Historical Fancy Dress

Category: 1880s

  • Charles II, Period of

    FD-Holt-1896-CharlesIIPeriod (Another historical costume more representative of the late 19th century than its original era of the 1660s. The illustration is taken from the 1896 edition and is very much in the hourglass style of that year; presumably the 1887 version is envisioned similarly adapted to the bustle silhouette!)

    1887:
    CHARLES II., PERIOD OF.  The women's dress of this period is familiar from the bevy of beauties associated with it at Hampton Court in négligé attire.  The bodices alone are stiff, but they expose rather than cover the bust and neck; the curled locks fall on the shoulders, and are simply confined by a row of pearls round the head; the arms are bare from the elbow; a train and distinct front breadth form the skirt, and there is a plethora of lace.  More homely women wore plain skirts, an upper one of a contrasting tone; pointed bodices, high to the throat, with a plain turn-down collar from the throat; the full sleeves to elbow are caught up with jewels at the bend of the arm; the shoes high on the instep, and very high in the heel, with roses or buckles.  The following is a good dress: — Blue and gold brocade, ith flounces of gold embroidery and point d'Alençon lace, and train of old gold satin; puffed petticoat looped at the side with bows, pearls, and lace; bodice low with sleeves fastened in to elbow with diamond ornaments; diamond tiara, and ornaments.  The skirt made plain and long, the bodices low, with lace turning downwards from shoulders.  Hair in ringlets, with bandeau of pearls.

    1896:
    CHARLES II., PERIOD OF.  The dress illustrated [above left; click to enlarge] may be carried out in plain satin.  The skirt full, the bodice low and stiff, with handsome jewelled trimming on front at neck, and fur bands which can be replaced if desired by a fall of lace, a full sleeve to elbow with an undersleeve of muslin and satin caught up in the fore-arm with a jewel.  Ruffle, gloves, pearls round the throat, and a small bouquet of flowers at the side of the head.  The women's dress of this era is familiar from the bevy of beauties associated with it at Hampton Court in négligé attire.  The bodices expose rather than cover the bust and neck; the curled locks fall on the shoulders, and are simply confined by a row of pearls; the arms are bare from the elbow; a train and distinct front breadth form the skirt, and there is a plethora of lace.  More homely women wore plain skirts, an upper one of a contrasting tone; pointed bodices, high to the throat, with a plain turn-down collar; the full sleeves to elbow are caught up with jewels at the bend of the arm; the shoes high on the instep, and very high in the heel, with roses or buckles.  The following is a good example: — Long skirt of blue and gold brocade, with flounces of gold embroidery and point d'Alençon lace, train of old gold satin puffed and looped at the side with bows and pearls; bodice low with lace turning downwards from shoulders, sleeves fastened into elbow with diamond ornaments; diamond tiara.

    FrancesStewartc1665 At right (click to enlarge), an actual portrait of a courtier of Charles II in the fashion of the era: "Frances Teresa Stuart", c1662-1665 by Sir Peter Lely.  Frances Teresa Stewart was the Duchess of Richmond & Lennox and a prominent member of the Restoration Court.  Notice the dramatically lengthened bodice and the much softer skirt shape compared to the 1896 illustration above!

     

    Sources:
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, Sixth Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1896.

    The 1896 edition of Holt may be found online at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.

  • Aquarium/Gem of the Ocean

    (A delicious example of a initially charming and relatively simple idea that grew increasingly complicated and silly over the years.  I'm particularly taken with the spreading anemone tentacles — placed "here and there" on the gown and intertwined with seaweed in the hair — and the ludicrous head-dress given in the final description.)

    1880:
    AQUARIUM.  Fashionable evening dress of blue and green tulle, trimmed with marine plants and ornamented with fish and shells, the octopus on one side of the skirt; veil of green tulle; hair floating on shoulders.

    1887:
    AQUARIUM.  Fashionable evening dress of blue and green tulle, trimmed with marine plants and ornamented with fish and shells, the octopus on one side of the skirt; veil of green tulle; hair floating on shoulders.  Bodice trimmed with seaweed and coral; ornaments, silver fish and coral.

    GEM OF THE OCEAN, THE.  The idea of this dress is taken from the anemone tanks of an aquarium.  The dress, pale coraline satin; the trimmings, fringes, and groups ofnatural seaweeds, all of the most delicately-tinted kinds, small pearly shlls, and large pink anemones, imitations of the real aciniae, with their spreading tentacles placed here and there all over the dress — on the shoulders, front of bodice, and in the hair (interspersed with seaweed), and looping up the poufs of satin on the skirt.  Very palest shade of green would have a charming effect.  Shell ornaments round the neck.

    1896:
    AQUARIUM.  The idea of this dress is taken from the anemone tanks of an aquarium.  The dress, pale shot coralline and green satin; the trimmings, fringes and groups of natural seaweeds, all of the most delicately-tinted kinds, small pearly shells, coral, and large pink anemones, imitations of the real actiniae, with their spreading tentacles placed here and there all over the dress — on the shoulders, front of bodice, and in the hair (interspersed with seaweed), and looping up the satin skirt.  Shells, coral, and silver fish ornaments.  Character also called Gem of Ocean.  On the shoulders are small silver fish with fins erect.  The hem bordered with vandykes of brown plush to simulate rock.  For a realistic rendering.  Head-dress, a miniature aquarium with water and fish.  A gown of green, silk covered with cork and seaweed.

