A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY






"WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE ....... We look forward to completing your training".

Greetings, I am Lord Zannah, your Nes'ari, (Membership Officer). Please, allow me to answer some of your "burning" questions about the Dark Side of the Force.

CONTENTS :

1) FROM ME TO YOU
2) SO WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO DO THIS STUFF ANYWAY?
3) A LINK FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

4) COSTUMING 101 ... what are TDE's (The Dark Empires) expectations in costuming.
a ) IMPORTANT thing to remember when costuming for TDE:
b) ABOUT SABERS.
c) ABOUT FABRICS.
d) ABOUT BOOTS.
e) ABOUT UTILITY BELTS.
f) ABOUT THE EYES
g) CONCERNING ARMORED VADER COSTUMES:
h) COSTUMING RESTRICTIONS and CONCESSIONS:
i) IMPORTANT COSTUMING ADVICE:

5) A SHORT TUTORIAL ON THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE SITH

6) ***** INSTRUCTIONS ON SUBMITTING TO THE DARK TRAILS ****

7) CONTACT INFORMATION:




IMPORTANT COSTUMING ADVICE::: Before Proceeding, Please Read...

Due to the Empire accepting custom Sith and Dark Force user costumes, The Dark Empire is a very unique costuming group. As such, the Sith Council of the Empire reserves the right to approve or disapprove of any component of a costume. Therefore, before purchasing any component towards building your costumes, it is an excellent idea, to submit photos or links to photos and or descriptions of the items you intend to use. It is best to have these things approved, before any expenses are incurred.

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1) FROM ME TO YOU
Welcome!

The first message I want to convey to you is, "We are friends here who have one important thing in common. We are
all Star Wars fans" You are most welcome to just come and hang out with us, no matter where we are. You are
"not" required to be in costume. A red or black T-shirt, or a Star Wars T-shirt is all we require when we are trooping.
Trooping means to gather together as a "Troop" while representing our Star Wars Fan Group. We Troop at special events
such as Movie opening nights, Museums, Conventions, Charity events, many types of sports events, and all of our other
public displays. Of coarse when any of us gather as friends just hanging out, you can wear whatever you want. LOL!!

The second message I want to convey is,"Do not be daunted within your costuming endeavors". I remember my own
confusion, and how it was when I first started. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to do this thing, and in fact, I had no real
interest to costume at all, accept for like most of us, maybe at Halloween. Then when I thought I might give it a try...
I didn't have the first clue where to begin.! LOL!!

I also thought that costuming just "had" to be very, very expensive. Especially after I had seen some of the spectacular
costumes out there. Well, it "can" be expensive, but not necessarily so, as I was soon to find out. You can put together
a very nice Sith or Dark Force user custom costume, for around or under 100.00. It's true.













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2) SO WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO DO THIS STUFF ANYWAY?
From a personal perspective, I had simply been a Star Wars fan for years. I was 22 soon to turn 23 when "A New Hope" aired on the Silver Screen. So far as all of these fan groups and costuming goes, for "years" I had no idea that there were any costuming groups out there at all. I had never been to a convention, nor did I understand why anyone would even want to attend one. I had no idea at all what went on at Conventions, because I had no desire to find out. So far as "I" knew, I simply had no interest in "that" kind of stuff. Self imposed ignorance and trumped up assumptions as it turns out, are two very terrible things. I was one of those people who, even tho Star Wars was my absolute favorite Saga of my life, I seen people who dress up like the characters and go out to play as... well... a little odd. I thought they had never quite grown up. I couldn't have been more wrong about anything, and I have missed out on a great deal. As it turns out, a "very big" deal.

And oh yes, there was also that thing of who my friends were at the time. If I had of done something like what I am now involved in, "they" would have thought "me" odd, and more than likely, we would have parted ways. Well, as it turned out, most of us have, but not because of my current social circles and interests, as all of this came later. We parted for much different reasons. Well... So much for those guys.

"Look at me now." Not only have I become very involved within the Star Wars Fandom.... I am the Dark Empires "Membership Officer", which translates in the Sith language to... "Nes'ari". And did I mention yet, that we are... "LUCAS FILMS ACKNOWLEDGE"!

I don't think I need to say that we are very proud and honored about that acknowledgement. I believe in our own way, we provide much in furthering the Star Wars fan base, but most importantly, and this is very important to George Lucas himself, by simply doing what we do, we help to bring a smile to peoples faces. The most important ones are those faces who are suffering from disease, and who are fighting the fight of their lives. And I do mean literally "for their lives", and the lives of those whom they love. Heart break is the most cruel of the human emotions. And if you love someone, you will eventually come to know it.

