Padmé Amidala's wardrobe/Legends

"All of the decorations of her Queenly outfits had been beautifully designed, but still could only detract from the more beautifully designed Padmé."

- Anakin's thoughts, referring to Padmé

Padmé Naberrie Amidala, Queen and later Senator of Naboo, maintained a large wardrobe of elegant, ornate costumes, gowns and robes of office throughout her life. During her time as Queen, she wore many ornate gowns and dresses with face painted white, a tradition among the Naboo Queens. These proved useful, however, when she needed to go incognito. During her terms as Queen, her physical beauty seemed somewhat neglected by her. As Padmé, however, she more and more noticed her natural beauty, and sought to accent it, especially during her days as senator, leading to less dramatic and striking clothing. She also frequently used doubles for protection, occasionally disguising herself, something she became rather adept at.

Royal attire
Throne room gown. As the Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala was most prominently seen in a traditional mode of dress and make-up, designed to express her commitment to maintaining Naboo's cultural history, and her role within it. Her wide-shouldered, red throne-room gown was accented by hand-stitched gold embroidery and a series of illuminated sein jewels just above the robe's wide, potolli-furred hem. In addition to this gown, Amidala commonly wore an ornate gold faceframe, including the prominent Jewel of Zenda, and had her hair combed over a padded form.

This extremely formal appearance belied Amidala's young age, projecting an air of unwavering confidence beneath inscrutable white make-up. Prior to the Invasion of Naboo, she confronted Nute Gunray via holographic transmission wearing her throne-room gown. Years later, Queen Apailana would wear an almost-identical version of this gown at the time of her assassination by the 501st Legion.

Palpatine's quarters gown. When meeting with Naboo's Senator, Padmé wears a mauve robe with several layers and a wide obi. A Shiraya fan headdress is hung with Veda pearl beading and glass filaments. The handmaidens wear burgundy purple robes embellished with fleurs-de-lys. During her conversation with him, she revealed her uneasiness about Naboo's situation, and her firm trust in Supreme Chancellor Valorum's ability to help them, though Palpatine proved this was not so, and suggested a Vote of No Confidence in his leadership so they could more quickly take action.

Senate gown. While addressing the Galactic Senate on Coruscant, Queen Amidala wore an extraordinary gown that expressed the majesty of Naboo finery. This regal costume featured a golden, triple-braided soutache, a gown stitched with embossed rosettes, and long, billowing sleeves. To complement this gown, Amidala wore an escoffiate headpiece with golden hairbands and dangling orichalc suspensas capped with golden hairtip ornaments. The medal of the Royal Sovereign of Naboo served as the centerpiece of this elegant hairstyle. The gown also hid the Queen's feelings and helped her remain courageous and aloof, despite the overwhelming odds and the heated atmosphere.

Foreign residence gown. This dark, somber dress was adopted by Amidala during her stay in Senator Palpatine's quarters on Coruscant, following the Invasion of Naboo. The black, Cyrene-silk gown was befitting of the gravity of her situation, and served to subtly acknowledge Amidala's separation from her people. The black Cyrene silk gown was accented with beaded emblems over 240 years old that once adorned a former Queen's gown. Her hair is arranged in a fan shape with a prominent foreknot and small suspensas. This hairstyle and costume, except in white, returns near the ignition of the Clone Wars as Padmé's decoy Cordé wears a very similar robe when she dies in Zam Wessel's assasination attempt on Senator Padmé's life.

Traveling/funeral gown. For her return trip to Naboo after calling for a Vote of No Confidence in the Galactic Senate, Queen Amidala wore a mauve-hued, multi-layered traveling gown, replete with an antique tiara, a chersilk hair veil and full, cerlin sleeves. During the trip to Naboo, she came up with the idea of using the Gungan army to help win their fight for freedom. She also wore this gown during Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral.

Parade gown. With the Trade Federation defeated and Naboo free once more, a celebration was held outside the Theed Royal Palace, which Queen Amidala attended wearing a luminous white ceremonial gown. The silken petals of this dress were designed after flowers found near Padmé's home village, which bloomed only once every eighty-eight years, and so signified a time of special celebration. The petalled cape and long white gown was topped by an aurate fan capped with jeweled finials commonly used to signify continuity in ancient Naboo fashion. She also wore a delicate royal diadem, and, for simplicity, wore minimal jewelry. The plain white gown signified the pure happiness of the Naboo's newfound peace.

