Historical Fancy Dress

Tag: Victorian Masquerade

  • Photography

    McCord-Photography(It's always wonderful to find a well-documented photograph of someone in a fancy dress outfit.  Here's one from the era of the hoop skirt; how appropriate it is to find a photograph of Photography!  Click the image for a larger version.)

    Left: Miss Stevenson, as "Photography", Montréal, QC, 1865 by William Notman.  Image © McCord Museum.

    The photograph is part of an online exhibition of photographs of fancy dress costumes from balls and skating parties; the museum's description of it states:

    "Miss Stevenson attended a fancy dress ball in Montreal in 1865 at the Theatre Royal, given by the officers of the garrison. She dressed as "Photography", complete with a camera on her head and photographs adorning her dress, shoes, bracelets and fan. Miss Stevenson copied this dress from a printed fashion plate, which frequently offered images of fancy dress costumes. The almost identical costume in the Parisian plate is bright green."

    While I do not, alas, have the fashion plate referred to, I do have two nearly-identical descriptions of a photography costume, with details very similar to those shown in the photograph, from the second and fifth editions of a fancy dress manual from the 1880s.  They confirm the suggestion above that the dress would be green.  Presumably were the costume to be made in the style of the 1880s the short-for-its-era skirt would take the shape of a bustle rather than a hoop.  The "lunette" referred to in the descriptions is a half-moon shape rather than the camera used by Miss Stevenson.

    (1) A green silk dress trimmed with tulle of the same shade, round the skirt, nestling in the bouillonnés, a row of photographs, a scarf of the silk draped across the skirt, with medallion photographs at intervals, all bordered with green gimp, the bertha of the low bodice fastened at the front, back, and on the shoulders with them.  A cap in the form of a lunette, with cartes de visites, and a long green veil depending.

    (2) A green silk dress trimmed with tulle of the same shade; round the skirt, nestling in the bouillonnés a row of photographs; a scarf of the silk draped across the skirt, with medallion photographs at intervals, all bordered with green galon; the bertha of the low bodice fastened at the front, back, and on the shoulders with them; a cap in the form of a lunette, with cartes-de-visite, and a long green veil depending.

    Sources:

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

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

  • Dusk

    (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.

  • Othello

    FD-Butterick-Othello 33 (Another Shakespearean costume, this time for the gentlemen. What is left out of the description is that this was almost certainly worn with blackface makeup, which would nowadays be completely unacceptable.  Click the image to enlarge.)

    Shirt of white silk and tights of pale brown; sleeveless tunic of black silk, handsomely trimmed with gold bands; gold belt; full cloak of white cloth.

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

  • Costume suggestions for sisters

    (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.

  • Dragon-Fly

    (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.

  • Justice

    (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.

  • Witch

    FD-Holt-1887-Witch (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.

  • On masked balls

    (One might deduce that the “national character” of late nineteenth-century England is a little too straitlaced for the presumed dissipation that occurs when the dancers are masked…)

    A masked ball is rarely given in England. One or two were given during the existence of the New Club, and it is possible that they will come into favour again, but it is a question whether the national character adapts itself readily to this description of entertainment.


    The ladies at a bal masqué wear little black velvet masks on the upper part of their faces, and a domino covers the ball-dress. This domino may be of a plain black silk lined with colour, or may take the form of a very elaborate tea-gown. Both masks and dominoes are usually doffed at the announcement of supper, and the brilliant toilettes and sparkling jewels of the ladies shine out all the brighter for their temporary effacement.

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

  • Will-o’-the-Wisp

    (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.

  • Golden Autumn

    (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.