And on that note ... Oh Yes Indeed ... we are also involved in charity work. Of coarse there is no pressure to participate anywhere an individual does not feel comfortable or has no interest. But if involvement in charity outreach is something you might be interested in, let me tell you now, that when the Star Wars Universe shows up at events, and you see the very real impact you have made simply by being there..... and how you have just brought light and happiness into a childs life.... the way that childs face lights up, especially the very ill ones..... well, I can not begin to explain how that feels. From the very beginnings of the Star Wars Fan Groups, we have made it our mission to light our Sabers or Prime our blasters to their highest settings, in the fight against human suffering, disease, and heartbreak. We are proud to be able to announce that we have done much in that fight, and are most proud of our involvements with the Cancer foundation, the Make-A-Wish, and the Diabetes foundations. They are but a few of those whom we give support on many differing levels. I have personally walked threw childrens hospitals with others in Star Wars costumes, and came away filled with tears and very proud and happy I could be there. We do indeed make that little bit of difference. If they can't come to the Mountain, well.... we bring the Mountain to them. ;~)

Star Wars costuming as it turns out, is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my life that I have ever found myself involved in. Not only have I met some of the most impressive people of my life, but I've had a lot of fun and been rewarded in the heart too. What more can you ask.

Did I mention yet, that we have "loads" of fun! The parties at Conventions and just hanging out with friends going to dinner, going to the movies, having parties, and doing whatever we decide to do is the best!

As a result of all of these amazing things that bring families and people together, "The costuming groups have the support of The Lucas team themselves". If you have children, how do you think they would react to going to a convention filled with Star Wars characters? Talk about Disney Land? If they are Star Wars fans at all, they will be living a dream come true. And that is the most rewarding aspect of all of this for me. The children. I have them of my own, and now I have a grandchild who at three years old, calls my 91 Trans Am a TIE Fighter, and adores Darth Vader! It's true!! She is a doll and sooo cute. She comes in and the first thing she wants to see is the Vader I have that holds the receiver for Banes and my WII. She asks me if we can go for a ride in the TIE Fighter, and well, enough of that, but I "just" had to mention her. LOL!! For you, it may be something totally different, but no matter... in any case it is simply FUN!

Yea baby!

So now I am Nes'ari Lord Zannah. Kinda rolls off of the tongue huh? (smiles) I love this stuff!

I became active in the Star Wars fandom around three years ago, (at current writing, it is March of 2011) How I became active is quite the story. It includes meeting some wonderful people on the "Star Wars Clone Wars" movie premier opening night. You'll need to meet me or speak to me in person to get the whole low down, and not what this thread is about. (smiles)

My point for saying anything at all about how I became involved in all of this, is not for those of you who already understand what this is all about, but for those of you like myself at one time, ... do not.

Maybe like myself at one time, you also resemble a casual Star Wars fan, who had not known about all of this, found our site or group somehow and joined out of curiosity. And maybe by knowing some of my own experience with becoming involved in the active Star Wars fandom, you might be spurred to become more involved yourself. I promise you if you choose to do so, it will become one of the best social outreach decisions you have ever made.

If you have any questions or are curious about anything concerning our group, we will try and answer those questions. Simply PM us or ask away on the link provided for you in this post.











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3) A LINK FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

Within this forum you will eventually find many threads, all of them locked but one, which can be found here:
http://the-dark-empire.forumotion.com/t1114-this-thread-is-for-questions-and-comments-concerning-costuming-requirements-and-standards

The above link will take you to a thread within this forum, which has been left un-locked especially for you to post questions and comments in. And you will have questions, "especially if you are new".

Within my personal experience, I had "no idea" where to even begin. Even after completing this tutorial, and glancing threw the Character threads within this Library Forum, you will still have questions. Possibly more so, and that is expected. We of the council and in fact, any of our members are here to help where ever we can.

All of the threads within the Costuming Library Forum, are intended to guide you as to our standards of Sith and Dark Force Costuming. They are also intended to present you with detailed photos of Cannon and Custom Sith. They are there for comparisons within your own costuming endeavors. These threads are a continued work in progress. There are many Sith and Dark Force user characters within the Star Wars Universe who have not yet been added. However, as I can gather the data, you will see more and more of them. Also, as the Star Wars Continuum continues to be built upon with the new Clone Wars Cartoon running, and especially within the E.U. / Extended Universe, which includes Star Wars themed books, comics, and video games, I foresee The Dark Empire building upon this library for a very long time, even as the years go by.











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4) COSTUMING 101 ... what are TDE's (The Dark Empires) expectations in costuming.
I personally believe that to costume well, one must have a keen understanding of the character of choice, and in this case, the Sith and Dark Force users within the Star Wars continuum. Included in the following paragraphs, you will find a small tutorial of the Sith and Sith costuming. Why they choose the colors and styles which they do, along with a slight background on the Star Wars Sith.

