Pictured are the Dark Lords Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and Darth Sidious
Sith robes were a common form of clothing worn by members of the Sith Order in all its iterations, with most Sith sporting this particular style. Unlike the Jedi, who eschewed material attachments, the role of Sith Lord was highly individualistic, and each Dark Lord's personal style of dress reflected this.
In contrast to the clothing and armor favored by the Jedi Knights of the Galactic Republic, Sith clothing was far more personalized to the individual Sith; indeed, for many, their armor and robes formed an essential component of their identity. For followers of the dark side, their clothing and armor typically incorporated some element of physical protection, such as armor plating, cortosis, or even self-contained life-support systems. The distinctive attire of many Sith made them easily identifiable, a feature they often exploited to intimidate both enemies and allies.
The initial Sith Lords were Jedi who had fallen and subsequently enslaved the Sith, a species originating from the Stygian Caldera. This resulted in a mixed heritage population with blended cultural characteristics. The Sith Order's clothing drew inspiration from both the Jedi, the guardians of justice and freedom within the Galactic Republic, and the Sith themselves.
In contrast to their Jedi predecessors, the Sith Lords reveled in flaunting their wealth and displaying conspicuous signs of their riches. They embraced an ostentatious style of fashion, characterized by vibrant colors like green, light red, or purple, along with ornamented sections of golden armor. They also favored elaborate headdresses, war helmets, and capes adorned with unusual necklines. Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh exemplified this trend. Most Sith Lords derived pleasure and a sense of power from the envy and avarice their material possessions elicited among their peers. This mentality persisted among the Sith for millennia; Master Qordis was renowned for wearing only the finest silks and most valuable jewelry, and he maintained opulent apartments on Korriban.
Robes worn by Sith were specifically known as Sith robes. Many Sith robes were imbued with the Force during their creation, enhancing the wearer's ability to channel the dark side of the Force and access greater strength or wisdom than they would naturally possess. Some of these artifacts remained intact and usable during the Old Sith Wars, such as Aleema Keto's and Crado's robes, as well as the infamous Helm of Dathka Graush. Around 5000 BBY, certain Massassi warriors accompanying Naga Sadow on Yavin 4 were also known to wear specialized combat gear that maximized their agility in dense jungle environments.
The Sith Lords of the Old Empire donned personalized battle armor crafted to instill fear in their adversaries. While standard models were known to exist, each Sith Lord typically possessed a unique set of armor. Sith armor traditionally comprised metal plates worn over dark robes, often adorned with sharp spines for use as weapons. Prior to 3998 BBY, the young Onderonian metallurgist Shas Dovos constructed his own suit of Sith armor from steel plates, guided by an ancient text. Dovos later merged with his armor, transforming into a potent entity known as Warb Null.
Millennia later, Darth Vader's heavy suit continued the tradition of employing intimidating and terrifying protective gear. If the latter closely followed the ancient armor's construction process, it is plausible that Sith Alchemy was employed to enhance the wearer's physical strength and vitality.
Following the establishment of their Brotherhood of the Sith by Dark Lords Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, their first directive to their new students was the Sith uprising, ordering apprentices to strike down their Jedi masters. Consequently, few had the opportunity to alter their Jedi attire, resulting in an even less uniform Sith Order.
Kun upheld the battle armor tradition, donning one himself. Sith warriors wore robes featuring a hood to conceal the wearer's face, preventing identification. Some Sith Robes also included basic cortosis armor. These robes shared stylistic similarities with the Jedi Adventure Robe and the Ceremonial Jedi Robes.
During the era when Revan established his new empire, the Sith likely opted for more practical robes. Technological advancements in preceding decades imparted a more austere and high-tech aesthetic to the galaxy. This likely explains why individuals like Darth Bandon, Darth Malak, and Revan himself wore such unadorned clothing. Darth Revan possessed a unique set of armored robes, including a full helmet of Mandalorian design. Many renegade Dark Jedi who joined Revan simply adopted Jedi garment styles, adapted to the darker shades of their new allegiance. The Sith Empire also commanded vast numbers of minions, including Sith assault troopers and Sith Assassins, whose attire was highly specialized.
In the wake of the Mandalorian War, Republic officers who served under Revan defected and joined the new Sith Empire. They replaced their red and yellow uniforms with azure blue/gray jumpsuits, with higher-ranking officers wearing caps. Trainees at the Sith Academy also wore this uniform.
Following the Great War, a Sith robe became a popular garment choice for Sith serving the Sith Empire and the Sith Emperor during the Cold War between the Sith and the Republic. It was heavier than what Sith typically wore before and after the events of the Great War and the Cold War. The Jedi developed a similar garment for their military forces. They also possessed specialized gauntlets called Warrior's gloves that they wore during the Cold War.
