Creating the Jumpsuit or Coveralls

Originally posted by Skaught77:

Dickies.com is selling a khaki short sleeve worksuit for just $9.99. That's dang cheap. It's khaki, so it will need to be dyed. I'm not sure how that will work out. Maybe some color remover first? I haven't mess with that.

But for the price, I ordered 2 pairs to give extra material for long sleeves, pockets, etc. $20 + $5 shipping. Can't beat that.

Scott

www.StarWarsGeneration.com

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Originally posted by Tyr Rykik:

I just ordered two pair myself. Both sizes (I got two different sizes so I could see which fit better) were on backorder. But the wait should be well worth it.
Have you recieved yours yet? When you do I'd be interested in how well they dye. Keep us informed.

Originally posted by imprissonedfett:

It is believed that the ROTJ jumpsuit a racing jumpsuit, right? Could the ESB be an old flight suit? I am doing the ROTJ version but I saw "Behind Enemy Lines" yesterday and the flight jumpsuits look like the ESB style. They have the shin pockets in the correct places as well as in size. The only descrepancy on this part was that it had velcro. The material even looked great. To me it looked like a perfect match with the ESB costume. I know no one knows for sure about the ESB costume because it is missing, but I just wanted to bring this up. Any comments?

Originally posted by SSJFett:

Man..I got two pairs of Dickies khaki jumpsuits.... What the hell do you use to fade them?? I was planning on fading them, then using a little blue dye to get a grey color, but I can't fase the color on them. I have used 2 packs of color remover, and like washed them with a gallon of bleach. I need help guys.

If the shoe fits, it's probably your size

Originally posted by WebChief:

Damned suits! Mine's is the same way. Hopeless. Truly hopeless.

"What we do in life...echoes in eternity!"

Originally posted by TylerDurdenSoapMaker:

Well, I got to thinking about Fett's flight suit and how a variety of Star Wars items were military surplus, so I thought I would check out vintage flight suits. Now I'm not sure if it has already been established that the suit was custom sewn, but they may have gotten their pattern from a Luftwaffe German Flight suit.

Link here:
www.mart-aviation.co.uk/n....suits.htm

Sure there are problems with it, but the look is similar and most of the problem areas are either covered by the vest or the additional thigh pockets and shin tool pockets. I can't get a good feel for the material they are using for their suits, but I wonder if this is a step in the right direction, as German weapons, helmets, military surplus were used in creating various Star Wars props.

If we've already established it was custom built, ignore this post and call me a boob.

<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT="">

Originally posted by Braks Buddy:

No one has PROVEN it was custom made and your pics would tend to indicate that it may NOT have been custom! Those are strikingly similar in the general layout!!! Who knows but that is very interesting.

Restless soul, enjoy your youth - Eddie Vedder

Originally posted by darthgoat:

they might make a good base for making your own undersuit. that grey looks dead on to me.



"I can't be 100% responsible for what comes out of my brain"


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I think I may have found a spot to get a jumpsuit. Lots of choices and 100% cotton for bleaching and dying.
The coveralls on this sight look like the right color.
What do think fellow Fett fans ?

http://coverallstore.com/cottoncoveralls.htm

Originally posted by SSJFett:

I used Dickies Khaki coveralls for mine. Which work pretty good. I bought two, and used the extra material for long sleeves, and pockets. The problem lies in fading the color. The piece of **** wont change. But, after numorous bleachings, mine is starting to turn to the light side.




Never hit a guy with glasses. Use something heavier..

Hello.. well I know the jumpsuit issue is alway a topic with some options of finding the right type of suit for it. Well Dixies are great... but I think I found something even closer to the real thing.. and for only 7 bucks at your local Home Depot.

These coveralls are from a company called Bennett.. I tried to find a site with a example of them... but couldn't. So I scanned in a sample of the white cloth coverall for you all to see the texture of it is like.


These coveralls come in M / L / XL and cost only 7 bucks (Canadian eh!)

They have elasticized Hood (which is easy to take off)
Elasticized Ankles and Wrists
Breast and Back Pocket (easy to take off)
Hidden Reinforced Zipper Closure
Strong Edgebound Stiching
& very lightweight and breathable.

I bought myself a few pairs since they are dirt cheap and I tested them with dying and they turn out just great!. Not to dark and not to light of a colour (depending on what colour you use)

So with that said I just thought I would let you all know about them.. just incase your trying to find the perfect jumpsuit, and don't want to fork out major cash for one.

I as of now have made some front pockets (with the extra pairs that I bought) and with barely any seams (except the pockets which can be removed) the suit is seamless. Also with the extra pair I have made the part of the jumpsuit that looks like short sleeves just over the long sleeves of the suit...

