Happy May the Fourth – A New Jedi Emerges…

Hello Everybody and HAPPY MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU day! Yes today is the big day for Star Wars fans and the Jedi like me living in exile in this universe. And today is a very significant day for me as I finally complete a Star Wars Bucket List accomplishment. About 18 months ago I won a battle with the Banking Clans in the UK and got some money back and bought myself a new laptop after which I had some spare credits left over. Then the COVID scourge hit and everything shut down so I knew I wouldn’t be spending that credit on going on holiday to Bal’Demnic as I usually do and on Earth there would be no social gatherings such as Comic Cons or Sci-Fi Fests, so what could I spend my cash on? The answer is….I decided to assemble a Jedi costume! I have mentioned little bits about making a “cosplay” outfit but now I have completed the base parts and could appear in public with it. So today I reveal what I bought and how I look! Ok first up, the base tunic set.

This basic Jedi Tunic Set I purchased from a well known Cosplay costume company known as CosplaySky and it is a base outfit to modify into a real nice costume. The fit was good but I did need to add a few alterations using “Hook and Loop” fasteners to hold the tunic closed and on the shoulders I sewed “Press/Snap Fasteners” so I could attach the over shoulder tabards in place more secure (they can slip down your arms when spinning/duelling with your saber). However as this was only a basic set the belt and robe weren’t quite “movie quality”. The belt was “pleather” and fastened with velcro -not very strong to hang a saber off, and the robe was made of polyester which was thin, semi-transparent up close and was too lightweight. They needed replacing and I needed an under garment to replace the dark brown “scarf collar” attached to the tunic.

Now I wanted to emulate my “spirit Jedi” that is Qui-Gon Jinn as I have been likened to him in the past and Qui-Gon had sandy coloured tunics not with a dark brown collar, so I had to buy a loose fitting under garment and eventually found this top on a fashion webstore. It had the long scrunched sleeve look and an open V-neck for the “relaxed look”. The Hummus colour went perfectly with the outer tunic. And I was ever so fortunate as I bought the last one in stock! But that was just the start, I had to replace the belt and robe…how would I do that?

The answer to my belt problem came from a fantastic online webstore I found on ETSY named Leather3DNeon, run by a young craftsperson named Eugen. He makes numerous leather costume parts like Mandalorian blaster holsters and belts but it was his Jedi Master belt I was interested in. As soon as I saw it and knew I could afford it I bought one. And I’m so pleased I did….this belt is perfection. It arrived from the Ukraine far quicker than I was expecting and when I opened the packaging (which felt ceremonial with the wrapping paper and red ribbon bow seen in the top image) I discovered a beautiful piece of unbelievably crafted leather. The belt was a nice 3mm (known as 10oz leather) thick band and had the iconic Chicago Studs which held the thinner second belt in place. The buckle on the front was also metal. But the real beauty laid at the back of the belt where I found the belt fastened using more of the metal studs which fitted into “Keyhole” shaped holes. There are six size positions too just in case I eat too many food pellets and gain weight I can let the belt out a little. Then to cover the gap the belt has a wrap-around sleeve which is embossed with the Jedi Order symbol…just awesome detailing. Then as a final touch of class, in the picture you can see an oval shaped tag with a split ring? Well that is an extra little gift of a Jedi Keyring! Thank you Eugen, you are a Master!

Now I needed some footwear as the costume I bought was only the “soft parts” and boots weren’t included. Here I had to push the boat out and spend quite a bit of money. I could have bought a “costume quality” pair of boots that might have lasted a year or two but I also have weird feet and need good shoes. So as I had just received my money back from the Clans, I was persuaded by Mrs Tyeth to purchase a pair of Qui-Gon replica boots I had seen but until then were out of my price range. The boots came from the company Gladiator-Polo, and are the closest boots you can buy to the ones worn by Liam Neeson – they are so good they automatically get approval from the Star Wars costume groups like the Rebel Legion Trooping Group and the 501st Squadron who do charity event appearances. Again I have mentioned these boots before so here is just a quick reminder…

