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The trick to dressing in period style is to understand the trends and fads of that era. So if you're dressing as the Great Gatsby, knowing a bit about the Roaring '20s is helpful. That means wearing a pinstripe suit, shoes with spats and maybe even a decorative cane or low-brimmed hat with a band. When you think of history, what comes to mind? Great conquerors, presidents, royalty, celebrities? These are some examples of people to portray whom others will recognize immediately: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Queen Elizabeth I, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, a Roman gladiator, Joan of Arc, Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, William Wallace (Braveheart), Amelia Earhart, Florence Nightingale, a Viking, Albert Einstein or Pocahontas. If you choose to be Benjamin Franklin, you might find some colonial-style dress in a costume store, but what about a pair of spectacles or stockings? Sometimes, you might have to look elsewhere for these kinds of items, whether it's your grandmother's attic or a thrift store.
Get the clothing right. Pick someone easily recognizable. Don't skimp on accessories.