Star Wars Franchise: Working With Synthetic Braiding Hair

Hair is one of the most stunning pieces of costuming in the Star Wars franchise, however, sometimes working with synthetic hair can be difficult. Here are some suggestions that might make working with synthetic hair easier.

Why Synthetic Hair?:

Synesthetic hair is a better option for making hair pieces for achieve Star Wars hair styles then human hair in most cases. Often times human hair is unethically sourced so avoiding it is a good idea, unless you know it’s origins. That said, if your human hair can he ethically sourced then it can also work well, however, it is always going to be a less affordable option.

Some articles that break down the ethical issues of  human hair extensions

Synthetic hair is also more affordable, for many of the hairstyles in Star Wars a lot of hair is required, and that can become very expensive. Synthetic hair like Kenekalon Braiding Hair and other brands like it are typically a more affordable option when buying a lot of hair. Synesthetic hair can also hold up longer then human hair when taken care of

Another alternative to human hair is horse hair, buying horse hair extensions, they are less affordable and depending on the sealer may also be unethically sourced. However, as an option, the hair is natural and looks so.

Weight, real human hair can be heavy, synthetic hair is often times lighter weight then real hair and can be worn longer because of this.

Styling products, when styling with synthetic hair, styling products such as hair spray or moose, are not needed, because the hairs are all the same length unless altered there are few if any fly-always that need to be smoothed.

Hair Color:

When using synesthetic hair for a costuming it can be hard to find a matching color, this is partly due to the fact that natural hair is not one color, humans have several different colors making up teach individuals hair including high-light and low-lights. Synesthetic hair is typically one color, and it’s hard to match and make it look natural right out of the package. For a more natural look blending 2 too 3 colors of hair together will help, see video for tutorial on blending. (Note: for making hair look more natural, using more of the base color and chose a smaller amount of your high-lights and low-lights.)

Hair Texture:

2 of the main textures for synesthetic hair are natural or yaki and silky, both will work great, however, most Star Wars hairstyles in the movies use a silky finish, this is not as important when doing a hairstyle such as Classic Leia (a.k.a Political Gown Leia), however, most of the headdresses that Queen Amidala wears require silky hair finish to be used, such as her Red Invasion Gown headdress.


Synesthetic hair can tangle easily, so to untangle it start by brushing or combing depending on the need, at the ends and slowly working up the tail of the hair. Starting at the top and going to the ends will only make the tangling worse and more difficult to get out. Sometimes using fingers to come the hair can be easier then a brush, and if using a brush a wig brush would probably work better then a normal hair brush. For general untangling and styling a wide toothed come works grate.


For some people synthetic hair can be itchy right out of the package, to remove the coating the hair comes with make a bath or water and vinegar and let the hair sock a while, then rinse and let dry. This processes might be easiest if the hair is still in its loosely braided form that it comes in right out of the package.



Storing the synthetic hair for reuse, put a fabric covered elastic at the center of the hair bundle and loosely braid the hair. Coil the braid into a circle and place inside a hairnet. See Alexa Poletti’s video on storing wigs.


Star Wars: Blood Stripes

Blood Stripes appear in several Star Wars costumes (blood strips are the different colored stripes that go down the sides of paints.) The stripes appear in all of Han Solo’s costumes, which is likely why in the Legends EU, they are called Corellian Blood Stripes.

han blood stipe rotj
(ROTJ: Han Solo: Blood Stripes On Pants) (Images From: Cap-That.Com)

However, blood stripes also appear on Leia’s Commando outfit in (ROTJ), Luke’s end metal ceremony pants in (ANH) and also in the battle handmaiden outfit that Padmé as well as her handmaidens wears in (TPM).

leia blood stripe
(ROTJ: Leia’s Commando Pants: Blood Stripe) (Images From:
luke end anh
(ANH: Luke End Ceremony: Pants Blood Stripe) (Image From: Link Here, this is the only image I could find of Luke’s end ceremony pants)
handmaiden blood stripe
(TPM: Handmaiden: Blood Stripes) (Images From:

Typically blood stripes are made out of one continuous piece of fabric; this is how the stripes on Leia’s commando pants are done. However, Han’s stripes are done differently, instead of being a single stripe of fabric; Han’s stripes are actually embroidered in a dashed line.

han blood strip PadGui esb
(ROTJ?: Han Solo: Blood Stripes) (Images From: The Padawan’s Guide)

Star Wars Costumes That Feature Blood Stripes:

Twi’lek’s: Part 5: Hats & Headgear

Hats and Headgear:


Most female Twi’lek’s wear a little hat like headgear or headdress, this is most likely due to the practical need of hide hairlines and Lekku seems.

