Project: Modding a Jacket

In my continuing quest to subtly apply a Star Wars commoner’s aesthetic to my everyday wardrobe, I consistently make at least a weekly pass through my local secondhand shop to look for garments which have GFFA modification potential. As someone who also puts a lot of focus on having a wardrobe that not only looks good but also is practical for outdoor use (i.e. I try to avoid slow-drying cotton and melty synthetics as much as possible) I have been searching for a good Star Wars-y jacket that looks the part but isn’t plain unlined cotton or light linen.

Thankfully, I’ve had some good hunting of late; so when a fine 100% wool ladies’ blazer ($6) made by PENDLETON came up the other day, I quickly snatched it up with an eye for modification.


The final result I was going for was something generic and spacer-y…think Han Solo’s jacket crossed with Luke Skywalker’s ‘Bespin fatigues’, both from Episode V:

According to SWCOT, Luke’s fatigues were made of wool gabardine (p114), and Han’s jacket (essentially his previous Episode IV vest but with sleeves added on) supposedly included “pocket and stitching details similar to those on Luke’s fatigues jacket” (p106).
I thought the dangly flaps and loops of Luke’s jacket were needlessly complicated, and while I liked the simple flap pockets of Han’s jacket, I always thought the sheer number of them was a little too much ‘flyfisherman’ or ‘safari photographer’. (Seriously, how do you access a pocket at the small of one’s back? What’s the point of those loops on the back???)… so I decided to split the difference and go with Han’s simple flap pockets, in size and position similar to Luke’s.
The stock blazer came off the rack with weird, extraneous topstitching along the collar, front, and side panels, which I immediately removed, making it look like a proper jacket and not something homemade:

As is becoming my routine, my first step to remove Earth influences and begin approximating the Star Wars aesthetic was to remove the fold-down collar, leaving a short standing collar. This helps to split the difference between the two inspirational jackets, as Luke’s has a tall rectangular mandarin-type collar, and Han’s is completely collar-less. I also didn’t want a significant collar since I knew I would primarily be wearing this jacket with my Naboo shirts, which already have tall Mandarin collars.
After that, I:
-removed the extraneous Earth-style cuff buttons
-detached the synthetic lining from everywhere but the neck and shoulders (which would have been the most tedious places to reattach it when finished)
-removed shoulder padding
-lengthened the cuffs (now closed with tiny snaps)
-added a strip to cover the front buttonholes, and reversing the closure to ‘male’ (Left-over-Right)
-added Velcro tabs to front closure
-and–the element that would be most challenging to my ZPD–added cargo pockets to the chest. The other Pendleton jacket & trousers I found earlier this year (which I cannibalized to make Thorsbjerg trousers) provided plenty of matching material, most with interfacing already applied! I used this website for suggestions on how to make the pockets and flaps, finally giving me a reason to learn how to use my sewing machine’s zigzag attachment.
-finally, I added some extra topstitching (for visual interest!), sewed the lining back in, and VOILA!:

All in all, I am extremely pleased with how this project came out, and look forward to wearing it on many adventures in the future.

ADDENDUM:
Since composing this writeup, I decided that I have too much khaki in my wardrobe, and gave the whole jacket a dunk in a packet of ‘Pearl Gray’ RIT dye, which wound up coming out a light mousy brown. While I had intended for something very dark along the lines of Han’s jacket, I am thankful it came out a more neutral color. The polyester(?) lining did not take the dye, so the jacket still has a gold interior that contrasts wonderfully with the exterior.

Researching, crafting, photographing, and writing this site takes a lot of time and energy. If you’ve enjoyed reading, have learned something from this post, or will use it as inspiration for a future project, please consider supporting my work with a small donation below! Thank you!