Historical Fancy Dress

Category: Men’s

  • Richelieu

    Richelieu (A historical costume for the gentleman who doesn't care to expose his legs in tights!)

    A robe of cardinal-red goods made in domino style and trimmed with ermine, and worn over a lace gown.  A red mitre is worn, and a scepter is carried.

    Source:
    Masquerade and Carnival.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1892.

    A description and illustration of a domino-style robe were recently posted; the men's version would be similar to the women's as illustrated.

    As may be seen in the painting at left, Armand Jean du Plessis,
    Cardinal de Richelieu (1585-1642) doesn't seem to have actually worn either a lace gown or a mitre, though at least some 19th-century cardinals had much lacier apparel.

  • Court Jester

    FD-Butterick-CourtJester (Like the boys' Brownie costume, here's one for men that looks more fierce than amusing!  It would be easy to find a similar modern costume through a rental shop or theater.)

    Costume of red and yellow satin or sateen, half of each color and alternated as depicted in the illustration; each point tipped with a tiny bell.

    (Click to enlarge the illustration.)

     

    Source:
    Masquerades, Tableaux and Drills.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1906.

  • Napoleon

    FD-Butterick-Napoleon (One of the most recognizable historical figures for a man, and very suitable for a shorter gentleman in particular!  Click to enlarge the image.)

    White trousers; fawn-colored coat with heavy gold braid; purple sash and white felt hat trimmed with gold braid. Gauntlet gloves and spurs on boots.

     

    Source:
    Masquerades, Tableaux and Drills.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1906.

  • The Seasons Quadrille

    (Here are descriptions of costumes for a Fancy Quadrille carried out by a matched set of eight ladies and gentlemen.  A subset of the costume descriptions could also be used for a group of men or women or for a couple.)

    THE SEASONS QUADRILLE

    SPRING. — A very Young Lady. — Short dress of primrose tulle, with satin bodice of the same colour.  Skirt, trimmed with bunches of primroses, and bouquets of same on shoulders; primrose wreath on the head; shoes and stockings and gloves all of the same colour.

    Attendant Gentleman — Angler — Izaak Walton. — A brown, velvet doublet, with brass buttons up the front and along the square side-pockets.  Full knee-breeches of brown velvet, with brown or yellow silk stockings.  A high pointed beaver hat, with yellow feather.; fishing-rod in hand.  Hair tied in a bag-wig with brown or yellow bow.

    SUMMER. — Pale pink tulle, over satin of the same shade.  Low bodice, edged with garland of roses.  Wreath of ross on head, and a long garland of the same flowers on the skirt.

    Attendant Gentleman — Haymaker. — Smock frock of cream-coloured soft silk, brown corduroy knee-breeches, and pale blue stockings, with Oxford shoes.  Rustic hat, and square-cut hair.  Sleeves tied in three places with pale blue ribbon.

    AUTUMN. — Amber tulle dress, trimmed with long garlands of poppies and corn.  Bunches of same on shoulders  Wreath of poppies and corn.  This is a most becoming dess for a brunette.

    Attendant Gentleman — Reaper. — Same as haymaker, but with green corduroy breeches, instead of brown.  Brown stockings and Oxford shoes.  Belt and sickle.

    WINTER. — White satin short dress, edged with swan's-down.  A robin perched on left shoulder.  Leonardo da Vinci cap of white plush, trimmed with swan's-down, and a robin stuck at one side.  High white satin boots edged with swan's down at the top.

    Attendant Gentleman — Polish Skater. — Dress of purple velvet, edged with fur.  Small skates slung to his belt.

    Source:
    Armstrong, Lucie.  The Ball-Room Guide.  London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co., c1880s.

  • Falconer & Falconry

    (Falconer and Falcon(e)ry are actually individual costumes from completely different sources, though close together in time, but they'd also make a workable pair of themed costumes for a couple, despite their disparate historical styles.  It seems a bit unfair that the lady gets a hawk, presumably stuffed, and the gentleman does not!)

    For the gentlemen, a Falconer:

    FALCONER
    Short tunic of brown velvet trimmed with a plastron of gold cloth and bound with gold braid, fastened round the waist with a leather belt.  Loose knickerbockers, gartered at the knee, and tied with a ribbon bow.  White stockings with calf-pieces of velvet trimmed with gold braid.  Leather shoes.  Lace neck-frill.  Soft, round hat of velvet, trimmed with eagle feathers.

    Source:
    Masquerade and Carnival.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1892.

     

    For the ladies, Falconery:

    FALCONERY
    Short skirt of dark cloth, red, blue, or brown; green velvet skirt caught up on one side; long basqued jacket of the same; gauntlet gloves with hawk on the hand.  Cavalier hat with dropping feathers; high boots.

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

     

    Nine years later the description is virtually the same, though the velvet overskirt is lost and the spelling is more conventional:

    FALCONRY
    Short skirt of dark cloth, red or brown; long basqued jacket of green velvet; gauntlet gloves; a hawk on the hand.  Cavalier hat with dropping feathers; high boots.

    Source:
    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.

  • Mephistopheles

    FD-Butterick-Mephistopheles (One of many versions of the famous devil from the legend of Faust, and once again an opportunity for men to get into tights!  I actually made a rather crude version of this, minus the headdress, many years ago for a friend.  Click the image to enlarge.)

