Think of what you want your soldier to be. airborne, infantry, rangers, marines? The choice is yours, and each group has its own distinctive uniform and gear.
Research military uniforms in history books, online, or by watching vintage newsreel footage on the History Channel or the Military Channel Before you can start building your outfit you need the basic clothing. Here are some of the variety of items included in a typical uniform, but note that they are not universal. Trousers, only service dress has khaki so no khaki, only olive drab or faded olive drab (looks like khaki). Shirt Field jacket or winter coat. Boots, usually midcalf in standard brown corcoran jump boots, marine boondockers, rough out boots or buckle combat boots, unlike modern military uniform boots. Helmet with helmet liner M-1938 canvas Leggings Ammo belt that matches weapon such as M1 Garand, Thompson, Browning Automatic Rifle(BAR), or M1A1 carbine(with no bayonet lug) M-1936 field bag (Musset) bag Aluminum chain on cap(water only anything else may cause aluminum poisoning)canteen Haversack, musset bag, M-1944-45 field pack, rucksack with bedroll, poncho, shelter half, shaving kit, 2x4 metal mirror, skivvies(underpants), extra t-shirt k-rations and assorted gear Knife, entrenching tool, mess kit, and other gear may be included.
Start out looking at military surplus stores to see what kind of things you can find. You should look for an olive-drab HBT (herringbone twill) uniform shirt, a m-1943 field or m-1941 jacket. This should somewhat resemble the look you want. You will also need HBT uniform pants that are the same color, these will be easier to find.
Find a helmet. Look for the World War II helmet design (paint it later), they are quite common. These helmets are also quite heavy so if you are making this for a little one you might find a fiberglass or plastic helmet liner( which is what goes inside) as this is much lighter.
Search online specialty shops to look for reproduction items if you cannot find authentic ones repro is better because original will ruin too easily and you will have to keep buying thread for it every time. Wardog Militaria.com and By- The- Sword.com are examples, but with the growing popularity of reenactments and interest in military history, there are lots of other sites to choose from.
Beware if you shop at online auctions, both because authentic uniform items are serious collector's items and can command a very high price, and because reproduction items may be misrepresented as genuine vintage, you will need to be careful if purchasing there.
Assemble what you have bought into however you like it but is better to follow regs to make it more authentic. You may use vintage photos to help get an idea how the uniform should look, or you might visit a military museum to look at their displays.
remember and always keep in mind if you can't find good things online then print a photo of a uniform and go to walmart or sears and find as close as possible to what's in the photo and try your best to find a good army surplus store near you.
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