I want to say that before anyone begins costuming for the Dark Empire to remember this. We expect integrity within costuming. If you are doing a custom Sith or Dark Force character, ask yourself "honestly", "Would Uncle George approve of this costume on his set"? If you are in doubt about the answer to that question, you probably need to up your personal bar.

If you are building a Canon costume, our standards are already pre-set by what has been produced by artists within the Lucas Arts Productions... either movie or E.U. integrity. In other words, Canon Costumes must be character correct, and match the existing artists renditions. That being said, I want to emphasize that we are not going to disapprove of a Canon costume that is not exact down to the rivet. For instance, Darth Maul wears one stud earring, I believe in his left upper ear lobe. If you do not have that earring stud, we are still going to approve your costume. What we do expect, is for you to get it as close as reasonably possible. Contained within the threads are depictions of each Canon Dark Force user, plus some photos of our "Official" members costumes, to show comparisons. That should help to know what we desire.




a) IMPORTANT thing to remember when costuming for TDE:
If you are replicating a Canon Costume, either from the E.U. or the Movies, which is "not" already represented somewhere within this Library of costumes, please present us with photos of the costume "before starting your build", and submitting for your Dark Trials. This way, the council will have a comparison to go by for your submission. I want to stress here, that even if there is a depiction or depictions, already found within this costuming library of your desired character, and you have found another one which we do not "yet" have displayed, please present us with your character depiction. This circumstance is especially found within the EU., where there can be found "many" artists renditions of the same character. For our purposes, if you can find them, we would like full front, side and back photos of the character you are desiring to portray. This next statement is important ::: If there are no full photos for a comparison, as there are no full body photos for Darth Zannah from the Bane Trilogy of books, we will make exceptions for your Continuity Canon Costume being accompanied with Custom design. The requirement in this case will be Star Wars Universe Integrity. Is this design/fashion represented anywhere within the Star Wars Universe? And most importantly...

Would Mr. George Lucas Approve Of Your Custom Design For A Set?





b) ALSO, VERY IMPORTANT: As per TDE Charter
Article II, Section 6 part D, as follows:
Official Members within The Dark Empire that desire to make a major upgrade which will change the appearance of a costume that is already approved for full membership must consult with the Nes'ari, or other TDE Council Member, or Temple Jen'ari before making any large modifications to said costume. This shall ensure that the costume will remain within established TDE costuming standards.





c) ABOUT SABERS.
As per TDE CHARTER :::
The only restrictions on light sabers in our Charter, are as follows:

Light sabers: Only Force-FX light sabers, or custom Luxeon or custom LED-modified hilts, or metal or PVC hilts of similar type, or hollow hilts of similar type, with acrylic or polycarbonate blades, or hilts of said types by themselves without blades are authorized light sabers for costume wear within The Dark Empire.

Plastic light saber toys are not permitted.

. A movie-accurate or EU-accurate light saber or weapon pertaining to canon characters is required with canon costumes. For example, a Darth Vader-accurate light saber is required with all Darth Vader costumes.

. Non saber-wielding canon characters are of coarse, not required to carry a light saber. For instance, Royal/Imperial Guards do not carry sabers, but instead carry Force Pikes.



Possible Saber Concessions:
If a saber or other weapon exists to complete your Canon Costume, it is preferable to have one. However, the council of the Empire fully understands financial difficulties, and weapons can be the most expensive component to a costume. (This is an example of an area where we give consideration for the costume not being absolutely accurate) Besides, you can always purchase your Canon weapon later. We would rather see you coming out and having fun with us, rather than nit pick your weapons. There for, as to date, we allow custom sabers for our costumes, even full Canon costumes. "However", these sabers must be sabers purchased from distributors such as Ultra Sabers or other reputable dealers. You may even purchase the items necessary to build your own sabers. Links to saber building sites and sites on how to build your own can be found within our forums.

As to date, the following are acceptable Saber building materials:
Bone, PVC, and metal.

If you have an idea for construction material, please PM the Membership Officer/Nes'ari, or someone on the council with your question. We "DO NOT" allow toy Hasbro sabers, or any other toy sabers made for children.

Restrictions On Saber Color ::
The only restriction would be for "Canon" Sith Lords/Ladies. Whether you are able to purchase a Canon Saber for your Canon costume or not, we would like to see the color of blade they use as the color choice of the saber blade.









d) ABOUT FABRICS.
"Some" Fabrics used for many aspects for costumes within the Movies are almost impossible to come by, and can be most expensive. The TDE council understands this, and makes concessions for expense in purchasing fabrics and materials. We do however expect fine quality of fabric and material choices. Remember, you must look Star Wars universe acceptable, and pass Uncle Georges inspections. Otherwise, your choice of fabrics within costuming is up to your own specifications and pocket books. China Twill Cotton or a comparable cotton would be a good choice. Also, satins or satin imitations, light wools hang exceptionally well, but are warm in the summer. Cotton linen is also good, but will wrinkle easily. There are many fabrics to choose from, it depends on what aspect of a costume you are working on. As always, if you "can" afford to purchase the fabrics which were used for the exact movie costumes, then by all means, your costume will most assuredly be of prime quality, totally Canon... and .... in true Sith fashion, I will personally envy you. >;~)

Color restrictions for Dark Force users as Sith and Grey Jedi are strictly limited to colors which portray dark force user character specific colors.
These colors are dark or muted as in Beige, Dark Brown, Black, Reds, Purples, Dark Greens, etc.