All this jumpsuit has cost me is just over &#36;20,. not bad eh!

I'll be posting my finished Fett soon.. so you can see what they look like all weathered and suited up.

Are these the right dickies for ROTJ Fett ?
http://www.allseasonsuniforms.com/di50a.htm

Let me know what we think,
Steve

Upon careful inspection of the ref pics, I have come up with an idea that may or may not have been expressed yet. It has been generally accepted that there were two sets of sleeves used for the jumpsuit. After really looking at the close-ups, I am led to believe that there was only a long-sleeved version used. These long sleeves were only folded and stitched above the elbow area. See pic 230 (sorry, I don't know how to post here ). Notice above the upper row of stitches, that there is a possible fold under the fabric (see the little raised ridge?). This being conducive to a fold and not a flat seam. There are other pics substantiating this, but this one is clear to me. ...Well, whaddaya think?

Well number one there are so many different versions of everything who really knows but I actually think it was definitely 2 separate sleeves...

Could be??? For the most part, most people buy a short sleeve and long sleeve pair of coveralls, just because it's easy to just slip the long sleeve through the short one. I don't know if we have gotten to that part yet? There seems like sooooo much more to scrutinize

on my jumpsuit i bought a long and did the fold job sleeve's and it looked perfect

Yeah, it was probably just one long sleeve folded. It's a deep fold, though, to make the top part so much wider around than the bottom. If you look in pics with the hoses in place going through the upper sleeve, you can see it. You couldn't replicate that by buying a long sleeved jumpsuit and tucking it under. It has to be made from scratch.

I agree that it is not 2 sleeves and it is simply a deep fold. This is the way I make mine. When cutting out the arm pattern, allow some extra length for that extra fold. Then fold the sleeve under (about 10" down from the shoulder seam)and stitch across 1 inch in. The upper sleeve will automatically look larger than the under sleeve because of little bit of taper from the shoulder to the wrist.

Don't forget to leave enough width too when cutting out the sleeve pattern to allow for the smaller folds vertically down the front and back of the sleeves. You will want to do this part first before doing the second sleeve detail or it will not look right. I'm going to try and post a tutorial on my website - www.stellardesigns.ca - as soon as I get some time after the holidays. Hope this helps anyone who is making their own Jango suit.
THX,
Vince

Would it be possible to use a long sleeve coverall, cut the long sleeve at the right level and sew the cut long sleeve piece inside the now shortsleeve coverall?(Does that make sense?) This would give it the look that there is two shirts on. Just a thought, what do you think bkbt.

If you are using an existing coverall, that method sounds great to me! I would make sure that the sleeve you cut up is at least 3 inches longer than you would like it because you will need to cut the sleeve horizontally at the 10" mark and then fold under the top sleeve to allow an inch deep hem and also a bit for the seam allowance, pin the under sleeve to the underside of the top sleeve and voila! Sew them together 1 inch in. Does this make sense?

If you would also like those 2 vertical seams that are down the front and back of the sleeve, you will have to do those folds first and then sew up your second sleeve detail after that. Those folds are different, there is a definate fold and then a top stitch about 1/4" to the side of the fold to hold the fold down. It would be tricky though where the shoulder seam meets - no room for folding - this may be covered anyway with the vest? Let me know if you have other questions about it and I'd be happy to share.
THX,
Vince

Yes, the vertical seam is tricky to fake on an existing garment. The original appears to have a two-piece sleeve. The front vertical seam is indicative of this design. As stated, in order to fake this effect on a one-pieced sleeve design, simply sew-up a dummy seam when making your scratch-built suit. I just got done doing this on mine, as well as the extra-long-tucked-under-one-piece-sleeve, and it looks fine. ...Only things left are the cuffs, waist, finish the collar, pockets, and decide what color I want to make it. ...BTW thanks for all the responses, gang.

I would say NO.

I precieve the "hump" to be wear the shorter sleeve has been folded back underneith and refoldled at the inside edge of the material so it wouldn't ravle.
But that's my opinion.

A sound rebuttal, tk0000. That would make sense as well. It seems like a bit more work, but I have seen stranger things done in Hollyweird costume departments. Thanks for your input .

A one inch fold will not produce the EXACT effect seen in Fett's sleeves...the upper one is much bigger around than the lower. It will make some thing that looks pretty good and most people won't notice the difference. However, to really get it "right", it's got to be bigger than one inch. I made my jumpsuits with the one inch sleeve, but I'm re-doing them and I'll put a fold of at least two inches. I'll only stitch the detail stitching onto the last inch of the fold.

Let's see if this works;

http://www.geocities.com/emperorofme...?1039850052450

If it doesn't work, lemme know. I'm not real bright, y'know.

