Hello detectives! A lot of you have been in contact lately asking how to dress like one of my characters for this year’s World Book Day. I wrote a post last year telling you how to dress like Daisy and Hazel – but this year, I’m updating it below, to answer all of the questions you’ve been asking me!
How do I dress like a Deepdean girl or a Detective Society member?
Daisy, Hazel and their friends Kitty, Beanie and Lavinia all go to Deepdean School for Girls. It’s so easy to dress like them! All you need is a grey pinafore (or grey skirt) and a white blouse, plus a grey jumper or grey blazer to put on over it. On your legs you can wear tights or long socks, and you should have a stripy tie to wear around your neck. If you want, you can wear a hat, to make you look just like you come from the 1930s. Put your hair in plaits, grab your magnifying glass and print out the Deepdean Crest (drawn by my talented friend Dustin Hansen) and you’re ready to go.
If you want to show you’re Hazel, make sure you’re holding a casebook and pencil and your favourite bunbreak, Bourbon biscuits. If you’re Daisy, clutch some crime novels and (if you want to go all out) a fingerprint kit. Kitty has freckles and would hold a hockey stick, Beanie would carry her dormouse Chutney (I don’t advise you bring a real mouse to school – a cuddly toy mouse or hamster works much better!) and Lavinia would look very scruffy – her tie would be missing and her hair a bit of a mess! If you want to be King Henry or a Prefect, wear the Deepdean uniform as above, but add a badge that says HEAD GIRL or PREFECT.
How do I dress as a Weston boy, or a Junior Pinkerton?
Alexander and George both go to Weston School. It’s also very easy to dress like them! All you need is a pair of grey trousers and a white shirt, plus a grey jumper or grey blazer to put on over it and a stripy tie to wear around your neck. You can wear a hat if you’d like, then grab your magnifying glass and you’re ready to go.
If you’re Alexander you should also be carrying a notebook and pencil, and if you’re George you need to make sure that you look as smart as you can – shiny shoes, combed hair and a perfectly tied tie!
What do the detectives wear in Arsenic for Tea?
Daisy, Hazel, Kitty and Beanie would be wearing winter clothes: woolly jumpers, blouses, skirts, thick tights and hats to go with their magnifying glasses!
What do the detectives wear in First Class Murder?
It’s summer, so Daisy and Hazel would wear pretty floral dresses with collars, white socks and little patent-leather shoes, with straw hats on their heads.
Alexander would be wearing shorts instead of trousers, and no blazer or jumper – just a button-up shirt.
What do the detectives wear in Mistletoe and Murder?
Again, it’s winter, so Daisy and Hazel would wear woolly jumpers, blouses, skirts, thick tights and hats – and fur-trimmed coats if you have them! (I recommend fake fur for this).
Alexander and George would be in trousers, and they’d be wearing long woollen coats too, with hats on their heads.
What do the detectives wear in A Spoonful of Murder?
Daisy would wear a white linen dress and a straw hat, and Hazel would wear a cheongsam – black, white or green would all work. Hazel would also have a jade pin in her hair …
What do the detectives wear in Death in the Spotlight?
Daisy and Hazel would wear spring clothes – light spring coats, hats, blouses and skirts.
Alexander and George would be in trousers, and they’d be wearing long sleeved shirts and light spring coats, with hats on their heads.
If you have any more questions, please do ask in the comments – and if you ARE going to dress up as any of my characters, I would really love to see pictures of your finished costumes! It’s one of the most amazing things that can happen to an author – seeing readers caring enough to bring our beloved characters to life is just astonishing and wonderful, and it never gets old.
I will be sharing a post of my favourite World Book Day costumes next weekend, so let me know if you’re happy to be included in it. It’s absolutely fine if you just want to show me how you look!
Happy World Book Day, everyone – have a great time celebrating amazing books!
