The Worst Homemade Star Wars Costumes
April 1, 2009 9:45 PM   Subscribe

The Worst Homemade Star Wars Costumes for nerd conventions, nerd parties and any other nerd-based gatherings.
posted by swift (84 comments total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
I want to see a photo of the author of that page sans costume. Seriously, that was unkind.
posted by porpoise at 9:53 PM on April 1, 2009 [3 favorites]


MetaFilter exists PRECISELY to alert me to crap like this. Thank you, swift.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:55 PM on April 1, 2009


This was great! I needed a good laugh. The death star costume was one of my favorites or the first R2D2. Any costume that incapacitates your arms is hysterical
posted by fiestapais at 10:07 PM on April 1, 2009


There are non-worksafe images on the right side of the page, for those who might see this before clicking.
posted by Rendus at 10:07 PM on April 1, 2009


i lol'd at pretty much every pic. ty.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 10:08 PM on April 1, 2009


There should be a rule that states "if your costume needs a label, you shouldn't wear it in public." The trashcan labeled R2D2 is just awful.
posted by Chan at 10:13 PM on April 1, 2009


Sorry, I didn't even notice the nsfw-babes.
posted by swift at 10:15 PM on April 1, 2009 [2 favorites]


There should be a rule that states "if your costume needs a label, you shouldn't wear it in public." The trashcan labeled R2D2 is just awful.

I agree, just a trashcan can't possibly qualify as a costume, that's just gettin lazy
posted by fiestapais at 10:18 PM on April 1, 2009




i see you and raise you one horrid star wars cake.
posted by sexyrobot at 10:27 PM on April 1, 2009 [1 favorite]


As a rejoinder to sexyrobot I offer this awesome Star Wars cake.
posted by Bookhouse at 10:47 PM on April 1, 2009 [5 favorites]


This is not good.
posted by mrnutty at 11:00 PM on April 1, 2009


Some of the pictures are pretty funny, but come on, this picture is beyond adorable. Just look at the little girl dressed as R2D2! Makes me almost want to have kids.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:04 PM on April 1, 2009 [4 favorites]


oh yeah? how 'bout a big slice of chewbacca's itchy butthole? (2nd pic)
posted by sexyrobot at 11:31 PM on April 1, 2009 [2 favorites]


(that is btw, SFW, believe it or not...) also, i managed to dig up the parade of unfortunate star wars costumes to apologize for the pastry-based derail...
posted by sexyrobot at 11:46 PM on April 1, 2009 [4 favorites]


The pictures were hilarious, but the LOL gay LOL fat commentary was pretty bad.
posted by betweenthebars at 12:36 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


This isn't Chewbacca, it's the gorilla from Trading Places... and I bet they totally got frisky with each other later, so fair play to the guy.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:22 AM on April 2, 2009


I enjoyed that. Yes, some of the costumes were hilariously bad. But then there were some that were actually pretty decent, especially considering they were home-made. Disappointingly I suspect any costume that isn't store-bought is automatically subject to ridicule.

Personally, I find it easier to laugh at the people with the store bought costumes who seem to take things a bit too far, e.g. here, here, and here at the Renaissance fair (which is almost now a cliché in itself). Oh, and here's a dancing stormtrooper in Tokyo (which I include as hopeful evidence that it's not just Americans).
posted by Davenhill at 1:26 AM on April 2, 2009


i lol'd at pretty much every pic. ty.

I hope this was archly ironic meta-commentary, I do.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 1:49 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


All of these are better than the ones where people simply drop a whack of cash.
posted by srboisvert at 2:43 AM on April 2, 2009 [3 favorites]


Sorry man, but every paper storm trooper costume is an awesome storm trooper costume.
posted by Science! at 2:48 AM on April 2, 2009 [3 favorites]


This Stormtrooper costume is fucking awesome. Also the Lego Boba Fett.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:52 AM on April 2, 2009 [4 favorites]


D'oh.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:13 AM on April 2, 2009 [10 favorites]


This was not only mean, but stupid. So if someone doesn't make a Star Wars that's ultra-realistic, they shouldn't bother? Fuck that. Sometimes a costume is thrown together for fun and sometimes a person's craft skills aren't the best. I see no reason to shit on them for their efforts. FAIL
posted by grubi at 4:27 AM on April 2, 2009 [10 favorites]


