Medieval costume help please

[melpomene]

My dd (year 1) is going to have a medieval day at school in January and has been asked to bring a costume.

Does anyone have any good suggestions of where we can get a long plain skirt or a waistcoat that looks like it could be medieval, without spending loads of money? I just had a look on ebay and couldn't find anything suitable.

We're already having to pay a fee for the day so I'm hoping to get the bits for the costume cheaply, but I'm a bit stumped.

Apparently they are also going to set up a "medieval estate agent".

I remember TK Maxx had lots of long skirts during the summer. Do not know whether they still do but it is worth checking.

No idea where you could find a long skirt, but does this help?

www.ehow.com/how_6218862_make-medieval-queen-costume.html.

Charity shops might be your best bet; there always seems to be some hideous mustard coloured long skirts in ours!

Or, if you can find a velvet curtain, could you fashion a cloak from it?

Tie boot laces around the sleeves of a long dress in a crossed pattern up to the elbow, will look a bit more medieval if you cant find something with bell sleeves.

My DD just did this and she went as a knight - I made a costume very easily which she was happy with! I got a pillowcase, cut out squares from the bottom hem - (like the top of a castle)cut out arm holes and sewed a red velvet cross onto the front. She wore grey tights, a rope around her waist and a balaclava we happened to have - it looked pretty good actually considering it cost nothing at all. I know not all girls would go as a knight but luckily my DD was happy to.

Not sure if this is too much money

www.woolworths.co.uk/navigation/en/partygallery.page?gg=ch&ThemeCode=238&head=Fancy%20Dress&ao=92&cm_re=Party+Zonepage--Header_LHN_Category_Fancy_Dress--Medieval&subid=118

DD1 has one of the dresses in dress up toys - and loves it - comes out for fancy dress parties to. Maybe it could be a dress up Christmas present ?

All girls need one long princess dressing up dress (unless total tom boys, in which case do the knight thing). The medieval pointy hat can be easily made out of paper/card, and stick a bit of fabric to it. My middle DD had a Woolworths medieval princess outfit and it is still going strong (it is a lovely colour too).

Make her a serf. Plain skirt, plain long sleeve shirt, rope belt, cloth strips wrapped around her lower arms, and lots of mud. If it were me, I'd go with buboes too.

That's a good point from Mummytime - most of the other girls will prob be princess style' - which is fine if she won't care but it might be nice to give her the chance to wear a long pretty dress if this is what she'd like.

Plenty of time to make independent statements when she's older!