Disguises
Handmaiden dress. In times of trouble, Queen Amidala was known to use one of her handmaidens as a decoy, while she herself adopted the role of Padmé, an unassuming aide to the Queen. In doing so, she wore the simple orange-and-yellow dyed robes sported by her retinue of handmaidens. These hooded gowns were tinted with spectra-fade dye, and made from soft trevella cloth. The handmaidens also wore a variant on the trevella-cloth design, most notably worn during Amidala's address to the Galactic Senate on Coruscant prior to the Battle of Naboo. These dark-red, hooded robes were decorated with the royal insignia, and the wide cowl served to mask the appearance of the wearer&mdash;ideal for those times when Amidala needed to travel incognito.

Peasant disguise. While on Tatooine following her escape from the Trade Federation on Naboo, Padmé Amidala wore the simple clothing of a farm girl, comprised of a rough-spun tunic and plain black walking boots. The sleeves sported wrist bindings to keep out sand, and a glass jewel of little value inset in her belt capped off the disguise. This helped her blend in well with the hardened people of Mos Espa as they searched for a new hyperdrive for their Nubian ship. She was in this when she first met Anakin Skywalker, then a young boy, enslaved to a junk dealer. She also wore it to watch the race which freed him.

Pilot disguise. On her way back to Coruscant to place her vote in the Military Creation Act, Padmé disguised herself as a Naboo pilot and her handmaiden, Cordé, played her decoy. Her disguise included a helmet with an Auto-encrypting comm unit, anti-glare goggles, and a supplementary oxygen hookup. Her outfit was comprised of a simple yet functional tactical pilot suit with the Naboo Royal Space Fighter Corps emblem on her utility belt. This proved to be a wise choice, as a bomb exploded in the Nubian ship itself, while she and Typho, who was also flying an escort ship, were the only ones left alive after the attack.

Refugee dress. This costume disguised Padmé as a young matron from the Thousand Moons system. It was a mustard color with a dark purple overcoat. She wore a copper-plated headdress which was sometimes covered by a golden lace veil. The veil was down when she departed Coruscant, up while traveling onboard the Jendirian Valley and down again as she traveled through Theed to meet with Queen Jamillia.

Battle attire
Battle dress. When forced into battle against the Trade Federation, Queen Amidala adopted a light, scarlet battle dress sported by some of her handmaidens during their training. She wore her hair pulled back, to keep it out of the way, readying her for action. The cloth was woven with energy-absorbing fibers to protect the wearer against blaster fire, and featured a high collar concealing a blast-absorbing pad. A calf-length coatskirt protected Padmé's legs, and high-traction leather tactical boots completed the outfit. Her belt was set with the Naboo royal emblem.

Padmé's handmaiden Sabé, disguised as the Queen during their meeting with Boss Nass, wore a more formal version of Padmé's battle dress. This gown consisted of a long surcoat and a skirt made from blast-dampening fabric, cinched with a broad waistband. Her hairstyle was kept simple, and the entire costume was designed for maximum freedom of movement. During the Battle of Naboo, Sabé fought her way through the Theed Royal Palace in this gown, and was able to draw attention away from the real Queen long enough for Padmé to resolve the conflict.

Geonosis attire. Free of any political restraints, Padmé could wear more practical clothing on Geonosis. She wore a simple white jumpsuit and a utility belt with an off-white shawl, and sported a practical hairstyle which kept her hair out of the way, thus preparing her for action. In addition, she wore an armband that signified her political service. Her boots included light shin armor and a firm grip. In the hunt for Kenobi, she was chased through the Droid factory, then put on a mock trial, in which she was sentenced to death. However, the execution didn't go as planned, and she, Anakin, and Obi-Wan, were able to escape. In the process, she lost her shawl, and her jumpsuit was torn by a nexu. Her hair was pulled back into an intricately looped hairstyle throughout.

