The Mystery of Work It

The clues: A dressmaker's pattern from 1832, a postcard of Rosie the Riveter, a high-heeled silver boot The file label: "Work It" The investigation: E.B. heads to Black Creek Pioneer Village to investigate the dressmaker's pattern. He discovers that back in the 1800's, North American women mostly made all their own clothing. It was a lot of work, and women's fashion at the time involved many layers like corsets, hoops and petticoats. It wasn't easy working in those clothes either. Kyla finds out that a riveter is a person who works on airplanes. At the Canadian Historical Aviation Association she discovers that Rosie the Riveter is from World War II when men went off to war and women took up their jobs in factories. After donning the proper "Rosie" outfit of coveralls and bandana, Kyla pounds rivets into an airplane's fuselage. She discovers that the Rosie outfit wasn't only practical for the job; it also had a big influence on women's fashion. It was the first time in history that women were allowed to dress like men. E.B. finds a tag inside the high-heeled silver boot that leads him to a clothing rental warehouse. He finds out that the boot isn't a woman's boot but a man's boot! Welcome to the world of glam rock; an over the top fashion style from the 70's that started with musicians like David Bowie. The stylish duo discovers how fashion has evolved from a strict set of rules to what is now a common form of self-expression. Mystery solved: The kids figure out that as society has changed, so has fashion. Plus, "work it" is something people in fashion say when a model is doing a good job.