     

     

    Sources:
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, Sixth Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1896.

    The 1896 edition of Holt may be found online at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.

  • Pillar Post (Mailbox)

    FD-Holt-1887-PillarPost (For women and girls with a strong but inexplicable desire to dress like a Victorian mailbox.)

    1887:
    Long red satin dress; white waistcoat with placard bearing hours of collection printed on it; head-dress, square cap, the same form as the top of letter-box.

    1896:
    Long red satin dress; white satin placard bearing V R and hours of collection printed on it; head-dress, square cap, the same form as top of letter-box.

    The "V R" stands for Victoria Regina, of course.  Pillar post boxes for mail were introduced in England in 1853, with new designs introduced in 1887 for Victoria's Golden Jubilee. A Victorian pillar post is shown in the image below; many more examples may be seen in this article on pillar post history.

    The illustration above (click to enlarge it and see the writing on the bodice) is from the girls' section of the earlier edition but actually better matches the 1896 description.

    Sources: VR_Pillar_box,_Hull
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, Sixth Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1896.

    The 1896 edition of Holt may be found online at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.

  • 1888 “Beetle Wing Dress” restored

    EllenTerryMacbeth1888 After a £110,00 restoration, the famous Beetle Wing Dress worn by Victorian actress Ellen Terry for the role of Lady Macbeth in 1888 (image at left; click to enlarge) has been restored and is now on display at Smallhythe Place, in Kent.  While this is a theatrical costume worn on stage rather than a fancy dress costume for a social event, its use of actual insect parts is interesting in the wake of comment-thread speculation on previous posts about the use of such materials in fancy dress costumes imitating insects and birds.

    True to its name, the dress was covered in real beetle wings, which made repairing it an interesting challenge.  An article published by Britain’s National Trust quotes Paul Meredith, House Manager at Smallhythe Place:

    ‘We had collected the beetle wings that had fallen off over the years so that the conservator was able to re-attach many of the originals, plus others that had been donated to us – 1,000 in total.”
    The actual dress is a stunningly bright blue-green, and was an enormous sensation at the time:

    SargentBeetleDressThe dress, transforming the beautiful red-haired actor into a cross between a jewelled serpent and a medieval knight, was the talk of the town after the first night. John Singer Sargent painted Terry wearing it, and the artist’s neighbour, Oscar Wilde, recalled the impact of Lady Macbeth arriving in a taxi: “The street that on a wet and dreary morning has vouchsafed the vision of Lady Macbeth in full regalia magnificently seated in a four-wheeler can never again be as other streets.” 

     

    BeetleDress The Sargent portrait is shown at right and the actual dress, in a photo the colors of which do not do it justice, at left.  Click the images to enlarge.  Better-colored photos, though only partial views, are available in the National Trust article.

    Special thanks to Eowyn for the tip!

  • Nocturne

    (Here's another easy out for ladies who don't want to wear "decided" fancy costumes, and a perfect example of the power of strategic naming: simply wear an evening gown in colors reminiscent of one of Whistler's famous Nocturne paintings, of which a primary characteristic was their lack of narrative content.)

    "In black and white, or red and white, after Whistler.  The term is generally applied to a stylish evening dress of the above mixtures.  The name is a fashion of the hour, and finds favour with those who do not care for decided fancy costumes."

    Sources:
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.

    The "fashion of the hour" label seems to be accurate — it does not appear in the sixth (1896) edition of Holt. 

    WhistlerNocturne Interestingly, there is at least one Whistler portrait labeled a Nocturne: the Nocturne in Pink and Grey, Portrait of Lady Meux (1881-1882), shown at left (click image to enlarge).  It's not a ballgown, but it does suggest a wider range of color possibilities than those given above.  Whistler also painted Nocturnes in combinations of blue and gold, black and gold, blue and silver, and grey and gold.

     

     

  • An Irish cab-driver

    (In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here's a comfortable costume for a gentleman who wants to be informal at a ball.)

    An Irish cab-driver; green coat patched, brass buttons, brocaded waistcoat, drab breeches with patches, high collar and red tie, blue darned stockings, leather shoes, hat trimmed with green and sprigs of shamrock.

    Note: in the later (1887) edition, the costume is described as "An Irish car-driver."

    Sources:
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.

  • Butterfly/Queen of Butterflies

    FD-Holt-1896-Butterfly (Here's a whole selection of ideas either for a personified butterfly or for the Queen of Butterflies. Butterflies seem to have been fairly egalitarian in dress — the costume listed for a plain old butterfly in 1880 appears in later editions as suitable for the Queen. Different colors are given for different styles of butterfly; see the Canadian Butterfly for a color rendering and description of one variety.  Pre-made butterfly wings are easy to purchase nowadays, so it would be easy to transform any gown into a similar costume.  The illustration at left is from the 1896 edition; presumably an 1887 butterfly would have at least a small bustle!)

