1940's fancy dress

[Floella]

Hello all you clever ABer's. I need some help please. My grandaughter's dance class is putting on a show set in the 1940's and she has to dress in period costume. My cheeky daughter asked me for help. (Blooming cheek I wasn't born until the 1960's!!) But I thought some of you on here might possibly be able to help. What sort of things signify the 40's. So far my daughter wants to dress her little girl in a flowery wrap around pinny and put her hair in rollers under a headscarf. Very Flo from Andy Capp I think. Anyway, any suggestions would be great. TIA Floella

[warpig3]

A bit obvious but what about a female Army/RAF type uniform a la Glen Miller era.

[Floella]

Great idea warpig. I'm not sure if they've got to make these costumes or if they can hire/buy them. I'll need to check, cos I'm not very gifted with a sewing machine and neither is my daughter. But thanks for the suggestion, it'll def go in the pot of ideas.

[warpig3]

Floella, it doesn't have to be too elaborate, check out the internet for colours etc. You could get away with a skirt and tie of the same colour, white shirt, some homemade epaulettes for the shoulders, and I am sure it couldnt be too difficult to make one of those little 'Dads Army' pixie hats, pair of tights and black shoes.

First thing I would do is troll the internet for photos from that era and see what comes up but your daughters suggestion is completely on the mark too.

Happy sewing
warpig

[Hellion]

A blouse and handknitted cardigan plus a plain skirt., hair clipped back on one side with a hair slide, flat mary jane type shoes and make a gas mask holder out of a shoebox. Sorry that;s all I can think of - I wasn't there either lol!

[stewey]

Don't forget to draw a line up the back of each leg , using eye-shadow pencil, to simulate the wearing of nylon stockings which were almost impossible to obtain!

[mccfluff]

have a look here, may give you some more ideas

http://www.sensibility.com/vintageimages/1940s /

[Joe_the_Lion]

The wonderful movie Casablanca was set in 1942. Put Casablanca and Hepburn in to google image and see what the lovely Audrey looked like.

[saxy_jag]

She could go the other way - bib-fronted overalls (or baggy jodhpurs), wellies and a dark green jumper, plus a scarf tied around her head forties style - and voila! She's a land army girl.

[warpig3]

Wardy, Audrey Hepburn was really more 50's and early 60's, however people used to tell me I reminded them of her in my formative years, don't look like that now though :-o(

[Joe_the_Lion]

I am really going to sound stupid now, but I now realise it was in fact Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca and not Audrey Hepburn. Doooooohhhhh.

So put Casablanca and Bergman in google instead. I always get those two mixed up!!!!

Both stunning though.

[Hellion]

I suspect that as Floella was only born in the 60's her grand daughter is not actually very old - probably under 10 as the 1940's is part of the year 5 syllabus - so I suspect more Enid Blyton than Ingrid Bergman is required lol!

[Floella]

Not a bad guess Hellion, my grandaughter is indeed in year 5, she's 10 in May.

Thanks for all your suggestions, they're all great.