These hats seem to be only worn by the female Twi’lek’s and have several popular variations, but they almost universally cover the ears, hairline, including the back of the head, and side of the head. Often times they have spaces for the ear-cones to show through.

(AOTC: Senate Twi’lek’s: Hat’s Leave Space For Ear-Cones)

Concept art for Oola, shows the inspiration of the Twi’lek hats, Oola’s human design has a hat that covers much less of the head. A gag was included originally as well in the concept design, and the ear-cons appear to have originally been a part of the headdress. (Images By: DIY The Galaxy of Star Wars) (Images From: The Art of Return of the Jedi: Star Wars Book)


Sometimes these hats have chin straps, such as Oola, Hera and Aayla’s.


Some of these hats cover the cheeks with little flaps


While others don’t cover hem at all.


Many of the hat’s feature medallions on the forehead.


Some of the hats cover the ear-cones, such as Oola and Hera and the child Twi’lek, they can sometimes be decorative when covering the ear-cones.


These hats can be completely decorative such as those of senate Twi’lek’s, or only have decorative parts, such as Oola’s.


Some of these hats come in multi colors,

Twi'lek hat 30

while others come in brown which seems to be a popular color,


Or, like Hera and Numa, have different colors and patterns on their hats and they also cover more of the Lekku.


In combination with these hats some Twi’lek’s wear their Lekku wrapped in strips of fabric or leather or with a sleeve over them. These can be done only a little or almost all over the Lekku, or not done at all.


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Males typically don’t wear hats, a few wear helmet like hat,


For the most part the males only form of decoration or headgear is wrapping their Lekku.


Some don’t wear any form of Lekku decoration at all.


Some Images from

Return of the Jedi: Leia Ewok Village Dress: Fabric

The dress that Leia wears in the Return of the Jedi while at the Ewok village is her simplest outfit, (follow link to see an image of the dress). The majority of the dress is made out of chamois leather with a blouse underneath made out of crepe, (I’d venture to say silk crepe). Chamois leather is soft leather made from goat or sheep; it is a very soft leather and comfortable leather.

Ewok Leather Dress
(Leia Ewok Village Dress Fabric) (Image By: DIY The Galaxy Of Star Wars) (Star Wars Costume: The Original Trilogy)

Crepe is a kind of fabric, more a texture than anything else, it can be made out of many different kinds’ fibers, but for Leia, I’d say a crepe silk would be the best bet. Much of the fabric used in Leia’s wardrobe is silk so it goes to reason that the blouse used in Return of the Jedi would not be an exception.

Ewok Leather Dress 2
(Stitching and Decorative Lacing on Leia’s Ewok Village Dress) (Image By: DIY The Galaxy Of Star Wars) (Star Wars Costume: The Original Trilogy)

The stitching that was done to put Leia’s Ewok village dress together can be see under the decorative chamois leather lacing done over the top on many, but not all, of the seems of the dress.

Twi’lek’s: Part 4: Brows & Teeth


Twi’ek’s have a widely varied representation in Star Wars; eyebrows are one of the facial features that seem to vary a little. Pretty much all female Twi’lek’s have human-like hair eyebrows, Oola, Aayla, the purple Twi’lek singer Lyn Me, Hera, Numa and more all have this feature.

aayla eyebrows
(SWTCW: S1.Ep14: Aayla: Human-like Eyebrows)
eyebrows 1
(SWR: S2.Ep15: Numa: Human-like Eyebrows)
Oola eyebrows
(ROTJ: Oola: Human-like Eyebrows)

Males on the other hand seem to have large and heavy brow that protrude out from the forehead. Bib Fortuna has one of the largest brows seen in Twi’leks. Cham Syndulla and other male Twi’lek’s seen throughout Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars also seem to share this heavy bulbous brow. And also do not appear to have hair on their brows.

bib brow
(ROTJ: Bib Fortuna: Heavy Brow)
male brow 3
(SWTCW: S1.Ep21: Cham Syndulla: Heavy Brow)


