Costuming Requirements

Details
Category: Costuming

OK, you clicked this link so that means you are interested in becoming a member of one of the Galactic Alliance organizations.  Before you dive in, there is some very important notes to discuss prior to understanding the joining process.

  • For the most part, all Galactic Alliance organizations have similar joining and approval process.
  • All Galactic Alliance organizations do not have membership fees.  Thats right, you only need an approved costume to part of the club.
  • You must be at least 18 years old (with the exception of The Galactic Academy).
  • Individually own a high-quality costume - Costuming standards are pretty strict and go through a rigorous approval process (with the exception of The Galactic Academy).

NOTE: Star Wars costumes that are commercially available in stores or online may not be acceptable for membership! It is recommended that you contact a representative of the respective Galactic Alliance organization before purchasing a retail costume to find out if it is accepted or what modifications might be required.

  • Agree to the organizations Code of Conduct
  • Contact the local unit - Check the Galactic Alliance organization articles. Links to the local chapters are provided at the bottom of the article.
  • Prepare high resolution photos of you in your costume.  Details, details, Details....
  • Fill out and submit the organization's application 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I go to find the requirements for approval?

In my opinion, this is the hardest part of the process. Maybe you already decided on who you want to be. Maybe, you can't decide and you need a little motivation - this can be a challenging decision.   Keep in mind there are many factors the drive this decision.  Cost of the materials, quality of the materials, ease of approval, functionality, etc.  Regardless, you will need to visit the respective Galactic Alliance Costume Reference Library (CRL) to get the requirements for approval.  Its important to note that the CRLs are very specific and you need to pay close attention to what the requirements are.  Not doing so can result in delays to approval, or worse, loss of money spent on material that does not meet minimum requirements. 

Galactic Alliance CRLs :.

How do I get a costume?

Generally speaking, members make their own costumes. To make it easier to get help with your desired project, each organization has formed detachments focused on particular costumes. Joining a Detachment forum is strongly recommended as a part of the costume building process. Each organization focus on individual costume categories and offer the best information available for constructing your own detailed costume. Once you decide on what costume you want to make, you must visit the organizations Costume Reference Library (CRL).   It is also highly encouraged that you contact your local unit before you apply to be able to get hands on help. Here in Houston it is common for members to hold costume building parties regularly.  Visit the units social media pages to get information on the next build party. Once you've settled on a character it's just a matter of heading over to your organization's and local unit's forums, signing up, and getting help from the experts!

I've got my costume, now what?

Once you have your costume finished, you need to prepare your photos and submit your application. Typically, your local unit has member liasion who will need to verify your qualifications, which include costume ownership. To do this, they will need to see pictures of you in your costume for validation. 

The following tips will help make sure that you get the right photos to the approver on your first try:

  • Make sure to submit pictures of you in your costume against a plain or non-busy background (no convention photos, please).
  • They will need photos with your helmet/mask on and off (if applicable).
  • You must include full-length views of your costume from the front, back and both sides.
  • Be sure to take your photos with adequate lighting and at a high-resolution to help with the details.
  • Ensure there are no extra filters applied when taking the photos!
  • Do not wear any non-canon accessories or addons, including jewelry, sunglasses, earrings, (unit patches, extra weapons, pauldrons when not part of the canon costume etc...)
  • If you include any weapons such as a blaster or lightsaber, please ensure that they conform to the organizations wepons policy.
  • Be prepared to take more photos during the application process if asked, they may wish to see closer details or verify individual ownership of the costume. As costumes are individual to the member, joint ownership isn't recognized.

Submitting your application

Once the member liasion confirms that your suit is complete and valid for membership, fill out the respecive organization' application.

When your application is approved, you will receive confirmation via e-mail. If applicable, the respective Galactic Alliance organization will assign a unique ID and your record marked as "ACTIVE" in their member database. Please note that each organization in the Galactic Alliance is an all-volunteer organization and the application may take several weeks to review.

If for some reason you are not validated for membership, your local member liasion will work with you and provide recommendations and resources that can assist you in modifying your costume to meet the organization's requirements.