Star Wars Hoth Snow Cap (Han Solo)

ThirdDegreeBern

New Member
I was contemplating the idea of building a Han Solo costume. in my area we recently experienced a very unpleasant cold front and decided that i wanted to do ESB Han in his snow gear.

There are several things that I am having trouble with.

The first being the most obvious piece of clothing. That being his coat there is a thread or two on here about that but i cant afford to spend 400 dollars on a Woolrich parka. So if anyone has any helps on that I would appreciate it

The second thing is the hat that the majority of the rebels wear. I have not been able to find much information on this, or find anyone who currently reproduces these.

Also a smaller thing that I have not yet researched is the rank insignia worn on the left side of his chest.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!
 
I think some seamstresses on the Rebel Legion's forum have more complicated designs than the real thing.

I once got access to a real hat and took detailed pictures that I posted on the Rebel Legion's message board. That should tell you a lot about how the hat was constructed.

The base of the hat is a oval cylinder like an Imperial officer's hat, and I think that you could use that as a starting point and make it a little bit bigger. There is a freely available Imperial hat pattern by TKvanB that you could find by googling. The quilted piece just wraps around the cylinder. Then use a baseball cap for figuring out the bill's pattern. The edges are ribbons of bias-cut fabric like on the Imperial officer's hat. (although TKvanB's imperial hat pattern doesn't have it)

I did actually take some measurements with measuring tape, but the paper with the figures is stored away somewhere if not lost...
Hmm... I should make me one of these myself some time.
 
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There's a Yahoo group that is still fairly active called "Echo Base" (IIRC). They have patterns and tutorials on building the Hoth hat. They might even have a few people on there willing to take a commission.

Wes
 
Im a little late to the party... but I have some sources.. and i think i've possibly just discovered something no one else has about Han's cap.. if anyone is interested - it's different to Luke's,, and the other Rebels!
 
I'd go with Magnoli's, since for that price he makes it to measure, and will do any color you want.

Old reply, but I missed it the first time round... Darth Lars, the Imperial caps don't have bias tape on the flap edges -- that's just the seam allowance pressed out and the facing then folded down behind. From actually getting good angles on the caps from the later films at exhibits, it looks like at least some were "stitched in the ditch" to hold things at the right place (none of the ANH caps have shown up to be examined). This is the only picture I have handy to show what I mean (most are nice and snug, in screen grabs and on mannequins):

jerjerrod_big.jpg


You have to zoom in a bit.

--Jonah
 
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You have to zoom in a bit.
I am supposed to see what exactly on that low-resolution picture of an Imperial Officer's hat?

Different screen-used hats had the grain in different directions - except for the edge. If the edge was folded over and not bias tape then the grain would be different at the top from the sides, which it isn't on any hat.
Stitching in the ditch is necessary to fasten the bias tape on the other side. The switches can be hidden if you press the hat, which is why you can't see it on every hat.
Also, I have been told that Anovos used bias tape on their hat, and they would have had access to the real thing.
I know from personal examination that the Rebel Hoth hats had bias tape, and I know from sewing my own Imperial Officer hats that using bias tape is much preferable. It is the professional way to do it. Why would the same professional tailors at Bernams and Nathans that made the Rebel Hoth hats then not have used bias tape also for the Imperial Officers' hats?
 
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Dude, you look like Harrison Ford, or Alan Thicke...

LOL Thanks, SPY007... (I think) ;)

Finally!!!!! Someone who has done this costume PERFECTLY. I am so happy right now... PM incoming...

And yes, the chin strap/ear flaps!

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COOL! I thought that might be what you were talking about (not everyone has worked out that detail yet)
I was completely unaware of it, too until the talented hatter David Garrison shared his observations with me... from that moment, I was in complete agreement with him about the design of Solo's unique ("hey, I've always gotta be Different: It's Me!") cap!
;)
 
LOL Thanks, SPY007... (I think) ;)



COOL! I thought that might be what you were talking about (not everyone has worked out that detail yet)
I was completely unaware of it, too until the talented hatter David Garrison shared his observations with me... from that moment, I was in complete agreement with him about the design of Solo's unique ("hey, I've always gotta be Different: It's Me!") cap!
;)
Yep I'm discovering more and more each day. I know exactly what his goggles are now too. You've done a good job at replicating them... I think.. the same as me [emoji6][emoji6]

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This is him discussing with the rebel officer about taking the speeder/tauntaun out and he's holding it. Peak of the cap is facing towards him. The flaps are completely removed.

