Galactic Style Guide – Capes and Cloaks II

Happy Orthodox Star Wars Day!, and welcome back to another installment of the Galactic Style Guide – the series where we break down the ‘Star Wars aesthetic’ in order to help you create a more authentic ‘outer persona’! In this entry, we’re continuing our exploration of capes and cloaks by looking at those seen in Lucas’ Prequel Trilogy. Star Wars’ costume designs have always been a unique mixture of Spaghetti Western, 20th century military, Eastern/’exotic’, and medieval styles, and the use of capes/cloaks are largely responsible for the latter. Let’s get back to it, and see what we can learn!

Seeing how the story revolves around a Republic becoming a dictatorship, it’s no surprise that one of our main Senator characters (Bail Organa) in Episode III is often seen wearing an asymmetrical toga-like cloak, as does his ship’s captain (Raymus Antilles). Here’s another set of cloaks I would love to get my hands on in the Lucas Archives and examine just how they are constructed (I have a suspicion that they’re simpler than they appear, and are likely just a multi-yard rectangle with stitched pleats and an offset neck hole). Note the leather(?) piping along the leading edge and around the neck hole, which is a low-impact way to add a bit of detail and structure without being distracting.

As we’ll soon see, while the folks wearing capes and cloaks in the Classic Trilogy were often of questionable repute, those in the Prequels are commonly upstrata, and often members of the Republic government.

While on the run in Episode II, Padme journeys to Tatooine wearing a floor-length hooded cloak—in an extremely-rarely-seen PATTERN!—clasped at the neck. I believe a replica of this was offered at the Galaxy’s Edge park at one point?

When venturing into the droid factories of Geonosis, she adds a bit of swish to her otherwise simple bodysuit with a cushy-looking knee-length cape. Shape-wise, I note that the lower edge is rounded, and the over-the-shoulder wrap section ends in a point. Are there any Padme costumers who can chime in how this is constructed/worn?

When first reunited with her secret husband in Episode III, Padme’s pregnant form is concealed with a floor-length purple-black velvet cloak, a fabric we don’t often see onscreen (aside from Padme, I think Tessek and the Emperor’s Royal Guards are all that I’ve come across?).

Continuing the political trend, we have Thesme sector senator Silya Shessaun who pairs an infinity scarf(?) worn as a kind of hood with a floor-length cloak with arm slits – so far the only we’ve seen of this style. It is unclear if the cloak opens in the front or not. Note again that while it is a single color, visual interest comes from the subtle weave of the garment itself.

In a deleted scene from Episode III, two of Padme’s handmaidens donned these hooded capelets. Note the structural rigidity of the hoods – either there is some serious interfacing involved in their construction, or the shape is maintained by wire (?); the geometric detailing below the mantle may be accomplished by pintucking?

Even the leader of the Separatist movement isn’t immune to the lure of swishy layers! Count Dooku wears a dark brown, calf-length fitted cape, with a lighter satin lining and quilted detailing around the shoulder and collar area. The restrained, chain-like closure adds a bit of class as well:

Finally, a rare example of droids wearing clothing is seen in General Grievous’ IG-100 Magnaguards, who wrap up in asymmetrical cloaks adorned with the general’s personal sigil:

Now, some more recent examples from Rogue One, which just so happen to continue our trend of cape/cloak-wearing politicians. Three comments:
-Do we think the bright red portions are part of Jebel’s cape or his tunic?
-Vaspar looks great, nothing else to say
-I really wish that Bail’s clothing had a bit more texture: as is, it ‘reads’ as kind of cheap. (In our 4k super-ultra high-def present, it’s more important than ever for creators to use materials that will look good under close scrutiny!) Also, he’s only like, our fourth example of cape./cloak with hardware (code cylinders, in his case).

‘Orson Krennic’ manages to wear two different cape-like garments in the film. In the prologue, he dons a more utilitarian, yoked pullover in what looks like a weather-resistant, synthetic-blend ‘technical’ fabric – Imperial brass would never stoop to wearing something so ugly as a poncho, but this is a good compromise. Later in the film, he wears a more formal/typically Imperial cape. Unlike the other examples of this style (Dooku, General Lando), it is without visible methods of closure.

So: what have we learned from this examination of cloaks and capes? As I hope has become clear, less is almost always more! There’s no need for multicolored patchwork construction, extraneous hardware, intricately stitched details, vinyl decals, factional branding, Aurebesh text (shudder), or any of the other outside-the-norm elements often seen on fan-made creations. For the kinds of high-quality living history and reenacting we aspire to here, following the visual norms of the setting will be a lot more effective in the end than putting your own spin on it.
Of course, you should carefully consider if a cloak is even a good choice for your persona, but if you want to add one of these garments to a costume, here’s what to look for:

• Natural fabric (most commonly wool) with decent weight/drape
• Muted colors (shades of brown, gray, blue, etc.)
• One single color (it’s hard to be iconic if the eye is overwhelmed by detail)
• Limited hardware/decoration (or none at all!)
• Wouldn’t you know it, these are the foundations of good Star Wars costume design in general!

Though the vast majority of in-universe capes and cloaks seen onscreen are plainly designed, much of the heavy lifting for making them look great (read: grounded and believable) onscreen is done by the actual material they’re made of. Typically this seems to be wool, but if you’re worried about overheating in the twin suns of Florida or SoCal, a good rustic or heavyweight linen can look good and keep you cool…in style! If you’re a true believer and want to use wool, start with vendors who cater to historic reenactors (start with Wm Booth Draper, Burnley and Trowbridge, Hamilton Dry Goods, or Echo Historical!)
And with that, I think we’re done! If there are any examples I’ve overlooked, please let me know in a comment or come discuss with us in the SWLH facebook group! See you next time!

A big thank you to my supporters! Researching, compiling, and writing this series takes a lot of time and energy. If you’ve learned something from this series, or if this post has inspired you to add some in-universe swish to your own outfit, please consider supporting my work via ko-fi, or with a small donation below! Thank you!