It works fine! Great value. Especially like the tip about the folded sleeve - looks like it'll save a lot of work that way.

How hard was this to do? I'm TERRIBLE at sewing but it looks fairly straight-forward.

Very nice,I think the cargo pockets are a bit too big, but that is only my opinion. Nice sleeves

Wow, thanks for the feedback.

I bought the remainder on the bolt at WallyWorld (WalMart) for &#36;4.44 a yard for 5 yards. This is way enough, with much to spare. It came as 60 inches wide. Even after washing (always BEFORE you start marking and cutting), I had mebbe 2 +- yards left. I make alot of stuff, so not a problem (and remember, the belt pouches are the same fabric as the jumpsuit ). I am on the shorter end of the height scale at 5'6", so take that into consideration. If you think it out, you may be able to creatively position your patterns for maximum yield and allow the weave to all "go in the same direction".

It's relatively simple, but I've sewn alot of stuff. I would say to just remember to allow for seams (I generally allow 3/8 of an inch on both sides), remember to place "right sides together" (this means that when you sew it up it'll be inside out and you've put the outsides together to sew), and remember that you need two opposite pieces when there are two needed (flip your pattern over after you've marked one). Pinning, or even basting, will save you alot of heartache. A helper comes in handy when pinning the sleeves on or adjusting the leg/sleeve length. Just like in shop class; "Measure twice, cut once". . Your garment will only be as good as your pattern, as well.

As for the pocket size...Yeah, I know . Not a prob since I'm doing a custom. They could actually be 3/4 to even half the size they are now. I'm notorious for pulling something out of somewhere every time the need arises, so big pockets are an old thing for me.

Forgive me for not getting too technical in the sewing jargon. I learned most of what I know from my Grandmother and Mother, who were/are both seamstresses, and all the lingo they use(d) was/is French . I don't know alot of the sewing terms in English, and I was born and raised here in the US!

Now that is nice. If you are planning on adding knee armor to your custom suit, you may need to relocate the thigh pockets up just a bit.

The way I look at it is that all the other ends of the cuffs have rings, although not all have the same number of rings. foot cuf rings, long sleeve rings, and short sleeve rings. Why would some one put rings on the long sleeves and bottom of legs. They are covered in the movie. I just have that gut intink that says with all the work that went into the costume they would have real short sleeves. I'll ask Jeromy next time I see him.

That's a good point. Very insightful, at least. I will, however, toss this out from an experienced viewpoint; If this garment was made, or even altered from an original coverall, by a wardrobe department, it is very likely that the person doing the stitching simply had no idea what the finished "look" of the character would be. If one set of cuffs was this way or that, then all would match as far as they knew. It's all good no matter how we acheive it, as long as the infernal "double-sleeve" design is there.

A good question is...do you really want to have to wear another shirt underneath your jumpsuit? I don't.

I'm going to the jumpsuit part of my costume after my helmet is done, I have read Dickies coveralls and Big Mac brand worksuits could work for Boba's jumpsuit, but I don't know which one to get. The Big Mac brand doesn't have a grey color and the closest thing is charcoal grey which is pretty dark. They do have a white one, but will this be a hassle to dye (it's twill)? The Dickies have grey, but one of the sites I looked at (All Seasons Uniforms) did not have size 36.
I don't think I can afford to have a custom one made, so any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
Ely

If that one is cotton twill, nothing will accept a dye better.


Why not try making your own? I'm sure the board can help you if you get stuck.

I went with Red Kap coveralls. They are a 100% coton and come in white so you can rite them any color you want. I believe it was Lisa Fett on one of the threads a while back that gave a recipe rec. for this. Heres the site.

http://www.automotiveworkwear.com/Me...ategory_Code=C

The price is right. Just go to a local coverall suplier and try them on to get the size you need without clothes. Hope it helps. Vern

If you decide to sew your own, make sure to get cotton twill, but get the regular twill, not the 'wrinkle-free'. The wrinkle-free material will not take the dye as well.

Have you decided on which Fett you're doing? ESB or ROTJ?

Although it's been discontinued, Simplicity pattern # 8745 is a good base for a jumpsuit. The package contains instructions and layouts for Grease (movie, musical) patterns, along with a standard mechanics (Hyyyy-dromatic!)jumpsuit. With a little modification, this can be turned into a dead-on Fett jumpsuit.

As for Big Mac jumpsuits, they were available through JC Penney in a steel blue color. Not bad for ESB Fett, and could be bleached a little to lighten the tint.

Hope this helps...

Thanks for the info. I'm doing ROTJ as my first Boba.
The Big Mac brand coveralls doesn't offer steel blue on the site.
How can I get a hold of the pattern you are talking about?