White or Blue? To be discussed by the costuming panel.






e) ABOUT BOOTS.
This is simple. No laces with eyelets unless fully hidden, no zippers unless they are on the inside of the ankle. No cowboy style boots. Only those boots/shoes which are represented in the Star Wars universe. All "Canon" characters will be required to portray the appropriate clothing, to include foot wear. Any questions or comments about boots or costuming, please either PM Lord Zannah, Lord Volund Starfire, or someone on the council (names can be found below). You may also simply place a post containing your question within the thread provided in this forum. Lacing on boots is permissible but only within a certain style such as leather strapping which wraps around the boot. Absolutely NO eyelet holes with laces are allowed to be visible on boots at any time.


ACCEPTABLE STYLES FOR BOOTS: When purchasing your boots, please keep the following styles in mind. If building upon a Custom design, your boot does not have to completely resemble the following, but you are expected to use the following designs as heavy guides within your purchases. Another example of a boot, would be the StarKiller style, of wrapping the boot from the toe up to the bottom of the knee. If your boot has laces, or zippers in the front, this is an acceptable way of covering them.

EXAMPLE OF BOOT AND LEG WRAPPINGS
ARTISTS RENDITION STAR KILLER LEG WRAPPINGS: Style can be used to cover shoes or boots with lacing or un-approved zippers, and can be in any color appropriate for a Dark Force user, therefore are acceptable for Custom TDE Costumes.


ARTISTS RENDITION PADS FOR UNDER LEG WRAPPINGS



The first link below, are images of Obi-Wans boot from a New Hope, and also of Dark Anikans Boot/Darth Vader from Revenge Of The Sith. Descriptions of the boots are next to the photos. Obi-Wans definately contained "hidden" laces. And Anakins are secured with a style of buckle, and in another photo, there are what appears to be, leather covers over them.

Obi-Wan Boot w/Hidden Laces
http://www.museumreplicas.com/p-988-obi-wan-kenobi-jedi-boots.aspx

Dark Anikan Boot
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jedicollectables.co.uk/Anakin%2520Skywalker%2520Jedi%2520Boots.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jedicollectables.co.uk/star%2520test%25201b.htm&usg=__T4yd30Q3DEi4lUyzO4gnNtLJDn4=&h=180&w=180&sz=6&hl=en&start=18&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=tAHK79LnrrUDvM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=101&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAuthentic%2BAnakin%2BBoot%2BRevenge%2BOf%2BThe%2BSith%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs


Another photo of Dark Anikans Boot.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.anakinskywalkercostumes.com/walker-shoes.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.anakinskywalkercostumes.com/adult-anakin-boots.html&usg=__G_hyR7kWr_C7OM106G3urBF39gE=&h=500&w=281&sz=18&hl=en&start=6&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=ItqyGWUfH23rsM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=73&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAuthentic%2BLord%2BVader%2BBoot%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1


Darth Maul Boot: The actual boots used for Darth Maul in the Phantom Menace, were Frank Thomas Titan Touring 101s. For TDE's purposes, a similar Frank Thomas model (Voyager or Apollo) or custom boot of a similar look are also acceptable.

"SPECIAL NOTE" Darth Mauls boot had been re-worked and furbished so that the manufacturers labels were not present. If there are any manufacturers labels visible on your boots, they will not be acceptable.

http://www.partsofsw.com/Ep_1/darthM.htm

It looks like the style of boot used within the Star Wars movie continuum, fluctuates between a military officers boot/Pirate style, and motorcycle.


LUKE SKYWALKER BOOT. Of coarse for portraying a Dark Force user or our minions, these must be a dark color.










f) ABOUT UTILITY BELTS.

FOR CUSTOM SITH COSTUMES:
Utility belts "are" absolutely required.
BOTTOM LINE: Utility belts must represent traditional style within the Star Wars Universe. Pouches, saber sling... either a D-ring or comparable clip, or Convertec Clip. You can purchase a Convertec Clip from this reputable dealer: http://www.swbeltclip.com/

Also concerning Custom Utility Belts:
I. As of to date, TDE accepts "MODIFIED" Military, Weight Lifters, and Construction Belts for Utility Belts.
II. HOWEVER: all manufacturers emblems, or any and all insignias must be completely removed or covered up.
III. Pleather for the construction of a Utility belt is not permitted. It creases, wrinkles up, readily cracks, and simply diminishes the integrity of the costume.



