Historical Fancy Dress

A Victorian Fancy Dress Ball, New Haven, Connecticut (Saturday, March 24, 2012)

Enjoying the descriptions and illustrations of fancy dress costumes posted here?  Now's your chance to try it for yourself!

On Saturday, March 24th, 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.  There will also be a procession of costumes and

Fancy dress based on the styles of the 1880s is strongly encouraged, and this blog is your resource for costume ideas.  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 ($30 per person, or $20 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  Younger children may attend with their parents, and are expected to be strictly supervised throughout and withdrawn from the ballroom if they become too tired/fussy to display polite behavior.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 hotel block at the nearby New Haven Hotel has been reserved at a discount rate; reservations must be made by March 7th to be guaranteed this rate.

Full information and registration (by mail or Paypal) are available at the Fancy Dress Ball website.

A Masquerade Dance Card, 1900

Here's an interesting bit of fancy dress ephemera: an actual dance card from a masquerade ball given in Wisconsin on February 10, 1900.  Scans of the cover and inside are at left; click to enlarge.

This is a lady's card, with men's names filled in for the first half of the ball.  The ball -- their Third Annual Masquerade -- was sposnored by the Y.M.P.S. in a town whose name is unreadable due to damage to the card but which I would guess to be Westboro.  The red cord attached at the top was to hold a pencil for filling in names.

The dance mix on the card is a typical late Victorian mix, primarily couple dances (waltz, polka, schottische, two-step) and quadrilles.  Interestingly, the Grand March, typically the first dance (perhaps after a series of tableaux vivants), is placed ninth instead.  I place the Grand March in the middle of the ball at my own Fancy Dress Ball because I do it as a costume-announcing parade, so I want to wait until everyone is there, but don't want to delay the start of the ball.  Perhaps this group did it for similar reasons.

The opening dance is a quadrille, which might have been or followed a special Fancy Quadrille, in which a group of dancers with costumes matching a particular theme would perform.

I discussed this card from a dance perspective a while back at my companion dance history blog, Capering & KIckery.

 

 

Opening with tableaux

(How to open a fancy dress ball conducted in a large public space: with tableaux vivants or "living pictures": groups of costumed attendees posed in scenes.)

    Before touching upon costumes, it may be well to add the information concerning the general programme of a masquerade or fancy ball which is given either by private individuals or societies, in a public ballroom or hall.  At a private house, unless there is a large ballroom, the plan can scarcely be followed, though it is the regular custom at the entertainments first mentioned.

    A large fancy ball is usually opened with tableaux.  For this purpose a stage or platform at one end of the room is necessary.  Temporary steps should lead from the floor to the stage at its center.  As soon as a sufficient number of guests have arrived to conduct the tableaux as planned, the entertainment begins.  The subjects for the tableaux should be comic in character, and may consist of "hits on the times," or upon local politics or institutions; or they may be arranged from some familiar humorous picture or series of pictures.  This matter must be left to the host and hostess of a private ball or to the committee of arrangements for a society ball, who will select the subjects and decide upon the number of tableaux to be given.  The last tableaux must include all the maskers who have taken part in the tableaux, and also the host and hostess, or at a society ball the president of the society and his lady; and it must be so arranged that at the end of the scene those on the stage, headed by the host and hostess or the president and his lady, will fall into line of march and move down the steps to the floor, where all the other guests are waiting, and also join in the grand march which generally opens every ball.  If the first dance is to be a waltz, the guests should at the close of the march, be standing so that the line will form a sort of spiral.  But if the first dance is to be a square dance, then the couples should be arranged along the sides of the room, ready to fall into sets at the first bars of the music. 

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

The University of Chicago has published a short scholarly article discussing the tableau vivant in relation to art, and includes both the Oxford English Dictionary definition:  “a representation of a personage, character, scene, incident, etc., or of a well-known painting or statue, by one person or a group of persons in suitable costumes and attitudes, silent and motionless" and a quote from the popular Godey’s Magazine and Lady’s Book describing tableaux vivant as one of the most popular amusements of the time, “…. engendering a love for and appreciation of art.”

