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