FOR CANON COSTUMES: Unless you are portraying a Sith or Dark Force User who is shown within written description or a photo depiction, which does not wear a Utility belt, Utility Belts are Required. For a CANON character, the utility belt must be costume specific. In other words, this item is an intricate part of the costume, and must match the existing description.


Buckles:
I. Only belt buckles representing the Star Wars style of belt buckle will be approved.
II. As of the StarKiller rendition of the Sith Assassin from the Force Unleashed game, the typical punched holes with tongue style clasps are also allowed.

Reference to this buckle found within our library here:
http://the-dark-empire.forumotion.com/t1121-star-killer-sith-stalker-armor-eu-continuity-canon-sith-apprentice-from-the-force-unleashed-game-character-well-documented-custom-designing-not-permitted








g) ABOUT SYMBOLS ON YOUR COSTUME:
I. "Generic" Tribal symbols ARE allowed. Anything considered Non S.W. universe looking will not be allowed. It must look non earthy.

II. An example of Earthy looking Tribal symbols include, but are not limited to:
Celtic Knot work

Here is an example of Celtic Knot work:



III. Also, no kind of earthly religious symbolism represented from any historical age, anywhere on a costume is allowed.








h) ON NUTRITION CAPS
As Of April 2, 2012: If you utilize nutrition capsules on your belt or costume anywhere, they must be done in any of the following colors:
Black
Red
Yellow
or Silver







i) ABOUT THE EYES
SITH EYES: We don't require contacts to be worn with your costume, as a Siths eyes are not that burning yellow when the full power of the Force is not flowing threw them. Also, there are many of us who simply can not wear contacts. However, if you have contacts for your character, we expect some screen accuracy here too.

CLOSEUP OF A CONTACT FOR A SITHS EYE


There are many reputable dealers to purchase aesthetic contacts from. Regardless of the dealer you choose, The Dark Empire strongly recommends you see an optometrist for a fitting. Even those which do not come in prescriptions.


Here are some examples of Cinematic Eyes for Cannon Sith Lords.

DARTH MAULS EYES


CLOSE UP OF LORD VADERS EYES


CLOSE UP OF LORD SIDIOUS'S EYES










j) CONCERNING ARMORED VADER COSTUMES:
So far as the "Rubies" Vaders costumes: As to date, TDE only accept the Rubies Supreme Vader Costume. This costume must fit you properly. The cape, helm, under suit, etc.. must fit, or will be required to have alterations. If this costume does not look presentable on you, it will not pass the Trials.









k) ON TATTOOS:
The basic rule of thumb is that no earthly images may show at any time. No religious symbols may show at any time. Religious emblems and symbols will require covering. Generic tribal knot work, barbs, etc, to include all showing tattoos will be judged on a case by case basis.









L) COSTUMING RESTRICTIONS and CONCESSIONS:
1. No pointed spiked studs nor spikes. No razor style studs nor any stud nor spike which could present a hazard.
Pointed studs which are flattened or heavily rounded on the ends are permissible, as are squared studs.

2. No razor like projections upon props or costumes allowed.

3. We allow lacing on costumes, such as bodices, curacies, and such, but on a case by case basis. Lacing on boots is permissible within a certain style such as leather strapping which wraps around the boot.
Absolutely NO eyelet holes or laces are allowed to be visible on boots at any time.

4. Although we reserve the right to approve cross over sabers for our Canon characters on a case by case basis, we have a no cross over costuming components allowed on TDE Dark Force User Costumes.
For Example: No Iron Man components unless "HEAVILY" modified.

No Star Wars Character specific components allowed unless modified to not reflect said character component.
For Example: No New Republic nor New Empire Clone Trooper Armor worn on Old Republic era Imperial Troopers.


5. Cargo pants (pants with cargo pockets on the sides of the legs) are also permitted for costume wear within The Dark Empire, as deemed appropriate on a case-by-case basis by the Nes'ari, the Nes'ari Apprentice, or the TDE Council.

The Dark Empire Council allows concessions for medical conditions. These concessions are decided upon on a case by case basis.


















