(One of those very vague descriptions that lends itself to a great deal of creativity in the drapery and trimming of the dress.)
Dress of dull grey, muslin or gauze, over satin; silver ornaments and smoked pearls; a bat on shoulders.
(See also: In The Gloaming)
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(A list of suggestions for costumes for sisters that also work for any pair or group of women. I can just imagine my sister’s reaction had I ever suggested dressing her as a slave to my Circassian Princess…)
SISTERS who desire to appear in costumes which assimilate might choose any of the following: Apple and Pear Blossoms, Sovereign and Shilling, Cinderella’s two sisters, Cordelia’s sisters, Brenda and Minna Troil, Brunhilda and Kriemhilda, Salt and Fresh Water, the Roses of York and Lancaster, a Circassian Princess and Slave, Music and Painting, the Two Nornas, Lovebirds, Aurora and the Hours, Oranges and Lemons, and Four Sisters as the Seasons.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(Back to insects again, in the continuing Victorian fascination with the natural world…)
Evening dress of green tulle, spangled with green tinsel, trimmed with bulrushes and dragon-fly; a dragon-fly on the head and on each shoulder.
Source: Holt, Ardern. Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition. London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
(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.
(A hilarious society column description of a themed party, though it doesn't seem to have included much dancing. Read all the way to the end for descriptions of some of the specific costumes. Thanks to Irene Urban for finding this article for me!)
From The New York Times, February 18, 1898:
THE HEWITTS' PLANT PARTY.
Society Assumes Vegetable Garb for the Season's Last Big Dance — Striking Costume Effects.
The last of the season's big dances, a revivification of the days of Louis XVI, who is credited with having stood sponsor for similar entertainments at Versailles, took place in the form of a "plant party" at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Abram S. Hewitt, 9 Lexington Avenue, last night. It was attended by several hundred of the city's wealthiest and most fashionable people.
As a novelty the plant party was a success. The edifying spectacle of richly costumed and bejeweled women carrying about on their persons imitations of various representatives of the vegetable kingdom, from squash and lettuce to meteor roses and orchids, and of men in conventional evening dress, with similar additions, was something enough out of the ordinary to interest the people concerned, and also plenty of others who were not favored with invitations.
The women guests were asked to go in costumes representative of some particular fruit, flower, or vegetable. The men appeared at the house in ordinary evening dress, which prevented too close a similarity to the Versailles "plant parties," and as each of them entered he received a vegetable adornment, artificial of course, which he was supposed to wear for the rest of the evening.
The feminine guests showed little tendency to clothes themselves in complete imitation of plants or fruits, but were contented with bizarre headdresses and vegetable garnitures, which were sufficiently startling without quite spoiling the effect of handsome gowns. One young woman carried in a staff adorned with garlands, and another had snowshoes carried in for her to complete her costume.
Mrs. Hewitt received her guests in a costume suggestive of violets, and carried real specimens of the flower. The Misses Hewitt, who assisted her, carried pinks and orchids. Mrs. P. Cooper Hewitt daughter-in-law of the host, who was with them, wore imitation red carnations in her hair. P. Cooper Hewitt and Edward Cooper were among the other relatives present.
The entertainment was of a vaudeville character and started abut 10:30 P.M. There were charades, tableaux, and songs, all furnished by the guests. Lander's Orchestra played, and supper was served about midnight. There was some informal dancing afterward, but no cotillion.
Mr. Webb's Make-up.
G. Creighton Webb created considerable amusement by appearing in an admirable make-up of red hair and beard and complexion to match. He disguised his voice with good effect.
The plant party is said to have been the first thing of its kind ever given here, though a vegetable party, in which men and women were both costumed, took place at Sherry's two years ago. It was a leap year dance, and was attended by a number of fashionable people.
Among the striking costumes were those of Mrs. A. Cass Canfield, who wore a basket of roses as headgear; Mrs. Francis Key Pendleton, who was in yellow satin, trimmed with small sunflowers, and wore the head of a tremendous sunflower in her hair; Mrs. W. Bayard Cutting, in cerise velvet, and wearing as a bonnet the half of a flower pot from which a stalk bearing pink carnations protruded; Mrs. Nicholas Fish, a costume designed to represent wild field flowers; Mrs. Stanford White, in yellow satin, with poppies over her head and used to trim the corsage of her gown; Miss Edith WInthrop and Miss Ruth Morgan, gowned to represent poppies.
Mrs. Victor Sorchan, in pink satin, trimmed with pink roses, and wearing a pink satin rose, which measured about eighteen inches across, on her head; Miss Kernochan, as a sunflower, with satin gown appropriately trimmed; Miss Mary Kernochan, a white satin gown covered with apple blossoms; Mrs. W. Stover Miller, in brilliant red tulle and wearing a Bacchante wreath of grapes and grape leaves in her hair.
(The original article may be found in The New York Times' archive, here.)