Upgrading the Rebel persona: Naboo tunic, Mk II

Since debuting my first draft Rebel-partizan-on-Naboo impression back in 2018, further research has caused me to continue to refine the kit. In addition to needing some more layering, the main thing that needed upgrading was the shirt. My ‘Mark I’ Naboo shirt was not (aside from the Mandarin collar and the color) based on any specific onscreen examples, and the use of a Vietnamese ao dai pattern was only inspired by costume designer Trisha Biggar’s comments re: the general use of Asian elements in Naboo fashion (and at the time I liked the asymmetry of the design). However, I realized that I should probably wear something that more clearly ‘read’ as Naboo in origin, and it should probably be constructed of a lighter material as well – the Mk I was sewn from a ‘rustic’ 7.1-ounce linen.
Since this piece is intended for a Galactic Civil War era persona, I really wanted to try and move away from the traditional Naboo style seen in the Prequels, especially the Renaissance-heavy designs of 32 BBY:

Roughly inspired by the lines of the traditional Indian kameez, I pored over my reference library to see what Naboo male fashion stuck around through the years while noticing any common elements:

From my research, I synthesized these elements into six options for a single garment, playing with varying the front skirts to try and suggest degrees of influence from the more functional/utilitarian Classic Trilogy era aesthetics.

When I asked some GFFA-minded friends to help me evaluate, they all pointed to #6 as the one that ‘read’ as ‘Naboo’ the most. This style was directly inspired by two NPCs from the 1999 Episode I PC/Playstation game:

While I couldn’t deny that this style of cutaway coat does feel very Naboo, I also noticed that it works a lot better with their style of wide cummerbund or sash to hide the transition from jacket to tail. As I already knew my tunic would be paired with a simple leather belt and 0BBY-style oval buckle, I decided to go with design #5, which is essentially Gov. Bibble’s Episode II look, just in a plainer (more civilian-appropriate) fabric and with more traditional cuffs and sleeves (while still pulling back from the full-on Renaissance/32 BBY style), in order to allow for easier rolling up of sleeves for ventilation.

As I already took the time to work out the details of the pattern, layout, and construction beforehand with a muslin mockup, I knew exactly how much fabric I needed, so when I spotted a 2-yard remnant come up for sale at my favorite online linen source, I snagged it up and was able to get right to work as soon as it arrived.

All told, I had a complete, dyed, wearable tunic ready in just one week—which is an insanely quick turnaround for me, as I tend to work piecemeal on several projects at once.
Of course, fresh out of the dyebath (1 packet of RIT Golden Yellow and six black teabags for mordanting tannins), the color was quite a bit brighter than I wanted, which was exactly what I said four years ago with my Mk 1 Naboo shirt and that one is now a beautiful gold…luckily RIT dye doesn’t seem to be very colorfast under UV and in my experience dulls down pretty quickly. In the three weeks since completion, I’ve been able to hang it outside on a handful of sunny days and can tell the color has already further mellowed.

Overall, careful planning resulted in a garment with which I am 100% satisfied (as a perfectionist, this is pretty rare)!
I’d love to hear what do you think – was there a key element of Naboo fashion I overlooked and should have included in this tunic? Come discuss the sartorial ins and outs of this and other GFFA planets at the SWLH facebook community!
Want your own custom tunic? Shoot Offworld Outfitters a message or leave a comment below, and I’ll see you next week!

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