Senator's attire
Senator gown. This dark blue velvet dress included a peek-a-boo panel of golden yellow, and silk trim in a slightly lighter shade of blue. She wore this when imploring with the Galactic Senate not to allow the creation of a formal military, though her pleading was in vain. As this was after the attempt on her life, people were more persuaded to take action, and her voice seemed stilled by the attempted murder, which, on the surface, made no sense; as an enemy would, logically, not want the lead voice against the creation of a formal military to die.

Loyalist gown. She wore a dark blue vest and skirt under a dark purple overcoat. Her hair was in a style almost resembling a cone, a severe hairstyle that conformed to diplomatic etiquette. She also wore a neckband given to her by the Naboo Council. This elegant outfit was worn when planning to meet with Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, whom, she discovered later, was Anakin. She was pleased when they were assigned to protect her, as they were old friends of hers, but she still wanted no protection, insisting that she could take care of herself, though she was overruled by her chief of security, Typho.

Packing dress. Padmé wore a dark blue double breasted vest over a gray silk blouse. The voluminous skirt hid an uncomfortable blast-dampening underskirt and her hair was in unique semi-crescent shaped buns to the side. The subdued colors of the dress expressed her grave mood. The corset of her dress was of light armor that doubled as protection. While she was packing to go into hiding after the second attack on her life by Zam Wessel, something she was loathe to do, this was the dress she wore. She also discussed with Anakin how he needed to see how much farther he had to go to mature, and that growing was not measured in power, though he was reluctant to listen to her advice.

Pink dress.

Blue gown.

Blue dress.

Purple dress.

Velvet cloak. The outfit worn by Padmé when secretly meeting her husband's return from his rescue of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine aboard the Invisible Hand. This voluminous robe was designed to disguise her pregnancy, and, coincidentally, blended in fairly well with the shadow she hid in to meet Anakin. She also sported a twin-bun hairstyle that originated in Naboo ; a hairstyle which her daughter would later mirror. The dress also included a pair of heirloom suspensas, and the rich cape worn over the dress proper enfolded her completely.

Delegation gown. Padmé wore this green velvet hooded dress with purple silk trim during the meeting of the Delegation of 2000 in her apartment. She had her hair down and curled when she called the meeting, and though uncomfortable with having this 'treasonous' meeting behind her husband's back, she felt necessary to curb Palpatine's grasp for power, something the Delegation hoped to achieve.

Visiting attire. This beautiful outfit combined a range of fabrics and colors to bring together a unique look. She wore her hair back, with buns on each side, and a wide red headband to complete the outfit. She wore this when confiding to her husband her growing distrust with the Republic, revealing to him her thoughts that the Republic was crumbling as badly, and worse than, the Confederacy's claims, and even went so far as to suggest that they might be fighting for the wrong side. Anakin took insult at the statement, as he had suffered much during the war, and her practically saying all of his suffering and all of the death and hurt was for nothing hurt him. Influenced by Palpatine's words, he began to doubt even her innocence in whether Palpatine would be forcibly removed from office.

Peacock dress. She wore this billowy, somber dress when meeting with Chancellor Palpatine to discuss the conclusion that he had grasped and held on to too much power. However, her poise seemed to be somewhat unsure, as her husband, whom she had not expected, surveyed, listened to, and measured her and the Delegate's every word, like Palpatine's watchdog. The dress once again well hid her pregnancy.

Beaded gown. When Anakin further told Padmé of his uneasiness with the Jedi Council, she wore a black, beaded dress with her hair down. She was surprised by his claims of the Council's manipulation, and worked to soothe him by deducing several reasons why they would not make him a Master, convinced that one day they would. However, she was unaware of the heart of the matter, that Anakin felt the need to be a Master to access files and holocrons restricted to only Jedi Masters; holocrons that, he knew, would help him find out what to do about keeping his nightmares from coming true.

Senatorial gown. This was a very severe look for Padmé, a reflection of the news she heard at the Senate, when Palpatine announced the birth of the Galactic Empire. The hair piece she wore seemed to echo the symbol of hte Republic, thus showing her loyalty and her mourning for it's death. Though shocked at the revelation, she was able to cut through Palpatine's flowery words to see the heart of the matter: that freedom was dead.

