again, there’s nothing too masculine about it either. Storm Troopers aren’t humans, they’re an abstraction of what a soldier, what a person, should be. They’re automated the way all tyrants wish their citizens could be. Entirely subservient, and this is reflected in their shiny, impersonal, essentially weird-looking armor.

It’s full of weaknesses because their government doesn’t value their lives. It’s hard to run in because brute force, not efficiency, is their goal. Unlike Vader, Troopers don’t even look that scary. They look like first-gen iPods, or washing machines. They’re just walking guns to the Empire/First Order.

This point was made explicit in the prequels when we found out that the troopers were mostly clones, bred from birth for fighting, and later complicated when Finn is revealed as one of the few “truly human” (non-clone) troopers.

Which brings us to Phasma. The First Order’s whole thing is doing the Empire but bigger, badder, shinier, so it makes sense that she’s essentially a super-cool Trooper. An iPhone, if you will. Her cape denotes her higher rank and increased power, its red stripe emblematic of her ruthless nature. Despite not being a Jedi, Phasma most closely resembles a medieval Knight. If you squint, she could be in chain mail. She’s part of the system, yes, but she’s also a loner. She’s not a pencil-pusher who stays on the ship making commands or just another pair of boots on the ground. She’s special; no one else is her color.

7. The many headdresses of Padme Amidala

The Queen of Naboo wears ceremonial makeup (discussed later) in lieu of a traditional crown, but she’s still found in a number of fancy headdresses befitting her regal status. Even after she leaves the throne (Naboo elects monarchs; I don’t get it and I won’t research it), Padme can’t quite break the headwear habit, leading to a number of interesting updos, including a fondness for braids that her daughter Leia will inherit.

It’s not that Padme isn’t strong and bad-ass (she is!), but her strength isn’t fighting. She’s a thinker, and she’s emotional. Unlike the cerebral Jedi, tapped into The Force, Padme’s brain is churning with thoughts about the here and now. What’s Anakin hiding? Who in the Senate is on my side? How can I make trade deals for my people? It makes sense, then, that her costuming would emphasize her head. She’s the brains of the operation.

Her style is also representative of the luxury of the Republic, pre-Empire. These are the fanciest costumes in the entire series, meant to illustrate the wealth and gaudiness of the out-of-touch upper class. This opulence signals the imminent fall of the Republic; The Hunger Games employs a similar strategy, contrasting the outrageous fashions of The Capitol with the rags of the outer districts. It’s the heyday of Rome.

6. Leia Organa/Skywalker in white-on-white

The symbolism here could not be more obvious. She’s the princess trapped in the tower awaiting rescue from a dashing hero. She’s from peaceful little Alderaan. She’s our connection to the Rebellion, the “good” guys. What other color could she wear but bridal white?

Leia herself, of course, is willing to get dirty, first in the garbage pit and then pretty much anywhere she’s needed. And her looks are deceiving; Luke and Han expect her to go with them willingly, but the woman in the white dress has a hell of an attitutude and a penchant for sarcasm.

Leia plays with white. She turns it regal for the medal ceremony and militaristic for her post on Hoth. She’s forced to abandon it for camouflage on the forest moon of Endor, but through it all her look maintains a sense of goodness, responsibility and comfort. She believes in goodness, not of herself but in others. It’s a sneaky little trick, but Leia wears white because she subconsciously believes not in her own innocence but in everyone else’s. She’s the only person who believes Vader can be redeemed, and she’s goddamn right.

Leia tells Obi-Wan he’s their only hope, but soon she’s the one bringing important partners into the Rebellion. The title seems to reference Luke as the “New Hope,” but remember Yoda’s words: there is another Skywalker. She’s just as strong with The Force as her brother and, in a less obvious way, just as crucial to the destruction of the Empire. She has a psychic connection to her loved ones when they are in danger, people. She’s basically the White Queen in this chess game, y’all.

5. Darth Vader’s “Leather Daddy” look

Ultimate father, ultimate leather look, ultimate BDSM enthusiast. Chokes people for fun. Banged his wife even though it was against his profession’s code of ethics. Had an illegal wife in the first place. Anakin “Darth Vader” Skywalker is kinky AF.

Remember when his kids made out? I am just saying. This family.

4. Queen of Naboo makeup

Many thought this was a “Padme” thing, but it turns out the queen of Naboo wears this makeup no matter who she is…which is dope, and more meaningful than something like a crown or a scepter. Power is not something that is handed from person to person, unchanged, It is something that changes depending on who wields it. It conforms to its user. It is as individual as the human face.

When someone is elected to office, their identity and ego should come second to serving their people. When Padme and her predecessors and successors look at their reflection, they see their duty staring back at them. For the length of her term, Naboo does not see “Padme,” it sees “Queen.” Isn’t that so much better than a particularly heavy hat?

Also…all of Naboo is so chic. Handmaidens are chic, decoys are chic (Rose Byrne and Keira Knightley, literally), architecture is chic. Naboo is a thousand times more stylish than seedy, rave-esque Coruscant, and I will fight you on this. Which brings to…

3. Padme in the rainbow sheet dress

Padme has SO many looks in Episode 2, where to even begin? The picnic dress that looks just like this Burberry frock (PS: Burberry also makes a C-3PO dress)? That bondage-y corset from dinner? The aforementioned white bodysuit? The lace wedding dress?

All fashionable, sure, but not iconic. The iconic dress will always be the big rainbow sheet she’s wearing during her first kiss with Anakin, after the infamous “you are not like sand” speech, which…damn girl, if you’re woo’d by that, you got it bad.

The whole point of this outfit is to make her irresistible. Anakin is trying not to give into temptation, not just for sex but for love, for happiness, for emotion. He’s been condemned to an ascetic Jedi life of Earth tones; Padme is the rare fruit he mustn’t pluck. She is every hue, offering to him all the joys of life the Jedi do not. Everything to them is black or white, light or dark, good or bad. Padme offers shades in between, and in living color.

2. Poe Dameron’s Jacket…

If you haven’t got a lightsaber, giving someone you love your jacket is the next best thing. When we meet the jacket, Poe is wearing it while Finn is dressed like a soldier.

Then, Finn is wearing it while Poe is dressed like a soldier.

The jacket is the torch, the mantle, the symbol of the rebellion, passed from fighter to fighter. Before the rise of the Empire (in the prequels), people wore unwieldy fashions or rags; it was a stark dichotomy and, in any case, a stagnating economy where clothing didn’t have to be “functional.” After the rise of the Empire (in the original trilogy), clothing reflects the new political landscape; everything is military-inspired, plain and utilitarian. After the defeat of the Empire and the rise of the First Order (The Force Awakens), society is more fluid. People are on the road, alliances changing by the day. They’re living hand-to-mouth and taking power where they can get it. There are the myths of the Jedi flying around and the Falcon is in a trash heap. This is an as-you-go lifestyle, so what’s the one thing our hero has to have? A biker jacket, perfect for wherever the weather takes him.

1. “The Han Solo”

Has any other character inspired so many copycats?

https://twitter.com/depresseddarth/status/489791180847464449?lang=en

Honorable mentions: Mon Mothma’s serenely white tunic, Oona the slave dancer’s strappy getup, Jabba’s “no clothes” outfit, Chewbacca’s “just a big belt” ensemble, Boba Fett’s grunge armor, and everything Lando Calrissian.

May the fashion be with you all.