The famous jacket worn by Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back from the Star Wars franchise will be hitting the auction block as of this morning. There was much speculation as to how much the famous jacket would sell for; it is currently estimated at $1.3 million. The Empire Strikes Back jacket will be joining Audrey Hepburn’s My Fair Lady gown designed by Cecil Beaton, as well as a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot. There will be additional coveted movie paraphernalia up for bid such as the Indiana Jones fedora and the Back to the Future Part II hoverboard. Prop House will be hosting the event on September 20th, 2018 with the intention of attracting high-profile customers.
Actor Harrison Ford, who had the role of Han Solo, wore the jacket throughout Empire Strikes Back and it became one of the most iconic fashion pieces of the Star Wars franchise. The jacket features a gray-blue color and contains no fasteners, as the piece was designed to stay open at all times. George Lucas, the Executive Producer of The Empire Strikes Back, decided that fasteners were too close to contemporary, earthbound styles and therefore, the jacket has none and remains open. George Lucas and director Irvin Kershner said that several colors were considered before the final design was selected. The jacket shared several styling and cut details with Luke Skywalker’s jacket worn on Dagobah and Cloud City.
Curious as to why the jacket is a gray-blue color and not the darker navy color you see in the Star Wars movie? It is because blues tend to show up darker on film, making the audience believe it is a dark navy color when the jacket is actually gray-blue.
The New York Post noted that there are also many other collectibles available for sale from the Star Wars movies. A Stormtrooper helmet will be auctioned off at an estimated $80 thousand and Anakin’s lightsaber from Revenge of the Sith will be auctioned for around $130,000.
Han Solo wore the famous jacket in many key scenes, including when he hangs out on the ice planet Hoth and when Han and Princess Leia had their first kiss. It is highly doubtful the lucky winner of this piece will ever actually wear it, but it would still look wonderful presented in an elegant case for guests and fans to admire.
The Prop Store, a U.K.-based memorabilia company, offered details about the Empire Strikes Back jacket worn by Han Solo saying, “The Empire jacket was a subtle update of Solo’s vest from the original film, maintaining a similar pocket configuration and cut, with the addition of sleeves and a collar.” Prop Store added, “This exact jacket Solo jacket was used for sequences on Cloud City and screen matches numerous shots in the film. Unique identifiers include the placement, sizing and fold lines of the pockets, as well as a specific internal stitch-line within the collar that is visible in a close-up shot of Ford.”
The jacket, designed by Academy award-winning costume designer John Mollo, is made of a cotton-wool blend with polyester satin lining. The jacket was manufactured by Caledonian Costumes, featuring pockets on both sides at the chest and waist of the jacket with a large pocket on the rear and a faux-pocket on the left arm.
