Tag: Victorian falconery

  • 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.