Man, that guy writing those captions seems like a huge dick. I'd definitely rather hang out with the paper-stormtrooper-costume makers.
posted by the bricabrac man at 4:27 AM on April 2, 2009 [13 favorites]


This is my favorite bad Star Wars costume. I liked the photos, the commentary was uncool and not even funny.
posted by snofoam at 4:29 AM on April 2, 2009 [4 favorites]


Okay, based on the buildings in the background, I'm pretty certain that this picture was taken at a summer camp or something along those lines. That, in turn, suggests to me that it was a game or stunt: "Okay, Team 5, your task is to... dress up as the cast of Star Wars! You have 15 minutes. Go!"

And that sounds like a hell of a lot of fun.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:48 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


Man, that guy writing those captions seems like a huge dick.

For most of them, yeah, but his crack on the Darth-Maul-with-hair guy was totally Vice-worthy.
posted by kittyprecious at 4:55 AM on April 2, 2009


The paper stormtroopers are pretty sweet.
posted by Hicksu at 4:56 AM on April 2, 2009


I have to disagree with some of these "terrible" pics. For DIY on a budget, some of them are pretty damn awesome.
posted by DU at 4:58 AM on April 2, 2009 [2 favorites]


It takes a hell of a lot more imagination to come up with a costume with items that are laying around the house than to go to the store and purchase an off the shelf one. I think the storm troopers marching in the parade look great; they have just the right amount of realism to be instantly recognizable for what they are. I'm sure they had a blast at the parade and got many more compliments then this web site will ever get.
posted by digsrus at 5:01 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


You know, this one isn't too bad for a cardboard and bucket stormtrooper costume.
posted by IvoShandor at 5:05 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


Man, that guy writing those captions seems like a huge dick.

Yeah, that whole snarky caption thing a la Lileks seems easy, but 99.9% of people (including me) pretty much suck at it.
posted by troybob at 5:13 AM on April 2, 2009


They forgot this. And this and this and this. And who could forget R2-D7?

From Growing up Star Wars.
posted by fire&wings at 5:18 AM on April 2, 2009


It looks like the cardboard stormtroopers are from last year's DragonCon parade. I saw those guys and they were hysterical (in the awesome way) looking, especially when you saw them next to the "real" costumes. To me, they were only surpassed by the "300 (lbs)", a group of older gentlemen of a certain size who had Spartan weapons, red capes, flesh colored t shirts, and warrior helmets made from KFC chicken buckets.
posted by pointystick at 5:19 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


Yup. Most of the costumes were cute and funny. I think most of these costume makers would not be called Star Wars nerds. Just folks. Plus, on the one with the parade, isn't that George Lucas himself walking behind? It's a pretty good costume, if not....
posted by Trochanter at 5:22 AM on April 2, 2009


Most of the people in these pictures exhibited at least a bit of creativity, are at a party or parade or social gathering of some sort, and look like they're having a lot of fun. In contrast to the author, who spent his weekend hunched in front or the computer, combing through other people's party photos and writing mean, bitter little captions full of juvenile gay joke, nerd jokes, and fat jokes. So who's the real loser here?
posted by googly at 5:23 AM on April 2, 2009 [4 favorites]


OK I think I am starting to get the hang of this Mefi comment thing - whatever is posted we take exactly the opposite stance, right? So if a website is posted that extols the virtues of something we jump up to say "No that thing sucks;" and if a website is posted that proclaims the idiocy of something we have to say that in fact that thing is quite good and the author of the website is a mean, mean man. Here let me try:

ASSHAT IS WRONG THESE COSTUMES ARE GREAT. I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE ONE WHERE THE GUY IS WEARING A CARPET. THAT"S CREATIVITY HE SHOULD TRY IT!
posted by Bango Skank at 5:36 AM on April 2, 2009 [6 favorites]


I actually wrote my comment before googly posted then I didn't preview, but it worked out pretty good anyway.

