Historical Fancy Dress

Brownie

(A brownie costume for a boy or a group of boys that's more creepy than charming.)

This costume is of brown cloth with yellow bands, buttons and cap trimming.  Yellow stockings and brown pointed slippers.  Where a number of "Brownies" are to appear, the costume may be made of khaki, duck or like material, and may be of any combination of colors, bright hues being preferred.

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

The Seasons Quadrille

(Here are descriptions of costumes for a Fancy Quadrille carried out by a matched set of eight ladies and gentlemen.  A subset of the costume descriptions could also be used for a group of men or women or for a couple.)

THE SEASONS QUADRILLE

SPRING. -- A very Young Lady. -- Short dress of primrose tulle, with satin bodice of the same colour.  Skirt, trimmed with bunches of primroses, and bouquets of same on shoulders; primrose wreath on the head; shoes and stockings and gloves all of the same colour.

Attendant Gentleman -- Angler -- Izaak Walton. -- A brown, velvet doublet, with brass buttons up the front and along the square side-pockets.  Full knee-breeches of brown velvet, with brown or yellow silk stockings.  A high pointed beaver hat, with yellow feather.; fishing-rod in hand.  Hair tied in a bag-wig with brown or yellow bow.

SUMMER. -- Pale pink tulle, over satin of the same shade.  Low bodice, edged with garland of roses.  Wreath of ross on head, and a long garland of the same flowers on the skirt.

Attendant Gentleman -- Haymaker. -- Smock frock of cream-coloured soft silk, brown corduroy knee-breeches, and pale blue stockings, with Oxford shoes.  Rustic hat, and square-cut hair.  Sleeves tied in three places with pale blue ribbon.

AUTUMN. -- Amber tulle dress, trimmed with long garlands of poppies and corn.  Bunches of same on shoulders  Wreath of poppies and corn.  This is a most becoming dess for a brunette.

Attendant Gentleman -- Reaper. -- Same as haymaker, but with green corduroy breeches, instead of brown.  Brown stockings and Oxford shoes.  Belt and sickle.

WINTER. -- White satin short dress, edged with swan's-down.  A robin perched on left shoulder.  Leonardo da Vinci cap of white plush, trimmed with swan's-down, and a robin stuck at one side.  High white satin boots edged with swan's down at the top.

Attendant Gentleman -- Polish Skater. -- Dress of purple velvet, edged with fur.  Small skates slung to his belt.

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

The Ghost of a Belle

(Here's an interesting twist on Poudré costume that can incorporate a white dress of any era, provided the wearer is willing to powder her hair!)

Any style of costume in white.  Powdered hair, white slippers and stockings.  The face should also be powdered to look very white, or a white mask may be worn.

Source:
Masquerade and Carnival.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1892.

For Fair-Haired Women

(Paralleling the list of costumes for brunettes, here are some fancy dress suggestions for fair-haired women from various editions of Ardern Holt's manual.)

From the second edition in 1880:

For FAIR WOMEN, among others, the following are suitable: -- Arctic Maiden, Air, Bride of Lammermoor, Aurora, White Lady of Avenel, Canada, Canadian Snow Wreath, Danish, Day, Dew, Elaine, Fair Maid of Perth, Fairy, Flora, Marguerite in Faust, Moonlight, Norwegian, Ophelia, Peace, Polish, Rainbow, Rowena, Sabrina, Swiss, Schneewitchen, Titania, Twilight, and Water-Nymphs.

The list expanded slightly in the 1887 & 1896 editions:

For FAIR WOMEN, among others, the following are suitable: -- Arctic Maide, Air, Bride of Lammermoor, Aurora, White Lady of Avenel, Canada, Canadian Snow Wreath, Danish Peasant, Day, Dew, Edith Bellender, Elaine, Fair Maid of Perth, Fairy, Flora, Gabrielle d'Estrées, La Belle Dame sans Merci, Margeurite in Faust, Moonlight, Norwegian costumes, Ophelia, Peace, Polish Peasant, Rainbow, Rowena, Sabrina, Swiss, Schneewittchen, Titania, Twilight, and Water-Nymphs.

Sources:
Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.
Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
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.

Cards

(Costumes representing cards, dice, and games of chance were found in many fancy dress manuals.  Here's one apparently inspired by the game of poker, complete with a fan made of cards and feathers.  Click the image to enlarge.)

Box-plaited skirt of white with appliqué or painted cards and colored discs to imitate poker chips. Waist of white China silk, with high girdle of orange satin. Cards and poker chips arranged in the hair.

 

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

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.

Fish

(Another blandly silly Victorian costume idea: the octopus hat!  I feel there's a real possibility for a whole group of ocean-themed costumes: mermaid, sea maiden, salt water, and, of course, gem of the ocean!  Being more practical than the sea maiden, this fish costume has legs.)

Costumes of this kind can be carried out in scaly cloth, the fins of gauze distended with wire.  The head-dresses representing the head of the fish.  The skirts short with high leggings covered with scales.  A cod, a sword fish, an octopus can be so represented; for the latter, the various feelers form the head-dress.

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.

On decorating the ballroom

(Tips on decorating the hall for a fancy dress ball.  This is an American description, and the use of the term "maskers" for the guests suggests a greater openness to actual masquerades than was the English custom in the late nineteenth century.)

    As private houses are seldom commodious enough to afford comfortable space for a large fancy ball, it is quite customary for the host or hostess to engage the exclusive use of the ball and supper rooms of some hotel or other public resort, and give the entertainment in them; and the custom is commendable, since it provides more room for the guests and thus insures them a greater amount of enjoyment, besides relieving the hostess of the household confusion which prefaces and follows a ball given at a private dwelling.

    On the occasion of a private ball in a public ballroom, the latter may be decorated as far as possible to appear like the parlors of a private house; and as refreshments are served in rooms reserved for the purpose, the affair is as exclusive as if given under one's own roof. 

    In decorating for a fancy ball, the ballroom is usually festooned with draperies of the national or other colors fastened up under comic masks, or shields upon which are grotesque faces and figures, armorial emblems and mimic instruments of music.  Flowers and foliage are banked and grouped in different parts of the room, but foliage should predominate, as its rich green forms a charming background for the brilliant costumes of the maskers.  Japanese lanterns also add, by their soft radience, to the effectiveness of the scene.

    In many instances the musicians are dressed in fancy costumes; and not infrequently the men servants are habited as were the retainers of olden days, and the women servants are also dressed as were those of ancient times.  In this way greater realism is obtained and there are no inharmonious comminglings of the unpicturesque costumes of the present day.

Source:
Masquerade and Carnival.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1892.