Princess Leia’s Fashion Transformation Over the Years
A blog about how Princess Leia’s costume has changed throughout the years along with the history of the costumes.
2015-06-02
Princess Leia’s fashion evolution over the years
Princess Leia’s Fashion Transformation Over the Years
By: Stephanie Hwang
Star Wars has always been a popular movie franchise, being in existence for over 40 years. The first Star Wars movie was released in 1977, but then went on to release many more movies to come, while introducing a multitude of characters to their fans.
One of the most famous characters from this franchise is Princess Leia. Princess Leia is a gorgeous, strong-willed woman who fights for what she believes in, making her an iconic character for girls and women alike. However, one of the things that have made Princess Leia such an iconic character is her costume throughout all of the Star Wars movies. In these movies, she has worn many different kinds of costumes which have changed as time went on.
Which one of these is not like the other? Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia were all looking pretty sharp at a recent Star Wars event.
This image was taken during a press conference for the charity event “Star Wars: In Concert” which includes a multimedia presentation accompanied by a symphony orchestra and choir. The concert is touring North America through this fall. Producers are planning to take the show overseas in 2010.
In addition to her gold bikini, Princess Leia is known for her signature white dress. But over the years, she has worn many different outfits. She’s even donned a slave costume (pictured below) and dressed as Jabba the Hutt’s prisoner.
The following is an overview of Princess Leia’s fashion transformation over the years:
1977: Princess Leia wears a white dress with black tights in “A New Hope.” She also sports long, cinnamon buns on either side of her head. This look makes her very approachable and relatable to the audience.
The little girl inside me is screaming out of excitement because the new Star Wars trailer was just released! Lucas Films did a great job at keeping the plot under wraps and the costumes hidden from prying eyes. Besides the general public, I’m sure the actors will be surprised to see what they’re actually wearing in the film.
It’s no surprise that Princess Leia’s costume has changed over the years. As she’s gotten older, her image has changed as well. We first meet Princess Leia in A New Hope as a young woman who is a leader in the Rebel Alliance. She’s outspoken and tough, and dressed like a military commander with her white shawl and ascot (though without any pants which seems impractical).
In The Empire Strikes Back we see more of her personality, namely her vulnerable side as she describes the torture ordeal she suffered on the Death Star. Now she wears a long white gown with a belt, but still with no pants or boots (what is it with Princess Leia and pants?). In Return of the Jedi we see Princess Leia take on another role as she joins Han Solo in a rescue mission to save Luke Skywalker from Jabba the Hutt. This time we see her dressed like one of Jabba’s slaves, wearing “biker shorts
Hop in your Millennium Falcon and let’s travel back in time to 1977, when the first Star Wars movie was released. At that time, Princess Leia Organa (played by Carrie Fisher) was a 19-year-old princess who had been given a mission by her father to get plans for the Death Star to her home planet of Alderaan.
Leia’s costume was a white dress with a black belt and a gold chain. She also wore hair buns on either side of her head and an elaborate princess crown. In the second movie, The Empire Strikes Back, Leia kept her hair style but switched up her outfit (you know, since she was stuck on Hoth). Instead of wearing a dress, she opted for pants and a white tunic. It was probably more suitable for the frozen planet.
In Return of the Jedi, we see Princess Leia in another outfit change: the slave Leia costume. Jabba the Hutt had captured Leia and forced her into being his slave girl. This change wasn’t exactly voluntary but it is considered one of Leia’s most iconic looks from the original trilogy.
May 4th is Star Wars Day, and ‘This is our costume change!’ So far we’ve seen three outfits from Princess Leia, but first let’s start off with the white dress that made her an icon. The Princess Leia White Dress
In A New Hope, Star Wars Episode IV, George Lucas wanted a futuristic look for his princess. When the designers couldn’t come up with anything he liked, he said “I want my leading lady to look like another Angela Davis.”
He was referencing the African-American political activist of the 1960s who had a signature style of afro hairstyle and turtleneck jumpers. Lucas’ designers were inspired and went back to the drawing board.
The end result was a full length white dress with a high collar and long sleeves. It had what looked like a traditional bodice and skirt piece, but it was actually one piece. On top of this she wore a hooded cape which included some clever details such as the lightsaber wielding hand on the back.