Sorry googly it wasn't a personally directed snark, it was meant for the whole room.
posted by Bango Skank at 5:39 AM on April 2, 2009


Ugh, what a dick. You just know that the commentator is a hulking nerd who jerks off during the battle of Endor.
posted by munchingzombie at 5:45 AM on April 2, 2009


These are hilarious, and overall the site isn't mean spirited, almost celebrating the ingenuity of the failures. Could this perhaps be hitting a little close to home for Metafilter??
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:46 AM on April 2, 2009


And an indifferent Boba Fett costume, like everything else, goes up two full letter grades if it is MADE OF LEGO.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:59 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


Bango Skank, yup, that's about it. Then someone does what you did, then someone does what I'm doing.

Then we get back to work controlling the Freemasons. Then we drink beer and play ping pong.
posted by Trochanter at 6:05 AM on April 2, 2009 [2 favorites]


No apology necessary, Bango. Mefi can be gloriously & annoyingly knee-jerk in it's contrariness.

But I still think that is a mean-spirited little page, like the junior high jock making fun of the chess club.
posted by googly at 6:10 AM on April 2, 2009


Were it not for the pure concentrated AWESOME that is the 501st Legion these would be beyond ridicule.

That does not preclude this from being hysterical. Nice find.
posted by butterstick at 6:14 AM on April 2, 2009


I loved those photos. (The commentary, not so much.) I'm pretty sure I was a paper-plate stormtrooper for a halloween back in elementary school, as were most of my friends.

The people in the photos looked like they were having fun, and were fully aware of how goofy they looked. (Well, except maybe for the kid with the bucket on his head, who might have thought he was looking cool.) To be honest, I find the sort of person who has the "authentic" costume (or a lovingly recreated Star Trek chair in their living room) to be a lot more worthy of laughing at than someone having a great time with a package of paper plates and a stapler.

(On a related note, did that Harper's article about Star Wars archeology ever become a FPP? The layers and layers of self-created codification that has happened within Star Wars fans is fascinating.)
posted by Forktine at 6:16 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


OK I think I am starting to get the hang of this Mefi comment thing

No, but you sure do have the Tedious MeFi Contrarian schtick down pat.
posted by Shepherd at 6:18 AM on April 2, 2009


On a related note, did that Harper's article about Star Wars archeology ever become a FPP?

Probably not, as it is behind a paywall.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:22 AM on April 2, 2009


Probably not, as it is behind a paywall.

I just realized that. Didn't Harpers articles used to be open access, at least for the first month or two?
posted by Forktine at 6:25 AM on April 2, 2009


These costumes are still pretty awesome compared to my only attempt at a homemade Star Wars outfit.

When I was about six, I began my heavy childhood obsession with Star Wars. Loving the 'dark side' of the movies, I desperately wanted a Darth Vader mask, but my parents said no because it was too expensive. My mom told me to be 'creative' and make my own.

Well, as she recalls, I put on sunglasses, a surgical mask and then one of my little sister's diapers on top to my head to complete the 'helmet.' I finalized the outfit with my dad's old bathrobe and a wooden broom handle as my lightsaber.

I felt completely invincible.

The same day, my mom took me for a walk through the neighborhood. She made a passing suggestion that I should probably remove the diaper component of my 'helmet' since we would be walking around in public. I refused, stating that Darth Vader "never takes off his helmet." As we were walking, a kind elderly neighbor said hello and struck up a conversation with my mom. Meanwhile I start running around, with the diaper and surgical mask still on my head, wielding my broomstick lightsaber and whacking bushes. Perplexed by the outfit I was wearing, the neighbor gestured towards me and politely asked my mom:

'Does he have very severe allergies?'

To which my mom replied:

'No, he's just Darth Vader.'

Not wanting to see her son fulfill the remainder of his childhood fantasies wearing a diaper on his head, she gave me the real Darth Vader mask the following Christmas.
posted by inqb8tr at 6:30 AM on April 2, 2009 [31 favorites]


Am I the only one who thinks it's cruel to make fun of kids wearing crappy costumes? Either they don't have the skill to make a good one, or their parents were half-assed in their attempt at helping to make a home-made costume. It's not their fault.