The shapes of Twi’lek teeth tend to follow to veins, female Twi’leks tend to have flat human-like teeth. Aayla Securra, Hera, Oola and others all have these kings of teeth.

teeth 3
(STR: S2.Ep15: Hera Syndulla: Flat Teeth)
teeth 4
(ROTJ: Oola: Flat Teeth)

Male Twi’lek’s tend to have pointed teeth, like Bib Fortuna and Cham Syndulla, however, a little Twi’lek boy from the Clone Wars has flat teeth. It seems that male Twi’lek’s may vary between pointed and flat teeth.

teeth 6
(ROTJ: Bib Fortuna: Pointed Teeth)
teeth 5
(SWTCW: S1.Ep21: Cham Syndulla: Pointed Teeth)
teeth 2
(SWTCW: S2.Ep10: Twi’lek Boy with Flat Teeth)

Images from Cap-That.Com

Return of the Jedi: Leia’s Slave Bikini Measurements

(Slave Leia is problematic when taken out of it’s story context as a position that Leia is forced unwillingly into by Jabba. The difference between Padmé and Leia wearing sexulized outfits, is consent. Padmé elects to wear her revealing clothing Leia does not. See article for further analysis: The Washington Post: The Fraught History Of Princess Leia’s Infamous Bikini.)

It is rare to have actual measurements on costumes from movies, however, in the book, [Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy]. Leia’s slave bikini that she wears in Return of the Jedi at Jabba’s palace, appears in the book next to a ruler. The costume items seen in the pictures are not aligned perfectly on the ruler so a little figuring is required to get actual measurement. These pieces of course are measured to fit Carrie Fisher, and would have to be adjusted for every individual Leia. If you feeling like doing the math, these measurements plus knowing how tall Carrie Fisher was, can give you pretty exact proportions on the original costume. and from there adjust the costume to each individual Leia’s needs.

My measurement figuring comes out to roughly 8″ 1/2 inches for the bikini bottom at the top, (which in the photo is at the bottom of the picture, against the ruler). Leia’s armband is roughly 5″1/2 inches in length, measuring from one the curling end to the other.

Leia Bakini Mesurment 3
(ROTJ: Leia’s Slave Bikini Measurements: Bikini) (Roughly 8″ 1/2 Wide At Top)
Leia Bakini Mesurment arm2
(ROTJ: Leia’s Slave Bikini Measurements: Arm Band) (Roughly 5″ 1/2 Length)



Twi’lek’s: Part 3: Colors, Patterning & Tattoos


Twi’lek’s have a rainbow range and more in coloration, they can be any shade of red, green, blue, purple, pink, yellow, and much more. These skin colors can come in modeled combinations or solid.

Lip Colors:

Twi’lek’s typically have lips colored differently than their bodies, however, sometimes a slightly darker version of their body color. Sometimes their lips are the same color as their body, this lip coloration patterning is the same for both female and males.

lip 1
(SWR: S2.Ep15: Hera Syndulla: Lip Color Different then Body)
lip 2
(SWTCW: S2.Ep10: Suu Lawquane: Lip Color Darker Version of Body)


Twi’lek’s body colors can also include modeling, both male and females can have modeling, typical of two colors. Such as Cham Syndulla who has orange and cream modeling that almost takes on a semi striped pattern, though it should not go as far as actual strips. (See: green and red arrows for modeling, blue rectangle is tattooing.)

pattern and tattoo 1
(SWTCW: S1.Ep21: Cham Syndulla: Modeling, Orange and Cream, the Blue Rectangle is Highlighting Tattoo’s That Are Not Part of the Modeling)

Other modeling  appears blotchier such as the little Twi’lek girl in Star Wars The Clone Wars: Season 2 Episode 10. Blue and pink modeling appears in her body color, (see: green and red arrows.)

pattern 3
(SWTCW: S2.Ep10: Child Twi’lek: Pink and Blue Blotchy Modeling)


The patterning that appears on many of the Twi’lek’s does not appear to be tattoos, Aayla Secura has light blue specials/dots on her Lekku. Patterning is similar to modeling, however, patterning does not always or even typical cover the entire body, where as modeling typical does.

pattern 4
(SWTCW: S1.Ep14: Aayla Secura: Spotted Patterning On Her Lekku)