A Danish dramaturge named Marie has written a fascinating little article regarding the use of the tableau vivant in literature by such well-known authors as Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte Brontë, and Edith Wharton. 

The illustration at left of a 1910 tableau (though not from a fancy dress ball) is borrowed from her blog, At the Lighthouse, and depicts the wounded Joan of Arc surrounded by English soldiers, a typical historical theme.

Click the image for a larger view.

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.

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.

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.

Fancy Quadrilles

(Often a fancy dress ball will include a prearranged quadrille featuring a set of themed costumes -- matching or "naturally associated" with each other.  This might be the opening dance of the ball following the grand march or might be later, or there might be several during the evening.  Here are some ideas from the 1880s and 1890s for such quadrilles.  I particularly like the "naturally associated" pairing of Politicians and Nuns in the 1892 source!)

A full list of the sources from which these descriptions are taken is at the bottom of this post.

    A marked feature at most Fancy Balls is a specially-arranged Quadrille.  The choice is a large one.  The following have from time to time been given: --Watteau, Poudré, Louis Quinze, Shepherds and Shepherdesses, when both ladies and gentlemen wear the hair powdered and the costumes which everybody associates with these characters.  A Louis Quinze Hunting Quadille in the hunting dress of that period.  A Quadrille of All Nations, embracing all nationalities, the ladies and gentlemen of the same countries dancing together, the gentlemen occasionally carryng the national flag; Scotch, Irish, King and Queen, Army and Navy, Flowers of the Year, Venetian Vandyke, Pack of Cards, Fairy Tale, Joe Willett and Dolly Varden, Puritan and Cavalier.  The time when such Quadrilles are danced, and the partners are all pre-arranged.   (Holt, 1880)

---

    At some fancy balls quadrilles are arranged beforehand, in which all the dancers are to be dressed after the fashion of some particular period.  One of these quadrilles should open the ball, and others may be interspersed in the programme at irregular intervals.  (Armstrong, c1880s)

---

    A marked feature at most Fancy Balls is a specially-arranged Quadrille.  The choice is a large one.  The following have from time to time been given: --Watteau, Poudré, Noah's Ark, Cracker, Constellation, Domino, Hobby-Horse, Seasons, Bouquet, Bird, Louis Quinze; Shepherds and Shepherdesses, when both ladies and gentlemen wear the hair powdered and costumes associated with these characters; a Louis Quinze Hunting Quadille in the hunting dress of that period.  A Quadrille of All Nations, embracing all nationalities, the ladies and gentlemen of the same countries dancing together, the gentlemen occasionally carryng the national flag; Scotch, Irish, King and Queen, Army and Navy, Flowers of the Year, Venetian, Vandyke, Pack of Cards, Fairy Tale, Joe Willett and Dolly Varden, Puritan and Cavalier.  The time when such quadrilles are danced, and the partners are all pre-arranged.   (Holt, 1887)

---

    Among the many quadrilles from which to select a subject for this one dance, which may include other sets of the guests, are the following and it must be understood that the gentlemen of the set in most of the cases must be dressed alike and the ladies also; and that the costumes must belong to the same period or be naturally associated together: Shepherds and Shepherdesses; the Seasons; Watteau and Poudré periods; Louis Quinze Hunting Quadrille, in the hunting costume of that period; Kings and Queens of various nations; Army and Navy; Holbein Quadrille in Tudor dress; Flowers of the Year; Birds; Pack of Cards; Puritan Maidens and Cavaliers; Noah's Ark, (the animals in pairs); National Games; Politicians and Nuns; Policemen and Nurse Girls; Dudes and Tailor-made Girls; Clowns and Fairies; in fact, anything of the kind that may suggest itself to the hostess or committee of arrangements, who plans when such a dance shall take place and who are to take part in it.  (Butterick, 1892)

