Help! How to make a Boudicca costume?

[33feethighandrising]

DD has a dress up day next week and wants to be Boudicca.

I love the idea but I'm a bit unsure where to start.

Happy to buy something. But the only off the shelf costume I can see I'm not keen on.

What should Boudicca look like?

DD's up for woad! (Blue face paint). Did female Celtic warriors wear woad or was it just the men?

When I thought she was going to be a Roman (like all her friends) I was going to buy a cheap white dress, add a sash from home and buy new sandals (she needs them anyway) and add cheap gold costume jewellery.

How can I do an easy Boudicca costume? I'm not quite sure what the basics are / what I should be aiming for?

Long neutral colour or earth shades dress with a Cape over her shoulders and a big broch to hold it on.
Hair down a simple crown and jewellery on arms.
Nobody really knows who wore what so you can have fun,it was always said that she had red hair so if you were up for that spray on hair colour

I don't know if this is any help, but it is interesting fashion-era.com/ancient_costume/early-clothing-celtic-dress.htm

Should be easy enough to produce something like this
www.amazon.co.uk/Smiffys-Childrens-Boudica-Horrible-Histories/dp/B07H8NLFS4?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Or this one though I don't think it should be blue - more russet earthy colours. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152980588889
Does depend how handy you are with bits of card etc though!

A wooden style cloak on a strong colour (green?) Blue woad on her face, red hair if possible, and perhaps a small circlet style crown, lots of bangles and a round shield.

What we know about Boudicca from descriptions - long tawny hair, some sort of plaid ( tartan) cloak , over a long tunic.
Maybe gold (/bronze)fastenings ( brooches/clips) and jewellery.
Probably arm bracelets, a torque, leather sandals.
Maybe celtic-type tattoos.
Google Alex Kingston playing Boudicca - might give you some ideas.

A fierce expression is essential!

Thanks everyone, really useful stuff.

Off to have a look for stuff to buy, any tips welcome!

*woollen

Hmmm. It needs to be a maxi dress ideally doesn't it?

Haven't found one yet, here's what I found so far that's plain. Nothing russet yet...

Tried H&M, M&S, New Look, Monsoon Sale and Clarkes for sandals. Amazon next...

My DD did this, long green dress from fancy dress box (think it was a Victorian dress), scarf over her shoulder like a shawl, blue eyeshadow as face paint.

@CeeceeBloomingdale

My DD did this, long green dress from fancy dress box (think it was a Victorian dress), scarf over her shoulder like a shawl, blue eyeshadow as face paint.

She looks brilliant! That's perfect!

I love the plaits too, I'll show DD.

Struggling to find a dress so far, but haven't given up hope yet...

I think the short sleeved khaki one that you posted could fit the bill nicely. We only had full length as we already owned that.

I’m assuming stripping her naked and dunking her in blue paint then sending her in a home made chariot with carving knives on the wheels would be frowned upon?

H&M have these, shawl over the shoulders would cover her up then the dress would be wearable at home too

@SilenceOfThePrams

I’m assuming stripping her naked and dunking her in blue paint then sending her in a home made chariot with carving knives on the wheels would be frowned upon?

Do you have suitable scarves? I’d be tempted to go with a T shirt and leggings as a base and then criss-cross two large scarves over each shoulder to make a tabard shape and hold them in place with a large belt. The woad, the hair and the shield are doing most of the heavy lifting.

I can't think of anything to add to the costume ideas but I think she ought to practice her war cry for all the Romans that'll be there. Had she got a hefty sword?

@CeeceeBloomingdale

H&M have these, shawl over the shoulders would cover her up then the dress would be wearable at home too

OMG she already has a dress most exactly like that! I am an idiot!

@SilenceOfThePrams

I’m assuming stripping her naked and dunking her in blue paint then sending her in a home made chariot with carving knives on the wheels would be frowned upon?

This is brilliant!

I'd love to see the look on her teachers face if she actually did this.

As it is, they're meant to be going in as Romans, but DD has put forward a reasonable case for going as Boudicca, infiltrating their feast. Given it shows historical understanding (plus rebel spirit) I've been easily persuaded. Her teacher is lovely and won't be upset with us subverting the theme to a Celtic warrior Queen.

Mental, naked, tooled-up Celtic warrior queens, however, is possibly a step too far, sadly

Off to have a look for stuff to buy, any tips welcome!

Charity shop. Look for anything like curtains, sheets, tablecloths, anything that will give you a couple of good lengths of fabric. Plus bits of old jewellery.

One length of fabric folded in half with a hole cut for the head and belted round the waist for the gown, another length over her shoulders pinned with a brooch for the cloak. No sewing required. She can wear t-shirt or vest top and shorts underneath. Plus accessories such as crown, shield, sword etc made from cardboard and spray painted.