Miss Jean Brodie

[PercyClarke]

I am a teacher. It is World Book Day next month and I need to dress in costume as a literary character for the day. I have no desire to dress as the Hungry Caterpillar or Cinderella or anything that makes me look more ridiculous than I usually do.

I wish to dress as Miss Jean Bodie.

Immediate snag is that I know nothing about clothes.

I quite fancy the idea of <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=miss+jean+brodie&hl=en&safe=active&sa=X&tbo=d&tbm=isch&tbnid=-VCNeY5SYhmZYM:&imgrefurl=lukecurtis.blogspot.com/2010/10/50-best-film-casts-part-1.html&docid=w9k8YIsz7NaZXM&imgurl=3.bp.blogspot.com/_2LecI4_OMes/TMdp7_XyfgI/AAAAAAAACz4/WEICV8huc6Y/s400/29PrimeOfMIssJeanBrodie.jpg&w=400&h=150&ei=BfoIUcn4K_HB0gXTkYCwDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=215&vpy=226&dur=2641&hovh=120&hovw=320&tx=155&ty=77&sig=114375752010876593587&page=2&tbnh=120&tbnw=256&start=15&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:33,s:0,i:185&biw=1024&bih=573&safe=active&surl=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this sort of look.

Where would I get a 1930s skirt suit/cape/cloche type of outfit from please?

Tricky. The hat is fairly easy because cloche hats are in the shops at the moment, eg M&S have a couple:

www.marksandspencer.com/Pure-Wool-Bow-Cloche-Hat/dp/B003HWG0VG?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_15&nodeId=2129722031&sr=1-15&qid=1359550481

www.marksandspencer.com/Pure-Wool-Contrast-Ribbon-Cloche/dp/B002SG3WS6?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_13&nodeId=2129722031&sr=1-13&qid=1359550637&pf_rd_r=0YWSN3AG2Q32EQRG9ZV8&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=0&pf_rd_p=321381407&pf_rd_s=center-3

(The second one I have from last year in a different colour and I get a LOT of compliments about it.)

Clothing is more difficult. Capes have been 'in' lately but I'm not sure if they would look the right period. Ideally you'd want something tweedy? Do you have any genuine 'vintage' clothes shops in your area? Even so I imagine they'd be little original clothing from the 1930s.

Try Ebay and type in 'tweed cape'. Brings up quite a few!