    1880:
    Butterfly: Tulle dress bordered with butterflies; black velvet tunic shaped and pointed like the wings; low bodice, with bands of gold across the front; blue gauze wings attached to back, short sleeves, with butterflies; a butterfly on the head; black shoes with blue butterflies.

    Queen of Butterflies: For the Queen, the dress would be similar, of bluish silken tissue, the tunic cut in the shape of a butterfly's wings; a jewelled zone round the waist; wand carried in the hand.

    1887:
    A Butterfly: Short white satin skirt, covered with clouds of brown, pink, and blue tulle.  Flight of butterflies all over it.  Wings of blue gauze, and the antennae in the head-dress.  White silk stockings and white shoes.  Butterfly on each.

    Golden Butterfly: Short skirt and low bodice of yellow merveilleuse, draped with tinsel gauze, trimmed with yellow, jet, and gold butterflies; gauze scarf; butterfly and feather head-dress, yellow shoes and stockings.

    Queen of Butterflies: Tulle dress covered with butterflies; black velvet tunic shaped and pointed like wings; low bodice, with bands of gold across the front, blue gauze wings attached to back; short sleeves, with butterflies; a butterfly on the head; black shoes with blue butterflies.

    The following is a very pretty rendering: White tulle dress, puffed and bouillonéed, with scarf of pale blue satin caught together with loops at back, bordered with tinsel fringe, dotted all over with butterflies; also bodice; a large one on each shoulder; wreath of butterflies and white veil with butterflies upon it; gold wand in hand with butterfly a-top; pale blue fan with butterflies. 

    Or, dress of brown velvet, front made with robings of brown and gold brocade; large gold and brown wings; hair dressed high above the face, surmounted by cap like antennae; brown gloves, shoes, and stockings.  For the Queen, the dress would be similar, of bluish silken tissue, the tunic cut in the shape of a butterfly's wings; a jewelled zone round the waist; wand carried in the hand.

    1896:
    Butterfly: [In the figure above at left] is depicted wearing a diaphonous skirt with panels showing the markings of the wings; a brown velvet bodice with handsome gold and velvet applique ornamentation; two gold cords falling like the antennae.  The folded tulle above is caught up with similar ornaments on shoulders, wings at the back, antennae in the hair.

    A tulle evening gown with a flight of butterflies across it, gauze, wing butterflies on hair and shoulders.

    (For young child.)  Short skirt of blue foulard, with an over-skirt of gauze; low bodice, having a waistband fastened in front with bows; two wings are attached to the middle of back, made of gauze, edged with fine wire; silk stockings; blue satin shoes.

    Queen of Butterflies: Dress draped with tinsel gauze, black velvet tunic shaped and pointed like wings; low bodice, with bands of gold across the front, blue gauze wings attached to back; short sleeves, with butterflies; a crown with a butterfly hovering behind it; black shoes with blue butterflies.

     

    Sources:
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, Sixth Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1896.

    The 1896 edition of Holt may be found online at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.

  • Astrologer

    (This sounds like the Victorian version of Harry Potter!  The costume is intended for a boy, though I suppose a man could do something similar.  I'm not sure how "toga" and "sleeves" go together.)

    Long velvet toga, with wide hanging sleeves, bordered with satin, bearing the signs of the zodiac in gold; high pointed velvet cap, entwined with a gold snake; wizard's wand, large spectacles, book, and telescope; long pointed shoes.

    Sources:
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.

  • England

    FD-Holt-1887-England(This type of costume could be made for any nation by using flags and the national colors as drapery over a simple gown.  It appears in both the 1887 and 1896 editions of a single manual, perhaps initially inspired by the Victoria’s 1887 Golden Jubilee celebrating the 50th anniversary of her rule.)

    Skirt of cream bunting, the lions of England painted on each of the battlements in which the edge of the skirt is cut; the Union Jack and Standard of Scotland draped with Prince of Wales’ plumes, ostrich feathers; dark blue velvet bodice, made quite plain, and trimmed with gold and small Union Jacks; fan covered with Union Jack; headdress a helmet; effigy of St. George and the Dragon round neck.  (Click the image to enlarge.)

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

    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, Sixth Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1896.

  • The Windsor uniform

    (In answer to a question in the comments on the post listing costumes from a fancy dress ball in Singapore: what the "Windsor uniform" refers to.)

    …the Windsor uniform, which is red cloth lapels and cuffs sewn on to an ordinary evening dress-coat, sometimes, in lieu of red cloth, light blue silk is used.  (1880)

    … the Windsor uniform, with red cloth lapels and cuffs sewn on to an ordinary evening dress-coat, — sometimes, in lieu of red cloth, light blue silk is used.  (1887)

    The actual Windsor uniform, undress version, appears to have been a dark blue coat with red cuffs and lapels; presumably for a fancy dress ball people were just going for the general look, though it is possible that the wearers in Singapore were among the officials expected to wear it and thus had the proper coat already.  Their listings are plain "Mr." with no associated titles, however, and the descriptions above suggest to me that it was an easy shortcut for men disinclined to put much effort into costuming.

    Sources:
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.
    Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.