Unfortunately, it has been discontinued. I know, because I've been searching for over a month now. A local friend of mine let me borrow the pattern, so I'm just making a copy. But the best source will probably still be online. Either E-bay or sewing websites...

Don't bother E-mailing Simplicity. They simply restate what you what you told THEM.
ME: "I understand 8745 has been discontinued, but I've been looking online,..."
THEM:"We're sorry, that pattern has been discontinued, you might try online,..."

Here's another spin. For my second jumpsuit, I made my own pattern. I ripped out all the seams from my first one (a Big Mac) and ironed the pieces flat. Then I traced them using brown wrapping paper (comes in tubes from the grocery store). It's worked so far, and all you need to start is ANY jumpsuit that fits you. You can buy custom material at that point.

Just purchased the pattern for simplicity here
http://www.grandmashouse.ws/patterns/Costume.html
It only comes in XS,S,and M, I bought the medium.

If I can't find anyone to sew this for me, I'll probably buy one of the coveralls mentioned here (the cheapest possible).

What do I need to fix with this pattern, besides the obvious additions?

I saw the Granda's House pattern a few weeks ago. All three sizes mentioned come in the same envelope.

For starters, you'll prolly need to make adjustments to the initial size, since you're working from the medium pattern. A local seamstress might be able to help.

If you've seen some of the pictures of the costume laid out, you'll notice that the neck of the armor vest is actually attached to the jumpsuit, not the armor vest. I made my own neckpiece without a pattern.

You'll also need the two thigh pockets. They are the same pattern as the large ammo pouch pockets. You may have to create your own pattern for these.

There are two lower pockets for shin tools. Although the same size, the pocket 'dividers' are stitched in different places. These pockets are symmetrical, and the same size, right and left.

And finally, there are the outer sleeves. You'll have to search to find some decent shots, but the outer sleeve comes over the long sleeve and stops right above the elbow. Look closely at the piping. The stitches are what MAKES the Fett jumpsuit.

In the coming months, I'm going to develop a pattern (based on Simplicity 8745) for use by those here on the Forum. If you can wait a few weeks, I'll send what I have. I have bigger fish to fry right now...

For now, my best advice is to gather as many pictures as you can, and bring the pattern and pictures to a qualified seamstress (look in the yellow pages). That person will be able to help you achieve your goal.

Another pattern that works well is a simplicity grease yes the movie grease

Yeah, that's Simplicity 8745, the one we're talking about. It's not longer in production.

I made my vest through trial and error, but after three attempts, finally got a pattern I like, and I've been using it for four years. Mine has a zipper up the back.

If you decide to make your own, remember that the shoulder sections shouldn't be shaped like crescent moons, but rather footballs. I've heard alot of people that got frustrated thinking that the crescent moon shape would work, then ended up having shoulders that looked like they belonged on the cover of a Meco album. Typical 'futuristic-spaceman' design.

When I get the Simplicity 'simplified', I'll be glad to send a copy of the armor vest as well. I need to sit down and write instructions for these as well, I guess.

Patience...

Whew!

I just transferred the Simplicity pattern to brown parcel paper. What a chore. I laid out several sheets of carbon paper and used a pattern tracing wheel (looks like a miniature pizza cutter) to transfer the pattern. The original pattern is still as good as new. My back, not so much.

Over the next couple weeks, I'm going to make adjustments to the sleeves (they're HUGE!) and the bagginess of the pant-legs. Then I'll do a test-suit to see what else needs to be modified.

I will keep you updated...

Hey, BN. I tried something on my j/s with the sleeves and really was very satisfied with the results.

Instead of making a short and long sleeve, I simply made the sleeve extra long and tucked it under for the double-sleeve effect. Worked great, was fast, and especially easy to do. Check my link for pics in my thread on my jumpsuit.

After you've completed that step, you can adjust the sleeve for length at the wrist.

I also pinched and made a false seam down the entire front of the sleeve to resemble the ref pics.

Yeah, I did the piping down the long sleeve, too. I went ahead and made a smaller outer sleeve, so I could get the correct piping on it as well. Wish I had a picture of it..

I was pretty happy with my old jumpsuit, but since I did it from scratch, the crotch always felt a little weird (doesn't it always?). I hope to correct it by using a 'tried and true' pattern base.

You added piping? The thin cloth tubey stuff with a tapelike edge that is sewn into coat seams etc.?

Awesome BN!
I know your hard work will be greatly appreciated by a lot of people, especially me.

Will my height (5'5")and skinny legs be an issue for the fit part of the jumpsuit?

