Historical Fancy Dress

How to apply a patch

(Useful information for a late nineteenth-century Ball Poudré, as described here, or for 18th-century-style costumes.)

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Powder and patches are so often adopted at fancy balls and private theatricals that a few hints as to how to apply them may not be out of place in a work like the present...

...The complexion must be made up in the following way: -- Cover the face with the finest glycerine or cold cream; now rub in the rouge with a piece of cotton-wool, commencing at the cheek-bone and working gradually downwards.  Next, cover the face with the fine pearl-powder, and outline the eye-brows with an eye-brow pencil, which may be purchased in any shade at most chemists.  Finally, powder lightly all over, to soften the effect of the rouge.

The patches should be cut out of black sticking-plaster, the sticking side moistened and applied to the cheek.  They may be round or cruciform, or any fanciful shape.  Georgian belles used to adorn their cheeks with bows and arrows, or ships in full sail.

There is quite a science to putting on a patch: it must never be placed on a line of the face, as it appears to extend it.  If you place a patch on the line which goes from the nostril to the lip, it will appear to draw down the mouth, and give you a sullen appearance.  A patch should be placed so as to call attention to a favourite feature, like a signpost for the stupid or unobservant.  The blackness of the patch accentuates the brilliancy of the complexion, whilst its position calls attention to the rounded cheek or sweetly curling lip.  The coquettes of old times used to hve a patch which went by the name of the "Assassin," so deadly and rapid was its effect.  Perhaps it will be better not to reveal where it was placed, as we do not wish to destroy the peace of mind of the youths of the nineteenth century.

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

Queen of Mirth

(Another lovely costume description with no illustration to accompany it.  This is a great one for people who want to fuss around with accessories and little decorations on a relatively simple gown.)

Rose-coloured skirt, white satin front, and low square bodice, trimmed with bells, crocuses, shamrocks, and butterflies (emblems of mirth); coronet and veil; a sceptre surmounted by a butterfly; rose-coloured shoes.

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

Faust

(Yes, men wore fancy dress as well.  Especially men who wanted to wear tights!  Click the illustration to enlarge.)

Tight-fitting waistcoat and skirt of white satin embroidered with silver; pale-blue tights, with trunks and sleeves of blue and white striped silk; lace collar and cuffs; cloak of white and blue hat with white plumes.

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

Summer (or July)

(Fancy dress books included costumes for every season and month of the year, but Holt cheated by using the same costume for Summer and for July.  Lisse appears to be a filmy gauze, possibly crinkled.)

A white or pink gauze, lisse, or tulle evening dress, liberally trimmed with summer flowers, especially roses; it is sufficient to wear a wreath of the same, but a veil with butterflies is a more decided fancy dress, or a straw hat, with flowers and butterflies.  Scattered rose leaves on the skirt add to the effect, interspersed with butterflies and green beetles; a basket of flowers in hand; necklet and earrings of China roses.  Or, a dress of blue and crimson brocade, with fringes of flowers.  July is dressed in the same fashion.

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

A Ball Poudré (Powdered Ball)

(Here are a quartet of descriptions of an odd but apparently popular ball theme in which the only costuming done is that the ladies powder the hair.)

Occasionally the hostess elects that her guests shall apear in costumes of a particular period, and Poudré Balls find many patrons.  Under these circumstances the lady guests only wear powder with ordinary evening dress, the gentlemen making no change from their usual attire, save perhaps that white waistcoats and button-holes are enjoined.

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

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Yet another kind of fancy ball is a bal poudré.  Here the guests are free to appear in ordinary evening dress but with powdered hair.  The ladies arrange their hair in imitation of some old picture, and there is plenty of variety to be obtained in this way.  One wears the long locks pertaining to one of Reynolds' beauties, another wears the piled up coiffure indulged in by the Court ladies in the reign of Louis XVI.  A piquante beauty does her hair à la Watteau, and a more serious one adopts the style of Marie Antoinette.  Powder and patches are allowable with this style of coiffure, and the powdered hair is so universally becoming that all the ladies look their best.

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

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A Ball Poudré

A ball of this description is conducted upon the same basis as an ordinary ball, so far as the programme and general details are concerned.  The guests attire themselves as for a full-dress ball, except that th ladies are required to powder their hair white and wear fancy black patches upon their face; and the gentlemen to wear white vests and small button-hole bouquets.  The effect is very pretty, especially with the present artistic style of dressing which closely copies antique fashions.

        Masquerade and Carnival: Their Customs and Costumes.  London and New York: The Butterick Publishing Co., 1892.

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A Bal Poudré

A ball of this description is conducted upon the same basis as an ordinary ball, so far as the program and the general details are concerned.  The guests attire themselves in evening dress as is the custom for a ball, the only difference being that the ladies are required to powder their hair white and wear fancy black patches upon their faces; and the gentlemen to wear white vests and small buttonhole bouquets.  The effect is very pretty, especially with the present artistic style of dressing.  The minuet should be danced, also those dances which have a slow, graceful movement.

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

Song

(This is a great costume typical of many of the more abstract fancy dress themes.  It's taken from an Edwardian era manual but has draping at the hips much like that of the bustle era, though with hints of the Edwardian silhouette in the corsetry.  Click the illustration to enlarge for the details.)

Skirt and bodice of cerise satin.  Draperies of pale-gray gauze, with laurel leaves, etc. for ornamentation.  Staff and notes painted on the skirt.

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

Water Spirit

(Unfortunately, a couple of my books contain hundreds of descriptions that have no accompanying illustrations.  Lots of room for imagination thinking about this description combined with the bustle silhouette!)

Dress of sea-green tulle, trimmed with seaweeds, pearl shells, and coral.  Hair loose and flowing, crowned with a wreath of sea-weed and coral.  Ornaments of pearl shells.

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

Magpie

(Here's a dramatic woman's bird costume with two separate descriptions of different approaches to take to the theme, the second of which is illustrated at left.  Note that it's built over a small bustle!  Click the illustration to enlarge.)

Half black, half white dress; hair powdered on one side and not on the other; one glove and one shoe black, one white; short satin skirt, with gauze tunic bordered with fringe; basque bodice; gauze fichu; satin ribbon tied in a bow at the throat; gauze cap.  All half black and half white, so that the wearer seems on one side all black, on the other all white.  A magpie on the right shoulder.

[second version]  The front of the skirt is striped black and white satin plaited; the bodice cut in one with long side revers of black, lined and turned back with white ruching to the hem of the skirt, opening down back to show full plaited skirt.  The black bodice bordered with white; low striped vest; magpie on the shoulder and in hair, which may be powdered or not, or half-powdered.

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

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