During the New Sith Wars, Sith apparel evolved into a more subdued style, retaining a hint of the ancient Sith Lords' elaborate fashion. Brighter colors were abandoned in favor of shades of black, dark purple, and gray. Sith generally wore black capes with cuirasses and multi-pouched belts featuring buckles adorned with symbols resembling Sith tattoos. Lord Skere Kaan and Darth Bane were often seen dressed in this manner, with Bane even wearing an armored pauldron and vambrace to protect his left arm. Darth Bane later donned biological armor crafted from hard-shelled orbalisks which, through a symbiotic relationship, amplified his Force abilities.
The Sith Lords following the establishment of the Rule of Two operated in secrecy and generally favored simpler black garments. Their concealing black robes gave them the appearance of nocturnal creatures.
Darth Sidious preferred monk-like robes made of coarse zeyd-cloth. His favored robe was black, featuring a raised waffle pattern and long sleeves that extended slightly below the wrists. This created the illusion, by 4 ABY, that Palpatine, Sidious's alter ego, was merely a simple man. In addition to his black robe, Palpatine possessed several sets of Sith robes. One set resembled his favored black robes but was made of burgundy material. Another was crafted from burgundy velvet-like fabric, adorned with Sith symbols. Palpatine publicly wore it before the Senate when delivering his Declaration of a New Order. He knew that no one in the rotunda would recognize the origin of these clothes, believing the time for the Sith to emerge from hiding had arrived. Another set consisted of a gray robe with a large hood, a black velvet capelet, and puffed sleeves, as seen during his battle with Yoda. When the reborn Sidious journeyed to Korriban in 11 ABY, he sported a shorter, more practical version of his well-known black cape, complete with capelet and a long, straight walking stick.
Sith apprentices wore specialized training gear during their training to become Sith Lords. Darth Maul wore an example of such gear, consisting of a uniquely tailored vest. Upon attaining the rank of Sith Lord, he donned the black garb of the Sith Order. In a more elaborate fashion than the standard zeyd-cloth cloaks, Darth Maul wore black robes and loose-fitting desert-like garb, along with a collared coat belted at the waist. The large hood draped down the back, while the elongated sleeves nearly touched the ground. Slits were cut where the sleeves attached to the robe's main body, allowing Maul to extend his arms.
Darth Tyranus, Sidious's second apprentice, maintained the traditional garb of the Counts of Serenno. This consisted of a dark brown double-breasted Vjun tunic, horse-riding pants, and an armorweave cape, the shape of which enhanced the Count's silhouette. He also wore black boots crafted from rare rancor leather, reaching just below the knees.
Although Asajj Ventress was not a Sith in the strictest sense, she wore "the trappings of the Sith," as Dooku noted. Her attire consisted of a high-collared, tight-fitting black and white shirt and leggings under a flowing black skirt. The skirt could be easily removed by tucking away the sash.
When Darth Vader was placed in the suit he would become known for, Darth Sidious insisted on creating an intimidating appearance, completing the design with a cape and tabard reminiscent of traditional Sith garb. Vader provided his Secret Apprentice with an Imperial uniform that he had mended many times. Starkiller's training gear was simple and versatile, surviving numerous training sessions and volatile missions. Starkiller utilized variants of his basic gear, such as the homemade Heavy training gear, which provided protection in toxic environments. Another variant was the Light training gear, suitable for humid environments.
Sith of Darth Krayt's Order wore armor of varying designs. Darth Krayt himself wore an imposing form of armor created by the Yuuzhan Vong, designed to instill fear in his enemies. Darth Wyyrlok wore combat armor over his robes, while Darth Nihl wore a strange set of armor designed to intimidate enemies.
Sith robes production design
George Lucas envisioned the Sith as the dark counterpart to the Jedi, so their robes were designed primarily as black versions of Jedi attire. Palpatine's under-robes as Emperor were, in fact, a Japanese kimono of black raw silk, as revealed in the book Star Wars: The Magic of Myth. Ben Kenobi's inner robes were made of the same material, but in a beige version. Darth Maul's attire was sewn from a hand-woven fabric called Indian Homespun, which costume designer Trisha Biggar dyed black.
Tales of the Jedi design
Although the timespan covered by the Tales of the Jedi stories roughly corresponds to "Star Wars' Middle Age," the costume style more closely reflects Antiquity. The Sith appear to be heavily inspired by ancient Babylonian or Egyptian fashion; for example, Naga Sadow's and Darth Andeddu's headdresses are similar to Pharaonic deshret and khepresh crowns. Also, rather than being limited to dark colors, the robes of these ancient Sith were vibrantly colored and extremely opulent.