I think you'll be fine. You can always hem for height. As for the 'fit' part, I'm assuming you mean the waist area? Your belts will keep all that cinched up. You can always take gathers out of the legs of they are too 'fluffy'.

A seamstress will know how to alter it.

I know that S1 gloves are easily lighten the color by damp them a little and putting them in the sun for a while. I'm in the process of sewing my own Jumpsuit but I haven't decided which material to use.
I was wondering if cotton and twill can be lighten like S1 gloves do. I know that twill is a thicker material, like for work coveralls, but I'm looking for something more comfortable and cool to wear (plus the armor, vest, and JP harness...will be pretty hot), besides that I could weather them as well. If someone knows about fabrics and the characteristics of them, give me some feedback here.


Robert

It is definately cotton or a cotton blend of some kind with an almost denim look to it. I've yet to find THE fabric, but it's out there somewhere waiting to be found. Here's some pics of it.

IMHO, you'd be better off, as well as it being easier, to match the texture of the fabric rather than the color. You can easily dye the fabric if it's a cotton. I don't think anyone has found the correct fabric in both texture AND color yet. Anybody?

I think so too. When you imagine it you think it's baggy, but the pictures really show it to be much tighter. It just looks bulky and baggy from the pouches and the way the thighs bulge out from the cinch of the knees.

I say it's definitely more fit than baggy.

Phil

Go twill--I found an entire bolt of light grey twill fabric at my Super Walmart in Omaha, Nebraska. I think is was &#36;2 per yard--I got about 13 yards on the bolt. Twill has the right texture, and it has an awesome weight--kind of like denim. The bolt I found is just a slight shade darker than that vest fabric we all just got. Let me know if you have any questions.

Great advice, MMM. I Think sometimes we get caught up in searching for items/fabrics that fit the entire bill of the real deal. When in fact, some of the found items on the suit have been incredibly altered from it's original form.

Again, I wouldn't look for a color that matches what you seen on screen, because it doesn't exsist. The real suits were dyed-- most likely from white/light grey material. Even the MOM suit has heavy evidence of BLUE dye. Focus on the correct material/texture.

MegalomaniacalMandalore wrote:
IMHO, you'd be better off, as well as it being easier, to match the texture of the fabric rather than the color. You can easily dye the fabric if it's a cotton. I don't think anyone has found the correct fabric in both texture AND color yet. Anybody?

The jumpsuit is one part I've always advised people to try and get done locally to ensure a tailor-type fit rather than mail-ordering and hoping it does the job.

Back when I had very little costuming experience, I made the mistake of ordering a complete outfit. The jumpsuit was too small in places, and the vest was huge. I often wondered if they didn't confuse my order with someone elses. There were sooo many things wrong with the costume, and I always wished I had been more patient and just made an effort to learn earlier on how to do some stuff myself.

I pitched the vest, the gloves, and pretty much started building up from scratch. Kept the jumpsuit, but it was "heavily" modified.

I think it's just the way the jumpsuit is fitted. The torso and arms need to be a bit tailored to fit correctly, the arms need to be tapered so they don't bunch up under the gauntlets, and the torso needs to fit snug, not tight, but certainly not baggy. Now for the legs, I bet these are literly straight legged, the thigh fits, but there isn't much of a taper, if there is one at all, so it seems to be baggy at the ankle ... at least that is what it looks like to me

You definately want a fitted look. It could make or break the costume in my opinion if you are going to wear it. Best suits I have seen were all custom tailored.

You don't want it too baggy in areas, like the butt. I don't think it would be very becomming for Fett to look like he's carrying around a load in his pants.

Guys, I went today for an hour-away-Hobby Lobby/Fabrics store next to it, to find out that they had NOTHING similar to the sample material I had in my hand.

MMM: Thanks for the feedback, and besides that cotton is easier to dye and it's cooler (specially in the summer time).

PF: Thanks to you too for the note as well on the twill, which I think and believe is a cotton blend and it's used for work jumpsuits. Now my question is...can it be dyed or bleached? I found the material, but it was in a darker grey color, and someone else has it in the same gray shade. Please, IF YOU OR SOMEONE KNOWS, LET ME KNOW.

TylerD: I really appreciate your accurate points of view, which makes me feel better and secure at this point, and with all your comments, I'll be looking for the fabric once I make sure and get the answers I need so far.

Robert

DarthVader1 wrote:
..... one fabric that it's the same color, but not as thick as the one I have as sample (besides, more expensive too, cause the "&#36;1.00 X yard" have more quality and they were the same thickness as my sample than the one they had which cost &#36;2.60 the yard. BUMMER!!!

