(An interesting costume combining both symbolic and practical elements of the theme.)
Short white satin dress, scales in black velvet appliquéd upon it; black velvet jacket with policeman’s badge on one arm; a leather belt; a truncheon in hand, and policeman’s helmet.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(Just in time for Halloween, the Victorian version of the classic witch. The illustration shows just how long a "short" skirt would be. And note the mitts rather than full gloves. Click the image to enlarge.)
Short quilted skirt of red satin, with cats and lizards in black velvet; gold satin panier tunic; black velvet bodice laced over an old-gold crêpe bodice; small cat on right shoulder, a broom in the hand, with owl; tall pointed velvet cap; shoes with buckles.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(Here are very similar descriptions for a woman’s version and a girl’s version of the same outfit. The electric stars would have been very modern and fashionable, less than a decade after the invention of the light bulb.)
Women:
Flowing hair falling over black fashionably-made evening dress; tiny lantern carried in hand; star of electric light in the centre of the forehead.
Girls:
Black lantern in hand, hair flowing; black tulle dress with iridescent beads; star over the forehead of electric light.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(Here’s a costume appropriate to the season, for anyone who looks good in gold!)
The bodice and tunic of golden satin, looped over tulle of the same shade; the tunic caught back and edged with a fringe of ears of corn, clusters of fruit of all kinds, and nuts; the bodice trimmed to correspond, and for the small sleeves a band of fruit and leaves; a wreath of ears of corn an fruit; ornaments of fruit. Attached to side a gold-coloured fan with a border of ears of corn; a cluster of fruit placed on the outside stick; in the hand either a bunch of corn or a sickle.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(This is one of those ideas that leaves me sputtering with laughter, especially the idea for the headpiece. Oh, for an illustration!)
White satin dress strung with all kinds of vegetables; black velvet bodice to simulate a saucepan, handles form the epaulettes to the sleeves; head-dress like the lid of saucepan.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(The "peculiar headdress" is presumably some version of the kokoshnik in this Anglo-American interpretation of Russian folk dress.)
A chemisette of fine cambric, neatly gathered and drawn round the throat with a frill; long sleeves of the same frill, and gathered round the wrist; a short-sleeved bodice of black silk, laced across the chest with gold braid; a peculiar headdress — a sort of half-moon of cardboard about six inches deep is covered with blue and red silk, and embroidered with beads; to the top is fastened a white gauze veil.
Source: Armstrong, Lucie. The Ball-Room Guide. London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co., c1880s.
(Not a costume of Van Dyke himself, but meant to represent the style of the dresses worn in his paintings, this is one of those hilarious reimaginings of a historical era with the general style worn over completely inappropriate Victorian underpinnings for a very peculiar silhouette.)
Full plain skirt; muslin apron, edged with pointed lace; bodice with revers; sleeves to wrist; hair in curls.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(This is a fantastic and bloodthirsty costume, with a snaky theme and a classic Greek chiton rather than the usual gown of the era. It may well still have been worn over a corset and bustle, though!)
Red or black veils, snakes entwined about bare arms, buskins like a huntress, rough chiton of brown, or black, or blood-coloured, girt with skins of snakes; other serpents bind their waists, and their garments are embroidered with snakes' eyes.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(Something adorable for a little girl! Notice the elongated bodice meant to represent the insect body; this is found on women's insect costumes as well. I don't know enough about butterflies to have any idea what makes this particularly Canadian, but there are non-Canadian butterfly costumes as well for both women and girls and the general style could be adapted to any species of butterfly.)
Bodice of green plush elongated into a point which falls on to the short yellow tulle skirt; short, puffed sleeves; gauze wings at back forming tunic; butterfly on head; green gloves and shoes with butterflies; butterfly fan.
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.
(This is really two separate ideas for the theme: either a "classic" fashion, probably meaning a chiton, or a standard period evening gown. With so little detail as to the decoration there's lots of room for imagination here!)
Short blue and white dress made of cashmere or soft silk in classic fashion, or in gauze or twill as an evening gown, with stars and spheres for ornaments; star-spangled veil.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.