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5) A SHORT TUTORIAL ON THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE SITH
THE FOLLOWING IS ON THE FULL Wiki.org
http://misc.thefullwiki.org/Sith_apparel

Sith apparel was the term given to the armor, robes, and general attire of members of the Sith Order in all its forms. As the dark side counterparts to the Jedi, the Sith were traditionally garbed in shades of black, this color being the very symbol of the ancient threat they represented. However, unlike the Jedi who did not believe in material possession, the position of Sith Lord was highly individualized and the personal attire of each reflected this. Although similar to the armor worn by the Jedi Knights of the Galactic Republic, Sith apparel was in fact much more personalized to the wearer than its Jedi counterparts; for many Sith, their armor was an integral part of their identity. For users of the dark side, though, this armor usually involved some measure of physical protection, such as traditional armor plates, cortosis weave materials, or even self-contained life support systems. Many Sith were most easily recognized by their distinctive armor, and often used this to further intimidate or impress their foes and allies alike.

Unlike their Jedi predecessors, the Sith Lords decided there was no place for modesty and humility, and many of them seemed to appreciate flaunting riches and outstanding signs of their wealth. As the first Sith Lords derived from fallen Jedi that enslaved the Sith species, the style of their clothes reflected aspects of both those cultures. They thus adopted a fatuous fashion full of bright colors (such as green, gold, light red or purple), with golden and ornamented parts of armor. They also favored extravagant headdresses, war helmets and capes accented with eccentric necklines. Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh were good examples of this. Most Sith lords would feel pleasure and a sensation of power through the jealousy and greed their material possession aroused among their peers; this might explain the riot of colors and wealth they used to display, just like master Qordis did with his luxurious apartments on Korriban.
On the contrary, notable exceptions included Ajunta Pall. Despite being a well known Sith Lord, his clothing suggested no individuality, but this could be attributed to the fact he probably kept more human habits, being one of the human Dark Jedi who discovered the Sith species.
It seems many Sith robes were Force-imbued in the making, so that they could be used to enhance or assist the ability to channel the Dark Side of the Force. By the means of those, the wearer could call upon more strength or wisdom than they naturally would. Some of those artifacts were still intact and usable at the time of the Old Sith Wars, such as Aleema Keto's or Crado's robes, and the dreaded Helm of Dathka Graush.

EXAMPLE: Darth Zannah TDE030 in her personalized custom robes



Battle Armor
Some Sith warriors were also known to sport a specialized combat gear that allowed them maximum agility in dense jungle environments.
The Sith Lords of the Old Empire each wore personalized battle armor designed to strike fear into their enemies. The Sith armor traditionally consisted of bronzium plates worn over dark red—or, more often, blue—robes, and were usually covered in sharp spines to be used as weapons. Each Sith Lord's armor was unique.

EXAMPLE: Lord Zannah TDE030 in her personalized custom Sith Armor.




DARTH ZANNAH FULL ARMOR

PEACE THREW DESTRUCTION



The Old Sith Wars
After the Dark Lords Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma established their Brotherhood of the Sith, the first order to their new students was the Jedi pogrom, in which the apprentices were commanded to strike down their Jedi masters. As such, very few of them had the chance to change their Jedi garments, which led to a yet less uniformed Sith order.
Kun went on with the tradition of the battle armor, as he himself wore one. Sith warriors wore Sith Robes designed with a hood which could conceal the wearer's face, keeping them from being identified. Some Sith Robes also came fitted with basic armor, made from cortosis.
The Sith Robe shared some similar fashion features with the Jedi Adventure Robe and the Ceremonial Jedi Robes.

EXAMPLE: Darth Zannah TDE030 in concealing hood.






Darth Zannah close up of hood and eyes







LORD NOCTURNUS TDE034 in concealing hood and close up of eyes





Revan's Sith Empire
At the time where Revan founded his new empire, the Sith likely chose to get more practical robes. The technology itself had known fundamental improvements in the previous decades, and fairly quickly gave a more austere and high-tech look to the whole Galaxy. This is probably why individuals such as Darth Bandon, Darth Malak or even Revan himself wore such unadorned sets of clothes. Darth Revan himself owned a special set of armored robes, including a full face mask of mandalorian design. The many renegade Dark Jedi who joined Revan simply clung to Jedi garment style, adapted to the dark shades of their new allegiance. The Sith Empire also had huge numbers of minions at its command, including the Sith assault troopers and the Sith Assassins, whose outfits were highly specialized.
In the aftermath of the Mandalorian War, the Republic officers who served under Revan turned to traitors and joined the new Sith empire. They replaced their red and yellow uniforms with azure blue/gray jumpsuits. The higher ranking officers wore caps. This uniform was also worn by the trainees at the Sith Academy.

The Great War
Sometime after the Great War, a Sith robe was a popular choice of garment for Sith serving the Sith Empire and the Sith Emperor during the Cold War between the Sith and the Republic. It was heavier than what Sith tended to wear before and after the events of the Great War and the Cold War. The Jedi developed a similar garment which was equipped by their military forces.

