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50 Most Iconic Star Wars Costumes

By Cheryl Wassenaar

Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) loads the plans for the Death Star battle station with a plea for help to Obi-Wan Kenobi into R2-D2 on the Rebel Blockade Runner.
Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) loads the plans for the Death Star battle station with a plea for help to Obi-Wan Kenobi into R2-D2 on the Rebel Blockade Runner. /
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10. Amidala in the Throne Room

Quick, think about Queen Amidala!

Chances are that you probably thought of this outfit, because it’s what we see when we first meet her in TPM, and it was, if my memory serves, all over the marketing for the movie back in 1999.

It also sets the standard, quote-unquote, for the Amidala Outfits that we will see in the rest of the movie and bears significant influence on what Padmé will wear in formal situations throughout the entire trilogy.

To wit:

  • Headdress or hairpiece
  • Dramatic details (here, the jewels on the bottom of the skirt, which light up, and the gold embroidery)
  • Volume, particularly in the sleeves and/or skirt
  • Dark colors, although here they’re used as accents rather than as the primary palette
  • Plush or expensive-looking fabrics
  • Embroidery in general

Not only does it set the Amidala standards, but the throne room gown also evokes the idea of a queen beyond just plunking Natalie Portman on a throne and calling it a day. Her headdress is basically a crown, just one that extends past her chin rather than the more contained Western idea. The fabrics are plush and rich, with the fur trimming again evoking ideas of royal robes from Earth, without the ermine pattern.

Incidentally, Dressing a Galaxy reports that this outfit took inspiration from Chinese court styles, although it doesn’t specifically say which dynasty (46).

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