Following the success of our Clone Trooper under suit we are now currently working on a Halo under suit. The Halo under suit is similar in that it has the breathable gauze in the areas that aren’t visible, though there are less of these areas as the armour is quite separated. The visible areas of the suit are made from stretch rubber fabric that be been quilted to a slim stretch foam. This allows the suit to give a little, making it more comfortable to wear which is needed under the bulk of the armour. We have just finished the first prototype which has been recently trialed, we are now perfecting a few areas and then we can photograph the suit for you to see.

The top half of the suit pulls on over the head and there is a discreet zip at the back. There is a cowl in the top which attaches to the high shaped sectioned collar which travels up into the helmet. This makes the wearer completely covered from the public so he/she can’t be seen. The top then has all the neck/chest detail. All the detailing we took from researching the figures and reference pictures available. The upper arms and shoulders lead down into the breathable gauze lower arm stirrups. The arms, shoulders, under arms and body sections also have lots of decorative detail .

The top then joins to the crotch section with a zip and there is a zip fly for toilet breaks. The crotch and bum section are very decorative, these then join to thigh gauze which connect to the knee and lower leg, again which have quilted detail. Finally the feet have breathable gauze stirrups.

I really like the look of this suit. There is still a way to go before we get it as it should be but keep an eye on how we keep striving for improvement. We welcome you feedback. Above are a few teezer photo’s.

We also noticed that there are large gaps between the armour and the wearer which we made gussets for, these can be seen in the photo’s of the arm armour.

This costume was a challenge to make. It is one of those costumes where the fabric was extremely difficult to find and all the reference pictures are very dark and it is difficult to see what the fabrics are and how it was constructed. After lots of searching we manged to find a suitable size waffle, we had had several waffles in the past but once washed and dyed they tend to shrink in size. Once we had found the right fabric it had to be dyed to a solid charcoal black. The robe is almost full length and hangs beautifully. It has a really thick look to it which is probably aided by the lining. The robe opens at the front, has the large flared sleeves and a large hood. The sleeves are gathered with cord elastic to reveal the hands and to enable you to see the cane.

Under the robe which you very rarely see is a wrap over full length tunic (we don’t like to call it a dress, somehow the Emperor in a dress just seems wrong). It is made from dark grey crepe wool, it has the wrap over collar band and fastens with ties at the sides.

It is a lovely costume to wear, very comfortable until the make-up goes on, you almost feel as though you are wearing your bath robes and everybody moves out of the way for you.

A photo gallery will follow soon.

Tips on wearing this costume

The hem of this costume tends to drag on the floor, to help keep the costume looking immaculate we recommend sewing a facing around the inside bottom of the robe to help preserve the fabric and this can be replaced at regular intervals.

The ties on the tunic are also quite difficult to fasten by yourself, you will need a dresser to help you.

As you may be aware we having been working alongside R S Propmasters helping them to reproduce the ANH Stormtrooper belts and holsters to go with their new suits. Rob and Simon gave us access to the original suit, that had been stored in a loft for many years, so we could scrutinize the materials and construction. Interestingly the belt is made from 6 layers of fabric, 3 different types of fabrics that are all then sewn together for rigidity and then the edges left raw. The belt then fastens at the back with velcro. Our belt has all the layers and in the correct order, it has been sewn using industrial strength thread and has the positioning of the snap fasteners highlighted on the inside. The original belt has definitely aged and discoloured as can be seen n the photographs, it is now cream in colour and soiled. We suspect the original belt would have been white as the film screen shots appear to be white and also the velcro would most probably be white too, I am not aware of cream velcro. Our belt is available in white or cream

Rob and Simon’s holster has had some slight alterations made to it’s colour. Originally it was only dyed black in the visible areas but over the years it has been fully painted. The half dyed holster whilst accurate is not to everyone’s taste and so we are offering the option. It is also an unusual holster in that it does not hold the E-11 and it appears to be almost back to front. With this in mind we are also offering the other style holster, we have not had access to an original but we suspect they would have been made in the same way but this time to carry the weapon.

More photo’s coming soon.

Firstly I worked on the tunic, I sourced a new pig skin with more texture and made the pattern more accurate. The front is self faced and the overall fit is much better.