The New Sith Wars
Throughout the New Sith Wars, the style of the Sith apparel evolved into a more sober form, though it still had a touch of the old elaborate fashion of the ancient lords. Brighter colors were apparently left behind in favor of different shades of black, dark purple and gray. The Sith would generally wear black capes with cuirasses and multi-pouched belts with buckles featuring symbols similar to later Darth Maul’s tattoos. Lord Kaan and Darth Bane himself were often seen dressed that way, and Bane even wore an armored pauldron and a vambrace to protect his left arm. Darth Bane later wore biological armor made from hard-shelled orbalisks which, through a symbiotic relationship, increased his Force abilities.

Order of the Sith Lords
The Sith Lords that came after the establishment of the Rule of Two were in hiding and generally favored simpler black garments. Sith apprentices wore special training gear during their training to become Sith Lords. An example of such training gear was worn by Darth Maul, and consisted of an uniquely tailored vest. As his skills increased, there was less need for this gear. Once Maul acquired the status of Sith Lord he was robed in the black garb of the Sith Order. In a more elaborate way than the standard zeyd-cloth cloaks, Darth Maul wore black robes and loose-fitting desert-like garb, and a collard coat belted at the waist. The very large hood would drape down the back, while the sleeves were elongated and almost touched the ground. Where the sleeve attached to the main body of the robe, two slits were cut, through which Maul could put his arms.

Darth Tyranus seemingly used his traditional garbs from Serenno, made of a sober black officer-style Vjun tunic and reddish or brown armorweave capes, the shape of which would visually enlarge the Count's silhouette. He would also wear black boots made of rare rancor leather.
Though Asajj Ventress wasn't a Sith per see, she wore "the trappings of the Sith", as Dooku himself noted. Her gear consisted of high-collared tight-fitting black and white dungarees which were covered at waist length with a wide black skirt. The skirt was easily removable by simply tucking the sash away.

Darth Sidious's (and apparently Darth Plagueis's) sense of fashion stuck to monk-like robes made of harsh zeyd-cloth. One of those was navy-blue with very long sleeves, and the other, which he wore in his late days, was definitely darker with a raised waffle pattern on it. It should be noted that Palpatine also possessed at least two other Sith robes. One of them was made in a red, heavy and velvet-like fabric, ornamented with Sith symbols. Palpatine publicly wore it in front of the Senate when he addressed his Declaration of a New Order. Indeed, he knew nobody in the rotunda would recognize the origin of these clothes, and he estimated the time of hiding had come to an end for the Sith. The other garb was an elephant gray robe with a large hood, a black velvet capelet and puff sleeves. Palpatine was seen in it when he battled Yoda. When the reborn Sidious went on a trip to Korriban in 11 ABY, he adorned a shorter, more practical variant of his well-known black cape, complete with capelet and a long, straight walking stick.

When Darth Vader needed to get his famous survival armor, Darth Sidious insisted on creating an intimidating look and completed the design with a cape and tabard reminiscent of the more usual Sith garb.
Darth Vader provided his Secret Apprentice with an Imperial uniform that he mended himself many times over his lifetime. Starkiller's training gear was both simple and versatile seeing as it survived numerous training sessions and volatile missions. Starkiller used numerous variants of his basic gear. One variant was the home made Heavy training gear which gave basic protection in toxic and polluted environments. Another variant was Light training gear which weighed less than the basic training gear, and also provided more comfort in humid environments.

One Sith
Sith of Darth Krayt's Order wore armor of various design. Darth Krayt himself wore an imposing form of armor designed to instill fear into the hearts of his enemies. Darth Wyyrlok wore a set of combat armor over his robes, while Darth Nihl wore a strange set of armor designed to intimidate enemies.

Behind the scenes
Sith robes production design
As George Lucas envisioned the Sith as the dark counterpart of the Jedi, their robes were mainly designed as black versions of the Jedi apparel. The under-robes for the costume of Palpatine as an Emperor were in fact a Japanese kimono of black raw silk, as revealed in Star Wars: The Magic of Myth book. Ben Kenobi's inner robes were also made of the same material, but in a beige version. Darth Maul's attire was sewn from a hand woven fabric called Indian Homespun which had been dyed black by costume designer Trisha Biggar.

Tales of the Jedi design
Though the timespan covered by the Tales of the Jedi stories kind of fits "Star Wars' Middle Age", the style of the costumes rather reflects Antiquity. As for the Sith, they seem to be widely inspired by ancient Babylonian or Egyptian fashion; for example, Naga Sadow's and Darth Andeddu's headdress are quite similar to Pharaonic deshret and khepresh crowns. Also, rather than be limited to dark colors, the robes of these ancient Sith were quite vibrantly colored, extremely opulent.

For more tutorials on the Sith, the language of the Sith, Sith Holocrons and more, please go to the following link.
http://the-dark-empire.forumotion.com/f45-sith-language-and-holocrons








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6) INSTRUCTIONS ON SUBMITTING TO THE DARK TRAILS. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS:
It has come to my attention, that the public perception of how to get a costume approved in TDE, must be done within the DARK TRIALS FORUM. That is not the case.

