Moonlight and more

(My favorite line in this lengthy list of moon-inspired costume ideas is "to make it more peculiar, a bat could be fixed on the left shoulder.")

MOONLIGHT, MOONSHINE, MOON, LUNA, CLAIRE DE LUNE.  A silver-spangled tulle evening dress, over white satin; a mantle of the same, bordered with silver lace, attached to the shoulders of the low bodice; a white and silver scarf twisted round the head, fastened either with diamonds or with silver crescents, which must be introduced on the shoulders, front of the bodice, and skirt; white satin shoes with crescents; silver ornaments.  Dark grey and silver is another pretty combination for the character.  Moonshine, all of black tulle, with a basque bodice of silver brocade; the tunic edged with a most delicate fringe of crimped silver, looped at one side with one large star; the head-dress, a close-fitting turban cap of silver brocade, with a narrow fringe of crimped silver; black long gloves, with bands of silver tissue or brocade, about an inch wide, at equal distances; black fan with silver sticks.  This costume could be called Night, if preferred, and to make it more peculiar, a bat could be fixed on the left shoulder.  Another costume for Moon is a dress of soft white silk, trimmed and bordered with brown velvet cut in vandykes, three-quarter moons in gold cloth or yellow silk appliquéd on the velvet; plastron placed on low bodice, the same on short sleeves; blue scarf round waist, edged with gold; gold and silver-spangled tulle round neck; small silver-spangled cap with a bunch of arrows, surmounted by crescent, on one side.  Or, a dressed trimmed with moonlight tints on grey and silver; an electric star in hair is a novel feature.  A blue gauze dress, or sometimes green, may be worn.

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

Comments

[Neil W]

Make the costume more peculiar? Lunacy!

I quite like that Moonshine could be Night. I have to say that by the time anyone ever sees anything I've done mostly I've finished thinking about it weeks before and may have forgotten or lost interest in what it is. Other people's (mis)interpretations are actually more interesting. So the conversation might be:

"I love the costume. No don't tell me - is it... Starlight?"
"Sure, why not?"