Next came the under tunic. There is quite a bit of difference between this under tunic and my last one. This time the body of the tunic is made from a brown cotton chintz which is overlocked at the hem and the suede collar is top stitched to the cotton. The tunic now has a brown zip up the back and the sleeve ends are lined with suede. The sleeves are still long enough to gather, have the tree spikes and the thumb slots. Above the wrist there are the opening slots in the seam, these are held closed with large stitching. The sleeves are also now lined with black satin.

The cummerbund was the next piece I made. It is piped suede and then unlike my last cummerbund it is lined with suede, this makes it a little more expensive to make but finishes it off nicely. At the back the cummerbund laces with black cotton tape and has a wrap over cover to hide the lacing. At the top of the cover a hole has been cut into the suede. I have yet to discover why but I have put it there for accuracy.

I have just finished putting together the trousers. The trousers are similar to the old pair but have more detail in the pleated knee sections. The trousers have been made from a new leather which I then spent a whole week dying to the correct colour and weathering. This took hours of painting, sanding, re-painting, weathering, sanding, finishing… extremely time consuming but I had to keep going until I achieved the correct look. Lots of studying the original costume to get the marks in the right places.

The gloves I purchased from Sierra Trading, the suede matched quite well but they are fleeced lined which created difficulty when dressing. I have had to remove the lining and put a cuff on the wrist which makes it easier to fit them comfortably under the under tunic.

I am now working on the boot covers. These have been completely re-patterned. The striped detail is more accurate and the back fastening has been completely upgraded. The boot covers now wrap around the boot and velcro at the back to an underpad. They also have the vintage hook and bar fasteners and the ski clasps. The boot covers have the suede stirrup that feeds under the boot. I am still on the look out for accurate boots. Across the front of the cover is the strap which again has been completely re-patterned. This has been scaled from the tie fighter model part on the new boot discs we are making. The strap is piped up to the boot disc and then stops. The edge of the strap is also piped. We are making the discs removable again in case I damage them. This time we have strengthened the attachments so they pull tight against the strap.

Whilst I have been working on the soft parts Jude has been busy making progress on all the new hard parts. Using sourced correct model parts he has scaled up and sculpted new boot discs, made the basic sculpt for the helmet and is working on the staff.

For the new bandoleer again using sourced correct model parts he has built the bandoleer resin parts, we have the webbing and the correct sliders and fasteners. We just need the correct size of the armour so we make the bandoleer up and fit correctly.

Jude has also been working on my armour. We built a basic mould which he has then covered in body filler and now he is sanding to shape and creating the imperfections for the mould to pick up. I will then line it with the suede for comfort.

It has been an extremely challenging upgrade to build and we still have a way to go. I have attached lots of photo’s of the work so far so please enjoy. If you require more information or help please email us at info@clothearscostumes.com we are happy to try and help.

Wow! What a fantastic character. This has to be the costume I am most proud of. We were working to a tight deadline on the costume but everything turned out just the way we’d hoped. It is a massive costume and very impressive. The costume is made up of an built up muscle top, under tunic, waistcoat, shoulder and arm armour , arm vambraces, trousers, belt, sash and boot covers.

The top is made from black neoprene bulked out on the arms to fit the armour and give the impression of strong intimidating character. It has long sleeves and a breathable fabric body to keep the wearer cool. The top was then distressed and broken down.

The under tunic is the same as the one Darth Maul wears. It is made from linen, has the striped stitched collar detail and the slits at the sides. This has also been distressed.

The waistcoat vest is made from real suede and leather, It has a charcoal/green appearance and is made from an extremely battered hide. Each panel has been painstakingly patterned, cut and edged and then built up onto the vest. The whole waistcoat has then been bound. It is fully lined and fastens at the front with hook and bars. The waistcoat has the slashed stripes to the suede on each chest section and a small mandarin collar. A lot of bleaching, distressing and scrubbing created the weathered look, it also brought out the hint of red in the leather/suede.

The shoulder and arm armour is made from real leather, dyed, weathered and finished. I had great fun walking the leather across a bed of rubble and nails to form the deep scratches and scars in the hide. The pieces of leather have then be layered and riveted to one another and simply velcro to the costume and hold there position perfectly. The arm armour is riveted to the padded top. All the leather work has scoring detail around the edges.

