Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) is the most famous aviator of all time. And it’s not just because she disappeared. She was ferociously brave and determined, continually doing things that people said it was simply impossible for a woman to do. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, initially as a passenger (1928) and then as a solo pilot (1932). She was the first woman to make a solo non-stop flight across the United States (1932). She was the first person, male or female, to fly solo from Hawaii to California (1935). And she met her death trying to become the first pilot to circumnavigate the globe at the equator.
From a costuming standpoint, the most important thing to wear is an aviator hat and goggles. As for the rest of the outfit, Amelia’s flying clothes evolved as fashions changed. Early in her career she tended to wear the trench coats, jodhpurs, and boots that were a holdover from World War I uniforms. Later in the Thirties she was more likely to wear bomber jackets and slacks. We’re going with the earlier look. Here she is in 1928:
And here’s a picture of Amelia’s actual trench coat from the Smithsonian:
These are the items you need:
1. Leather trench coat. Or you could get a faux leather trench coat for a lot less money, or search for a vintage coat.
2. Jodhpur-style breeches. These khaki costume jodhpurs are a good choice to simulate the look of World War I breeches.
3. Military-style lace-up boots in brown. You can usually find knee boots on Amazon that have this kind of style.
4. Costume aviator hat. Note that this is just the hat; you have to get the goggles separately (next).
6. Aviator’s white silk scarf: If you don’t already have a white silk scarf you can use, this is the genuine article. That same store also carries real leather aviator hats and reproduction goggles—not costume shop stuff—if you’re looking for authentic gear.
Put all that together, and you’ll be the spitting image of Amelia as she appeared in the star-making photo that ran in the New York Times on June 10, 1928 (above and in our main illustration). If you want to carry the effect even further, wear a button-down shirt with a man’s tie. That seems to be what Amelia’s got going on in the picture. She also has on either a vest or a sweater, or maybe even a jacket underneath her coat. It was cold up in those little planes!
