Historical Fancy Dress

Category: Accessories

  • On shoes, and the powdering of hair

    (A brief mention of the problem of matching shoes to costumes, with a digression on powdered hair.  See the previous On the necessity of gloves for further advice.  "Short" dresses are in fact mid-calf to ankle-length, not miniskirts.)

    To be properly chaussé and ganté are difficulties at fancy balls. With short dresses the prettiest and most fashionable shoes are worn, either blak with coloured heel and bows, or coloured shoes to match the dress, and embroidered, the stockings being of plain colour or stripes. With the Vivandière dress Wellington boots are best.

    To avoid glaring inconsistencies, it is well to remember that powder was introduced into England in James I.'s reign, though not very generally worn. It attained the height of its glory in the Georgian period, and in 1795 fell a victim to the tax raised by Pitt on hair-powder; those that wore it subsequently were called guinea-pigs, on account of the guinea tax. Periwigs were first mentioned in 1529. High-heeled shoes were not heard of till Elizabeth's reign.

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

  • On the necessity of gloves

    (Serious consideration given to the problem of gloves.  The mitts and mittens mentioned here refer to fingerless gloves, not the modern sort of mitten.)

    It is uncomfortable to dance without gloves, so consistency yields to convenience.  For most Peasant dresses mittens are best; but when gloves are worn they should be as little conspicuous as possible.  For the Poudré costumes, long mittens and long embroidered gloves are admissible.  Gloves were never heard of till the 10th and 11th centuries, and not much worn till the 14th; still, what can pretty Berengaria do if she wishes to dance and does not care to appear ungloved?

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