Rebel Chic - Spending Some Time with Columbia's New "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" Endor Collection of Apparel

Last week we learned about Columbia Sportswear's new Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Endor Collection, thanks to a fun photo shoot in the California Redwoods with actress Billie Lourd (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), who just happens to be the daughter of the late Princess Leia portrayer Carrie Fisher. And after that, Laughing Place was invited out to the California desert (specifically near Joshua Tree National Park) to spend some time with the Endor collection ourselves.

As part of the Star Wars: Gift the Galaxy Holiday Getaway media event, Laughing Place was provided with a box containing several items from the collection, so a big thank you to our friends at Disney Products and Lucasfilm (not to mention Columbia Sportswear itself) for that.

As a big Star Wars geek, I was particularly impressed with the artwork on the inside of the box cover, which depicts a map of the Imperial bunker on Endor. In the fictional Star Wars alphabet called Aurebesh, the text reads "Mission: Destroy Shield Generator" and on the bottom it says "Rebel Alliance."

The first-- and probably most jaw-droppingly impressive-- item we received from the collection is the General Han Solo Trench Coat ($600), which comes complete with authentic details such as the Rebel Alliance insignia and Aurebesh messages, was inspired by the costume that Harrison Ford wore during his scenes on Endor. There's also an Omni-Heat Infinity vest on the inside, and a custom "gold Rebel thermal-reflective pattern" (see image below) that is sure to dazzle anyone who gets a glimpse.

The second item we received is the Endor Issue Cargo Vest ($150), which once again features Rebel Alliance markings, Omni-Heat Infinity lining, and more pockets than I can count.

Lastly, we also received the Endor Issue Half Zip ($90), which is clearly marked in Aurebesh as belonging to the Rebel Alliance and is made from a lightweight cotton-blend fabric.

I also want to mention that inside the box were three very cool decals depicting more Rebel Alliance iconography, a Death Star outline with the Aurebesh phrase "The Battle Begins" over the Imperial shield generator, and an Ewok saying "Nub Nub" (I'm admittedly more familiar with "Yub Nub" but I'm sure Ewokese is a complex language).

In the very early morning of this past Friday, December 5th the event organizers took us out into the Joshua Tree desert to learn about the local topography and to take some photos of our own wearing Columbia's Endor Collection.

Not only is my geekier side enamored with this collection's ties to the Rebel Alliance wardrobe from Return of the Jedi, but whatever innate fashion sense I have within me also found the apparel to be really cool-looking, even outside of its Star Wars connections. Plus, it went a long way toward keeping me warm on a very chilly December morning in the California desert. I would imagine that anyone with a love for Star Wars (or even just admiration for the franchise's costume design) and plans to brave some brisk weather would be absolutely thrilled to get any of these items as a gift. I know I'm ecstatic to have them in my collection.

By the way, there are some really nice-looking photos of me that were taken by professional photographers on-site, but we haven't received them just yet. When we do, I'll be sure to add them to this post.

Be sure to visit Columbia Sportswear's official Star Wars website for more information about the company's new Return of the Jedi Endor Collection.