I first made Princess Leia’s iconic Slave Leia costume in 2002 and have handmade probably hundreds over the years. I stopped making them when I closed my costume shop and the demand lowered as cheaper retail versions became easily available. Because I no longer make them, I thought it was time to share how I made the costume so that others can make it for themselves.
I made several different styles of this costume, but the one I will be sharing is the one that Kristen Bell wears in the movie Fanboys. They purchased one of my handmade costumes off eBay and I didn’t even know it was in the movie until the promo pics came out and I saw the costume.
Fanboys Slave Leia Costume
My version of the costume is not an exact replica. I made my own tweaks to the design to make it more comfortable, and I easily recognized it as soon as I saw the photos. It was quite a shock to see Kristen Bell in my costume!
I was dismayed to see they had gotten one of my earlier and less durable versions, where I was using cardboard and craft foam for the plates and accessories. I could tell by the creases in the front gold plate.
I managed to connect with the director on MySpace (that’s how long ago it was) and offered to send a new more durable costume, but they had already finished filming.
Sharing the Tutorial
I’ll be sharing how I made each part of the Slave Leia costume, along with printable patterns for each section, starting with the bottom front and back gold plates.
Next, I’ll share details on making the skirt, top and accessories. I’ll be doing each in sections and shooting a video tutorial to go along with it, so it’s quite a project.
If anyone does use these patterns to make their own, I’d love to see the result! I’m still finishing up the patterns for the gold plates and hope to have those posted next week.
I have a lot of the materials leftover and will also be selling DIY kits to make assembly easy. I’ve had all this stuff just sitting in a drawer for years and want to do something with it! I think it’s time I finally shared my Slave Leia secrets and cleared out some drawer space at the same time.
About the Author
Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.
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The sad part is those mass produced costumes are very poor quality. It’s not like the girls wearing them have to worry about them falling apart in the middle of a Con though right? LOL. Nothing mass produced is worth a darn anymore. T shirts used to last me a decade. I’m lucky if they make it 6 months anymore. I have a couple of dish towels that used to belong to my grandmother. They’re almost as old as me and in very good shape. I’ve had new ones from Bed Bath and Beyond (supposedly high end stuff) fall apart the first time they’re washed.
I wouldn’t give up on your costume work (assuming you have the time). Just do it made to order and promote the difference in quality.
I closed up shop about 7 years ago, so I’m past the letting it go point, lol. I still make stuff now, but mostly just for myself. Or I make it to sell and post it when it’s done. Making things to order puts a lot of pressure on you to get it done in time. I used to be able to make one of these in 3 days. Last time I took an order, it took me 4 months! After that I was like, I’m done lol.