Costuming

[dancerjodi]

My Lady Tusken dress, mask and birka (for lack of a better description) is finished, whoot!

I have dance class tonight, but Brian is going to make me the pouch and make my clothes dirty (read: airbrushing brown and black paint in spots to make it dirty) while I'm out. After that all that's needed is gluing some fabric on the canvas shoes I'll be wearing and cutting a ton of strips of fabric to wrap around my ankles, calves and arms. The comments were flying last night about how unsexy this outfit is. The next thing I sew will have curves!

Apparently the Rebel Legion made an ass of itself at the parades in Disney this past weekend. You know, its a few lazy or stupid shits that give the group the reputation it has, and its really annoying! Looking at video last night, none of the pilots had helmets, one of them didn't have a chest box, there was a character wearing some kind of brown dress that was nothing like anything movie canon (which was a limitation of this event, being at FRICKEN DISNEY it was a formal event and all). Most of the Jedi were OK, but there were definitely a few that were unkempt. Geez guys, and we wonder why the 501st is taken more seriously? The level of activity in our own Rebel Legion base has been low, with the same people doing things all of the time (its not really fair to those people, you know)? It sucks, because I generally prefer to make rebel costumes (being more of a sewing person than an armor/props person), but the groups are just so frustrating! The main Rebel Legion website sucks major ass, and its been "in development" for years. It was supposed to be done by C3, then by DragonCon last year, now who knows what's going on. So much for good communication, organization and all that! It hurts my brain to be involved with groups of geeks sometimes, because they generally aren't organized by definition (and I'm just a compulsive organizer).

Ah well, we're going imp this weekend and Brian and I will have fun in all of our dirty, sandy glory!

Comments

[christmasjedi.livejournal.com]

The comments were flying last night about how unsexy this outfit is. The next thing I sew will have curves!

LOL! But I'll bet the male tuskens won't be able to keep their eyes off you this weekend!

Apparently the Rebel Legion made an ass of itself at the parades in Disney this past weekend. You know, its a few lazy or stupid shits that give the group the reputation it has, and its really annoying!

That's such a shame. You know, people complain about the 501st being "elitist", but it rarely makes a fool of itself, and when it does it's just because you can't keep all the asshats out. Very rarely is it because the costumes are lousy. I was on the RL forums the other day, and saw that they finally seem to be trying to implement costuming standards, but I wonder if it isn't too little, too late. But then I also remember talking with Gabrielle, and her Nazi costuming approver... The RL really does need to be the sister organization of the 501st, with costuming standards to match, and leave the bathrobe Jedi to join FanForce.

In another note, however, Alderaan Base will hopefully have two new recruits by Dragon*Con. *crosses fingers* One more silly pilot *cough*, but she'll be bringing a certain adorable, blonde Jedi Knight with her. :-) And then perhaps we can work on making a princess out of me.

[developer.livejournal.com]

I think part of the problem is that the rebel uniforms were already kinda sloppy from the movies -- baggy flight suits, jedis with slightly different outfits, sort of dumpy helmets and guard uniforms. Then if you don't do them with precision, it compounds the issue.

In a sense making a snappy looking TK or imperial officer is easier as they were quite pulled together on screen and it is quite obvious when it is shoddy. With rebels there is an element of shoddiness to the nature of the uniform (they were freedom fighters, not a vast empire) and if you fail to spend the time to make it look deliberate it just gets worse.

[tk7602.livejournal.com]

we're not talking sloppy though... i was watching some video of the parade, and there were people with major parts of their costumes missing.

:-/

[christmasjedi.livejournal.com]

I don't think the problem is so much the costumes, but rather the costuming standards. A shoddy costume that's thrown together in a hurry is much less likely to be accepted into the 501st than into the RL. If a shoddy costume is actually accepted into the 501st, the wearer is often quickly shamed into improving it dramatically, simply because there is a greater desire to strive for perfection when you're surrounded by it.