Other Twi’lek’s have speckling patterns on their bodies and Lekku such as the blue senate Twi’lek. She had a lighter blue speckling on her Lekku and her arms,

pattern 2
(AOTC: Senate Twi’lek: Modeling on Body and Lekku) (Image Not From

Hera has skin patterning of a lighter green circular patterning on her Lekku only, similar to Aayla Secura.

pattern 5
(SWR: S1.Ep13: Hera: Circular Patterning on Lekku)

It seems that only Lekku being patterned is the most common variant, there is a range from no patterning, to just the Lekku, to the Lekku and body patterning. The most common variation for Twi’leks is to not have any patterning at all, such as Oola or Numa (see picture below.)

tone 1
(SWR: S2.Ep15: Numa: No Patterning)

Suu Lawquane, the mother of the little Twi’lek girl with modeling, that appears in Star Wars The Clone Wars: Season 2 Episode 10, has dark pink patterning over her entire body in a dotted-spiral and circular pattern. It is also possible that Suu Lawquane’s skin patterns are actually tattoos.

patterns 1
(SWTCW: S2.Ep10: Suu Lawquane: Patterning on Body and Lekku)

Tattoos and Scars:

Cham Syndulla has tattooing over his Lekku and face, other Twi’lek’s also appear to have tattooing. As above mentioned, Suu Lawquane might have tattooing instead of pattering, Darth Talon is an example from the Legends EU of a Twi’lek with tattooing.

tattoo 2
(SWTCW: S1.Ep21: Cham Syndulla: Tattoos on Lekku)
twilek scare
(Rebels: S:2 Ep: 15: Scares)

Images from Cap-That.Com

Twi’lek’s: Part 2: Ears & Ear-Cones

Twi’lek’s are some of the oldest and best loved aliens in Star Wars, this post is part of a series braking down Twi’lek’s from the movies and TV shows.

Ears and ear-cones, these are variously listening appendages that Twi’leks have and can sometimes be a little inconsistently represented in Star Wars. In Return of the Jedi, Bib Fortuna has human like ears, these ears where actually part of the prosthetic that was built for the actor.

bib ears
(ROTJ: Bib Fortuna: Rounded Human Ears)

Oola has a headdress that covers her ears and is where the idea of the ear-cones most likely arose. In the concept art for when Oola’s design was human shows that the white cones are a part of her headdress. However, since than Oola’s headdress seems to have morphed into ear-cons for female Twi’leks.

Oola ear
(ROTJ: Oola: Headdress Covers Ears)
Oola concept art 1
(ROTJ: Oola: Concept Art: Human Headdress) (Images By: DIY The Galaxy Of Star Wars) (Images From: The Art Of ROTJ: SW:)
Oola concept art 2

The purple Twi’lek singer Lyn Me does not appear to have ear-cone, instead her headdress covers her ears and as there are no lumps under the headdress it appear that her ears are likely to be like Bib Fortuna’s and are humanoid ears. Which is why it seems likely that Oola’s headdress is the point origin for ear-cones.

No ear nub
(ROTJ: Lyn Me: No Ear-Cones, Likely Human Ears)

Getting into the prequels, Aayla Securra and all other Twi’leks have what appear to be ear-cones. These ear-cones are the same color as their Lekku and skin so it looks like they are what female Twi’lek’s have for ears. No male Twi’lek to date has been represented with ear-cones. (see further down article for male Twi’lek’s ears.)

aayla ears
(SWTCW: S1.Ep14: Aayla Securra: Ear-Cones)
(AOTC: Senate Twi’lek’s: Ear-Cones) (Image not from


Star Wars The Clone Wars has several different episode that future Twi’lek’s heavily, in these episodes the male Twi’lek’s have humanoid ears and humanoid ears with points.

male ears2
(SWTCW: S1.Ep21: Cham Syndulla: Pointed Ears)
male ears
(SWTCW: S1.Ep21: Male Twi’lek: Human Ears)

My Unfounded Theory:

It’s possible that the first Twi’lek’s from [Retune of the Jedi] had normal humanoid ears, but Oola’s headdress has been interpreted into ear-cones. (Note: that in concept art as seen earlier in this post, the ear-cons are a part of Oola’s headdress, particularly in her human design.) The idea of Twi’lek’s morphed from what they had stared as in [Retune of the Jedi] and developed into something new. So in this theory the female Twi’lek’s ears have been retconned and now they have ear-cones instead of humanoid ears.

