Science fiction movies usually fail when it comes to costumes. The outfits worn by characters from distant times or places end up looking dated or silly a decade or so after the movies’ release dates. The stunning exceptions to this rule are the outfits from the Star Wars original trilogy. Star Wars Costumes by Brian Alinger offers up over 200 examples (with lots of concept sketches and notes) that make it clear that the costumes in Star Wars are the best thing going in the franchise.
As much as I liked the spaceships in Star Wars when I first watched the movies as a teenager, it was the outfits worn by Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, the Imperial Stormtroopers, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Princess Leia that gave me the thrill of being transported to a another world. These costumes look as fresh and timeless as they did when they were designed 40 years ago.
Star Wars Costumes by Brandon Alinger
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy in this special trailer, as author Brandon Alinger visits the Lucasfilm Archives at Skywalker Ranch to research and photograph actual outfits and gear used in the classic films.
The book features detailed histories and information on costumes for both major and minor characters, from Darth Vader to Tusken Raiders. Perhaps most significantly, however, are the photographs included. “They’re shooting things that have never been photographed in this way before,” Alinger says. As a result, the tome reveals exciting new visual details, and tells the story of how costume pieces were made and fit together to create the iconic costumes of a galaxy far, far away.