    Costume of flaring-red cashmere, body and sleeves slashed, with silver-gray satin inserted.  Silver-gray tights and silver belt.  Pointed shoes and feather on head.

    Source:
    Masquerades, Tableaux and Drills.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1906.

  • Richard I, Coeur-de-Lion

    (This is listed as a boy's costume, though there's no reason a man couldn't wear it as well.)

    The 1887 description:

    RICHARD I., COEUR DE LION.  In a maroon velvet tunic trimmed with gold lace, three lions couchant embroidered in gold on the breast; white silk tights; velvet trunks; gold and satin shoes; jewelled belt, sword, and dagger.

    The 1880 version differs only in making the lions courant (running) instead of couchant (lying down).  Historically, Richard I appears to have used a device with the three lions passant gardant (striding, facing toward the viewer.)

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

  • Spanish Toreador

    FD-Butterick-SpanishToreador (A costume that let an Edwardian gentlemen be colorful and glittery yet still feel masculine!)

    Red velvet jacket ornamented with gold; white shirt, red tie, striped sash over a vest of blue cloth, and breeches trimmed with gold braid. Brown stockings, brown hat with red pompon, brown cape.

    Click the illustration at left for a larger view.

    Ambroise-Vollard-Dressed-As-A-ToreadorSource:
    Masquerades, Tableaux and Drills.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1906.

    Eleven years later, in 1917, Renoir painted the art dealer and patron Ambroise Vollard dressed as a toreador, as seen at right (click to enlarge), though I don't know whether the costume was for a particular fancy dress occasion or merely for the sake of an interesting portrait.

     

  • 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.

  • Fast and easy fancy dress ideas

    With the upcoming 1880s Victorian Fancy Dress Ball, I've gotten a lot of questions along the lines of "can I wear _____?"  The answer is usually "Yes!"  To shortcut some of this discussion, here are some general categories of costume that are perfectly fine for a fancy dress ball:

    – Any historical costume from any era prior to the 1880s.  It doesn't even have to be very good — there are comments in manuals about how some people are very authentic in their costuming and some much less so (nothing has changed!)  Call yourself "a lady of the previous century" or "a gentlemen of the Roman times" or something similar and you're all set.  Ladies, try wearing a different era over a Victorian corset or even a bustle for the hilariously inappropriate silhouette sometimes found in 1880s "historical" costumes.  (Examples of historical costumes, good and bad.)

    – Any ethnic dress from any country, from a Scottish kilt to a Japanese kimono, is fine.  Ethnic and national dress were very popular for fancy dress balls.  (Examples of national/ethnic costume.)

    – Any role from a novel, opera, poem, or play from the 1880s back is eligible; Gilbert and Sullivan costumes are particularly appropriate, and mythology was a popular source.  (Examples of costumes from literature, mythology, and theater/opera.)

    – For ladies who already have a gown in a particular color combination that matches a flower or butterfly, use fake ones as accessories (on the head or shoulder, as trim, and as a hat and/or fan as well) and go as that flower or butterfly.  Find or make wings and antennae for the latter.  Multicolored costumes might be a garden of flowers or flock of butterflies, or the queen of either.  (Examples of flower and insect costumes.)

    – Add a few accessories to a gown and go abstract to represent a month or season, weather, or astronomical bodies — with a green dress, be summer, and with a white one, winter.  Pastels?  Represent spring.  Grey?  Dusk.  Yellow?  The sun.  Blue?  The sky.  Rainbow?  Rainbow!  (Examples of costumes for months or seasons and astronomical themes.)

    – An easy one for gentlemen is the Victorian idea of futuristic eveningwear: a white tailcoat and trousers with a black shirt.  This ensemble can be rented at formalwear stores or bought used online.  The Windsor uniform, which involves tacking a bit of fabric onto a tailcoat, is also a quick and easy costume for men who already have formalwear.

    – Gentlemen disinclined to dress up can get into the spirit of things by at least wearing an unusual boutonniere.  (Read the description of this ball for an example.)

    – Fancy dress doesn't have to be fancy — people dressed up as fanciful versions of Puritans, servants, peasants, beggars, charity girls, and more.  This could be a character from a play or novel or something more generic.  Authentic amounts of dirt and grime are unnecessary, however.

    – Still have your graduation cap and gown, or a friend you can borrow them from?  Academical dress is a legitimate costume for men or women.

    – Victorianesque science fiction is a possibility — while H.G Wells' novels are still to come, Jules Verne's major novels are all out by the 1880s.  A "Duchess of the Next Century" appears on a list of costumes and could cover a modern evening gown, and there's a full description of a footwoman of the future which suggests openings for ladies' versions of many masculine outfits.  Enjoy steampunk?  An airship pilot, balloonist, or submariner would be a costume that allows for speculation.  A Harry Potter-inspired costume could be a witch, wizard, or astrologer.

    – Use your imagination!  Victorians dressed up as everything from sports equipment and items of food to playing cards, wastebaskets, and the mysterious Bounding Ball of Babylon.  Here's a list of actual costumes from an 1884 ball to start you off.  Avoid overtly modern elements, remember you have to be able to actually dance in it, and let your imagination fly!