As part of the continuing series of Empire at 40, the official site looks at the evolution of the costumes in The Empire Strikes Back and how the real-life designers refined their creations for the second film in the trilogy.
Costumes, especially in a galaxy like Star Wars, help tell us what sort of world we’re being dropped into and — perhaps more importantly — who the characters are. After all, the look of Darth Vader’s imposing black armor stays in your mind long after the final credits roll. And without the signature look, Star Wars just wouldn’t be the same.
In the case of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the costumes also give a sense of the evolution of characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa, while helping to show that time has passed since Star Wars: A New Hope. With the Yavin medal ceremony in the rearview mirror and the icy plains of Hoth rapidly approaching, let’s take a look back at some of the many ways that costumes evolved in The Empire Strikes Back.
THE REBEL ALLIANCE
The rebels may have blown up the Death Star, but the heroes of the Rebel Alliance have hardly been resting on their laurels since the Battle of Yavin. After all, there is still a war to fight and the costumes worn by characters on Echo Base reflect that. The Hoth costumes were also some of the first looks that the wardrobe department, led by costumer designer John Mollo, pulled together before filming began in Norway.
Pilots
The snowspeeder pilot uniforms, although similar to the X-wing pilot jumpsuits seen before, have an obvious and practical upgrade: pilots now have nylon orange jackets with puffy collars and ribbed panels down each sleeve. These are worn over the same bright orange flight suits so closely associated with X-wing pilots, but with white leather gloves instead of black. And on their feet, Hoth-appropriate boots.
Han Solo
Although Han’s been hanging around the rebels for the last few years, his wardrobe hasn’t changed all that much – with the exception of his time on Hoth, where the cold temperatures necessitated extra layers. The two scarves add a bit of his Corellian flair.
After fleeing for sunny Bespin, Han wears a look that is closer to his original attire with a few subtle upgrades and color palette tweaks. His pants go from being blue with a red tuxedo-like stripe to brown with a yellow stripe. He also now gets a dark colored jacket cut in a similar fashion to his A New Hope vest.
Leia Organa
For a more drastic costume change, look no further than the unknowing Skywalker twins. Both Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker were promoted between the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Hoth and their outfits at the start of The Empire Strikes Back reflect as much. Gone are the farm boy poncho and the simple-yet-sleek royal gowns, replaced by far more utilitarian outfits better suited to war and the frigid temperatures on Hoth.
Leia’s transformation is the more dramatic of the two, even though she’s still wearing mostly white. Aesthetically, she fits in with the other rebels with her quilted jumpsuit and puffy-collared vest, but the white, off-white, and gray hues in her look still visually recall the princess we met in A New Hope.
Conversely, her Bespin formalwear is anything but the fatigues worn by a busy commander and it’s the first time we see Leia in an outfit that isn’t monochromatic.
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