But the adults with crappy costumes have no excuse. I'm embarrassed for them, and because of them I'm embarassed to say I like Star Wars.
posted by Simon Barclay at 6:52 AM on April 2, 2009


Great costumes, lame comments. It's not easy to make your own costume. Looks like a lot of pictures of people having a lot more fun than the writer of the snarky comments.
posted by JBennett at 7:11 AM on April 2, 2009


But I still think that is a mean-spirited little page, like the junior high jock making fun of the chess club.
posted by googly at 9:10 AM on April 2 [+] [!]


I agree but come on, those are some pretty bad costumes. Just because the guy is over-the-top-jerky about it doesn't make the outfits any less ridiculous. All I was trying to point out is that some non-Mefi asshat's snark somehow magically converts lame -> awesome once it lands in Mefi. Which you obviously already understand so at this point I'm just typing because I like the sound the keyboard makes.

No, but you sure do have the Tedious MeFi Contrarian schtick down pat.
posted by Shepherd at 9:18 AM on April 2 [+] [!]


Thanks! I been practicing. DAMMITT! That was sincere. Sorry guys I'll try harder next time
posted by Bango Skank at 7:13 AM on April 2, 2009


There should be a rule that states "if your costume needs a label, you shouldn't wear it in public." The trashcan labeled R2D2 is just awful.
posted by Chan at 1:13 AM on April 2 [+] [!]


My guess was that they were an improv group - but the camp guess is better.
posted by jb at 7:18 AM on April 2, 2009


I liked the homemade stormtroopers, second pic down. They looked sort of like Mooninites, and the smile on the middle guy was pretty cute.

Disclaimer: That's where I stopped, because I'm gayer than the Gay Pride Parade, too, and I figured it was clouding my judgement. Jerk. HOW DOES HE KNOW WHAT GAY PEOPLE LIKE?? WE'VE BEEN INFILTRATED!!
posted by jnaps at 7:24 AM on April 2, 2009


I am trying and trying, but I can't figure out what the woman wearing the green trashbag (in the pic with the trash can R2D2) is supposed to be. The giant space slug? Jabba the Hutt? That creepy eyeball monster in the garbage compacter? Why didn't she get a label?
posted by cereselle at 7:35 AM on April 2, 2009


fish, barrel, smoking gun.
posted by jenkinsEar at 7:37 AM on April 2, 2009


Okay, based on the buildings in the background, I'm pretty certain that this picture was taken at a summer camp or something along those lines. That, in turn, suggests to me that it was a game or stunt: "Okay, Team 5, your task is to... dress up as the cast of Star Wars! You have 15 minutes. Go!"

And that sounds like a hell of a lot of fun.


You know what? You are absolutely right!
These people as well as everyone else who decide to make their own costume or march in a parade know how to have fun! Good on them!
posted by bitteroldman at 8:02 AM on April 2, 2009


The giant space slug? Jabba the Hutt? That creepy eyeball monster in the garbage compacter?

Jabba was my first guess, but then I wondered if it was Han Solo in carbonite.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:08 AM on April 2, 2009


Wow, he sure made fun of nerds. He must not be a nerd, huh? Must be something better!
posted by klangklangston at 8:09 AM on April 2, 2009 [5 favorites]


The boxy stormtroopers in the second picture are being followed by a guy in an excellent George Lucas costume.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 8:13 AM on April 2, 2009


Yeah, nothing say "nerd" more than a cheap, badly constructed Star Wars costume...except maybe an expensive, lovingly crafted one.
posted by bonobothegreat at 8:30 AM on April 2, 2009


I laughed so hard I think I injured myself.
posted by Tena at 8:51 AM on April 2, 2009


I would have liked the site without his stupid neckbeard commentary. 'HA HA IT'S GAY! ALSO PEOPLE ARE FAT! WHOO I'LL BE HERE ALL WEEK!'
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:59 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


Lame, but I was bored enough to click on it, and I'll be forever grateful for the link to the lovely photos of Keyra Augustina. Serendipity is good.
posted by Crabby Appleton at 9:11 AM on April 2, 2009


Any costume that incapacitates your arms is hysterical

Yeah, that's what my dad thought when he made the Lucky Strike Cigarette package I wore when I was eight years old. That Halloween night did not end well. Turns out that one of the things your arms are designed to do is to extend in a forward manner, should you trip on a crack in the sidewalk, to keep your face from taking all of the impact.
posted by StickyCarpet at 9:30 AM on April 2, 2009 [2 favorites]


He was probably inspired by the Old Gold tv ads.
posted by box at 9:35 AM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


Something about this struck a nerve. I can't tell if you guys are standing up for your fellow nerds or just upset that someone else on the internet is trying to cut in on Metafilter's snark reserves.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 9:37 AM on April 2, 2009


Jabba was my first guess, but then I wondered if it was Han Solo in carbonite.

