Historical Fancy Dress

Poodle

(For ladies who want to dress up as a dog, complete with puppy ears.  One really wishes they had included an illustration for this one!)

Skirt of black tulle covered with small ruches to represent the curly coat; corselet bodice of black velvet.  Silver bracelet on the right arm; a collar of red satin ribbon.  The hair frizzed; a couple of black velvet ears lined with pink silk at the side.

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.

Golf

(Continuing with the theme of summer sports, women's increased participation in golf is reflected in the evolution of this costume over two succeeding editions, spanning nine years, of the same fancy dress manual.)

In the 1887 description, the costume is meant to portray a golf course or game, with the lady imitating grass with clubs and balls and a sand-trap scarf, though above the waist she wears the traditional red golf coat.

1887:
Grass green tulle skirt, fringe of grass and gorse; scarf of sand-colour draped round waist, and ornamented with balls and clubs; and bright red golfing coat.

Compare this with the 1896 description below, which retains the golf-course skirt but adds accessories and a golf club that make it obvious that the woman herself is now a golfer.  This fits neatly with the development during the 1890s of golf as a game played by women as well as men.

1896:
Grass green satin skirt studded with golf balls and clubs, fringe of grass and gorse; scarf of sand-color draped round waist, and ornamented with balls and clubs.  Bright red cap and coat with swallow tails and white satin facings held back with golf buttons.  Suede shoes, white gauntlet gloves, a golf club in hand.

Victorian ladies seem to have traditionally worn the red golf coat, but the December 1, 1899, edition of Golf Illustrated offers under "Some Hints on Dress for Lady Golfers" a bit of debate on the matter of "Coats Red and Green":

    Though her red Golf coat is not as a rule individually becoming to an Englishwoman, its effect collectively on the links is so bright and picturesque that one can only hope the coats of green, which are certainly gaining in favour for wear thereon, will not finally oust the red ones. 

    There is no doubt that though their rivals in green are not only very smart but excellent foils for complexions brightened by exercise (which, by the way, is not always the case with the red ones), and recently I saw a very effective one, built of green cheviot and, like all our apparel of the tailor-made persuasion this season, liberally bestripped: it was fastened with buck-horn buttons and lined with a thick red silk, though many of these cheviots have reversible tartan linings; one I saw at a leading tailor's the other day being bright red on the outer side while the reverse showed the Stuart tartan.

    This coat, in green, makes a capital all-round coat, which a red one of course does not, as it invariably boasts its owners club collar, cuffs, and buttons, thus stamping it with its raison d'être so plainly as to make it out of place anywhere but on the links.  With a green one, however, the addition of one of those big collars or necklets of fur makes it a perfect little coat for ordinary walking or driving use.

    To revert to its lining, there is a fancy just now for having the red Golf coats line with silk which exactly matches the colour of its collar and cuffs and a very good effect this has, especially when these are of one of the many shades of green which is such a favourite club colour.

 

Sources:
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.

Tennis and Badminton

(Here's an increasingly elaborate and ridiculous sport-themed costume for women -- with a modern interpretation as well!)

The 1887 edition of Ardern Holt's fancy dress manual lists costume ideas under both "Tennis, lawn" and "Lawn tennis and badminton":

TENNIS, LAWN.  Short plain skirt of grass-green satin, slightly gathered at the back, and trimmed at the edge with grass fringe, headed by white satin bands; bats and balls introduced as trimming.

LAWN TENNIS AND BADMINTON.  Sometimes for these only an ordinary lawn tennis dress and pouch are worn, with a bat attached to the side. 

That not being nearly exciting enough, Holt continues the latter description with a rather witchy alternate version:

A better representation is a green satin skirt, a bat fastening a silver net, forming paniers, pouches and balls on the shoulders, which drape the skirt; scarf across bodice, with lawn tennis in silver letters; black bodice with white circles to resemble balls; high pointed black hat with a bat as an aigrette; brown stockings and shoes. 

And then tops it off by jazzing up the plain "Tennis, lawn" version even further:

Or, a short plain skirt of grass green satin, gathered at back, trimmed round the edge with two rows of grass fringe, headed by a flat band of white satin an inch and a half in width, to represent the boundary of court; six lines of the same round the skirt at intervals; a tennis net draped from waist, edged with scarlet and white worsted balls; miniature tennis bats hold up the drapery; bodice of green velvet, long sleeves to wrist, all bordered with gold braid and scarlet and white balls; epaulettes of scarlet and white satin ribbon; red and white satin peaked cap, with daisies and leaves beneath the flap; Suède gloves, and black shoes; scarlet stockings; ornaments, gold tennis bats; fan like a bat, in red.

