Historical Fancy Dress

Richelieu

(A historical costume for the gentleman who doesn't care to expose his legs in tights!)

A robe of cardinal-red goods made in domino style and trimmed with ermine, and worn over a lace gown.  A red mitre is worn, and a scepter is carried.

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

A description and illustration of a domino-style robe were recently posted; the men's version would be similar to the women's as illustrated.

As may be seen in the painting at left, Armand Jean du Plessis,
Cardinal de Richelieu (1585-1642) doesn't seem to have actually worn either a lace gown or a mitre, though at least some 19th-century cardinals had much lacier apparel.

Court Jester

(Like the boys' Brownie costume, here's one for men that looks more fierce than amusing!  It would be easy to find a similar modern costume through a rental shop or theater.)

Costume of red and yellow satin or sateen, half of each color and alternated as depicted in the illustration; each point tipped with a tiny bell.

(Click to enlarge the illustration.)

 

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

Napoleon

(One of the most recognizable historical figures for a man, and very suitable for a shorter gentleman in particular!  Click to enlarge the image.)

White trousers; fawn-colored coat with heavy gold braid; purple sash and white felt hat trimmed with gold braid. Gauntlet gloves and spurs on boots.

 

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.

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.

Mephistopheles

(One of many versions of the famous devil from the legend of Faust, and once again an opportunity for men to get into tights!  I actually made a rather crude version of this, minus the headdress, many years ago for a friend.  Click the image to enlarge.)

Costume of flaring-red cashmere, body and sleeves slashed, with silver-gray satin inserted.  Silver-gray tights and silver belt.  Pointed shoes and feather on head.

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

Richard I, Coeur-de-Lion

(This is listed as a boy's costume, though there's no reason a man couldn't wear it as well.)

The 1887 description:

RICHARD I., COEUR DE LION.  In a maroon velvet tunic trimmed with gold lace, three lions couchant embroidered in gold on the breast; white silk tights; velvet trunks; gold and satin shoes; jewelled belt, sword, and dagger.

The 1880 version differs only in making the lions courant (running) instead of couchant (lying down).  Historically, Richard I appears to have used a device with the three lions passant gardant (striding, facing toward the viewer.)

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

Spanish Toreador

(A costume that let an Edwardian gentlemen be colorful and glittery yet still feel masculine!)

Red velvet jacket ornamented with gold; white shirt, red tie, striped sash over a vest of blue cloth, and breeches trimmed with gold braid. Brown stockings, brown hat with red pompon, brown cape.

Click the illustration at left for a larger view.

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

Eleven years later, in 1917, Renoir painted the art dealer and patron Ambroise Vollard dressed as a toreador, as seen at right (click to enlarge), though I don't know whether the costume was for a particular fancy dress occasion or merely for the sake of an interesting portrait.

 

An Irish cab-driver

(In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here's a comfortable costume for a gentleman who wants to be informal at a ball.)

An Irish cab-driver; green coat patched, brass buttons, brocaded waistcoat, drab breeches with patches, high collar and red tie, blue darned stockings, leather shoes, hat trimmed with green and sprigs of shamrock.

Note: in the later (1887) edition, the costume is described as "An Irish car-driver."

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

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!

The Windsor uniform

(In answer to a question in the comments on the post listing costumes from a fancy dress ball in Singapore: what the "Windsor uniform" refers to.)

...the Windsor uniform, which is red cloth lapels and cuffs sewn on to an ordinary evening dress-coat, sometimes, in lieu of red cloth, light blue silk is used.  (1880)

... the Windsor uniform, with red cloth lapels and cuffs sewn on to an ordinary evening dress-coat, -- sometimes, in lieu of red cloth, light blue silk is used.  (1887)

The actual Windsor uniform, undress version, appears to have been a dark blue coat with red cuffs and lapels; presumably for a fancy dress ball people were just going for the general look, though it is possible that the wearers in Singapore were among the officials expected to wear it and thus had the proper coat already.  Their listings are plain "Mr." with no associated titles, however, and the descriptions above suggest to me that it was an easy shortcut for men disinclined to put much effort into costuming.

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

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:

Portuguese Officer of the 16th Century

  (Yes, men really did wear tights to fancy dress balls!  Here's a Canadian gentleman in Tudor-era costume, complete with tights and tall boots.  Click the image for a larger version.)

Left: Edward Waldo, as "Portuguese Officer of the 16th Century", Montréal, QC, 1881 by Notman & Sandham.  Image © McCord Museum.

The photograph is part of an online exhibition of photographs of fancy dress costumes from balls and skating parties; the museum's description of it states, in part:

"Mr. Waldo wore this costume to several different balls and carnivals in the 1880s, in both Ottawa and Montreal. Like women, men in fancy dress, enjoyed flouting everyday conventions. Under no other circumstances would Victorian men ever expose this much of their legs. Journalists chronicled a great deal of anxiety among men over the adequacy of their legs and the decision to expose their calves or thighs."

"This photograph was probably taken in the Notman studio in Montreal, where Mr. Waldo attended Mrs. D. Lorn Macdougall's ball and a skating carnival two weeks later"

"Mr. Waldo wore this costume at least three times in 1881, when this photograph was taken, and again in 1889. He had it remade for another ball in 1896."

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.

Othello

(Another Shakespearean costume, this time for the gentlemen. What is left out of the description is that this was almost certainly worn with blackface makeup, which would nowadays be completely unacceptable.  Click the image to enlarge.)

Shirt of white silk and tights of pale brown; sleeveless tunic of black silk, handsomely trimmed with gold bands; gold belt; full cloak of white cloth.

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

Continental Beau

(Historical costume was popular for men as well as for women, as this stylish men's costume of a the late 18th century demonstrates.)

Coat of snuff-colored satin with lapels and cuffs of green; vest of white satin and breeches of pale blue; white silk stockings, black, low shoes with large buckles, black hat, white cravat and wrist frills.

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

Romeo

(One last costume -- for now -- from Shakespeare, this time for the men.  And yes, it's another costume with tights.  And a purse!  Notice he's carrying a rose, a reference to the famous line from the play.)

Tunic and tights of dove-colored wool; shirt of white mull and cloak of Venetian red cloth lined with pale gray.  Cap of red velvet with gray feather.  Leather belt from which is suspended a pocket.

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

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.