May the £25,000 fancy-dress cloak be with you

THE original cloak worn by Sir Alec Guinness in Star Wars has been found in a fancy dress shop.

The actor wore the famous brown robe for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the 1977 movie.

After filming finished, the costumes were stored in a warehouse belonging to the London costume company Angels and Bermans.

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It was kept among hundreds of monks' robes, which were later transferred to the firm's fancy dress shop in Shaftesbury Avenue, where it was rented out to customers.

It was also hired out to other films including The Mummy, in which it was worn by an extra, and In the Name of the Rose.

The history of the robe was only discovered during a routine stock check.

Tim Angel, the head of the costume company, said: "One of the guys was sorting through this pile of monks' robes and saw this brown one with an odd-shaped hood.

"He put it on and the manager said: 'Oh my God, it's Alec Guinness's cloak from Star Wars.' It's unmistakable, an iconic piece.

"All this time we have been renting it out to customers wanting to hire a monk's outfit for a fancy dress party."

He added: "The robe would have come in just after filming on Star Wars finished and before it was released. It didn't get any special treatment because at that point Star Wars was just another sci-fi film. No-one knew how big it would become."

Estimates put the cloak's value at 25,000 and Mr Angel said: "We don't generally sell pieces, but if something had a very high value, maybe it's something we would think about, because what's the point of keeping it hidden away?"

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The role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which was played by Ewan McGregor in the three most recent Star Wars films, was the most lucrative of Guinness's glittering career.

The cloak is part of an exhibition of British film costumes at Harrods department store in Knightsbridge, which runs until 15 October.

Angels and Bermans have also discovered a pair of trousers worn by the Snaggletooth in the Star Wars bar scene.