The arm vambraces are made from real leather, moulded, dyed, weathered and finished. They have been patterned to bell at the wrist and they fasten with corset busks and straps of leather around the wrist.

The cummerbund is made up of strips of suede bound in leather and sewn to a backing strip. The cummerbund fastens at the back and has a wrap over cover which copies the striping to hide the join. This is made from beautiful soft clothing leather so it is comfortable to wear.

The belt is made from leather, dyed, weathered and finished. It has a display buckle at the front made from aluminium which has been polished and then weathered down. The belt also carries the saber hook. Behind the belt lies a real suede cummerbund which carries the snake tongue edged sash. The sash is made from the same linen as the under tunic and has the characters symbol bleached into it. It has then been distressed.

The boot covers are layered leather, dyed and finished and velcro’d to the boot. There are then straps which wrap around the boot.

A truly awesome costume. Having only animated reference for this costume a lot of it is our interpretation, how we think it would look had it been used in the film. We hope you like it.

This costume has to be the best Jedi costume I have made and I loved working on it. When the character first appeared on TPM I wasn’t that keen but since taking the time to research this costume and the materials I really like it. This costume looks as though it has been worn day after day and serves it’s purpose. It has also been one of the best costumes for actually sourcing accurate fabrics. The costume is made up from an under tunic, tunic with matching tabard and obi, trousers, belt, boots and robe.

The under tunic is made from noil silk jersey which has been dyed to colour. It has the wrap over collar bands from left to right and has long sleeves that gather at the wrist. This is a beautiful yet delicate fabric which has been gently weathered down.

The tunic, tabard and obi are made from noil silk dyed to colour. The tunic also has the wrap over collar and fastens with discreet hook and bars. The tunic is lined and fairly long in length. The matching tabard to the tunic hang front and back extending down past the hem of the tunic. The obi wraps around the waist of the tunic and fastens at the back discreetly with more hook and bars. This garment has also been gently distressed to give that worn look.

As you never see the waist of these trousers I opted to make a simple elasticated waist in a chocolate brown colour. I chose a medium weight fabric which is cool to wear like the rest of the costume which is mainly made up of natural fibres.

The belt is made from real leather dyed, weathered and finished with sam browne detail supporting the thinner belt. It fastens at the back and has the wrap cover to hide the join. The buckle is a found item. It has the brass centre fastener like Anakins TPM buckle but we had it remade in nickel and then weathered it to be more accurate. On the belt we have the covertec clip for the saber and the MR sabre hilt.

The pouches on the belt are cast resin, painted and weathered. The larger pouches are working pouches allowing storage for small change, credit cards etc.

The robe is made from choclate brown wool crepe, keeping it light and flowing. The robe has the full bell sleeves and a large hood.

The boots are incorrect for Qui-Gon, these are from our own personal collection until we find accurate boots.

I am very pleased with this costume and had great fun taking the photo’s, especially recreating the pose where Liam Neeson wraps himself in the robe. Why?

Shaak-ti was always one of my favourite Jedi costumes from the Star Wars prequels, this is a costume that I have costumed in and the attention that it receives is always fantastic, we have also made the head piece to go with this, though we are hoping to sculpt a new version as soon as possible.

This costume consists of a dress, a belt, a fabric tabard, a leather sash and robe. The basic structure of the costume is the dress which actually looks like a skirt and top but it is all connected to keep everything looking smooth and fitted. The dress is made up from a top section which is a brown slightly stretchy off the shoulder sleeved t-shirt that then attaches to a skirt which is made from 13 mtrs of crinkle silk. The skirt also has a black crinkle pleat silk underskirt which can be seen in the deleted scene of Shakk-ti’s death. Around the waist is a leather belt with a leather buckle, both of which are weathered.

Hanging down from the belt is a leather sash that has been hand tooled and then hand painted. This piece took hours of designing, therapeutic hammering and painting. The finished tabard is a work of art and having worked on the Luminara sash too they make great display pieces.

Hanging around the neck is a fabric tabard. This sits under the lekku at the back and then falls down either side at the front.