Nah -- it would need hands in the air for that. Still, Han-Solo-in-carbonite would be a great costume. Kinda static, though...
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:45 AM on April 2, 2009


As well, the commenter pretty much misses the point in some cases: one is vindictively captioned These poor children have no chance. No chance at all. The kids are a serviceable Princess Leia, an actually quite passable Darth Vader and a girl in an R2-D2 get-up whose cuteness could be compared to that of a button.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:50 AM on April 2, 2009 [2 favorites]


Something about this struck a nerve.

I think it was that the guy was being an unfunny asshole in his comments, myself. If he had been mean but funny, it might have flown rather than flopped.

Also, mocking little kids for costumes they obviously threw together out of whatever was handy, probably as a school or camp project, is beneath the true snarkeur. You didn't see Dorothy Parker or Oscar Wilde going around mocking schoolchildren.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:39 AM on April 2, 2009


Nah -- it would need hands in the air for that.

Check it-- you can see the right hand, a la Han, through the plastic.

OVERTHINKING!!!
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:42 AM on April 2, 2009


Oh come on. The majority of these pictures are of total non-nerds having a laugh. It's the obsessive, perfectionist who gets the nerd ranking. The commentator is taking the piss because he (and it surely is a he) is a total nerd who deems these to be unworthy attempts at a proper costume. Complete and utter dork.

That little kid in the R2D2 outfit is so sweet all my teeth just fell out...
posted by i_cola at 11:26 AM on April 2, 2009


However, that Star Trek chair link scares the living jeebs out of me.
posted by i_cola at 11:29 AM on April 2, 2009


Just because the guy is over-the-top-jerky about it doesn't make the outfits any less ridiculous.

Conversely, just because they're not movie-quality costumes doesn't mean that a bunch of kids who, at the very least, should get As for their efforts deserve to be ridiculed. I'm strongly reminded of the David Sedaris piece in which a drama critic employs his acid sarcasm and biting ridicule in a review of an elementary school pageant, only, you know, Sedaris is actually funny.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:45 AM on April 2, 2009


Tauntaun Sleeping Bag
posted by homunculus at 12:45 PM on April 2, 2009 [2 favorites]


stupid neckbeard commentary.

Ahahaha neckbeard as an adjective is the best thing I've stolen from the web to use in my IRL jokes in months.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 1:56 PM on April 2, 2009


One of my coworkers and I were just admiring the cardboard box stormtroopers. They have just the right mix of: big enough fan to dress up in a costume in public, and yet, at the same time, lazy enough to show that they don't really care about little things like details or consistency. It's a combination that makes me feel proud for them.

And there is a bunch of them, which suggests a sort of communal insanity that I both fear and respect.
posted by quin at 2:31 PM on April 2, 2009 [2 favorites]


Sorry, I didn't even notice the nsfw-babes.
posted by swift at 10:15 PM


I have nothing to say about the costumes, but this made me grin. This is what we don't notice on the internet any more.

(Subconscious): Naked chick . . . naked chick . . . granny blowjob . . . naked chick with a potato . . . boobs . . . ugh, ugly naked chick . . . hillbilly gangbang . . . naked chick . . .

"Oh, hey, look at this! Star Wars costumes!"
posted by Skot at 2:36 PM on April 2, 2009 [1 favorite]


The fabric of Leia's dress in the 4th from the end actually falls quite nicely. That doesn't make up for the fact that the person in front of her is trapped in a trash bag.
posted by chiraena at 5:51 PM on April 2, 2009


Oh my god that sleeping bag is freakin awesome!
posted by ChickenringNYC at 10:08 PM on April 2, 2009


Haha the Tauntaun sleeping bag is ace.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:47 AM on April 3, 2009


I dunno, I kinda liked this one.
posted by Mental Wimp at 3:30 PM on April 3, 2009




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