'The Force Awakens' Fashion Police: 'Star Wars' Star Daisy Ridley Breaks Down Her Desert Wardrobe
When you’re scavenging starship debris on the flaming hot sand fields of Jakku, you need a sensible wardrobe.
Just ask Daisy Ridley, the young star of The Force Awakens who spent weeks on location in the Abu Dhabi desert, which stood in for Jakku in the upcoming Star Wars sequel. The unremittingly cheery British actress, 23, took the searing temperatures in stride, thanks in part to the costuming team.
“You’d be surprised at how comfortable my outfit was,” Ridley told Yahoo Movies. “We were traipsing through the desert all day long, but it wasn’t bad. I had these shorts underneath that I would peel off.”
Her raggy-chic costume, which can be seen in The Force Awakens trailer and has been displayed at the Star Wars Celebration and D23 fan conventions, is made up of several layers: head wrap, wrap dress, arm wraps — basically lots of wraps — made of various materials. While reminiscent of Luke Skywalker’s Tatooine garb in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope (Mark Hamill wore an off-the-rack Japanese-style shirt and Levi’s jeans), Rey prefers the bespoke duds. Here’s how her getup breaks down, courtesy of the Lucasfilm wardrobe department:
Wrap dress—viscose
Head wrap—cotton
Top—hemp and cotton jersey
Trousers—silk
Backpack—leather
Wrist cuff and belt—leather
Pouch—canvas
Arm wraps—cotton
Gloves—leather
Boots—wool and leather (Jakk-uggs?)
Staff—3D print
“The best part is the arms… You can see my guns,” Ridley said with a smile, while flexing. “I am ready for action.”
But while her wardrobe provided maximum comfort considering the environs, her co-star John Boyega didn’t get off so easy. His character, Finn, wound up tooling around Jakku in a military-style nubuck jacket, black cotton shirt and pants, and leather boots. Not exactly desert-friendly wear.
“Poor John,” said Ridley. “His costume was atrocious. He was always hot… I teased him all day long about it.”
The Force Awakens is just 118 days away, opening wide on Dec. 18.
