WW2 childs costume thing...

aeuerby

I know I have a few weeks yet but we've had the head's up from school about the Christmas concert my daughter will be doing and tie-ing it in with the WW2 topic the children will have been covering this term.

So I was wondering if anyone has any idea what type of clothes children wore and how I would go about making such a costume? Were they just simple cotton type dresses?

I have a sewing machine so could possibly run up a dress if anyone know's where I could get a pattern from.

Thanks in anticipation...:D

Angela.

Edinburghlass_2

I remember having to do this when my daughter was younger, dug out an old tweed type skirt of mine and rumaged the charity shops for a woollen jumper with stripes all over it. Daughter hated it but it looked the part

I guess its because the photos were all black and white but it struck me that clothes were very drab and shades of brown.

starlite_2

Yes..very drab colours..a below knee pleated skirt and a paisley or broidre anglaise blouse, perhaps with a tank top or cardie should do the trick.oh..and knee length socks and dolly shoes too!
check charity shops for patterns..ours seem to be full of ancient ones..

LouLouHelen

Take a look at some websites, search the internet for 'fancy dress' or 'period costumes' or simply world war 2 - bound to trip over some good pictures there or the library and then armed with these images - I totally agree charity shops or boot sales - all the way!

modgit

Just been looking for Romans for my son and came across ww2, take a look at http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2children/ don't know if it will help, but when i got onto the Romans, my son said "Oh, that site is what we use at school", oh for the life of a teacher!

aeuerby

Thanks guys! I knew you'd be able to suggest things!

I've looked at the bbc web site which is excellent it just doesn't have many pictures of children's clothes. I also did a quick search for fancy dress yesterday on't t'internet but didn't go into much detail.

Edinburghlass, thanks for the suggestion. I too get the impression colours were very drab.

Having spoken to my mum she also suggested watching some of the war programmes on the History channels. As much as the war is interesting, I don't think I could sit through endless programmes on it so she was volunteered for the job!!

Charity shops are one's I wouldn't have thought of so once again thanks people!

Angela.

filigree_2

You could also make a fake gas mask case, no need to make a gas mask unless you're really keen , also an Evacuee label - when kids were evacuated they had labels tied to their clothes with their name and school on.

If anyone is interested in the subject and lives in/near London, the Imperial War Museum has a special exhibition about Children at War.

Pooky

Have a look in your local library too - they'll have loads of books for inspiration.

I recently had to make a Tudor dress for one daughter and a Victorian outfit for the other.....not as easy as it sounds when you don't have the fabric.....don't you just love these dressing up days at school!!

angelatgraceland

The tv programme 1940s house was a good good example. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/0-9/1940house/ hope this helps.

lyla

when my daughter did this she wore a tarten pleated skirt, (which i got from H&M for about £5), her school blouse, school shoes & socks & wool cardigan, also managed to get her a beret from a charity shop. If you type in evacuee in the picture search on google you get lots of photos up. My son is going on his WW2 trip tomorrow! so ive been searching round the shops for him too.