It also appears that some of the hats that Twi-lek woman wear have decorative covers that go over the ear-cones.

decorative ears
(SWTCW: S2.Ep10: Child Twi’lek: Decorative Ear-Cone Covers)


Images from Cap-That.Com

Twi’leks: Part 1: Lekku

Twi’lek’s are some of the oldest and best loved aliens in Star Wars; they are also some of the most varied representation within the movies and TV shows. This post is the first in a series braking down Twi’lek’s from the movies and TV shows.


Lekku are the head-tails, also known as, head-appendages, brain-tails and head-tentacles, that are the Twi’lek’s defining futures. Many of the ready-made for perches Lekku are not movie accurate, (that said, they are still good for costumes.)

Lekku Height & Position:

Often the main problem with these ready-made Lekku is that the tentacle is both too high and to close together and often leaving out the defining bulb shape at the base where the Lekku are attached to the skull. Aayla Securra and the background Twi’lek’s may be the reason for the height of the Lekku becoming exaggerated. Aayla’s Lekku are higher up on her head than all the other Twi’lek’s featured before her, However, all Twi’lek’s that are featured in the movies and TV shows of Star Wars have their Lekku lower then the top of their skull.


(Note: The Lekku also come out from the side of the head, not the top, the center of the female Lekku roughly fall in line with the temple generally.)

(ROTJ: Oola: Lekku Lower Then Top Of Head, Center In Line With Temple From An Angle: See Yellow Line)
(ROTJ: Lyn Me: Lekku Lower Then Top Of Head, Center In Line With Temple From An Angle: See Yellow Line)
(AOTC: Aayla: Lekku Lower Then Top Of Head, Center In Line With Temple From An Angle: See Yellow Line)


Male Twi’lek’s Lekku are also lower then the top of the skull and also come out from the side of the head. However, they typical seem to come down from an angle more in the back of the skull, and lower down then female Twi’lek’s.

bib lekku
(ROTJ: Bib Fortuna: Lekku Lower Then Skull And Lower Down)
(SWTCW: S1.Ep21: Cham Syndulla: Lekku Lower Then Skull And Angled Down More From Back Of The Head)

Lekku Spacing:

The widths of the Lekku spacing is often too close in ready made items, in the movies the Lekku appear to be roughly about a hand width apart. Lekku come out of the back and side of the skull running towards the back, which is why they stay behind the shoulders. The width between the Lekku can be more then a hand width like on Oola,and Hera, both of which seem to have wider set Lekku.

(ROTS: Aayla: Spacing Of Lekku)
(SWTCW: S1.Ep21: Male Twi’lek: Lekku Spaced Apart)
(ROTJ: Lyn Me: Lekku Spaced Apart)
(ROTJ: Oola: Lekku Spaced Almost Width Of Head Apart)
(AOTC: Aayla: Lekku Spaced Apart)

Female vs. Male Lekku

Female Twi’lek’s have their Lekku placed differently than males, for the most part female Lekku are higher up and out to the sides of the head more so then the males.

Male Lekku come out of the skull lower down at the base and back of the skull from behind the ears, they don’t have the base of the Lekku bulb shape as visible from the front the way females do.

Hera’s Lekku like many of the other female Twi’lek’s come out from higher up on her skull and out to the side more. Cham’s Lekku come out lower down on his skull and more from the back of his skull, they also angle downwards which is typical for the males. A general shape that female Lekku follow it a upside down U, where as male Lekku follow an upside down V shape.

Her and dad
(SWR: S2.Ep15: Hera And Cham Syndulla: Lekku Placement)
Lekku u shape
(SWTCW: S1.Ep19-21: U Shape of Female Twi’lek Lekku)
Lekku v shape
(SWTCW: S1.Ep20: V Shape Of Male Lekku)

Images from



Tips and Techniques: Sewing Faux Fur

There are several costumes in Star Wars that require fur, faux fur specifically; the most notable are the Ewoks. Less noticeable is Queen Amidala’s Red Invasion gown from [The Phantom Menace], as well as the cape that goes with Amidala’s Senate Address gown from the same movie.

DIY: Video Tips and Techniques