Flak Vests
Do I have to have a flak vest? Yes; a flak vest is what you will attach your chest armor to.
Does my flak vest have to have sleeves? No, but it is recommended as that is the best and easiest place to attach your shoulder armor.
Does my flak vest have to have a neck seal? No, you can have that as a separate item, or on the flight suit, or you can wear some other form of neck covering (such as a balaclava). Your neck should not be visible when your helmet is on.
How should my flak vest fit? Your flak vest should be fitted to you over your flight suit, not baggy, and the length typically ends about at your belly button. If your flak vest has as zipper, that will need to be covered with a flap or something so any zippers are not visible.
Does my flak vest have to close in the back? No, you can have it close any way you want. The back is the most common, followed by on the sides. In the front is not recommended as you will be able to see the closure under the armor plates.
What should I make it out of? As said above, this is what you’ll be attaching your armor to so it needs to fit WELL and be strong enough to hold it. A flak vest should be made out of any thicker, sturdy fabric like duck cloth, canvas, leather etc. If you have a shirt or vest that fits well and have some basic sewing knowledge you can even use that as a pattern.
There are many ways to get or make one. You can commission one/purchase one already made to your measurements, you can make your own. If you make your own, you can either use an existing pattern, a pattern you made, or you can modify an existing garment into one.
The below photos illustrate how short the flak vests of the screen-worn costumes actually are.
The Boba vest reaches down to about the navel, allowing the wearer a good range of motion.
The Jango vest comes down to the hips so the belts overlap with the bottom of the vest.
Post-Imperial armor, the vest comes down no further than the bottom edge of the chest plate.
Also seen in post-Imperial style is a double style, where the longest layer is a cummerbund that comes down below the belt. This is addition to the flak vest.
Purchasing
There are many great vendors around for flak vests.
K'raam Xrati also makes great vests for typically $95/each and you have a good selection of colors.
You can find their Facebook page here.
UPDATE: it has come to our attention that this vendor currently is months behind on orders and communication has been minimal, yet quality remains high. We recommend caution before proceeding with purchasing depending on your timeline.
Magnoli Clothiers offers flak vests in multiple styles including Boba Fett, Din Djarin, Bo Katan, Death Watch (live action).
Please note they are $100/ea and the wait time is typically 4 months+.
Making your own
There are patterns for flak vests specifically made by other members of the mando community, but you can also make your own pattern or modify an existing pattern of garment to make a flak vest.
For fabrics: The best recommendation is a sturdy fabric such as a duck cloth, which you can readily get at JoAnn fabrics (like this kind HERE) or other fabric stores.
Whatever option you run with, be sure to use a sturdy material like cotton duck, ballistic nylon or leather. Pleather will wear down and disintegrate over time so is not recommended. Sometimes sewing is the better way to go. The cheapest route is not necessarily the best. Quality material pays off in the long run.
Patterns
There is a great tutorial and pattern for making your own on the Dented Helmet here.
If you want to make your own pattern, you can start from scratch or modify an existing pattern. A good one to use is something like this one, though this is an older pattern and not as easy to get.
Why this type of pattern? It has a mandarin style collar on it, which works perfectly as a neck seal. The front seams (called princess seams) are great for adding shape, especially for women. It also has sleeves which you can shorten easily, and you can change the closure to be in the back instead of the front.