Démodé

historical costume projects & resources

TV Review: Bomb Girls (2012 – present)

Starring Meg Tilly, Jodi Balfour, and Charlotte Hegele.  Costumes designed by Joanne Hansen.

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This is a Canadian TV series (set in Toronto, I believe?) about various women who work at a munitions factory during World War II… and it is complete soap opera, and I love it!  The lead character is Gladys, daughter of a wealthy family who wants to get involved in the war effort and rebel against her parents, so she gets a job at the factory.  There she meets many working class women, from Lorna (the older supervisor with a difficult home life, played by Meg Tilly) to Vera (the flightly girl who faces a big challenge) to Betty — the strong independent woman, who falls for sheltered Kate, running away from an abusive family.  The stories follow them into the factory and out as the war complicates their lives, does a beautiful job showing the many opportunities and challenges that the war caused for women, and has some excellently soap opera-esque storylines to keep you hooked.

Best of all, the costume designer did a BRILLIANT job.  Everything from the factory outfits to the street and dress-up wear, hair, makeup, etc. is appropriate to the period.  In particular, they either have a stock of vintage rayon prints or a source for making stunning reproductions, because the women wear dress after dress that makes you go, “WHOA, that is SUCH a 1940’s print!”

My review:  5 (out of 5)

One thought on “TV Review: Bomb Girls (2012 – present)

  1. Hi

    I am glad that you found the show and enjoy the costumes.
    I have also watched to see how well they kept to the details since I do costume design for theatre and TV.
    I have also enjoyed the costume information that you have provided.

    Peggy.

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