Historical Fancy Dress

Tag: fancy dress costumes

  • Research for rent: we take requests!

    SInce I'm starting to get requests for particular costumes in light of the upcoming Fancy Dress Ball, and these requests take time, and time is money, I'm putting a new policy into place to help people to get what they need and support Historical Fancy Dress at the same time!

    I will happily take requests for specific fancy dress costume descriptions and do my best to find all the information I can in return for a small Paypal donation in support of Historical Fancy Dress.  "Small" means a $5.00 minimum, though more is fine.  And if I can't find anything, I'll refund your donation unless you prefer to let me keep it in support of this blog and my research endeavors.

    So if there is a particular costume that interests you and you would like to see any information (description, illustration, photo, etc.) that we can find posted on Historical Fancy Dress, use the link below for your donation and Paypal's "Note to the seller" option to tell me what you want.  Posts come out regularly on Tuesdays and Fridays and I'll move your request to the top of the list!

    Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!

  • 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.