I'd gladly pay &#36;2.60/yard (or more) for the correct fabric. The correct vest fabric was &#36;16.00/yd.

phantomfett, do you happen to remember the name of the fabric you bought, or even better, still have the roll & label that it came on?

...can you post pics of your completed suit? I know the Dickies jumpsuit isn't very accurate but I dont have the cash or the resources to have one made. I'm very curious as to how they look on a completed Fett. ESB or ROTJ, it doesn't matter.

This is mine. Standard gray Dickies with 7 packs of Rit color remover:

NO DISINTEGRATIONS! (our 501st group is CRAZY!)

Actually, the RIT dye remover isn't that hard to use, not like actual dyeing because you don't need to mix colors. I've used a package of this stuff after messing up on my girth color. Stinks really bad, but gets the job done:puke.

Ely

Here's my Dickies suit. No dye, but a lot of weathering and some fading in the sun.

DV1-To get the pocket fabric right, you've got to buy two jumpsuits. One for the base suit, and the other gets all but completely used up to make the pockets, pouches, and sleeves.

Quote:
I went to the Red Kap site, and it didn't give me a clue of jumpsuits or coveralls in their search engine. Do anyone has a link to the Red Kap jumpsuits?

Try this:
http://www.allseasonsuniforms.com/rk....htm#coveralls

I was looking now at the Red Kap brand at the website I was given, and the 100% cotton coveralls doesn't have the color we're looking for (but they're almost half the price from the Dickies, though). Besides, they have the cotton twill blend, but still don't have the right color, unless you're looking for an ESB version, that they have a Charcoal Grey (still not bad).
Now...if anyone went on the Red Kap way (which I think GATER did) ...which color or which one did you went with and what did you do with it???

Robert

I bought the post man blue but that was before I knew anything about the costume and was referencing off of some of the do it yourself sites and recommendations. I will be stripping it white with RIT. Id go with the white and dye it. there is a thread around here on the dye's (RIT) to use.

For my jango, I used the postman blue coverall and rit dyed it with purple. I will probably dye it once more to get it the way I think it should be. I also had to add the outer "sleeves" and sew the "crimp" in each of the sleeve biceps. Does that make sense? Anyway, it turned our really well. I'll post some pics in a couple of days.

IMHO, if you're of a 'standard' size, you could try going for a Military Flightsuit type sizing.

I was going custom and went the route of a CWU-27P in 36 Short. Fits perfectly, plus it gives me an incentive NOT to put on any more weight.

Hope this helps.

Stay safe.

Tim.

fitted would be the way to go, my jumpsuit is definitly more fitted, its tighter thru the whole body, and upper legs...the lower legs are a little baggier....

Dickies coveralls are ordered based on *chest* size - not *waist* size. I have a 44" chest, I ordered a "44", and it fits perfectly. I modded the **** out of it, and now it looks as good, to me, as any of the "custom" ones I've seen at events, and I'm REALLY picky about details. I paid &#36;32 + shipping for the coveralls, and after adding pockets and miscellaneous "features", I'm sure I have less than &#36;50 in it... Probably more like &#36;45, which IMO is darn cheap for a suit. I washed it with 6 packages of Rit color remover, and got it lightened-up to the right shade of "ROTJ gray" too.

Just my thoughts.

For my custom Mandalore, I ordered a size 40x31 Dickies Red Short Sleeve Coverall. It was &#36;23.50 + shipping. I haven't gotten it yet so we'll see how it fits.

Does anyone have apic of either the RED KAP or BIG MAC jumpsuit?
Are they 100% cotton (dyeable)? Or do they come in grey already?

Thanks

Check Here for the Red Kap suits. There are 100% cotton ones, as well as others. For others, bottom of page.

Jedi-Bob wrote:
Does anyone have apic of either the RED KAP or BIG MAC jumpsuit?
Are they 100% cotton (dyeable)? Or do they come in grey already?

Thanks

[BIG MAC] brand 65% polyester 35% cotton and yes they come in grey .

Yikes! The 100% gray Red Kap jumpsuit is striped! If your thinking of getting one, I'd avoid the gray and get the white one.

I just got my Dickie's yesterday, and this is what I got the same way they were packed, of course I had to unfold one of them to try it myself...




They're 100% cotton and the grey color is adequate for an ESB costume, and they match the original color of Slave1's gloves as well.

Now, the big question is...can they be bleached or lighten up a little like S1's gloves? Boba Phat said that he did that with his Dickie's and they look awesome. Please, post for opinions on what to do next.

Robert

They look pretty good, but I am doing ROTJ, so what would be my best option?

Jedi-Bob wrote:
They look pretty good, but I am doing ROTJ, so what would be my best option?

