501st Legion

[Maddison]

I stumbled across this while looking for costuming ideas and vendors and thought it looked interesting.  I like how oart of their objective is to help kids and kids charities as I've done in the past with BACA. Does anyone here have any experience with them or been a member? If so how was your experience and would you recommend it? From their site there isn't many members in my area but it still looks like fun.

[Darth Kitsune]

You have to meet a very very very high criteria for a costume if you are looking to join them. They have very specific guidelines. But they are a pretty famous and quite the awesome costume group.

[JEStucker]

They do lots of great fundraisers, I can't complain about that.

My main issue is their costuming standards are almost unreal.  Your costume has to have appeared on screen, I think they've recently started letting characters from some of the expanded universe in as well as the Clone Wars Series.

Downside, this means that all Jedi dress alike... no real room for individuality.  I personally think that somewhere out there, there are Jedi that find jeans and shirts as comfy/functional as brown robes and people are going to be individuals no matter what.

[chicago.jedi]

I am with Rebel Legion which goes hand and hand with the 501. Both are great organizations that do charity work and host Star Wars themed events. I am happy to be a part. Now about the costume requirements....

Rebel Legion and the 501st are fan based costume clubs whose members make and wear movie quality costumes of the Star Wars universe. The operative word there being movie, not quality. The costumes can come from the 6 movies, or any other canon source in the expanded universe. This is the mission of the organization and the requirement for membership. There are clearly defined requirements for each costume a member or prospective member wishes to have considered for acceptance. 

Some of the misunderstanding I see on this forum comes in the form of, “My costume rocks, why wouldn’t it be accepted?” RL/501 is looking for costumes that represent canon, not someone’s imagination. There are some awesome costumes out there on this forum, ones full of imagination and constructed with love and care. The wearers of these costumes should be proud of their costume in every way. However, RL/501 is not looking for these types of costumes, they are looking for ones that represent the characters in the movies, shows, games, etc.

Some may say that the costume requirements are very limiting and stifle creativity. This is not the intention of the requirements. Every organization has standards….every. In my life I have been with the Boy Scouts, the military,  fraternities, unions, and clubs…. and every one of them had some sort of standard and requirement for membership. Standards are the very definition of an organization and RL/501 are no different. They are not trying to stifle creativity or discriminate, but simply define what they are looking for in a member. A line has to be drawn somewhere or else anything goes.

Rebel Legion has a category called Generic Jedi that allows those wishing to create their own Jedi character and costume that is not specifically from canon, but of course, there needs to be some guidelines here, too. However, there is quite a bit of artistic license that can still be taken within these guidelines. Many variations to the norm are acceptable within reason. The purpose of the guidelines is to make sure the costume is still instantly recognizable as a Star Wars costume and is appropriate for children, who make up a big part of the visitors at events. 

One thing that RL/501 is not here to do is ridicule non-members’ costumes. I cannot imagine an RL/501 member saying, “Your costume is not up to our standards so it is no good.” As I have said, I have seen some very cool costumes on this forum that do not meet the RL/501 requirements but are none the less cool in their own right. If membership in RL/501 was not the costumer’s goal then an RL/501 member has no reason to talk down to the costumer, and should not. This is not to say that it could never happen. RL/501 members are human, too. I am not saying someone out there could not have a bad experience with a costume judge or a member. It could happen. But I can say from experience that the people I dealt with while seeking membership were a pleasure. A few members of my now home base offered to lend me items out of their personal collections to get my costume up to snuff.

I am not trying to pirate your thread as a recruitment drive and I apologize if it looks that way...but some of these same comments about the two clubs keep coming up and I have been wanting to address them for a while. This seemed like a good spot to do it.

Both organizations are what they are, and I enjoy being a part of them. If you want to join up, go for it, you will not be sorry. The events are a lot of fun and it is a great time being around other people who are as into Star Wars as you are.

I hope this helps your in your decision. 

[Maddison]

Thanks for the reply. Last night while looking into I also found the Rebel  Legion and like it as well. I can understand the costuming guidlines. The standards are what spiked my interest and was relieved to see "generic" characters to allow some individuality.  There can only be so man Lukes and Vaders (but never enough storm troopers and rebels ^_^) I have a few people in my area interested and we're looking at the logistics to see if we would be a good fit or just do our own thing. But I must admit, I hope we can get everything right and join up for events amd stuff.  The more the merrier especially is it makes kids smile.

[chicago.jedi]

Glad I can help. The costume requirements are not as bad as they first appear. They have become a lot more defined since I joined and a lot of the guess work is taken care of now.

The Generic Jedi category is actually very cool and I have seen a lot of variety in the costumes of the people in it. You can actually get away with a lot of creativity, you just need to think like a lawyer. I have two Jedi costumes, each completely different, but both are acceptable by the standards. I also have one that is not up to standards that I made just for fun. There is nothing that says you cannot be creative in your free time once you are a member.

If you want to join up, you can post, or PM me if you like, with questions about the costume requirements or ideas you have and if they are acceptable. I am more than happy to help. If you start with the requirements in mind, it will save you a lot of time and money in re-work later on.

One thing both clubs are good about is helping people get up to standards. They do not just shoot your costume down and say, "Try again." They will tell you what needs to be changed and offer assistance in doing so. They want members, they are not trying to push people away.