---

    A marked feature at most Fancy Balls is a specially arranged Quadrille.  The choice is a large one.  The list includes; -- Watteau, Poudré, Noah's Ark, Cracker, Constellation, Domino, Hobby-Horse, Seasons, Bird, Louis Quinze, Shepherds and Shepherdesses, when both ladies and gentlemen wear the costumes associated with these characters.  For a Louis Quinze Hunting Quadrille they appear in the hunting dress of that period; for a Holbein Quadrille in the Tudor dress; a Quadrille of all Nations, embracing all nationalities, the ladies and gentlemen of the same countries dancing together, the gentlemen occasionally carrying the national flag are all good.  In an Italian and Swiss Quadrille, each couple preserve the same coloring.  In Black and White the ladies are entirely robed in white with powdered hair; the gentlemen in black costumes of the time of Edward III., with black masks and pointed shoes, hanging sleeves.  Stuart and Georgian characters make good quadrilles, and Pierre and Pierrettes, Punch and his wife, and Spanish Men and Maidens in various colorings.  In a Toy Quadrille, toys such as tops, Dutch dolls, battledores and shuttlecocks appear.  For an Octave, ladies and gentlemen are dressed in black and white, each carry bells which tinkle as they walk.  For Chivalry, the gentlemen are in armour, and the ladies in the dress of the period.  Scotch, Irish, King and Queen, Army and Navy, Flowers of he Year, Venetian, Vandyke, Pack of Cards, Fairy Tale, Butterflies, Joe Willett and Dolly Varden, Puritan and Cavalier also find favour.  The time when such quadrilles are danced, and the partners, are all pre-arranged.  (Holt, 1896)

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Descriptions of Poudré, Shepherdess, Vandyke, and Butterfly costumes are already posted elsewhere on Historical Fancy Dress, with more to come!

Sources:
Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 2nd Edition, Illustrated.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1880.
Armstrong, Lucie.  The Ball-Room Guide.  London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co., c1880s.
Holt, Ardern.  Fancy Dresses Described, 5th Edition.  London: Debenham & Freebody, 1887.
Masquerade and Carnival.  New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, 1892.
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.

Selecting a Fancy Dress Costume, 1920

(Some practical advice on fancy dress costumes found in an English dance manual from 1920.)

    On the subject of Fancy Costumes much may be said, but let me urge both sexes to take into consideration their personal characteristics, such as build, complexion, colour of hair, etc., before selecting their costumes.
    Incongruities such as a short stout man with glasses disguised as Mephistopheles, or a tall Spanish-looking lady as Little Red Riding Hood are absurd -- and yet one sees them.
    There are many striking costumes which may be made at home: among them, for men, Arab Cowboy, Gipsy, Poet; or for ladies, Boyblue, Quaker Girl, Flower-girl, Spanish Dancer, etc.
    Those desiring Historical or more elaborate costumes should invariably obtain expert advice from a costumir.  Take particular care that the headdress and shoes are in keeping with the costume; what more incongruous than Dutch clogs on a cowboy or a powdered wig with a Red Riding Hood costume?
    Many fancy-dress balls are confined to the characters of some author or playwright, such as Dickens, Shakespeare, etc.  Others are of some particular period of history, such as Elizabethan.
    The advice of an expert is absolutely necessary in selecting a suitable costume for such as these.
    Above all things, a dancer should always consider whether his or her own ideas as to the effectiveness of a costume coincide with other people's ideas of what woud suit his or her figure or complexion, etc., prior to making a definitive choice.
    Whatever costume you may select it is as well to make sure beforehand that it is going to be comfortable to dance in -- otherwise you will probably spend a a thoroughly miserable evening.

Source:
D'Egville, Geoffrey. How and What to Dance, 2nd Ed.  London: C. Arthur Pearson, 1920.

 

A Classic Party

(Here's a specific fancy dress event theme that is basically a genteel Edwardian toga party, despite the author's efforts to depict it as educational.)

Some of the most successful fancy-dress parties as to costume, and most fascinating as to the amusement afforded, have been arranged by limitations as to books, eras, countries, etc., which have been mentioned by the hostess upon the cards of invitation. For instance, she invites her friends and acquaintances to...a classic party, the latter including both Greeks and Romans, a few of the most presentable of the gods and goddesses and so on, down to the characters portrayed in Hawthorne's "Marble Faun."

