Historical Fancy Dress

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  Younger children may attend with their parents, and are expected to be strictly supervised throughout and withdrawn from the ballroom if they become too tired/fussy to display polite behavior.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

(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.

Guinevere

(Two nearly-identical descriptions of a pseudo-historical Arthurian costume from two different editions of the same manual, dated seven years apart.  The only change is the addition of an optional cloak in the later edition.  Judging from other literary-medieval descriptions and illustrations of the era, this would probably have been worn over a corset and either no bustle or a very minimal one, though you never know -- they've put bustles under less likely styles!)

(Idylls of the King).  Costly dress of gold tissue, velvet, and brocade; the skirt long and flowing, fastened from neck to hem with jewelled clasps, if possible an emerald in each, square-cut bodice, with jewelled bands round; sleeves tight at lower part, of a distinct colour to the bodice, the upper portion slashed and jewels introduced; coronet of pearls; hair in plaits.

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

(Idylls of the King).  Costly dress of gold tissue, velvet, and brocade; the skirt long and flowing, fastened from neck to hem with jewelled clasps, if possible an emerald in each; square-cut bodice, with jewelled bands round; sleeves tight at lower part, of a distinct colour to the bodice, the upper portion slashed and jewels introduced; coronet of pearls; hair in plaits.  A long brocaded cloak enveloping the figure may be added.

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

Footwoman of the Future

(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.