Victorian fancy dress

Historical costuming

Queen Maud 1897 Lady-in-waiting to Marguerite de Valois Fancy Dress Costume for the Devonshire Ball | Nasjonalmuseet

"And yet here he was, if one could credit one's senses, about to take part in a fancy-dress ball, a form of entertainment notoriously a testing experience for the toughest. And he was attending that fancy-dress ball, mark you—not, like every other well-bred Englishman, as a Pierrot, but as Mephistopheles—this involving, as I need scarcely stress, not only scarlet tights but a pretty frightful false beard." ~ Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse via gravesandghouls tumblr, Victorian costumes…

One of hundreds of thousands of free digital items from The New York Public Library.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Halloween, of course! If you are still in search of inspiration, here are five fabulous and ridiculous historical costumes that really wouldn’t be that hard to make. #5 Candy Girl: To make: 1) Take any outfit. 2) Staple candy all over it. 3) Be most popular person at the party! #4 Wild Men There is a long tradition of wild men costumes, and they are really easy to make: just glue grass and leaves all over a onsie. Historical, awesome, and scary. Just…

léon sault

People during the Victorian era seemed to have had an uncanny ability to turn any abstract concept, any technological innovation or idea into a fancy dress costume. Case in point, 'Electric light' or 'Electricity'. This is how Fancy Dress Described,1896 describes 'Electricity' fancy dress: "Electric blue satin, covered with silver zigzag flashes; silver cords are wound about the neck,arms, and waist; to typify the electric coils. Bodice of blue satin draped with silver and crepe de chine…

Fancy Dress Costume on The John Bright Collection

Lot 3 - A printed wool day dress, circa 1850, - Estimate 200-300 GBP