I'm currently working on an x-wing uniform, and I am finding it just as difficult as my Officer's uniform because I was bred to higher standards. Overall the x-wing uniform may look shabbier, but mine is going to look as ship-shape as possible so that I can be proud of it. The problem is that many of the RL recruits don't share this philosopy, because the RL didn't enforce costuming standards, so there are a lot more people who just don't care to put the effort into a good reproduction.

[darthwk.livejournal.com]

The main Rebel Legion website sucks major ass, and its been "in development" for years.

The CO of Midwest Base approached me for a site design for the Base itself for pretty much that very reason, which I was more than happy to do...for a fee of course (not a member of RL; therefore, it's a commercial arrangement). After I put up a prototype, though, I haven't heard back.

A Legion-wide site can be done inside of a month, really.

SW costumes

[dancer.livejournal.com]

"In a sense making a snappy looking TK or imperial officer is easier as they were quite pulled together on screen and it is quite obvious when it is shoddy."

Heh, if you watch those DVDs in detail and focus on the stormtroopers, they are actually pretty shoddy. Many are missing parts, have very visible tape holding themselves together, or have bits on upside down. A 501st TK is WAY more put together (and durable) than what they used in the movies, since they weren't intended to be used over and over and over again. :)

"With rebels there is an element of shoddiness to the nature of the uniform (they were freedom fighters, not a vast empire) and if you fail to spend the time to make it look deliberate it just gets worse."

They are definitely a lot more casual, and/or have personal elements. All of the X-wing pilots had the same helmet that was decorated differently (think, the sides of WWII planes), but they all *had* helmets. The jedi's outfits weren't fancy and were meant to be sort of nomadic/hippie, but they all had the elements of robes, obis, tabbards, light sabers.

I think the thing that gets me with some of the Rebel Legion folks is that they aren't trying to look movie accurate or professional. By definition that's how the group is supposed to be, and if people aren't going to do that, I don't know why they are in the group (since there are other rebel costuming groups out there that by definition, aren't as picky). There were explicit guidelines for this Disney troop and many people violated them, making the group look stupid, and jeopordizing the chances of being invited back to do this kind of event again. That's not cool.

It is really funny though, how the 501st and Rebel Legion follow the movie characteristics in impressiveness, organization and activity! :)

RL Site

[dancer.livejournal.com]

"The CO of Midwest Base approached me for a site design for the Base itself for pretty much that very reason, which I was more than happy to do...for a fee of course (not a member of RL; therefore, it's a commercial arrangement). After I put up a prototype, though, I haven't heard back."

Brian (and others) offered their services to write the thing multiple times, way before C3. The guy doing it seems to want to write it himself, and isn't releasing it live until its all done (or something - I don't know for sure, this is only what it seems to be from what I'm seeing).

Its really too bad that a couple of dumbasses can ruin the experience of other people that are serious about costuming standards and being active. :/

[rancor5.livejournal.com]

As you know, my wife isn't half the geek I am. She liked her Barriss costume and thought the kids at halloween would get a kick out of it, she wasn't out for acceptance by the RL. She's since seen pictures of other Barriss costumes, and has laughed at most, and only said "good work" to 2 or 3. She wants to be the envy of Barriss costumers and make our own Terry proud of having sent her in the right direction. She just signed up with Alderaan base, and won't apply for RL approval until her hood drapes properly, we can find material to improve her shirt, and then take good pictures to submit. I've already improved her belt buckle, and finished her LED custom saber. We're putting in the effort, because we're a part of a bigger family now, we want to keep them proud. We're a sharp looking bunch!

RL, costuming

[dancer.livejournal.com]

"We're putting in the effort, because we're a part of a bigger family now, we want to keep them proud. We're a sharp looking bunch!"

This is why I've tried to do things as accurately as I can. Its not a superiority thing at all (as some say about the 501st), but just a desire to have a screen accurate costume, and to contribute to a sharp looking bunch :) I guess I just get caught off guard when seeing people that don't make those efforts (particularly at such a high profile event). There's nothing wrong with being a casual costumer, but if you're a casual costumer (I don't mean you or Joanne, just the general "you"), why join a serious group?