The facts are: Prospective Forum Members seeking costume approval for Full "Official" Membership within TDE may do so in the following link, "or" privately via email. Our official email is via the "Contact Us" bar on our website, www.thedarkempire.org and is handled by our Tyran'ari, Lord Bruticus TDE-021. You need not post publicly if you do not wish to do so.

I remind you all to refer to our Charter when you are unsure about something; the itemized table of contents at the beginning of it refers to which topic each Article deals with. If you need further assistance, please PM any TDE Council Member, or your Jen'ari.

These are the precise steps on how to apply for Official Membership:

Any forum member at least eighteen years of age or older may request full membership within The Dark Empire. Full / Official Membership is granted when a forum member obtains a TDE-approved costume, as outlined within this article. The process for requesting Full Membership status within The Dark Empire is as follows:

1. An introduction in our Roll Call forum. You may go to this link and begin yourself a new thread to introduce your self to the group.

2. If desired, you may then begin a WIP (Work In Progress) thread in our Dark Side Costuming forum found here:

3. Detailed, well lit, and up close photos of your costume and costume components. (high-resolution) recommended. These photos should depict the entire costume from head to foot. If the images are dark or blurry they will not be acceptable. We must be able to see details of your costume.

4) A description of the materials/fabric used in your costume, (if known) or where it was purchased needs to be supplied with your submission.

5) You should include where your saber was purchased, or if you built it yourself, a brief description of how it was built, should be included with your Dark Trials submission.

6) If any other weapons are part of your costume, include descriptions and where purchased. If built yourself, include a brief description of how it was done and the materials used.


COSTUME PHOTOS REQUIRED
a) If you have a cape, we need one Frontal photo with full costume and cape from head to toe.
b) One Rear photo with full costume and cape from head to toe.

COSTUME PHOTOS REQUIRED
a) One Front without cape from head to toe
b) One Rear view head to toe.
c) One Left side head to toe.
d) One Right side head to toe.

COSTUME COMPONENT PHOTOS REQUIRED
a) Saber or weapon of choice.
b) Boots
c) Gloves
d) Utility Belt
e) One close up and detailed photo of each component you may have with your costume, such as any other weapons, mask, helmet, head gear, or any extras of any kind.

IF APPLICABLE
a) If your costume includes a mask, helmet, or any kind of facial covering, you must supply an additional facial photo. This photo will be kept in within the inner chambers and private.

PHOTOS SHOULD BE TAKEN MINUS GLASSES, CIGARETTES, BEVERAGE CUPS OR CANS, OR ANY OTHER NON STAR WARS UNIVERSE APPAREL.

4) WHERE TO POST YOUR DARK TRIALS
a) Photos may be posted publicly in the “Dark Trials” section of the TDE forums, for the Council
to consider. The prospective member posting their photos here must also consider that other
TDE members, both Forum and Official, may post comments about the posted photos.
However, the decision upon granting Official Membership to the prospective member is solely
at the discretion of the TDE Council, or the corresponding Temple Council, should the
prospective member be applying in a region high in membership.

OR...

b) Photos may be submitted privately, should the prospective member not desire the Full
Membership process to be public. There are two ways this can be accomplished.

· Submit photos in a PM to the Membership Officer or other Council Member in like fashion as
described above.

· Submit required photos in an email to The Dark Empire. Currently, the Official email of TDE is
darkempireradio@aim.com


c. Exceptions on all costume components can be made on a case by case basis through council approval. Especially where medical needs are allowed.



IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE READY, HERE IS A LINK TO THE DARK TRIALS FORUM:
http://the-dark-empire.forumotion.com/f42-dark-trials

FOR COMPLETE AND DETAILED INFORMATION ON COSTUMES ACCEPTED WITHIN TDE, PLEASE GO TO THIS LINK: http://www.thedarkempire.org/about-us.html

Just scroll down the page found at the above link, and our charter can be accessed by clicking on the "Download File" button at the bottom left of the page. The costuming standards and accepted costumes are in Article II of the charter.






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7) COUNCIL CONTACT INFORMATION:
If you have any questions at all about costuming, our costuming requirements, how to go about submitting to The Dark Trials for costume approval, or any questions about The Dark Empire (TDE) in general, please, please do not hesitate to PM me or anyone on the Council.

Of To Date, Council Members Are:
Lord Draconis "Sith'ari" (our CO)
Lord Kolban "Anik'ari" (our XO)
Lord Bruticus "Tyran'ari" (Public Relations Officer)

and myself....

Lord Zannah "Nes'ari" (Membership Officer) of the Mighty Sith Empire

LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!!