Historical Fancy Dress

Category: Victorian

  • Wastepaper Basket

    FD-Holt-1896-Wastebasket (One of those deliciously silly ideas: dressing up as a wastepaper basket, hilariously applied over the 1890s hourglass silhouette, complete with the enormous sleeves of the mid-1890s, festooned with paper!)

    The gown in the Illustration must be carried out in any fabric which most closely resembles the wicker basket work, the trimmings being entirely confined to waste paper, which should be sewn with some skill round the hem forming the sleeves and cap.

    (Click the image to enlarge.)

    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.

  • A Victorian Fancy Dress Ball, New Haven, Connecticut (Saturday, April 2, 2011)

    Enjoying the descriptions and illustrations of fancy dress costumes posted here?  Now's your chance to try it for yourself!

    On Saturday, April 2nd, in New Haven, Connecticut, there will be a fancy dress ball in the style of the 1880s, featuring live music, Victorian dancing, refreshments made from historical recipes, and a chance to bring fancy dress costumes to life!

    The ball will be held from 8:00 to 11:30pm at beautiful Pratt Hall, less than a block from the New Haven Green and only a few blocks from the historic Yale University campus.  The dancing will be precepted by dance historian and teacher Susan de Guardiola (author of the Capering & KIckery dance history blog and owner of Historical Fancy Dress) with live music by the noted dance trio Spare Parts, heard recently on the soundtrack of the film Bright Star.  The dances will be a typical Victorian mix of couple dances (waltz, polka, schottische, galop) and set dances (contras, quadrilles).  All set dances will be taught during the evening, and there will be a workshop from 3:00 to 5:00pm the afternoon of the ball to help people wanting to learn the couple dances.

    Obviously, fancy dress based on the styles of the 1880s is strongly encouraged, and this blog is intended as a resource for costume ideas.  The evening will include a procession of costumes.  Since this is a fancy dress ball rather than a masquerade, masks are not necessary.  To preserve the beautiful floor, please make sure to have clean dance shoes or indoor-only shoes to change into at the hall so as not to track dirt or grit into the ballroom.

    The ball is strictly limited to 80 people due to the size of the hall.  Advance registration ($25 per person, or $18 for ages 13-21) is recommended.  At-the-door prices are $10 higher and admission will be available only if space permits.  Younger children may attend with their parents, and are expected to be strictly supervised throughout and withdrawn from the ballroom if they become too tired/fussy to display polite behavior.

    A flyer with registration information may be downloaded here.  A website will be up shortly.

  • Columbine

    (Another cute flower costume, this time for a young girl, though there's no special reason an adult woman could not do something similar.)

    Pink silk stockings, white satin shoes, tulle skirt, short and full; cuirass bodice bordered with flowers; wreath of flowers in hand.

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

  • 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.

  • Pansy

    FD-Holt-1887-Pansy (Here's a specific example of a flower costume, with three different variations, the first of which is illustrated at left.)

    Short white dress trimmed with deep rich-coloured violet pansies, one large one forming the head-dress the petals standing well round the head, like a brim; the bodice made of dark petunia velvet, arranged to simulate the flower, the soft peach crêpe de chine draped with pansies; a fan in the shape of a pansy.

    Or, dress of amber-coloured soft silk, trimmed with purple bands, outlined with gold; loops of purple and amber-coloured ribbons on the top of the sleeves; head-dress in the shape of the flower; white bibbed apron, embroidered in purple; a gold basket of hearts-ease carried.

    Or, dress of violet tulle and satin with profuse trimmings of the flower; wreath and shoes to correspond.

     

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

  • On personating flowers

    (Some advice on the popular — and very easy to assemble — flower costumes.  Descriptions of flower costumes actually worn at an event may be found in the coverage of an 1890s "plant party."  The descriptions given from both editions of this source are quite similar.)

    A fashionable evening dress trimmed with any flower, and called after it, is the easiest kind of fancy costume; a tulle veil with a  wreath is often worn with this, and China floral ornaments, a basket of the flowers carried in the hand.  Sometimes the flower is imitated; as for example: Blue Belle, blue shoes, stockings, and short skirt cut in vandykes, yellow bodice, cap like an inverted bell with green stalk.  Sometimes the dress is the colour of the flower, a violet evening dress made up with silver gauze and green leaves for a Violet, or the dress is embroidered with wild flowers, wall flowers, apple-blossom, ivy, fern, snowdrop, La Marguerite, heartsease, forget-me-nots, buttercups, or any flower personated.  Fleur d'été and oracles des champs can be rendered after these fashions, or if more of a fancy costume is desired, the lower part of skirt is gathered in diamonds, and outlined with silver or gold braid, or leaves and flowers; the bodice made à la Louis XV., and trimmed with gold or silver; an apron with bib, and a coquettish hat at one side of the head entwined with the particular flower.

