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Dress Like Daisy
1 minute
Parents often contact us when their daughters want to portray Juliette Gordon Low for a school Living History Day. “Can we borrow a Juliette Gordon Low costume?”
Unfortunately, we have to say no. We don’t have a girl-sized JGL costume. We have adult uniforms and girl uniforms.
As the Archives and History Committee, we are supposed to be sticklers for accuracy and that means making sure people wear age-appropriate uniforms. We also realize that assembling a costume is part of the Living History Day assignment and believe that entails more than borrowing a ready-made outfit.
However, that doesn’t mean that we won’t help you put together your own JGL costume! The main components are a belted khaki Norfolk jacket and skirt, black tie, and campaign-style hat (Boy Scouts have a similar “state-trooper” hat that you might be able to borrow). The finishing touch is the Silver Fish award, suspended around her neck from a blue and white ribbon. The Silver Fish is a prestigious British Girl Guide award; JGL was one of only three Americans ever to receive it and she was very proud of it.
When you’ve assembled your own JGL uniform, send us a picture of you wearing it, and we’ll add it to the website.
19 responses to “Dress Like Daisy”
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Under the dress like daisy slideshow, there is a picture of a little girl named Mia. My daughter needs a costume exactly like that and I was wondering if Mia’s parents would be willing to let me buy or rent it from them? Could I have their contact info please or could you pass mine along to them? Thank you!
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Does anyone have an adult pattern for the Norfolk jacket?
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Dear Sarah –
If you still need the pattern and haven’t made-do because you had a deadline, The Birthplace gave our council a copy of the Norfolk Jacket pattern/directions for our Heritage Committee files. Have you checked with your local council?
If they don’t have one, the council can ok them contacting the Birthplace for a request.
It takes about the same skill as Janet Arnold’s historic patterns (very advanced to expert). If you just want something that “looks like it”, you can try adapting the Folkwear Australian Bush pattern #130 jacket with the #209 Walking Skirt. I know I sound like a walking ad for Folkwear, but as a historic costumer I’ve found them to have the clearest directions, most historically accurate line of patterns. Their construction is true to each period.
Hope that helps
SongScouting
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Sarah; When I sewed mine, I took a pattern for a woman’s blazer jacket, and I cur it a bit straighter (not so fitted at the waist) and made it a bit longer. I made the front close a bit higher up and I changed the slope of the shoulders to eliminate the thick shoulderpads of the 1980’s. I cut strips of fabric and top-stitched then on for the belt loops. For the skirt, I just took an old pattern for an A-line skirt and lengthened it. I give permission for this website to pass on my e-mail address to you.
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Karen Pauli: This is Marianna McCourt Gilbertson. I met you for the first time in Green Bay during the 100 year birthday celebration at lambeau field. Working on a uniform display for Women of Courage, Character, and Confidence delayed due to the C-Virus. Eau claire WI
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Just happened to stumble upon this site again (it’s been years!). Sorry I missed you!
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Reconstructing History Patterns has a women’s Norfolk jacket pattern They also have other patterns, from the early 20th century, many based upon actual garments or older sewing patterns.
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You mention you don’t have child sizes but have adult uniforms…I am getting ready to do a program impersonating Juliette Low…is there one for her available to purchase?
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Sorry, we don’t have anything for sale.
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Dear Ann –
The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah was kind enough to send me the actual Norfolk jacket pattern directions. It is a period jacket with a full under jacket lining (acting like a corset) and requires a high level of sewing skill. I do 1860s garments with separate corsets, and the Norfolk jacket gives me pause because of the high level of interior tailoring. If you skip the interior, the jacket will not hang right or give the correct shape and support.The skirt can be made using Folkwear pattern #209 Walking Skirt available at: http://www.folkwear.com. This skirt also works for the 1912 blue uniform if you size it down for the girl. It uses construction methods true to 1912 (back placket – no zipper). It takes about 3-4 hours the first time you make it up and only requires basic sewing skills.
For an “everyday street dress” in a fashion Juliette Low may have worn, you can use Folkwear pattern #220 Garden Party dress, This pattern is much easier than the Norfolk jacket and only requires medium level sewing skills.
Yes, the campaign hat is the same as the: Boy Scout leader hat, Department of Forestry Ranger hat, or Army Drill Instructor hat – except according to the written description, it was dark blue. (I don’t think anyone is going to grump if you use the brown hat from any of the sources listed.)
If you just want the “look” and not an actual reproduction, any of the suggestions made before work fine.
SongScouting
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The blue hat was worn with the blue uniform. All the khaki uniforms until about 1919 used the brown campaign hat. I bought mine at an army surplus store and added a gold cord.
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[…] fish-shaped beads. Each is about 1″ in size. I thought they would be perfect additions to a Juliette Gordon Low costume or a Daisy-themed Kim’s […]
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Any suggestions on where I can find the patch that is on her hat and on the collar of her jacket? I’m putting together a costume for my daughter and I’m just missing this to finish it.
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We created a costume for my daughter’s 4th grade Night of the Notables Project. We bought a skirt girl sized from Amazon, then the jacket was a ladies Small. Then we got a straw hat from the dollar store and spray painted it. I could send a picture if someone sends me the link or an email address.
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Sounds cute, Kim! You can email a photo to ann@robertsonwriting.com.
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I’m echoing Holly’s question since it hasn’t been answered. What are people using for the patch on the hat and jacket collar? I don’t see anything like that for sale on the Girl Scout site or via ebay. Thanks!
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People either draw directly on fabric with a Sharpie or print on paper and glue on.
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A source for felt “campaign” hats – a police supply store, such as Galls (Galls(dot)com) has them in brown and blue.
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The early version of the Norfolk suit leader uniform didn’t have patches on the collar or hat. I portray the first uniform from 1919. The following year they brought out a version in suit wool. Many of the ladies who could afford it had theirs custom tailored.
Historical note; Daisy’s uniform was obviously tailored to her. I am her height, but I need to pad myself out a bit to portray her. She was fairly full-busted. You can date some of the photographs of her by how it fits. If her usual ear-to-ear grin looks a bit forced and the left side of the bustline of her uniform is a looser fit, the photo is probably from the year before she died. I never noticed this until after I read the most recent biography of her (forget the exact title) where it tells how she “had an operation” that left her in great pain. She went over to England for it so her family wouldn’t know. She was very closed-mouth about her cancer. It is hinted that the operation was a mastectomy, and the fit of her uniform seems to confirm it.
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