Revelation dress. This was the outfit that Padmé was wearing when she found out about Anakin's strike on the Temple, as Obi-Wan tried to tell her that there was no way to save him. She desperately disagreed with him, clinging to the shred of hope that Anakin could still come back. Once again it hid her pregnancy, except from the keen eye of Obi-Wan, who deduced from her obvious care and concern for Anakin that he was the father.

Travel attire
Homecoming attire. Padmé wore this light blue outfit when she arrived to her home on Naboo with Anakin. There, she briefly reunited with her parents, who saw through her denial of her attraction to the young Jedi. Soon after, she left for the Lake country. The garment had two pieces, showing off a good deal of her midriff, as well as most of her back. She also let her hair down, with a simple matching hairband with her hair done in loose ringlets.

Villa retreat gown. The dress started at a light yellow at her neck and moved through shades of pink and orange until at the hem at her ankles, where it reached purple. The dress was gathered up at the waist and draped over her arms. When wearing this, her hair resembled a conch shell. The design reflected Padmé's love of water, which is what she discussed with Anakin while wearing it.

Picnic dress. Padmé wore a light, summery dress in a shade of yellow to be romantic and show Padmé's fun side. Her hair was down except for two buns on the side of her head in a formal court hairstyle and a headband going across her forehead. Playfully, she discussed old boyfriends, delighted at Anakin's jealousy and transfixed at and amused by his antics, first his juggling fruit with the Force, then riding on the back of a shaak, where he pretended to be badly hurt when he fell off of it.

Dinner dress. For dinner with Anakin, Padmé wore a black corset style dress with a black, metallic printed mermaid skirt. She had a long drapey necklace that ended at her knees. For dinner she wore a black feathery shawl. Her hair was done in a twisted braid with a headband for decoration. It wasn't until Anakin arrived, though, that she realized how much flesh she showed, something that embarrassed her, to her surprise. She also discussed how pointless a relationship would be with him, showing him that it would be impossible, though he suggested they hide it, though she countered by saying that they could not live a lie.

Tatooine cloak and attire. On Tatooine, Padmé wore a light blue midriff dress with silver embroidery. She wore two buns on the side of her head and an intricate metal headpiece. While traveling through Mos Espa, Padmé wore a full-length large-cowled cloak. The dress kept her cool in the heat of Tatooine's twin suns, while the cloak disguised her further as an inconspicuous traveler, as well as protecting her from the suns' rays.

Tatooine blue dress. Padmé wore a light blue, pleated under-dress with an off-the-shoulder blue, star-shaped poncho over it. Her hair was worn down while wearing this loose dress that helped keep her cool. She wore it when helping Anakin through the tough time after the loss of his mother, and when comforting him and soothing him about his murder of a Tusken Raider tribe.

Ilum attire.

Mustafar attire. This was a simple outfit, suited more for action, which is exactly what she ended up walking into when she went after her husband to see if his dark deeds were true, though more to convince herself that they were not. This dress revealed her pregnant stomach clearly now that she would only be around Anakin&mdash;or so she thought. The outfit also included a harness which eased the back pain associated with pregnancy. Though horrified at his revealing her worst nightmares to be true, she still pleaded for him to come back and to try and find a way to bring him out of his dark haze, though her desperate pleas were in vain.

Birthing robe. Padmé was dressed in a simple white robe when put under the care of the Polis Massans. In it, she gave birth to Luke and Leia, though the trauma she had been put through, both mentally and physically, had taken its toll on her. Despite all of the efforts to preserve her life, she died. However, they were able to safely deliver the twins, though it left them without a mother, and, obviously, giving them to Anakin would be an incredible risk, so, Obi-Wan and Yoda decided to give Luke and Leia to Owen and Beru Lars and Bail and Breha Organa, respectively.

Nightgowns
Coruscant nightgown. After the attempt on Padmé's life via the bomb set on her starship, she would still not hear of a lot of security, feeling that the danger was not as much as Typho and the Jedi claimed, going so far as to cover up the security cameras. Comfortable using only R2-D2 as a security measure, she slept in a simple white nightgown with her hair down and curled. However, her Security and the Jedi's claims were well-founded, as, that night, Zam Wessel used a droid to plant two highly poisonous kouhuns in her room, sent to kill her. However, Anakin, sensing her peril, managed to kill the creatures just in time.

