Bespin Solo upgrade/review

[gman71 ()]

I just upgraded from the standard line Anovos Han Solo Bespin to the Premiere line, which I missed out on a couple years back. I received the box earlier today and was SO excited to open it. Then I did...

And I couldn't be happier. What a wildly unexpected difference the fabric makes!!

I meant to put pictures up sooner, but I've been spending a lot of time learning how to shrink clothes the right way and practicing...

Anyway...

THE SHIRTS:

The very first thing I noticed was that the premiere shirt is much different in color than I expected, having a more yellow hue, akin to Han's shirt in A New Hope. The standard shirt is still off-white and yellow-ish, but it is definitely a much whiter hue.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16qS-j8FVK_7cLUqaC0RlfICzkuMXPnW_

The shirt from the standard ensemble is very thick and stiff cotton-ish cloth when compared to the almost floppy and lazy nature of the polyester/wool blended material of the premiere shirt. The materials clearly show thier differences upon closer inspection, with the standard version showing ribbing, that lends to it's stiffer nature and the premiere shirt showing a weave not unlike that of muslin, but much softer and lazier.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OrNPTn7RjNMgrl5NLkhtYQZtQ130AJbo
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vyUFw6DKErK6wrwq-Kd_vvw9o7UyMIQL

What this means in real-world terms is that the front flap of the shirt on the premiere flops over lazily, like a soft t-shirt versus arcing over in a slow bend like the standard shirt, and the collar rests lazily upright while the collar of the standard shirt stands in a more upright position.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OklGQoe9CbARIysQVAP0O8FZHN_UrPjX

https://drive.google.com/open?id=195VAV1LnbtY2JUbDnwvuzeWk6Xujdcdn

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ssQCV7mb9mnvPBC6oPaGkuk2lxfpIj2U

https://drive.google.com/open?id=11tigyDE6MmxuOOqnnHMMdhHpPQhBgqBN

https://drive.google.com/open?id=19p68enXeGG5RsbrWlOz-qEb74HpN7bYC

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VGXk--l1sRZnJJ3Hcb-bm97jRaHOhJTR

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Z862iDdX7Pf5qxI_H09Xia43Y4X0xky8

Finally, and sadly, both shirts--like their Han Solo holster offerings run quite large. I'm on the medium/large end of the Medium scale, standing 6'1, at 175 lbs. with a xenotype VERY similar to Harrison Ford's, but with a slightly longer, thinner neck. Also, I'm thinner than usual at the moment, but am not skinny.

Both shirts are very baggy, with sleeves about an inch longer than I'd expect and with a very wide collar opening. It's manageable with the standard line shirt because the material is stiffer by nature, which keeps the collar up a little. The premium shirt, however, is a different story. The wonderfully lazy material, unfortunately, just sags and makes the shirt look too big. It's impossible to make it look like what we see on the screen because of this.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_j9Bg-LLoqF0Y8Otfo3G1zfXGxz4iBwA

(this is NOT representative of the final look. The costume is fresh out of the box and my hair's not dyed or styled!)

I have tried every method I could learn to shrink it just a little, but with cost comes quality, and this shirt is impervious to size changes. I'll have to get it tailored down to a smaller size in order to have it sit correctly. Sad news, and it adds to the cost.

THE JACKETS:

The differences in the jackets were even more flooring for me. When I opened the jacket box and took it out, still folded, I immediately thought how light is was and how it draped in my hand like warm flannel pajamas.

I took off the paper and unfolded the jacket and WOW. It is SO luxurious. It's definitely wool. It feels like wool, but the drape is more like a sweater than a jacket. It's so different and better than the standard line in texture and drape that it makes the standard line jacket feel like a costume piece rather than an luxurious every day jacket, which I THOUGHT the standard line passed for quite nicely until I opened this one and felt it!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=17egxFArfabI-rH5L5f8Pr7XGxnhbBzEM

https://drive.google.com/open?id=12Jl1p-mPY-b3fDhfzTa98Q28Q2O-gnS_

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1l3mqyAU9o6eKp5iJ8c-8rbwOLDgWBuTT

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1a9ZblOO85ICJCcaE_DZvS8fyHHnZFrpH

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JP4D_6cRrdtdHWm_IjPVLdYPS4eAm5xa

https://drive.google.com/open?id=17FsM7mV9Jq6v0qJPjZrYdB5XADI3P6Ta

There were four differences I noticed between the two jackets besides the feel, material, and color. First was the collar. I noticed the collar on the premium jacket is simply different from the collar on the standard jacket, making me question if they used the same patterns or if the material just ends up shaping different between the two jackets. The collar on the premium jacket is a softer, more rounded collar all around its circumference, unlike the standard jacket, which has a stiffer, more defined collar. This has a visible effect on how the coat drapes and is best seen from the back:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oWGTGrdskb37BbBWFgKSJq9WFg2uSomb

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qW7unmXG1MwZDpE2V4WrBXYyyirb1GUF

I also noticed the yoke was placed differently between the two jackets. Again? Did they use different patterns for standard and premium?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1A-8nicVKQxCZguE2y00GDPlsya8ZncPV

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CMaOYvR2JHje9VkXjfPDJIwCi1x4lsRZ

Third, I noticed the left sleeve pocket is sewn on differently, with the standard version's flap being centered to the pocket and the premium, off-center like in the film. It may be just me, but I think the pocket is too narrow on both. But again, if these were made off the screen-used patterns, then it's probably my eye that's narrow. You decide.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=108alN1cD7MgphHJo5BcjvMBpsSGNOG6u

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1R0qamtSTPaVtFiM9iTJegdfIei9VzlSk

Finally, I noticed the decorative sleeve stitching on the standard jacket is very weak and muted in appearance when compared to the bold and defined ones of the premium jacket.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DHyoQMCqWeNEPcYhLHAcUP3RpYC6_4YD

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1l3mqyAU9o6eKp5iJ8c-8rbwOLDgWBuTT

THE REST

The pants and belt are the same between the standard and premiere set, so there's no comparison to be done, I'm afraid.

CONCLUSION

Anovos did an amazing job on this ensemble, though their sizing methodology needs to be reviewed. It's way better than I'd anticipated. This is NOT an endorsement of Anovos. I think their process and customer service are rock-bottom; as bad as they come. But they sure do make a great product! A modern-day tragedy...