Shoulder Tucks...

[tanzanlinnear]

Do tunics have to have them to be considered acceptable?

[Mon-Jas Charan]

I do not believe so ... Obi-Wan was the only shoulder tucks I remember seeing ...

[Primrodo]

All the boys have them, Some have 2...Coleman Trebor had too and it was cool!

But from what I have been able to tell the majority of guys do indeed have the tucks.

However I don't think you NEED them

[Mon-Jas Charan]

I've looked at all the pictures I have ... It does not look like there were tucks in Qui-Gon's ... but I may be wrong.

[Primrodo]

in Pictures I have seen it seems like it, just further under the tabards...I'd have to dig it up

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

I think it's an optional thing. I believe they had them because the tunics were 'one size fits most; if the sleeves were too long and tucked it up to fit the differant wearers.

[tanzanlinnear]

Thanks, guys Due to my limited sewing skill (ie none;D ) I've bought a martial arts gi to use as the base of the costume. It's 100% cotton, so I know it'll take the dyes properly Only problem is with the shoulders. If I don't tuck them, it might not look as good. If I do tuck them, the sleeves finish a few inches up from my wrists, and the next size up would be huuuuge , this one is almost knee-length as it is ;D

[Jedimom/Cor-Al Gelkar]

I think teh shoulder tucks are an aesthetic thing. The sleeves/shoulders just look and hang better with the tucks. Or as Mynn pointed out that they were perhaps a one-size-fits-none and tucks were used as a quick alteration tool

[Jan-Qui Coran]

Is there anywhere on the web you can go to locate pix of the costumes. I went to starwars.com the official site into the data base & it didn't help. My friend & I are trying to get the details of the outer tunic a bit better because it looks like Obi-Wan in ep 2 & 3 outer tunic is "fuller" below the belt line. We've been looking at the scenes from AOTC--Obi-Wan & Anakin talking in Padme's quarters & the arena scenes.

[Nova Darklighter]

Almost knee length is good, several wear it that way. Shoulder tucks, I think, some do, some don't, but, even if they did, if the rest of the details are there, you'll be fine for a first try. We all go from the 1st to making a better or more detailed costume as we learn the tricks of making, seeing the details better & the difference they can make in the look of your finished costumes. I suggest washing it a few times before trying to dye it, this will remove all the sizing so that the dye takes more evenly. After dyeing, soak for awhile in cold water with a lot of salt to help set the dye, dry in hot dryer & then wash by itself a few times to get out some of the excess, so it doesn't bleed allover you & your undertunic when you wear it (like new jeans will turn you blue if not washed first) we wait to see the pictures.

[Primrodo]

Actually I think the tucks are there to make teh tabards sit more box-like.

[Nova Darklighter]

If you look closesly in the scene in EPII where Obi Wan is hanging on the stasis field while Dooku is talking, you can see that there is a waist seam in his tunic, it is generally hidden by his obi & belt, Mace has one as well, I'm sure that others do as well. This alows for the removal of fabric at the waist to get rid of bulk and it is easy to add a bit of width from the waist to the hem by cutting out in a sort of aline skirt method. I think a lot of the female members are getting wise to making the tunic in this manner, as it surely is more flattering to the curvy shapes that we are. I've been working on a detailed tutorial to add to the site, but haven't had time to add the illustrations that will make it easiest to understand.
I think the tucks were added to give those with little shoulders a more imposing build in the shoulder/posture dept. (Ewan is cute, but lacking in the wide shoulders build,) it makes them look as though they are more muscular, I think a couple might have some (not alot, maybe a layer of covered batting) shoulder padding as well, to improve the look & hang of the tunic.

[Schph Gochi]

to Nova, you listen....

[tanzanlinnear]

I think I'll go with the tucks. It'll shorten the sleeves to mid-forearm rather than the length of many, but my costume isn't a replication of one (although there are design features taken from Anakin's) but a personal costume. I've always had a fasination with Japanese culture (hence my name) and feel more comfortable in traditional Japanese clothing than the western clothes I was raised in, and many of the traditional gi's were not fully sleeved

[Nova Darklighter]

I have a couple of tunics with slightly shorter sleeves, I find them to be very practical at times and my undertunic sleeves are there anyway. I think the sleeves on my various tunics vary from knuckle length to mid-forearm.