Crew Costumes

The following is an exerpt from The Star Wars Technical Commentaries. Original content is © copyright Dr Curtis Saxton 2001.
In the movies, two distinct uniforms for walker crew were seen. AT-AT crews wore a grey and white sealed flightsuit with some additional chest and shoulder armour, which may be a concession to the possibility of personal combat on the ground. AT-ST crews wore similar grey overalls without the armour, and the airtight helmet used by the AT-AT crews is replaced by a grey open-brimmed helmet with chin-strap and goggles.   The difference of equipment and uniforms deserves explanation. STAR WARS The Visual Dictionary indicates that the personnel with closed helmets have some history of personal combat, but is silent concerning the unmasked uniforms. Since the men are undoubtedly the same kind of personnel, with similar training, the reason for the variation of dress probably depends on either the vehicle-specific requirements or the operational conditions of different ground missions.  AT-ATs and other large walkers may have more complex controls, requiring in-helmet displays like those of naval gunners or starfighter pilots. Alternatively, the crews fighting on Hoth may have worn full environment suits as preparation for the contingency of making vehicle repairs in inclement outdoor conditions. But if the cockpit crew are prepared to go outside, then why wasn't General Veers similarly clothed? Did he have optional attachments to quickly turn his suit into an olive-grey equivalent of sealed snowtrooper gear?   Perhaps the distinction has something to do with the fact that the walkers on Hoth were landed from space. If these uniforms are used as the army version of a vacuum flightsuit then their similarity to a TIE pilot's uniform would be naturally explained. The walker crews probably do not double as barge crew, because that would require too much multi-skilling, but the descent to ground carries a non-trivial prospect of interruption, hostile boarding or exposure to space. In contrast, the men who drove the scout walkers on Endor were permanently stationed on the ground, in hospitable weather, and they would not have regular exposure to dropship flight. Therefore they could wear a more comfortable and open uniform.   Alternatively, the difference could be due to a distinction between stormtrooper and regular army vehicle crews. There is as yet no evidence that stormtroopers have separate armoured vehicle units, but if they do then the stormtrooper-like masks of the AT-AT pilots on Hoth would be easily explained. However Imperial starfighter pilots have nearly identical helmets and yet they certainly have no connection with stormtroopers. Therefore the closed helmets of some walker crewmen are not a compelling sign of stormtrooper association. The closed-helmet vehicle crews are implicitly attributed to the regular army in Rules of Engagement roleplaying supplement, which specifically states that "there are no stormtrooper crewed tanks" and that stormtroopers are infantry only.   The two known variations of walker crew uniforms. It seems likely that one version is invasion gear or an army flightsuit, whilst the other is standard for garrison forces on friendly territory.  

Scout Armor drivers: AT-ST

Heavy Armor Drivers: AT-AT

Assault Commander- Ground Assault/Officer Field Armor

Costume Resources:
Basic Gray Coverals (AT and ST Drivers): OutInStyle.com Offers a Airforce Type Flight Suit, Now in what they call a Charcoal Gray. Gray(4879GY)Body coverals:Men's or try HERE Both would require modifications to be exact, but are close enough for either Driver's Costume. A more detailed discription of the coveralls can be found in the AT-ST downloadable guide. Or visit www.swtroopers.com/misc_coveralls.htm for a better understanding of what was used.
White or light gray gloves: Real leather Damascus gloves and were ordered from HERE - specifically the D650HP style of biker glove about 2/3 of the way down the page. They do not stock the gloves in white (AT-AT) but will special order them for you which can take as much as 3 months to complete. Contributed by Don Lowery (TA-1964)
However as best as we can tell. The ACTUAL gloves for the AT-AT Driver was a welding glove from Weldas called Softtouch. You can routinely find them on eBay. Like HERE. See the PDF guide for pictures.
Boots: The boots are white PVC boots and are available HERE. They are very reasonably priced.  Recommended getting Dr. Schools inserts or the like - I use gel impact absorbers - to make the boots more comfortable for long marches and the like. Contributed by Don Lowery (TA-1964)
The ACTUAL boots the AT-AT Driver used are never seen. But the visual directory has them wearing all gray Moon Boots type snow boots. These are VERY hard to find. So some of us have started using Canadian Mukluks like the Snowtrooper. You can find them on eBay cheap. Try HERE.
Light Helmets (ST Helmets/Officer Helmets): Same as Snowtrooper helmet without mask and googles.
Assault Helmets (AT Driver Helmets):
Richie's Armor
Assault Armor (AT Drivers): Richie's Armor
Officer Assault Armor: Chest Plate is identical to Snowtrooper Back Plate and Shoulder Straps are similar to the standard stormtrooper, TIE Pilot back. Ab Plate- similar to the Snowtrooper, but with different symbol on the face. Color: Dark Gray

NOTE: There are other armor makers out there. Please email us and we will send you contact info.

Copyright ©2006 Ziganrev Studios, 501st Armored Cavalry Detachment, The "Fighting" 501st Legion Costume Fan Club
Special thanks go to Joe “vampyregodz” Price for hosting this site and forums!  The 501st Legion is not affiliated with or sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd., its divisions, or related companies. Star Wars, its characters, costumes, and all associated items are the intellectual property of Lucasfilm, and we thank the company for letting us play in their galactic sandbox. © 2006 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.