Both the Greek and Roman costumes of the free men and women are a most interesting study well worth giving a party for, if only for that; while following such a research, one's memory of classic times is refreshed, if not newly stored with historic facts, regarding tastes and habits that have influenced all the succeeding generations of civilized peoples. Gentlemen and ladies who carry themselves with dignity can wear these vestments with charming and novel effects, that contrast curiously with the appointments of a modern drawing-room.

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

Victorian Fancy Dress Ball Advance Registration Reminder!

A quick reminder that the advance registration deadline for the April 2nd Victorian Fancy Dress Ball in New Haven is today!  Hit Paypal or get your check into the mail ASAP!  (Get the flyer with registration information here.)  This is your chance to try the cotumes and descriptions found in Historical Fancy Dress for yourself!  Here are the details:

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.

For those in New York City, there will also be a pair of pre-ball workshops on Victorian couple dances and set dances this Sunday, March 27th.  Full details are here; a workshop flyer may be downloaded from this workshop flyers page.

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.

Fast and easy fancy dress ideas

With the upcoming 1880s Victorian Fancy Dress Ball, I've gotten a lot of questions along the lines of "can I wear _____?"  The answer is usually "Yes!"  To shortcut some of this discussion, here are some general categories of costume that are perfectly fine for a fancy dress ball:

- Any historical costume from any era prior to the 1880s.  It doesn't even have to be very good -- there are comments in manuals about how some people are very authentic in their costuming and some much less so (nothing has changed!)  Call yourself "a lady of the previous century" or "a gentlemen of the Roman times" or something similar and you're all set.  Ladies, try wearing a different era over a Victorian corset or even a bustle for the hilariously inappropriate silhouette sometimes found in 1880s "historical" costumes.  (Examples of historical costumes, good and bad.)

- Any ethnic dress from any country, from a Scottish kilt to a Japanese kimono, is fine.  Ethnic and national dress were very popular for fancy dress balls.  (Examples of national/ethnic costume.)

- Any role from a novel, opera, poem, or play from the 1880s back is eligible; Gilbert and Sullivan costumes are particularly appropriate, and mythology was a popular source.  (Examples of costumes from literature, mythology, and theater/opera.)

- For ladies who already have a gown in a particular color combination that matches a flower or butterfly, use fake ones as accessories (on the head or shoulder, as trim, and as a hat and/or fan as well) and go as that flower or butterfly.  Find or make wings and antennae for the latter.  Multicolored costumes might be a garden of flowers or flock of butterflies, or the queen of either.  (Examples of flower and insect costumes.)

- Add a few accessories to a gown and go abstract to represent a month or season, weather, or astronomical bodies -- with a green dress, be summer, and with a white one, winter.  Pastels?  Represent spring.  Grey?  Dusk.  Yellow?  The sun.  Blue?  The sky.  Rainbow?  Rainbow!  (Examples of costumes for months or seasons and astronomical themes.)

- An easy one for gentlemen is the Victorian idea of futuristic eveningwear: a white tailcoat and trousers with a black shirt.  This ensemble can be rented at formalwear stores or bought used online.  The Windsor uniform, which involves tacking a bit of fabric onto a tailcoat, is also a quick and easy costume for men who already have formalwear.

- Gentlemen disinclined to dress up can get into the spirit of things by at least wearing an unusual boutonniere.  (Read the description of this ball for an example.)

- Fancy dress doesn't have to be fancy -- people dressed up as fanciful versions of Puritans, servants, peasants, beggars, charity girls, and more.  This could be a character from a play or novel or something more generic.  Authentic amounts of dirt and grime are unnecessary, however.

- Still have your graduation cap and gown, or a friend you can borrow them from?  Academical dress is a legitimate costume for men or women.

- Victorianesque science fiction is a possibility -- while H.G Wells' novels are still to come, Jules Verne's major novels are all out by the 1880s.  A "Duchess of the Next Century" appears on a list of costumes and could cover a modern evening gown, and there's a full description of a footwoman of the future which suggests openings for ladies' versions of many masculine outfits.  Enjoy steampunk?  An airship pilot, balloonist, or submariner would be a costume that allows for speculation.  A Harry Potter-inspired costume could be a witch, wizard, or astrologer.

