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Do you love Peaky Blinders? You don’t have to be English to love this 1920s series! I love Peaky Blinders because it’s like watching The Great Gatsby with gorgeous men and women who have these fantastic accents!
There are a few Americans in the show, by the way, and I’ll talk about them in a bit.
Why Buy a Peaky Blinders Costume If You’re a Woman?
There are lots of reasons you might choose a Peaky Blinders costume, and you don’t have to be a man to get your Shelby on!
Get the Peaky Blinders Costume for Woman!
- The show is popular. Peaky Blinders is a popular television show that has been on the air for several seasons. It has a large and devoted following, and many people are interested in dressing up as their favorite characters from the show.
- The costumes are stylish. The Peaky Blinders costumes are stylish and unique. They are not your typical Halloween costumes, and they can help you stand out from the crowd.
- The costumes are empowering. The women in Peaky Blinders are a group of strong and independent females. Dressing up as a Peaky Blinder (see Tom Shelby Suits ) can be a way to celebrate female empowerment and show the world that women can be just as tough and bad a$$ as men.
Who do you have in mind? Let’s talk about the options!
- Related Topic: Downton Abbey Dresses for Women!
Female Characters in Peaky Blinders
Let’s look at each of the female characters, what they are like, and how you can dress like them.
Polly Gray
Polly is the matriarch of the Shelby family and essentially the co-leader of the Peaky Blinders. She is a strong, intelligent, and resourceful woman who is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She’s also brutal and has no problem killing. To pull off a Polly Gray look, think classic 1920s with a bit of Gypsy in your soul. Polly would totally wear a man’s suit like this one.
If you tend to be on the big size, you can sort through the different colors and variants in this selection and find a great quantity of XL and XXL sizes.
Just remember that underneath her waistcoat, Polly would prefer a chiffon dress shirt or blouse instead of the regular men’s shirt.
Add a pair of sunglasses, a paisley scarf
and Mary Jane’s to complete the look.
You can go with a fedora
or a cloche hat
Ada Shelby
The only sister in the family. Ada is a top-fashion dresser, but she’s never loud or showy like flappers. This dress would be perfect to get your Ada Shelby on
along with a cloche hat
and the right shoes.
You can add a wrap
and a purse if you like
Lizzie Shelby
Second wife of Thomas Shelby, Lizzie learned to dress like a real upper class lady, but she still enjoys all the sparkle of a flapper. This dress would be the perfect one to emulate Lizzie, and it comes with everything you need other than shoes!
Linda Shelby
This is Arthur’s wife. She’s fashionable but modest. Think of a muted Ada Shelby.
Add the classic Mary Janes
and a cloche hat
Grace Shelby
First wife of Thomas Shelby, mother of Charles. Blond and beautiful, Grace is elegance plus. She wears fashionable but a bit looser clothing than you will see on Ada and Lizzie. I think this dress would be a good match
paired with those wide-brimmed hats she loved
and, of course, those Mary Jane shoes
Esme Shelby
Esme is the wife of John Shelby (now deceased). She’s a true Gypsy but likes a little bit of that 1920s fashion style. Esme should wear some beads even for day-time costumes. You’ll make a credible Esme Shelby with this blouse
paired with this skirt
and a pair of matching shoes
I don’t think I ever saw Esme wear a hat, just her long hair in a low messy bun but feel free to add a hat or headband if you feel it works for you.
Gina Gray
American wife of Michael Gray. Isn’t she something else?! Gina comes from money, so she dresses at the height of fashion and isn’t afraid to show off her wealth. Her dresses are simple but elegant like this dress in gold.
Add a pair of two toned gold pumps
and, oh yes, don’t forget the fur wrap. Gina wears furs like these quite often.
You’ll notice that Gina doesn’t go for the usual cloche hat, but she does favor the tam or fascinator or hatinator and veil, like this one
Whether you want to wear these outfits for special occasions or you simply love Peaky Blinders costumes, you’re sure to find the perfect Shelby (or Gray) dress for every occasion.
Female Peaky Blinders Costumes in Plus Size
Even plus-sized gals have a great variety of Peaky Blinders costumes to choose from!
It depends on which character you want to emulate:
Grace Shelby
Think elegance and always fashionable.
Get the Plus Size Gatsby Dress!
Ada Shelby
Ada is always super stylish and never showy, and she’d wear something like this dress.
Get the 1920s Plus Size Dress!
Lizzie Shelby
Lizzie has gone from barmaid to a high-class wealthy woman. She likes the wealthy part, but she’s still a barmaid at heart. This dress should get this idea across.
Get the Fringe Dress For Plus Size!
Polly Gray
Oh that Polly! I think she is my favorite character. She’s tough as nails but still feminine. Try this pantsuit
Get the 1920s Gangster Outfit!
with a ruffled blouse,
and don’t forget the hat and sunglasses!
Gina Gray
Wealthy and not afraid to show it, Gina is easy to emulate.
Get the right hat
and fur shawl,
and you’ll nail that Gina Gray look!
Don’t let anything or anyone stop you! That’s certainly true of the Shelbys (and the Grays) so follow suit and wear what makes you feel good!
The Best Accessories for Women’s Peaky Blinder Costumes
When it comes to women in the Peaky Blinders story, you can dress it up or dress it down.
It seems to me that many American women wore considerably more jewelry than they did in England, but this doesn’t mean you can’t wear lots of pearls if you like.
I think the best accessories that will nail the look include:
A hat
Nearly everyone wore hats in those days. I think the only female I’ve seen without a hat is Esme, the gypsy wife of John Shelby.You can choose from several styles to suit your taste or your outfit, including the Gina Grey veil look,
the Polly Gray bucket hat or cloche hat,
or the church hat worn by Grace Shelby.
Shoes
They say that the clothes make the man, but the shoes make the woman. If you invest in nothing else, wear shoes that fit the occasion. Imagine a bride wearing flip flops and you get the idea. Shoes were quite simple in the Jazz Age, and these plain Mary Janes can be worn for many years and with many different outfits
A fur wrap
Unless its the heat of summer, many of the women in Peaky Blinders wore a fur wrap not only for warmth but also to show off their wealth.
As I mentioned earlier, jewelry should be kept to minimum. That doesn’t mean that you can’t wear some fabulous drop earrings
or a choker
or even a bracelet or two
but not all at once. If you check out the photos, you’ll see that the women in Peaky Blinders often wore only one piece of jewelry, not all of them as Americans did.
Final Thoughts
Peaky Blinders theme is so much fun, and it’s a nice change from the usual Great Gatsby parties.
I’ve found that the female fashion in Peaky Blinders is both stylish and empowering. It reflects the strength and independence of the women in the show, and it inspires viewers to express their own personal style.
I’ve never been more into fur shawls than I have since watching Peaky Blinders. I hope you share photos of your costumes after your next Peaky Blinders party or wedding!
Written by Kerry Wisby – GatsbyFlapperGirl.com
Owner & Founder of GatsbyFlapperGirl.com
Kerry Wisby, a former teacher with a BA in English, is the founder of GatsbyFlapperGirl.com. With a passion for all things 1920s, including The Great Gatsby novel, her website is the ultimate source for Roaring Twenties fashion, history, and party ideas. Read more about Kerry here.