I'm doing a ROTJ too. What I mentioned about the ESB is that the color is good for a ESB Boba. That's why I'm looking as you do for opinions of how to bleach it or lighten them up. They're 100% cotton, so according for what I've heard so far, I see no problem about bleaching them.

Robert

This is the link where I got them from:
http://dickiesonsale.com/cottoncoveralls.htm

These are the real deal. Hope this helps. For the Red Kap coveralls, go to the link that's earlier in this thread.

And by the way, if you plan in ordering these, the size is according to your chest measure, and in Small, Regular, and Large sizes (not sure about X-Large or XX-Large)as of height, specially from your neck to the crotch area (which I think that costs just a little more) .

Robert

Dont want to take over this thread, But Im going the same dickies route, But around my way is a uniform store for nurses, cooks, mechanics and the have awsome used dickiesand redkaps and for &#36;8-&#36;10 .Plus they are already beat to hell. I love it. Only thing is I have to wait for grey ones to come in used. They have green and a electric blue like. And was wondering to get the light blue for ESB would getting the electric blue type and using rit work. For those who know.

Not a bad idea, and more economical for your Fett needs. Just make sure that if you buy one of those, better take two. Remember the "extra" sleeve, shin and tight pockets.

Robert

BobaFettish--email sent with pic of the bolt info.

DarthVader1--Do you want a sample off of the bolt I got? I'm telling you, this stuff rocks! LMK. And it was only &#36;2 per yard for sure. Also, how much of a "little" sample of the vest fabric do you need?

phantomfett wrote:
Go twill--I found an entire bolt of light grey twill fabric at my Super Walmart in Omaha, Nebraska. I think is was &#36;2 per yard--I got about 13 yards on the bolt. Twill has the right texture, and it has an awesome weight--kind of like denim. The bolt I found is just a slight shade darker than that vest fabric we all just got. Let me know if you have any questions.

Do you have a item or stock number or the name of the fabric? I'll have to see if the Walmart around here has it. Any pics?

Well, I got already the Dickies' jumpsuits two days ago, and I can't afford anymore to try to look other ways to do the Jumpsuit, which I decided to go thru the Dickies and lighten them up. You could still send me a sample of the fabric at least to see the right shade of grey I'm looking for. PM me for info to send the sample.

By the way, cotton and twill in my opinion is not exactly different...cause there's cotton and there's cotton twill (used for work jumpsuits and coveralls), which I think that's the actual fabric used in the original, just looking at the Ref. CD and the jumpuits I got.

Now that you mention fabrics...do anyone have a little sample left available of the "actual" fabric used for the vest??? If anyone have a good piece available, PM to me and we'll talk about business here later on.

Robert

After being tempted to buy the Dickie's jumpsuit on the weekend. &#36;50 (approx.&#36;35 U.S.) Today I found a jumpsuit at Goodwill for &#36;15 (&#36;10 U.S.) It's a Toyota! The colour is almost perfect and the armpits are ventilated. It has a double zipper too. Unfortunately, it's a little too short for me, so I guess I'm modifying it. If I'm only 5'6" the previous wearer must have been really short. The fit of the lower half is next to perfect, not baggy , but not tight. Keep your eyes open for these. I looked for the manufacturer's label for you guys but couldn't find one.
-MM

I just tested my Dickies bleaching characteristics with a piece of the fabric left over from one of the jumpsuits. I used 1/4 (or less) part bleach (normal bleach), and 3/4 parts water. I left it inside a bucket for about 30 mins, and it lighten up a little bit...so the Dickies could be bleached, and you don't have to spend money and use the RIT dye remover. Of course, I have to repeat the process one or two more times to have the right shade of grey I'm looking for, actually using the fabric sample that FPOATO sent me a while ago. I'll be posting more of this process and progress soon.

Robert

At this moment, I'm re-doing the bleaching process for the same piece of fabric, but this time leaving it for a whole hour, just to see how it comes out and doing the same with the black canvas I got for the boots. (Tyler...yes, I know...you said it before: the real ones were white and then painted...I know. I'm just testing the process as an experiment. If it doesn't work...I'll go for the white/tan color and paint.

But back to business about the Dickies...I just noticed that for the short sleeve "false seam" in the front, it's actually real! You could take out both sleeves and put the left on the right and viceversa. You'll notice that the seam is already there (where actually was in the back of the sleeve). Before attaching them to the long sleeves and the torso, you'll have to sew in the other lines (4 lines, I believe they are) that probably you could add just 3 cause the closure seam counts as one. After doing this, proceed with attaching the sleeves to the torso.

I'll be posting the results as soon as I finish with the bleaching process.

BTW... I feel terrible to destroy and taking apart a good pair of Dickies coveralls for this But the result will be worth it!