That meant I had my tunic, under tunic, pants, belt and boots but all Jedi costumes need a robe, a great robe and I think I found a perfect robe! Again I scoured the net and I came across a webstore on ETSY once more. This time it belonged to a UK based lady named Linda Reece and her store was titled Creativesewandsew! And boy was I glad to have found this craftperson’s site. Her products are above and beyond. I mentioned I wanted to make my costume “movie quality” well the robe I purchased measured up to that level – and then some. It is a wool mix blend (wool and polyester) so it is very hard wearing yet has a soft draping feel and texture. The hood is enormous and hangs just as a Jedi hood should. The sleeves extend down to my knuckles, exactly as the guidelines say they should and when you wrap the material around yourself boy is it warm! I may suffer wearing it in summer but it looks just too good not to. Anyhoo here is the product image (of course I got a brown one not this black one!)

This robe as I say is almost beyond words, but it didn’t come without a little drama! I ordered the robe and sat happily awaiting delivery notification when I received an email from Miss Reece titled “Regards your recent purchase…” OH NO! I thought it was gonna say “Apologies Master Tyeth but….” and it was going to be delayed or worse…..cancelled but I had a major pleasant surprise. Apparently the price listed on the site was wrong and I was being given a refund to reflect the correct price! I was astounded and want to thank Miss Reece for it. Of course when the robe arrived I was blown away by it’s quality. Proper overlocked stitching, that gorgeous textured material, the absolute perfect fit (and I only stated my height regards fitting yet it felt made to measure!)…and I had to try it on. I looked terrible due to lockdown in the UK meaning I hadn’t been to the barbers’ shop so I won’t show the pics of me trying it for the first time but here is the Glamour Gallery of how all the parts come together….

May I introduce myself…I am Master For Tyeth…now a properly attired Jedi! And before I go any further I have to say thank you to Mrs Tyeth for her camera work which wasn’t easy using a mobile phone in my flat’s hallway, and I did photo edit the mess that was my hair a little but you get the picture of how I look. And even though I have the skills to make the saber look “real” the images’ blades have not been altered…the camera just makes it look like this.

So finally I want to thank all the companies and craftspeople that I bought my parts from for making my dream a reality. I’ll leave links to each vendor’s websites and stores but don’t worry I am not being paid or rewarded in any way for this if you click to check them out, I am just a grateful Jedi passing on my knowledge.

Base Jedi Tunic Set from Cossky (New CosplaySky): https://cossky.com/collections/star-wars-1/products/star-wars-kenobi-jedi-tunic-costume-custom-made

Jedi Master Leather Belt by Eugen at Leather3DNeon: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Leather3Dneon?ref=search_shop_redirect

Qui-Gon Jinn replica boots by Gladiator-Polo (USA): https://www.gladiator-polo.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=209&product_id=570

And the crowning glory the magnificent Pagan/Druid/Monk’s robe by Miss Reece of Creativesewandsew: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Creativesewandsew?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=661248773

I haven’t added the link to ASOS designer fashion store as it sold out of the top I bought so I didn’t forget them. But again I want to say a big thanks to all that contributed to my costume. I just need a few accessories now like belt pouches and food capsules but I will collect those in the next couple of months hopefully – all ready for when Star Wars get-togethers can safely resume.

Now that brings me to the end of this bumper costume reveal, I hope you enjoyed it and are enjoying May The Fourth Be With You day (ok and Revenge of the Fifth for the Sith Star Wars fans!) Thank you for visiting today and I sincerely hope you’ll call back for future posts where I’ll get back to saber designs…and maybe soon some Convention appearances! Till next time, here’s the best dressed Jedi Master….

For Tyeth/FTSabersite has received no reward or payment for this post and it’s listings. I am just a very satisfied and happy customer. I hope the info can help others build their own costumes. All images are ©Copyrighted and belong to their respective owners. Links are correct as of May 4th 2021.