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions.

[Darth Kitsune]

I'd also suggest looking into The Dark Empire if you are interested in a Dark Side Group. They are similar to the Rebel Legion, but focus on the Dark Side of the Force (mostly Sith, Dark/Grey Jedi, Bounty Hunters, etc). They follow a similar guideline to the Rebel Legion in terms of costuming and such, but the Generic Sith and Dark/Grey Jedi sections allow for a more creative side if you are looking for that. Very similar to how Chicago explained the Rebel Legion's "Generic Jedi".

[JEStucker]

I actually am more intrigued now that I've actually heard from a member, thank you Chicago. 

[Waxman]

But here's my main gripe.

The original Luke costume included a karate gi.
You can't dress up as Luke and wear a karate gi, it has to be a specific pattern and style and look nothing like a karate gi.

Basically, where in the process of becoming a group and creating standards was it decided that even though Luke literally wore a karate gi that you couldn't wear a karate gi because it wasn't "authentic" enough?

Also, in the end the Rebel Legion and the 501st are not official groups supported by Lucas or Star Wars, they just so happen to be the most popular or have a monopoly on the popularity.  I really mean this with no disrespect whatsoever, especially when I really want to join 501st / Rebel Legion [someday].  But if anyone is not happy with the 501st or Rebel Legion, then they could always start their own group with their own specific guidelines.  It could be just like those 2 groups but slightly different.  Basically, there's nothing preventing other people from starting their own group.  The 501st and RL are cool groups, but in the end they are nothing more than groups.  They're not some special eternal thing nor are the "officially" supported, but they just so happen to be the most popular.
Who knows, maybe it will end up being just as popular if not more?

[jasond22]

But here's my main gripe.  The original Luke costume included a karate gi.  You can't dress up as Luke and wear a karate gi, it has to be a specific pattern and style and look nothing like a karate gi.  Basically, where in the process of becoming a group and creating standards was it decided that even though Luke literally wore a karate gi that you couldn't wear a karate gi because it wasn't "authentic" enough?

Rebel Legion specifically allows a gi, for Luke.  And it looks like they have since at least 2009.
http://www.rebellegion.com/about_standards2.php?id=8874

[Maddison]

I understand where you're coming from and yes you are right. Me and 3 others are talking it over to determine if we are a goox fit forthe 50501st/RL. They are obviously good organizations, their popularity shows it.  If we don't fit then no worrues we'll do our own thing and possibly work with them or join up later. We also have a member here on the forums.

Chi-town Jedi, I'll be PMing you in the next couple days.

[chicago.jedi]

@Maddison: I will look for it. Glad to help.

@Darth Kitsume: I have looked at The Dark Empire and that is an organization I do not understand. At first glance they seem to be exactly what you said, a group that focuses on other force users and offers more flexibility in costuming. However, their costume requirements read almost exactly like Rebel Legion's Generic Jedi but with different colors. The Sith one puzzles me the most. It is exactly like the Jedi but with red and black. What Sith from any movie, video game, comic, etc. dressed like that? Maul comes the closest but even that is a stretch. Unless I am reading their standards wrong. Maybe that is just a base line or a generic costume for someone with no imagination but wants to join? The pictures in the gallery seem to suggest more artistic license but the standards do not. I don't know and I do not know anyone who is a member. It seems like an interesting group none the less. I would love to make a Dark Jedi costume. Maybe I need to join their forum as an associate member and find out what they are all about.

[Darth Kitsune]

It's about the same as Rebel Legion, which is why I mentioned them. I think they are affiliated with each other in some way, because the Rebel Legion is on their affiliation page. There are a few other groups that borrow from it as well I think. Also the colors aren't restricted to "Black and Red". You just need to have, what is essentially, a "Dark Side" color scheme. You should look through their gallery and take a look at the variety and creativity of the costumes people have made for them.

I do with they allowed Karate Gi. They don't, so at some point I'll have to update my costume with a proper tunic of some sort. But aside from the requirements, you can get pretty damn creative with them.

[chicago.jedi]

It's about the same as Rebel Legion, which is why I mentioned them. I think they are affiliated with each other in some way, because the Rebel Legion is on their affiliation page. There are a few other groups that borrow from it as well I think. Also the colors aren't restricted to "Black and Red". You just need to have, what is essentially, a "Dark Side" color scheme. You should look through their gallery and take a look at the variety and creativity of the costumes people have made for them.

I do with they allowed Karate Gi. They don't, so at some point I'll have to update my costume with a proper tunic of some sort. But aside from the requirements, you can get pretty damn creative with them.

You are right about the colors for the Sith, I did not read them correctly the first time. But still, the armor and cloak are the only things listed as "optional" which leads me to believe the rest is required. However, you are correct, the gallery pictures depict all sorts of cool costumes that do not seem to fit their own standards. So I do not get it. Maybe their standards are sort of loose. Maybe there is more creative license if you read between the lines of the standards...I do not know. Maybe some day I will dig a little deeper. But yes, in the pictures, it would seem you can do a lot more than what the 501 will allow.

[Darth Kitsune]

Tabards are also optional, and can even be replaced by whatever interesting idea you have for them. Also smaller things like the belt decorations and utilities are optional. In fact you could just submit your costume with the tunic, boots, belt, and light saber and probably pass their Dark Side Trial. XD