Atreides Mentat Build

March 04, 2020

In the Dune universe Mentats are trained from a young age to expand their mental abilities, mastering logic and strategy while operating by a strict ethical code. Since the use of intelligent computers has been banned since the Butlerian Jihad, Mentats fill the need for "human computers", often finding service as advisors to the Houses Major and Minor. So essentially they are the nerdiest characters, which means I must create a Mentat costume build!

While they did not wear any particular uniform they were marked by red-stained lips, the results of habitual use of the mental stimulant sapho (pronounced sah-foo). The 1984 film invented this mantra which actually works pretty well in the scope of the Dune universe:

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion
It is by the juice of sapho the thoughts acquire speed
The lips acquire stains
The stains become a warning
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion

There are several Mentats represented in films and even in video games to give some visual cues to follow. In the 1984 film all the Mentats have these godawful bushy eyebrows (which I'm going to pointedly ignore since there's no basis in the books) but they do have the tell-tale stained lips (as you can see below in Piter de Vries). Mentats in the books are all male, but there's no clear statement they must be male and in the accompanying video games there is at least one female Mentat serving House Ordos (Roma Atani, as seen in Emperor: Battle for Dune), so I'll be running with that.

Piter de Vries getting his fix whilst plotting the doom of House Atreides

Roma Atani of House Ordos about to unleash some ultimatums

Mentats in the films do not seem to wear a particular uniform to denote their allegiance, though I suppose in some settings or roles they may. In the 1984 film Thufir Hawat and Piter de Vries both wear grey with black-and-white marked collars as a sort of uniform, though in the mini-series and in video games they appear in clothing that is not so different than other high-born courtiers. They are well-compensated by their employers and must look like they belong in the same room as nobility, so their clothes are bound to reflect that.

Courtiers and guests of House Atreides, aka everyone needs a funny hat

Even a famous smuggler and Thufir Hawat get ridiculous hats

Shaddam IV as a shiny butterfly, flanked by Feyd-Ruatha man of triangles and Irulan with a hat that kind of works

I'm going to make some extrapolations from the books and find a middle ground here, to try to make something that both indicates high status but also indicates House loyalty. In that case, the costume is mostly of a "courtier" look, but with details in the colors and military honors on the vest to show the allegiance to House Atreides (whose colors are green, red, and black and symbolized by a red hawk).

Paul Atreides in his Caladan dress uniform (1984)

A recreation of the Atreides heraldic shield

1. Top
I found this green dress at a thrift store for $6. The color is basic but the straps are unusual but simple, the close fit looks tailored and modern. I'm not much of a dress person but paired with the leggings it works pretty well.

2. Vest
The vest originally came with decorative bronze buttons, but to make it more in line with the Atreides color scheme and the beetle necklace I replaced the buttons with an iridescent green. Further militaria details like the aiguillette and the rank badge are removable additions to the vest. To learn more about putting this together and deciding how to adapt an Atreides military uniform see the tutorial.

3. Leggings
I got these basic black leggings for about $8. They're a good neutral base to balance the top and vest.

4. Necklace
I got this necklace as a gift and have been looking for a costume to use it. It's made up of beetle wings from the genus Sternocera. Beetlewing jewelry has origins in southeast Asia and is gaining ground in international craft, but it's still uncommon enough that it reads as luxurious and exotic. I can easily imagine them as the wings of an alien insect, a rare commodity that only the Great Houses would have access to.

5. Sapho stains
Most Mentats in the Dune universe are addicted to a juice made from a plant from Ecaz, the juice of Sapho. Use of the drug increases the mental acuity of Mentats and stains their lips ruby red. In order to simulate those effects I used a red lipstain and purposefully added drips and smears. It doesn't show up very well in the photos, but it's there. Any darker and I was under threat of merging Mentat with clown face.

6. Sapho bottle
This an antique snuff bottle that was just the right size and opulence, and even had a similar Atreides colors of blue-green, red, and black. I had this sitting among my curios and thought in a pinch it makes a credible prop for a Mentat.

7. Shoes
This pair of wedge heels are simple and modern, found in a thrift store for $8.