Indy on a Budget

temple_runner

New member
When I first approached amassing an ?Indiana Jones? costume, I was entranced by the beautiful works of art out on the market: Wested Leather Jackets, Alden 405s, etc. However, as a regular, working man with lots of more ?important? things to save for, I decided my dream to be ?Indiana Jones? for a day was out of my reach.

One day, however, while driving home from my job as a high school English teacher, I had a thought: ?What would Indy do in this situation?? Indy is smart, humorous, and often singularly focused on the task at hand. Does Indy ever stop to think about how his jacket looks? Does he worry that his pants are not the best quality? The answer is no. Not to discredit the dedicated folks who shell out for the high-end, screen-accurate Indy costume, but do we really want to look like Indiana Jones? No. What we really want is to be Indiana Jones. We want the adventure, the romance, etc. What he wears is inconsequential.

I concluded that what I really wanted was the ?feeling? of being Indiana Jones. As long as people could look at me and think ?Indiana Jones,? my costume was up to par. The real fun would be in my mind.

With all of this in mind, I determined to find myself an affordable Indy costume (albeit-not screen accurate by any means). The following details my process and my finds.

Vintage Towncraft Leather Jacket - $13 (Goodwill)

My first acquisition! It?s amazing how some things just sort of stumble upon you. While shopping my local Goodwill one afternoon after donating a couch, the gods seem to look down upon me and offer up this jacket. The first thing I did, before ever falling in love with it, was throw it on and see if it fit. It did, luckily. While it lacks the large pockets in the front and has a scrunched back, it is around the right shade of brown and really looks the part. Plus, it feels heavy and durable when I throw it on. I?m sure Indy wouldn?t mind throwing this on before a long plane trip to Tibet (it even has a removable liner). Plus, at $13, there?s really nothing that compares price-wise.

Shirt - $3.75 (Goodwill)

Another Goodwill purchase, my safari shirt was a great find for the price. After some washing, it looked a lot better and had many less wrinkles. While everything isn?t screen accurate with this shirt, I think it gives the right ?look? and the tint of khaki was right for me.

Pants - $1.99 (Mega Thrift)

I was torn between a few different pants, but decided on a pair I got from a Mega Thrift. After siting through mostly junk stuff, I saw these and was drawn to them based on the color. I had seen quite a few different shades, but I think these are the best for my ?close enough? budget costume. Plus, they fit well and seemed to be well made.

Boots - $18.00 (Technically free with my trade-ins) (Plato?s Closet)

I took some clothes to sell at Plato?s Closet and ended up making about $20. Afterward, I figured I would take a look around. Plato?s Closet is mostly teenage clothing, but I managed to find these boots, in my size, staring at me from the top shelf. They had the perfect stitching on the toe and I loved the rubber sole for rain purposes. For $18, I couldn?t, and didn?t, pass them up.

Hat - $20 (Shop Goodwill)

The first night I ever looked on Shop Goodwill, I searched, ?Indiana Jones.? Lucky for me, there were only two listings: a medium and a large Indiana Jones fedora. I looked up my hat size and ordered the right one, a large, with a winning bid of $8.99. With shipping and handling, everything was $20 total. Unfortunately, Fedex delivered my hat to someone else and I never received it. After a month of waiting, another hat came on Shop Goodwill for a few bucks less. I managed to receive this one. It is a great shape and in a great shape. I have no clue what type of use it got, but it feels very well made.

Whip - $30 (Amazon)

I was worried about the possibility of finding a budget whip because everything I had encountered online was in excess of $100. Luckily, after some digging, I found an Amazon seller that included reviews with videos and pictures. For $30, I was willing to take the plunge and was not disappointed. Obviously, it is not a 12 plait kangaroo, but for a whip that cracks, I?m willing to spend $30. It has done well and the cowhide smells great, too.

TOTAL COST: $75 (Give or take)

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To Get Next:
Replica Webley or S&W
Leather Holster
Webbed Belt
MKVII Bag and Leather Strap
 

temple_runner

New member
Attila the Professor said:
Yeah, I think you've made a nice investment in a Halloween costume, temple_runner.

Definitely. Gonna be a staple for years to come.

I'm thinking of wearing it to a showing of Raiders for a retro cinema night in a couple of weeks. A little test run before HeroesCon in Charlotte.
 

Major West

Member
Nice! I like your spirit!

I would consider saving up for a IJ jacket though. Or keep an eye on Westeds clearance section for anything that might be in your size. Don't forget you can wear the Indy jacket with regular clothes and nobody gets that it's an IJ jacket. So it's a practical item of clothing in that sense,which takes the sting out of purchasing it, as it will get a lot of practical use.
 

Drones33

New member
Off to a good start there Temple Runner, and I really like your ethos; A man's Inner Indy is at least as important as the one he shows the world:hat:
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
temple_runner said:
Does he worry that his pants are not the best quality? The answer is no.
As an outsdoorman myself, I'll have to pick on this a little. I think Indy would very much care about the quality of his pants and other items. I mean, at least in case "quality" means items that are "robust and durable". You don't really want to go out to the field wearing 2nd rate stuff, especially since Indy's forays into the wilderness tend to be a bit on the rougher side than those of an average Joe.

However, if by "quality" we mean "an expensive label", then I tend to agree. Indy would probably care little of such things. It's enough that his duds fulfill their purpose.

And this gets us to our conclusion. What is the purpose? If it is to do the same things Indy does, you don't really want to go with 2nd rate crap. However, if the purpose is to simply look like Indy (as I believe is the case with most people who want to dress like him), then yes, there is nothing wrong with going with the budget choices.

Just something I figured I'd say. If your intention is to dress up, you don't need all the best labels. But if your intention is to get some pieces that are bound to see some heavy use, especially out in the field - then you should NOT be thrifty.
 

Sea Monarch

New member
Drones33 said:
Off to a good start there Temple Runner, and I really like your ethos; A man's Inner Indy is at least as important as the one he shows the world:hat:

Well said, Drone33. And temple runner, I gotta say, a rather impressive ensemble even at full price, but all the more impressive at those prices! Sounds like a series of finds that a certain archaeologist could appreciate!
Also been meaning to tell you, I totally dig your user name, having been a long time Blade Runner fan! And YES, you're just about a dead ringer for the Starlord extraordinaire!
 

temple_runner

New member
Indy On a Budget was a great success at its first outing: HeroesCon 2016 in Charlotte, NC.

At the door I met two "young" treasure hunters: Lara and Nathan. They seem to be capable young people, but I think they are too busy tracking down clues. I told them: "X" never marks the spot!

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