SWFFAQ - Princess Leia

A New Hope: The youngest senator ever elected, Princess Leia wears the traditional gown of the Alderaan royal family, a symbolic royal belt, and a traditional Alderaanian hairstyle. Her gown's pristine color is meant to emphasize her purity and youth. Leia's practical side shows through though, in her sturdy leather travel boots.

Design: Unlike the lavish costumes of the prequels, the costumes of the Original Trilogy were intentionally simple. As George Lucas himself says "For the first Star Wars film, I wanted the costumes simple but timeless. The principal characters - Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Princess Leia - had few costume changes, and the outfits were modeled on archetypes that audiences would find understandable and familiar." Carrie Fisher, with her characteristic humor, was not so fond of her famous costume: "I spent the first film in a white turtlenecked dress meant to emphasize my purity - pure only by the color of the costume. All I have to say is that throughout the prequels, Natalie Portman walks through a doorway and has a wardrobe change. I got one, sorry, two dresses, and the first one looks the same all the way around." Despite the inequity between Leia and Padme's costumes, Leia's famous 'cinnamon buns' hairstyle greatly influenced Padme's hairstyles in the prequels. The Picnic Gown, Tatooine Cloak, and most especially the 'Leia Buns' Cloak all feature a Leia-inspired hairstyle.

Interestingly, this costume, one of Star Wars' most famous costumes, was not produced by Lucas' company. It was produced by an outside costuming company, Bermans and Nathan's, while the belt and its silver plates were made by an outside prop maker.

Note: There are actually two versions of this costume, as confirmed by the book Dressing a Galaxy. The Alderaan Princess version is made from a heavier fabric and has smaller sleeves, while the Yavin 4 version is lighter and has larger sleeves.