A look into Star Wars: Padme's Dresses. Part III

After this long break, I will continue this series of posts with this next dress.

This is the dress that I call the "Coruscant Pre-Senate Gown" because she wears it in a very brief scene right before she makes her appearance in the Coruscant Senate. This is not one of the most well-known dress, but it’s a beautiful piece of design, so I thought it was worth the effort.

The dress consists of a crimped mauve under-gown under a stiff, turquoise dress with intricate patterns, and over this; a light gray robe held together with a wide, embroidered sash. The sleeves of the robe are wide and somewhat stiff, with curling needlework along the sides. A fan-like headdress adorns her hairstyle, which is finished off with antique lace, pearl beadings and glass filaments.

Just like with the “senate” gown, the influences behind this design are really simple and easy to identify. The dress is based on the traditional Japanese kimono. And the headpiece is a mix between Chinese, Russian and Byzantine influences. This creates a very nice dress with a very exotic and regal flair, which really suits the character and the world that represents.

The kimono-like dress is a fine piece of embroidered cloth, and I personally love the color which strands away from the regal red of the other Amidala’s dresses. Only because of its color you can actually see that this is not a dress made for a public appearance.

The dress itself is practically a kimono. It has the same layered structure, down to the obi-like cloth around her midsection.

Dress from "Memoirs of a Geisha"

The main difference resides in the shape of the sleeves of the outer dress, which are far wider and bigger than the ones in the traditional kimono.

Another difference, though less noticeable, is the fabric of the dress. Like in her other dresses that she wears as the queen, the fabrics she uses are heavy and sturdy even if they look refined and rich. But Kimono’s are traditionally made of silk, which is a lighter fabric and softer also. Aside from those aspects, the dress is exactly like any Kimono.

And so, like in many of her costumes, the most intricate piece is the headdress. In this case, it's a mix of different elements from very different cultures. So I'm going to try and break down all of them.

For starters, the fan-like hairpiece is a mix between Chinese and Russian hair-dresses.

The picture on the left is a recreation of a dress and headdress from the Qing Dynasty. The other picture is a picture taken in Southern Russia, in the province of Penza, circa 1880. And in both of these pictures, we see a fan-like hairpiece crowning their heads. Actually, Amidala's hairpiece it's actually more alike to the Russian hairpiece because it is made in such a way that it's not trying to look like hair, it's made clear that is a mere decoration.

But there is more to this design. The front of the head is covered by some sort of net made with glass filaments and pearl beadings. This reminds me of this Byzantine hair-dress.

Mozaic of Theodora, the wife of the emperor Justinian I

Both have the same pearl beadings that frame the face.

The last element that integrates the hair-dress is the golden egg-like decoration by her ears. This, though not identical, reminds me of the medieval crispinettes. It's basically because of the shape that it creates.

As shown in these pictures, the visual effect is pretty similar. 

The final touch to the dress is the makeup. And as we can see, she has the same exact makeup that she has with the other gowns. This is because here, she appears as the Queen, and as we established, this makeup is exclusive to the role of the Queen of Naboo.

To see full scale:
https://www.pinterest.com/alba0531/a-look-into-star-wars-padmes-dresses/

And this is all for today! I'll try and continue with this series as soon as possible.

To read A look into Star Wars: Padme's Dresses. Part IV click here.

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