I believe this is because they'd look daft sticking out under his parka hood!
97b75939f35a12352af27978ce2c9c6a.jpg
fb242bee66b3410148bb3895d964f424.jpg


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To keep from derailing relevant discussion of the Rebel Hoth hat, I'll put my answer to Darth Lars in here:

I am supposed to see what exactly on that low-resolution picture of an Imperial Officer's hat?

Pictures of Jerjerrod in ROTJ are the best place in the OT to see anything of the gap between hat body and flap. There are more in ANH (my preferred reference), but they're less clear. I seem to owe you half an apology -- dug back through Star Wars Screencaps and caught something I'd previously missed. It's not bias tape, per se. But from what I can see in grabs like this one:

star-wars6-movie-screencaps.com-279.jpg


...It looks to be a 2" wide strip of the hat fabric, cut square rather than on the bias, on Jerjerrod's cap and, presumed by extension, the rest of the ROTJ hats. I can't project back through the previous films -- especially ANH, as those hats are definitely cut slightly taller than the ESB/ROTJ ones, and their construction must be looked at separately, since they're not reused later. The best frame-grabs from ANH, e.g. --

star-wars4-movie-screencaps.com-7749.jpg


-- show nothing like what Jerjerrod has on his hat flaps, which is the basis for my original assertion. Even then, it wasn't until I was looking for clearer pics of Jerjerrod that I spotted that edge in a few frames. So while I can accept that they might have taken that shortcut for ROTJ and possibly ESB, I maintain it's the facing folded over the seam allowance for ANH, which leads to...

Different screen-used hats had the grain in different directions - except for the edge. If the edge was folded over and not bias tape then the grain would be different at the top from the sides, which it isn't on any hat.

The black caps in ANH that can be made out clearly have the grain all running in the usual twill direction, matching the uniform jackets. Including the trim at the top. The couple officers wearing steingrau caps the fabric grain isn't visible. For ESB and ROTJ, yeah, the grain is all over the place. That indicates to me they cut the pieces from any odd scraps big enough and didn't care about grain direction. The edging I figure they just took a foot-long cut of fabric and cut two-inch strips from it, selvage to selvage. It has to be that way for the grain to be the opposite of the typical twill directionality.

I know from sewing my own Imperial Officer hats that using bias tape is much preferable. It is the professional way to do it. Why would the same professional tailors at Bernams and Nathans that made the Rebel Hoth hats then not have used bias tape also for the Imperial Officers' hats?

I've learned both ways to do it. Each has its advantages. The advantage to the bias tape/trim piece approach is identical pattern pieces for the outer and facing. The advantage to the folded-over method is fewer pieces to wrangle. It does mean a separately-patterend piece for the facing, but it's not difficult to draft. Both are professional. It depends mostly on the desired end result. Bias tape is used as a cheat when the facing won't be seen, ever. The fold-over method when it will/might. I prefer the latter, as it gives a cleaner appearance under close examination, and it's no harder to sew (a case could even be made for easier, as stitching in the ditch is more optional than required).

I knew the Rebel Hoth hats had separate trim pieces (different color -- duh), but hadn't realized the sequel films' Imperial caps did, too. So thank you for the education and helping me clarify my position on this. :) All the hat replicas I've ever seen people do, licensed or not, have been ESB/ROTJ. It is well known that too much of the costumes and props for ANH no longer exist for examination. I have never seen an ANH Imperial cap show up in a costume exhibit, book on the Archives, or reference for a licensed costume (Museum Replicas or ANOVOS). Even Brian Alinger's lovely-if-too-abridged book on the OT costumes shows non-ANH Imperial uniforms in the ANH section. About all we have to go on for those is frame-grabs and the rare piece that shows up at auction (I have seen one ANH Stormtrooper officer uniform auctioned in close to twenty years of looking).
 
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