- Use your imagination!  Victorians dressed up as everything from sports equipment and items of food to playing cards, wastebaskets, and the mysterious Bounding Ball of Babylon.  Here's a list of actual costumes from an 1884 ball to start you off.  Avoid overtly modern elements, remember you have to be able to actually dance in it, and let your imagination fly!

A Fancy Dress Ball, Singapore, 1884

Newspapers of the era often published lists of the costumes worn by guests at fancy dress balls.  The lists were typically provided in advance, so it's possible not all of the costumes worked out, as anyone who's ever tried to finish a costume at the last minute before a ball will understand.

The lists below are from a fancy dress ball held by British expatriates in Singapore and are taken from an article on the ball published in the Singapore newspaper Strait Times Weekly on February 23, 1884.

From the description of the ball itself:

On Thursday evening, the Fancy Dress Ball, which for some time past had been looked forward to, took place at the Town Hall.  The upper room is well known to all visitors as being one of the handsomest in the Far East.  On the present occasion it was simply and tastefully decorated, in a manner which was well adapted to enhance the architectural features of the building.  The result was such as might have been expected from the interest evinced by the fairer portion of the community, and the skill and attention they bestowed upon their costumes, which contributed so materially to the success of the entertainment.  One could not fail to notice, among the many handsome dresses, that there were several in the disposal and arrangement of which the fair owners displayed an intimate and correct knowledge of true artistic and aesthetic principles.  The style of the costumes was exceedingly diversified, some being of a purely classic type and thus pertaining to the tragic, while there were some which were the representatives of comedy, and others again which successively adopted comic character.

The general effeect [sic] of the intermingling of thse many and varied styles and colors, whether seen in the Hall itself or viewed from the gallery above, furnished a spectacle not only charming to the eye, but one which those who witnessed it, will not readily forget...

...Dancing commenced shortly after nine with an opening quadrille which extended the entire length of hte Hall.  The floor was in excellent condition, and the music was performed by the Regimental Band of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.  It is no wonder that these and other attractions rendered the visitors loth [sic] to part, and prolonged the dancing after supper far into the small hours.  At what precise time the company would have separated it is difficult to determine, as dancing only stopped upon the Band playing the National Anthem.

The entire article may be found online at the website of the National Library of Singapore.

In looking through the lists of costumes, some trends are obvious: historical costumes of the previous few centuries, characters from plays, and national/ethnic costumes of various kinds.  Classic fancy dress costumes such as Harlequin and Folly are also represented.  More unusual examples are the gentlemen attending as "Bat" and "Paint Box" and the lady depicting "Economy."  There are also a few cop-outs: "Civil Service Uniform" and "Evening dress, 19th century" suggest that not all the attendees made any special effort at costuming.

While some couples may have coordinated costumes -- the Cavalier and the Lady of the 17th century appear to be husband and wife -- it is actually more common for the costumes not to match: Ralph Rackstraw wth Follie, Peasant of the Black Forest with Persian Lady, and so forth.  The substantial disparity in numbers between ladies and gentleman probably reflects the nature of society in a distant colonial posting of that era.

Here are the lists of costumes, reformatted to separate the ladies' and gentlemen's costumes and with the names of the wearers omitted to save space:

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.

Costumes for brunettes

(Costumes ideally suited the wearer by age and coloration.  Here three nearly-identical lists of suggestions for brunettes, taken from different editions of the same manual.)

Among the Costumes best adapted to BRUNES are Africa, Arab Lady, Arrah-na-Pogue, Asia, Autumn, Bee, Gipsies of various kinds, the Bride of Abydos, Brigand's Wife, Britannia, Buy-a-Broom, Carmen, Cleopatra, Colleen Bawn, Connaught Peasant, Diana, Druideess, Earth, Egyptian, Erin, Esmeralda, Fenella, Fire, Greek, Harvest, Maid of Saragossa, Maritana, Oranges and Lemons, Rose of Castille, and Zingari, together with Italian, Spanish, and Oriental.

