Some ideas for the Fancy Dress Ball on Friday night, with more to come!

Please remember that you are not required to wear fancy dress - any civilian or military attire of the 1860s is always appropriate.  But we hope many people will join in the fun!

Click the images to enlarge!

• any historical style from before the 1860s or any traditional or folk costume from other countries.  Here are some examples for men and boys.  Gentlemen loved showing off their legs!  The two men are wearing early Tudor and Spanish "matador" style.  The boy on the right is dressed as an eighteenth-century gentleman.

• ladies' interpretations were often less accurate because they were worn over an 1860s corset and hoop skirt.  At left is a trio consisting of a "Lady of the Court of Louis XV", a "Young Bohemienne", and a "Little Girl of Finland".  At right is a costume of the Marquise de Vaudreuil, the wife of the last Governor-General of New France (Canada) before it was lost to the British.  The dress was made of pink satin and has a very 1860s style bodice with a berthe.  Powdered wigs were popular for fancy dress balls, but make sure it is comfortable for dancing!

• More ladies historical and traditional costumes: a Tudor lady, another 18th century style, a heraldic medieval gown (worn, incredibly, over a hoop!), a sari (over petticoats at least), and a young girl in folk costume:

• guests at one of our previous Fancy Dress balls in various historical costumes 

• rural characters - milkmaids, shepherds and shepherdesses, etc., often over inappropriate hoop skirts.  Here's a very well-dressed milkmaid-gardener couple.  Notice how short her skirt is -- that was acceptable at a fancy dress ball!  Click the image to enlarge and read the details at the bottom.

 

• more abstract or symbolic costumes: a white dress can be "snow" or "winter", a black one "night".  Decorate a pastel costume to be a particular flower or a garden, or a dark one with stars to be a "starry sky".  Here are two more elaborate designs: rainbow with a sun and cloud-colored skirts and a forest with birds flying over it and a crescent moon:

• "modern" technology -- the famous "Photography" costume is shown in a period version and modern interpretation below.  Note the camera headpiece!

• get creative! how about an alphabet?  or board games?

Keep checking back for more!