Lastly is the robe. Made from a sheer striped weave fabric, the robe is full length, with full bell sleeves and has a hood, though I never quite understood why Shaak has a hood she can’t possible wear.

I really like this costume but the headdress, make-up and jewelry make it extremely difficult to costume, taking around 3 hours to prepare. It’s great for large one off events but just not practical at the moment for regular costuming.

As you can see from the photo we had a bit of fun with our Bushbaby head.

Chris and Jane approached me earlier in the year to make an outfit for Chris to wear at their Disney inspired wedding. When I attended a fitting with the couple it was obvious to see their love for everything Disney and wanted to carry this through as the theme for their wedding day. Chris had a set idea in mind, nothing too extravagant but handsome and romantic. The items I made for the couple were the coat and waistcoat. The other items were hired from The Royal Exchange Costume Hire Department in Manchester.

The coat was made from dark navy suiting wool, again a summer wedding, so suiting wool to keep Chris cool. The coat is fully lined and was decorated with two different silver braids, layered and all hand sewn to the coat. The coat has large cuffs also decorated and silver metal buttons. Due to a short deadline the metallic silver aplique was purchased and reshaped to suit the coat. We had hoped to have a custom design embroidered to the wool but the short deadline would not allow it. Never the less the coat looks great and just what Chris asked for.

For the waistcoat we used a brocade satin, a floral weave of purple, pale blue and navy, fully lined it also has pockets for the speech. The waistcoat was decorated with silver braid and silver metal buttons and has a lace up cinch at the back for adjustment.

I believe Chris and Jane had a fantastic day, and the photo’s they sent me are truly magical.

At last we are able to offer our clone under suit. The suit is made from black foam backed fabric which has been quilted vertically, it is lined with breathable gauze and the areas that are not visible are stretch gauze to help keep the wearer cool. A zip has been placed at the waist and one at the back collar which has an easy reach pull enabling the wearer to dress themselves. There is also a fly zip so the wearer can take a quick toilet break between trooping without having to remove the whole suit. To finish the suit off we have also added a rubber silicone cog for the voice amp lead to feed through. This is optional and can be positioned either on the front chest or back depending on where you place your voice amp. Simply push the plug end of your lead through the cog and out to your voice amp. This will keep all excess wire hidden from public view. The suit is available in sml, med, lrg, xlrg and xxlrg, a measurement guide will be sent out to you and we will fit you to the appropriate suit. There are other suits out there on the market but none as fitting, durable and more suited to it’s needs.

At an event in 2011 we tested the clone under suit and it went very well. The suit wasn’t made for the guy who tested it but it fitted him extremely well. He wore his own jersey suit on the Saturday and then wore our suit on the Sunday. The guy testing for us made the Bozo armour kit up himself and there were no visible gauze areas at all. He was very impressed with the suit and especially liked the fact there is no need for a separate neck seal (money saver), it is all in the suit and is very comfortable to wear. For more information please email us @ info@clothearscostumes.com

Please note the model wearing suit is a little too short for it.

click here for full gallery

This costume was made for Robert who married Chelsea on July 2nd this year. Wanting this to be a truly magical day and one to remember Robert decided to go for a French Revolution inspired outfit. The attire he commissioned from myself consists of coat, waistcoat, jabot and breeches. The coat was made from beige suiting wool, being a summer wedding and in the hope that the weather will be good we opted for the suiting wool as a cooler option, if we had chosen linen there was a high chance it would crease. The coat has large dupion silk cuffs and it was decorated with a dusky pink trim. Originally when I purchased the trim it had sequins down the entire length, but it was the perfect colour and therefore I set to removing every sequin. The coat was lined with a two tone shimmering gold/dusky pink lining and decorated with gold metal buttons.

The waistcoat was made from pale gold dupion silk and decorated with gold braid. It is fully lined and has pockets for a handkerchief, just in case. The back of the waistcoat is laced for adjustment with matt cream ribbon.

The breeches were made from a beautiful cream wool and are fully lined. They were decorated with gold metal buttons and buckles and lace at the back for adjustment.

The jabot was made from 100% linen and a delicate lace. There are several layers of lace gathered onto the linen collar. The collar fastens at the back with a linen button.

This costume was a pleasure to work on. All the best to Robert and Chelsea for your future married life together.