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

Among the Costumes adapted to BRUNES are Africa, Arab Lady, Arrah-na-Pogue, Asia, Autumn, Bee, Gipsies of various kinds, the Bride of Abydos, Brigand's Wife, Britannia, Buy-a-Broom, Carmen, Cleopatra, Colleen Bawn, Connaught Peasant Diana, Druidess, Earth, Egyptian, Erin, Esmeralda, Fenella, Fire, Greek, Luti, the Indian Girl, Harvest, Maid of Saragossa, Maritana, Rose of Castille, and Zingari, together with Italian, Spanish, and Oriental dresses.

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

Among the Characters adapted to BRUNES are Africa, Arab Lady, Arrah-na-Pogue, Asia, Autumn, Bee, Gipsies of various kinds, the Bride of Abydos, Brigand's Wife, Britannia, Buy-a-Broom, Carmen, Cleopatra, Colleen Bawn, Connaught Peasant, Diana, Druidess, Earth, Egyptian, Erin, Esmeralda, Fenella, Fire, Greek, Harvest, Maid of Saragossa, Maritana, Rose of Castille, together with Italian, Spanish, and Oriental dresses.

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.

For elderly ladies

(This author pulled no punches with regard to dressing your age; no sexy costumes for older women, though at least there are a few suggestions that are not just some sort of old woman.)

For ELDERLY LADIES the following costumes are suitable: --Mrs. Balchriste; Griselda Oldbuck, Dowager of Brionne, My Grandmother, a Lady of the Olden Times, Night, Puritan, some Vanduke dresses, Quakeress, Mrs. Primrose, wife of the Vicar of Wakefield, Peacock, the Duchess of Orleans, a Maltese Faldette, Mother Hubbard, Mother Shipton, a Sorceress, a Gallician Matron, and some Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds's dresses.

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

On authenticity

(This author is modest about the level of accuracy in the descriptions given.)

It [the book] does not purport to be an authority in the matter of costume, for, as a rule, the historical dresses worn on such occasions are lamentably incorrect. Mary Stuart appears in powder; Louis XIV. wears a beard; and Berengaria distended drapery. No one would probably view the national costumes with more curiosity than the peasantry they are intended to portray, although certain broad characteristics of the several countries are maintained by Fancy Ball-goers.

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.

Strategic naming salvages weak costumes

(Practical advice for the lady or gentleman with a mediocre costume. Note the last costume on the list: in a one throwaway line, Holt has just provided for futuristic costumes...as imagined by someone in the 1880s! And I have never wished so much for an illustration as for the Bounding Ball of Babylon...)

There is much in a name, -- A Coquette, a Lady of the Past Century, Petite Sole à la Normandie, the Bounding Ball of Babylon, His Picture in Chalk, a Duchess of the Next Century, &c., have attracted attention to very mediocre costumes ere this.

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

Plant Party

(A hilarious society column description of a themed party, though it doesn't seem to have included much dancing.  Read all the way to the end for descriptions of some of the specific costumes.  Thanks to Irene Urban for finding this article for me!)

From The New York Times, February 18, 1898:

THE HEWITTS' PLANT PARTY.

Society Assumes Vegetable Garb for the Season's Last Big Dance -- Striking Costume Effects.

    The last of the season's big dances, a revivification of the days of Louis XVI, who is credited with having stood sponsor for similar entertainments at Versailles, took place in the form of a "plant party" at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Abram S. Hewitt, 9 Lexington Avenue, last night.  It was attended by several hundred of the city's wealthiest and most fashionable people.

    As a novelty the plant party was a success.  The edifying spectacle of richly costumed and bejeweled women carrying about on their persons imitations of various representatives of the vegetable kingdom, from squash and lettuce to meteor roses and orchids, and of men in conventional evening dress, with similar additions, was something enough out of the ordinary to interest the people concerned, and also plenty of others who were not favored with invitations.

    The women guests were asked to go in costumes representative of some particular fruit, flower, or vegetable.  The men appeared at the house in ordinary evening dress, which prevented too close a similarity to the Versailles "plant parties," and as each of them entered he received a vegetable adornment, artificial of course, which he was supposed to wear for the rest of the evening.