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

    A fashionable evening dress trimmed with any flower, and called after it, is the easiest kind of fancy costume; a tulle veil with a  wreath is often worn with this, and china floral ornaments; a basket of the flowers carried in the hand.  Sometimes the flower is imitated; as for example: Blue Belle, blue shoes, stockings, and short skirt cut in vandykes, yellow bodice, cap like an inverted bell with green stalk.  Sometimes the dress is the colour of the flower, viz., a violet evening gown made up with silver gauze and green leaves for a Violet.  Forget-me-not, blue satin dress, border of flowers, muslin fichu and cap, apron trimmed to match, blue hose, shoes, and mittens; or the dress is embroidered with wild flowers, wallflowers, apple-blossom, ivy, fern, snowdrop, la marguerite, heartsease, forget-me-nots, buttercups, or any flower personated.  Fleur d'été, Fleur des Champs, and Oracle des Champs, can be rendered after these fashions; or if more of a fancy costume is desired, the lower part of skirt is gathered in diamonds, and outlined with silver or gold braid, or leaves and flowers; the bodice made à la Louis XV., and trimmed with gold or silver; an apron with bib, and a coquettish hat at one side of the head entwined with the particular flower.

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

  • Evening Dress of the Future

    (This costume is from a listing of simple costume suggestions for gentlemen and provides a very easy out for a modern gentleman — white tailcoats and trousers and black shirts can be easily rented or bought from a formalwear store.  The waistcoat color is not specified, perhaps because both black and white were worn in period, though black was more common.  Like the Footwoman of the Future, this costume tries to anticipate change, though it fails to predict the tuxedo!)

    …viz, white where it is usually black, and vice versa, white coat and trousers, black shirt, tie, and collar.

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

  • Footwoman of the Future

    FD-Holt-1887-Footwoman
    (This costume verges on science fiction — a preview of an egalitarian future in which women take on a traditionally male job — while simultaneously looking back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries for style elements in the same way as a footman's livery of the era!)

    Black satin quilted skirt; maroon double-breasted tail-coat, brass buttons; black waistcoat showing beneath the jacket in front, and lace ruffles; hair powdered; tricorn black and gold hat; gold-headed cane in hand.

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

  • Costumes for brunettes

    (Costumes ideally suited the wearer by age and coloration.  Here three nearly-identical lists of suggestions for brunettes, taken from different editions of the same manual.)

    Among the Costumes best adapted to BRUNES are Africa, Arab Lady, Arrah-na-Pogue, Asia, Autumn, Bee, Gipsies of various kinds, the Bride of Abydos, Brigand's Wife, Britannia, Buy-a-Broom, Carmen, Cleopatra, Colleen Bawn, Connaught Peasant, Diana, Druideess, Earth, Egyptian, Erin, Esmeralda, Fenella, Fire, Greek, Harvest, Maid of Saragossa, Maritana, Oranges and Lemons, Rose of Castille, and Zingari, together with Italian, Spanish, and Oriental.

    Source: Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.

    Among the Costumes adapted to BRUNES are Africa, Arab Lady, Arrah-na-Pogue, Asia, Autumn, Bee, Gipsies of various kinds, the Bride of Abydos, Brigand's Wife, Britannia, Buy-a-Broom, Carmen, Cleopatra, Colleen Bawn, Connaught Peasant Diana, Druidess, Earth, Egyptian, Erin, Esmeralda, Fenella, Fire, Greek, Luti, the Indian Girl, Harvest, Maid of Saragossa, Maritana, Rose of Castille, and Zingari, together with Italian, Spanish, and Oriental dresses.

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

    Among the Characters adapted to BRUNES are Africa, Arab Lady, Arrah-na-Pogue, Asia, Autumn, Bee, Gipsies of various kinds, the Bride of Abydos, Brigand's Wife, Britannia, Buy-a-Broom, Carmen, Cleopatra, Colleen Bawn, Connaught Peasant, Diana, Druidess, Earth, Egyptian, Erin, Esmeralda, Fenella, Fire, Greek, Harvest, Maid of Saragossa, Maritana, Rose of Castille, together with Italian, Spanish, and Oriental dresses.

    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.

  • Christmas Card

    (An amazingly detailed description of how to embody a Christmas card. Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating!)

    Short striped skirt of black and gold, on the black a row of Christmas Cards printed horizontally, edged with gold braid, three on each, graduated, the largest at the bottom. At the edge of skirt are satin flounces, over which fall gold tinsel and fringe. Red satin paniers and drapery, covered with swansdown pompoms; scarlet satin cuirass bodice laced at the back, bordered at the neck with swansdown, festoons of holly-berries on the arm, below the shoulder. Cordon of Christmas roses across the bodice, white ribbon epaulettes, holly wreath, red aigrette, stockings and shoes. A Christmas card in centre of white swansdown fan.

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