Nightgown and robe. When investigating the source of Anakin's discomfort, Padmé wore a simple nightdress under a blue smocked robe with gold trim. Her hair was completely down. Though he at first insisted that nothing was bothering him, she saw the truth, and convinced him to follow the meaning behind his dream; supporting his idea of traveling to Tatooine to learn of his mother's fate.

Lavender nightdress. Padmé wore this as Anakin revealed his nightmare of her death to her. It was laced with beautiful white pearls and silver fittings, accessorized with the Japor Snippet given to her by Anakin when they first met. Knowing again that something was wrong with her husband, she came to the veranda where he stood, thinking. She comforted him and worked to soothe him of his nightmare, convincing him of how it made no sense, as death in childbirth simply didn't happen on Coruscant. Disturbed, he still insisted that he would find a way to save her.

Aqua nightgown. Padmé wore this simple aqua nightgown the night of the Raid on the Jedi Temple and Anakin's fall to the dark side. She worried for him, as she easily saw the fires engulfing the Jedi Temple from her apartment in 500 Republica and she last heard him entering the building. However, she was extremely relieved when he came back to her, with news of a Jedi rebellion. He insisted he would keep her safe from Palpatine, saying that, as long as she was with him, nothing would harm her. Though troubled by what Anakin had said, she believed him, and was sad to see him leave to Mustafar not long after.

Formal attire
Wedding dress. For her wedding, Padmé wore a beautiful yet simple dress made of lace and beads. Her hair was down and she wore a lace veil.

Funeral gown. Padmé was seen as though she was drowning in water, the element she was so connected with. The colors of the dress, the gentle fanning out of her hair, and the fresh flowers and leaves surrounding her evoked the symbol of her soul returning to the lake at which she and Anakin were wed and first expressed their love. Her pregnant stomach was clearly visable, in order to protect the twins' discovery by making it out as if they had died before being born. In her hands she clasped the Japor Snippet given to her by Anakin when they first met.

Behind the scenes
"All I have to say is that [throughout the prequels, Natalie Portman] walks through a doorway, and has a wardrobe change. I got one, sorry, two dresses [in the first film], and the first one [looks] the same all the way around."

- Carrie Fisher


 * The costumes designed for Padmé in The Phantom Menace were widely admired, and were featured in a Vogue magazine spread. Some critics viewed them simply as a marketing ploy to bring more feminine viewers to an action movie, but whether intentional or not, for some viewers, Padmé's costumes were the most memorable part of the film. They also serve an important plot function, as they allow Padmé's handmaidens to impersonate her behind voluminous robes and white makeup.
 * Several words used to describe her costumes as Queen of Naboo were coined by archeologist Dr. David Reynolds, to imbue the costumes with a sense of imaginative history.
 * Padmé's costumes inspired two paper doll books, the Star Wars: Episode I - Queen Amidala Paper Doll Book and the Star Wars: Attack of the Clones - Padmé Amidala Paper Doll Book.
 * Several of her costumes resemble or may have meaning in other cultures. The handmaiden robes are reminiscent of Bhuddist monks, the Foreign residence gown is similar to a Victorian mourning dress, and the Palpatine's quarter's gown resembles a Japanese kimono.
 * The actual headdress of the Plapatine's quarters gown was cut from a 1910 dress
 * The Parade gown includes an aurate fan which resembles the starched collars worn by England's Queen Elizabeth I, as well as the framing fans worn by characters in the Dune miniseries. However, it is important to note that the Dune miniseries came out a year after The Phantom Menace.
 * The dinner dress was the only costume of Padmé's that was designed by George Lucas himself
 * The Geonosis attire was meant to parallel the Hoth costume Leia wears in Episode V.
 * This Peacock dress, though used for the official Revenge of the Sith theatrical poster and on the soundtrack, was never seen in the film. The peacock idea was to show, once again, that Padmé was in disguise concerning her pregnancy.
 * The Wedding dress has been compared to that of the late "Queen Mother's" in the UK. She wore a dress almost identical at her own wedding to the then King of Britain.
 * The Peacock dress's name may have been used because of the belief that peacocks bring bad luck, a hint to Padmé's destiny.
 * Padmé's funeral scene has been compared to the idea of the Lady of Shalot.