    The feminine guests showed little tendency to clothes themselves in complete imitation of plants or fruits, but were contented with bizarre headdresses and vegetable garnitures, which were sufficiently startling without quite spoiling the effect of handsome gowns.  One young woman carried in a staff adorned with garlands, and another had snowshoes carried in for her to complete her costume.

    Mrs. Hewitt received her guests in a costume suggestive of violets, and carried real specimens of the flower.  The Misses Hewitt, who assisted her, carried pinks and orchids.  Mrs. P. Cooper Hewitt daughter-in-law of the host, who was with them, wore imitation red carnations in her hair.  P. Cooper Hewitt and Edward Cooper were among the other relatives present.

    The entertainment was of a vaudeville character and started abut 10:30 P.M.  There were charades, tableaux, and songs, all furnished by the guests.  Lander's Orchestra played, and supper was served about midnight.  There was some informal dancing afterward, but no cotillion.

Mr. Webb's Make-up.

    G. Creighton Webb created considerable amusement by appearing in an admirable make-up of red hair and beard and complexion to match.  He disguised his voice with good effect.

    The plant party is said to have been the first thing of its kind ever given here, though a vegetable party, in which men and women were both costumed, took place at Sherry's two years ago.  It was a leap year dance, and was attended by a number of fashionable people.

    Among the striking costumes were those of Mrs. A. Cass Canfield, who wore a basket of roses as headgear; Mrs. Francis Key Pendleton, who was in yellow satin, trimmed with small sunflowers, and wore the head of a tremendous sunflower in her hair; Mrs. W. Bayard Cutting, in cerise velvet, and wearing as a bonnet the half of a flower pot from which a stalk bearing pink carnations protruded; Mrs. Nicholas Fish, a costume designed to represent wild field flowers; Mrs. Stanford White, in yellow satin, with poppies over her head and used to trim the corsage of her gown; Miss Edith WInthrop and Miss Ruth Morgan, gowned to represent poppies.

    Mrs. Victor Sorchan, in pink satin, trimmed with pink roses, and wearing a pink satin rose, which measured about eighteen inches across, on her head; Miss Kernochan, as a sunflower, with satin gown appropriately trimmed; Miss Mary Kernochan, a white satin gown covered with apple blossoms; Mrs. W. Stover Miller, in brilliant red tulle and wearing a Bacchante wreath of grapes and grape leaves in her hair.

(The original article may be found in The New York Times' archive, here.)

Fine distinctions in the Regency era

(Yes, there were fancy dress balls in the Regency era, though it's difficult to find much information on them.  Note the distinction made here between the masquerade or characteristic ball, at which masks were worn and behavior was less restrained, and the more respectable fancy dress ball, at which masks were eschewed.  This excerpt is from a lengthy satirical poem by London dancing master Thomas Wilson, who was active from approximately 1800 to 1825.  The "some people" said to confuse the two types of balls are rival dancing masters.)

Fancy dress balls must as the next appear,
And what they really are you now shall hear.
Fancy Dress Balls, some people likewise name
Characteristic, and think they are the same;
(But Characteristic as I just have said,
Is meant to signify a Masquerade,)
A Fancy Dress Balls that, where every guest
Is in appropriate costume strictly dres't;
The face to shew the character, and age
They paint, as is the custom of the stage;
The mask's forbid the countenance to aid,
For "Fancy Ball" means not a "Masquerade."

-- Thomas Wilson, The Danciad. London, 1824.

Of processions and prop-stands

(Helpful tips for ball hosts and hostesses on two issues: how to arrange to show off all of the costumes present and what to do with costume props during the dancing.)

Processions often form a prominent feature in fancy balls.  Some of them begin with a Polonaise, while others have a kind of march round the reception-rooms just before supper.  This gives an opportunity for showing off the dresses, which are frequently hidden in a crowded dance.

When a march occurs it is correct for the characters to carry their crooks, wands, milking-stools, or any other property appertaining to their dress.

As most of these things are much in the way whilst dancing, and are apt to get lost when left about in the ball-room, many hostesses provide a stand in the hall for their reception.  It should be lighter than an ordinary umbrella-stand, consisting of a slight frame covered with artificial flowers.

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

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.

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.