Robert

I just went outside, and looked at the piece of fabric, and it's slightly lighter than the last time. I'm in the process of leaving the piece of fabric another hour to see what happens...just looking for the right shade of grey for the jumpsuit.

Robert

Robert,

I just want to say thanks for the updates. I am going to be following your tutorial very soon.

Keep em' coming!


Jedi-Bob

Final result:

After leaving the fabric for a total of 2 hours in the bleach-water mixture (1/8 part bleach, 7/8 parts water), this is how the sample piece (center) of the Dickies looks like afterwards compared to the original Dickies fabric (bottom) and the light grey satin for the vest (top)




I'll leave it as it is now, cause the sunlight will lighten it up a little bit more with the time, and after a few washes in the machine (remember that's gonna really sweaty and stinky after a convention or activity).

Just remember to do this outside, cause the bleach has a strong smell, but not as much or stinky as the RIT dye remover. This process was a result of a "trial-and-error" basis, leaving 30 mins. first, rinse it, let it dry. Then another hour, rinse, let it dry. Then another second hour, rinse, and dry it (total of 2 1/2 hours) and drying outside in between washes, until you get the right shade of grey. I recommend to leave it for just 1 1/2 hours in the solution, and hang it outside with the sun, for a continuous bleaching process and to avoid lighten them up too much. The bleaching process also depends on how much bleach you use for this, but too much bleach will result in fabric weakness in the future, and will probably damage your coverall. So, just take one step at the time.

I'll be posting more about this and if you guys have a suggestion or if you like the colors so far for both my vest fabric and the jumpsuit, let me know.

Robert

fpoato: Buddy, thanks a lot for the patterns before, I was able to do copies of the shin and thigh pockets and neck patterns. It's still like less from half way to get to the same color as the fabric sample you sent me before. I'd say that it's in the scale of 1-10 (1 is the darkest, 10 is the real deal) is about 7.
I'll leave it as it is for now, cause you know that the sun, the real weather, and the continuous washing will fade it a little with the time. I don't want to have a white jumpsuit in a year from now.

Thanks guys for your opinions, and I'll keep posting

Robert

DV - - what patterns did you end up using for the shin, thigh and neck pieces for the jumpsuit?

Jedi-Bob wrote:
DV - - what patterns did you end up using for the shin, thigh and neck pieces for the jumpsuit?

Well, it's a collection of info from a lot of sources all in one. I made the copy from fpoato's pattern for the shin and thigh pouches, which Bobo has those patterns now, and now I'm in the process of customizing them for my needs. He probably gave me an average size (and probably accurate size) of pattern, which was made in a "Green Pepper jumsuit", which I think there's a thread of it somewhere around here, and he had to make changes to it making custom patterns for those, including the neck. At this point, I'm decided to attach the neck to the vest instead of the jumpsuit, that would be easier for me to hide the cable for the voice amp.

As of the shin and thigh pockets, I got those made from fpoato and I'm in the process of customizing them, so everyone could have an update of those and to see the easier way to make them, to fit the DarthFlan's shin tools and compare and measure with the side pouches I have so far for the thigh pouches...that's why I'm taking a little time with them, just to try to see the best way to make them easier to everyone and in the jumpuit (besides as accurate as possible). And the neck, I'm using the one it came with the pattern I'm using for my vest now. You could check the thread for the vest here http://tdh.prop-planet.com/viewtopic...ic=271&forum=3.

This week I'll have an update about the shin and thigh pouches and how far I'm going with those.

Robert

Sears or JC Penny. I don't think Wal Mart carries them, but you might check.

Wes

You could even check workers wharehouses. Or thrift stores. I have a couple of uniform shops around my way in S Jersey and found a boat load of used Dickies and Redkaps here for &#36;8-&#36;15. And they look great, already faded and beat to heck. All colors from electric blue,green,grey ECT.

Yeah! I didn't even consider Goodwill or the Salvation Army. I would think &#36;2 is pretty cheap. I should probably head down there myself!

Glad you got them.

Guys, I edited the recipe quantity for the bleach/water solution, just to make it easier and slowly. I don't want anyone to blame me for damaging the Dickies with bleach. Besides, that prevents the fabric of weakening in the future.

Just remember...one step at a time.

Robert

well its finally time to order my dickies for my ESB fett but im a little concerned about ordering what size.as for me im 5'6" and 130 lbs with a 30" waist.

these are the sizes on the dickies site:

Inseam 30" Sizes 38 to 56
Inseam 32" Sizes 38 to 60
Inseam 34" Sizes 42 to 52

i assume inseam 30" Size 38 would be my best bet.i know it seems like a dumb question but i just want to double check.