 The 1896 description is similar to the first and last parts of the longer 1887 description (now the tennis net is gold!) and adds a sop to badminton:

LAWN TENNIS AND BADMINTON.  Sometimes for these only an ordinary lawn tennis dress and pouch are worn, with a bat attached to the side.  A better representation is a short plain skirt of grass green satin, gathered at back, trimmed round the edge with two rows of grass fringe, headed by a flat band of white satin an inch and a half in width, to represent the boundary of the court; six lines of the same round the skirt at intervals; a gold tennis net draped from waist, edged with scarlet and white worsted balls; miniature tennis bats hold up the drapery; bodice of green velvet, long sleeves to wrist, all bordered with gold braid and scarlet and white balls; epaulettes of scarlet and white satin ribbon; red and white satin peaked cap, with daisies and leaves beneath the flap; Suéde gloves, and black shoes; scarlet stockings; ornaments, gold tennis bats; fan like a bat, in red.  For Badminton Shuttle Cocks replace the balls.

Sources:
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.

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Frighteningly enough, the idea of dressing up as tennis (lawn) occurred to one of this year's Wimbledon competitors -- fashion-conscious tennis professional Bethanie Mattek-Sands made an appearance at the WTA's pre-Wimbledon party in fancy dress, having sacrificed quite a few tennis balls for her look:

Photos courtesy of Style Bistro (more photos there!)  Click the image to enlarge.

Though it shows a little more skin than a Victorian fancy dress outfit would, and the shoes are hardly danceable, the general idea is very much in keeping with nineteenth-century fancy dress.  And they would have loved the hat!

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.

Aquarium/Gem of the Ocean

(A delicious example of a initially charming and relatively simple idea that grew increasingly complicated and silly over the years.  I'm particularly taken with the spreading anemone tentacles -- placed "here and there" on the gown and intertwined with seaweed in the hair -- and the ludicrous head-dress given in the final description.)

1880:
AQUARIUM.  Fashionable evening dress of blue and green tulle, trimmed with marine plants and ornamented with fish and shells, the octopus on one side of the skirt; veil of green tulle; hair floating on shoulders.

1887:
AQUARIUM.  Fashionable evening dress of blue and green tulle, trimmed with marine plants and ornamented with fish and shells, the octopus on one side of the skirt; veil of green tulle; hair floating on shoulders.  Bodice trimmed with seaweed and coral; ornaments, silver fish and coral.

GEM OF THE OCEAN, THE.  The idea of this dress is taken from the anemone tanks of an aquarium.  The dress, pale coraline satin; the trimmings, fringes, and groups ofnatural seaweeds, all of the most delicately-tinted kinds, small pearly shlls, and large pink anemones, imitations of the real aciniae, with their spreading tentacles placed here and there all over the dress -- on the shoulders, front of bodice, and in the hair (interspersed with seaweed), and looping up the poufs of satin on the skirt.  Very palest shade of green would have a charming effect.  Shell ornaments round the neck.

1896:
AQUARIUM.  The idea of this dress is taken from the anemone tanks of an aquarium.  The dress, pale shot coralline and green satin; the trimmings, fringes and groups of natural seaweeds, all of the most delicately-tinted kinds, small pearly shells, coral, and large pink anemones, imitations of the real actiniae, with their spreading tentacles placed here and there all over the dress -- on the shoulders, front of bodice, and in the hair (interspersed with seaweed), and looping up the satin skirt.  Shells, coral, and silver fish ornaments.  Character also called Gem of Ocean.  On the shoulders are small silver fish with fins erect.  The hem bordered with vandykes of brown plush to simulate rock.  For a realistic rendering.  Head-dress, a miniature aquarium with water and fish.  A gown of green, silk covered with cork and seaweed.

 

 

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.

Pillar Post (Mailbox)

(For women and girls with a strong but inexplicable desire to dress like a Victorian mailbox.)

1887:
Long red satin dress; white waistcoat with placard bearing hours of collection printed on it; head-dress, square cap, the same form as the top of letter-box.

1896:
Long red satin dress; white satin placard bearing V R and hours of collection printed on it; head-dress, square cap, the same form as top of letter-box.

The "V R" stands for Victoria Regina, of course.  Pillar post boxes for mail were introduced in England in 1853, with new designs introduced in 1887 for Victoria's Golden Jubilee. A Victorian pillar post is shown in the image below; many more examples may be seen in this article on pillar post history.

The illustration above (click to enlarge it and see the writing on the bodice) is from the girls' section of the earlier edition but actually better matches the 1896 description.

Sources:
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.

Wastepaper Basket

(One of those deliciously silly ideas: dressing up as a wastepaper basket, hilariously applied over the 1890s hourglass silhouette, complete with the enormous sleeves of the mid-1890s, festooned with paper!)

The gown in the Illustration must be carried out in any fabric which most closely resembles the wicker basket work, the trimmings being entirely confined to waste paper, which should be sewn with some skill round the hem forming the sleeves and cap.

(Click the image to enlarge.)

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.

Pot-au-Feu

(This is one of those ideas that leaves me sputtering with laughter, especially the idea for the headpiece. Oh, for an illustration!)

White satin dress strung with all kinds of vegetables; black velvet bodice to simulate a saucepan, handles form the epaulettes to the sleeves; head-dress like the lid of saucepan.

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