Every history or social studies teacher (or professor) needs a closet of historical costumes. Dressing up as characters from the past or literature will make your lessons memorable and classes fun. Don’t limit your creativity to Halloween.

Challenge your students to dress as their favorite historical or literary characters for bonus points. I don’t recommend requiring students to create costumes as some may not have the financial means or interest in dressing up. But you can collect historical costume items for your students to use during “act-it-out” activities.

Where do I find historical costumes? The pieces in my collection are a combination of thrift store and yard sale treasures both old and new, items I sewed using historical patterns, or re-adapted pieces from my regular closet. However, an Internet search can reveal factory and custom-made historical costume pieces if sewing isn’t your thing.

Below are a few of my more recent creations.

This is my newest and BEST creation so far using a historically accurate pattern and recycled thrift store drapes.

Cynthia Resor time-travels to early 19th century England. Here she is the Duke of Devonshire’s Chiswick House (green-screen technology is almost as good as a time-machine). She disguised herself as a dandy or fop, a foolish man who was too concerned with his clothes. Note the hair mourning brooches on the label. Clearly, she has spent too much time reading English novels and living in the past.
Every history teacher should wear historical costumes to class at least once a semester.