Padme Autumn Attire
This post is an entry in the Padme online event hosted by Bridget Frances at Gonna Take a Ride Across the Moon. You can click on the event graphic at the bottom of this post for more information on how to participate in the event.
Padme Amidala has to shift from many different roles. Sometimes she appears as an unassuming handmaiden (a queen in disguise), other times as queen, later in life as senator, and other times in the clothing of her home world, foregoing all the titles she shifts at different times in her life. She takes on the position of queen from her early teens, and thus many of her outfits are stiff, dignified, and assuming. While the powerful statements some of these outfits make are what Padme is probably most remembered for, I like many of her less assuming, more natural outfits, such as the handmaiden clothes that she wears while on the planet Tatooine. These outfits would work well as a real-world autumn transitional, as seen in the Padme inspiration above.
The blue garment is central to the whole outfit. The colour contrasts well with the dullness of the environment of Tatooine, which is a desert planet. Below is a fuller view of the outfit, as well as a picture of a hairstylist putting together the braided hairdo that accompanies this look. Instructions on how to put together the hairstyle can be found at the website Imaginary Styles under the Star Wars hair tutorial tab. Or, rather than getting technical, you could try french braiding or another braid hairstyle to go with this type of look.
The sleeves of the loose blue garment are bell-shaped and tied with gray material, which helps keep the garment from looking too unstructured. The grey garment worn over the blue shirt gives additional shape, as well as the contrasting belt. All the garments are very loose, and protect from sun and sand. They are reminiscent of Arabian tunic-style outfits. However, because the cultures in Star Wars are a made-up mish-mash, the costume designers can also get away with fun patterns like in the desert cloak below. It stays on the same colour theme as Padme's more rugged Tatooine outfit, and is more elegant and just functional.
To achieve a modern, autumn version of an outfit that is Padme-inspired but not too costume-y, try to focus on one main colour that will be the focus of your outfit, such as a blue tunic-style shirt or sweater (make it dark/muted). Extra length on the arms is a plus. You might want to add slight accents (such as what appears to be orange ornamentation in the middle of Padme's belt), but in this case you could try an orange bracelet or hairpiece. Try not to add too many colours: the Padme look on Tatooine is under rather than overstated, and any especially vibrant colours may detract from the main colour that you chose. Go with oversized accents and boots (like the fringe-less mocassin-style pair shown on the left below). This is just one example. If you can find loose black boots like in Padme's outfit, they might go even better.
More ideas: fingerless gloves, an afghan-style scarf (such as the one shown below), or a cowl-neck scarf (such as the one in the picture below). Try to introduce heavy or oversized pieces into your outfit, but don't overdo it. Make sure the outfit is functional, and doesn't make you look like some kind of sand-monster. Instead, aim for being reasonably warm and appearing uniquely feminine in the cool weather. Note that while Padme's clothing is very loose, it does not "swallow her up" entirely. The garments are still distinct and create a kind of figure, and key aspects such as the wrists, the waist and the neck are either uncovered or are banded so that they stand out.
Try a chunky vest, oversized sweater, and tunic-style clothing to go with this outfit. However, to keep it from being too costume-y, be sure to wear jeans or a skirt for your lower portion, as opposed to layers of loose and tighter pants such as shown in Padme's outfit. Be sure that the pants come to the middle of your shoe if the jean material is worn over the shoe. You can also wear your jeans inside of your boots. Note that this outfit can be very ethnic (Middle Eastern such as Arabian, Turkish, etc.), or very simple and more culture-neutral, depending on how you put it together. It's all up to you!
~ Lady Hannah ~
