Snow, Snowstorm, Snow Queen

(A costume suited to the season or for anyone with an excess of swansdown at hand.  White maribou would make a workable substitute.)

Snow, Snowstorm.
A princesse dress of soft white foulard, made high to the throat, or with a square-cut bodice, back and front, and very short sleeves; a drapery of Indian muslin put on just below the hips, covered with detached pieces of frosted swansdown, caught back at both sides with a long broad piece of swansdown, long glass icicles; the bodice and short sleeves trimmed to match, and a wreath of frosted swansdown, with icicles; a veil, fastened either to the wreath or to the shoulders, of frosted gauze, dotted all over with swansdown; very long gloves, trimmed to match, and shoes covered with swansdown; necklace of frosted swansdown and icicles, and from underneath a few drooping snowdrops peeping out; hair down; the fan entirely of swansdown, with an edging of drooping icicles; if the swansdown is just touched with gum, and some "frosting" powder sprinkled on, the effect is very sparkling.

Snow Queen.
Same, with crown of icicles.

Source:  Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.

Comments

2 responses to “Snow, Snowstorm, Snow Queen”

  1. Sisuile Butler Avatar

    I think I would want that much swansdown quilted into my cloak. It’s just too cold.
    What do they mean by “frosted”?

  2. Susan de Guardiola Avatar

    I don’t know what they mean by frosted. My best guess would be something like the sparkly crystal organza, but I’m really not sure.

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