Fancy Dress - Tumblr Posts
What’s better than a clockwork man in casual clothes? A clockwork man in a suit. What’s better than a clockwork man in a suit? A clockwork man rocking a ballgown, of course.
17th April 2021
My entry for Fantasy-Arts 's Masquerade contest on deviantART. I actually won the first place with this painting ~ so happy!
Robe a la Française and Masquerade Accessories, ca. 1765-70
via The Met
It’s FRIDAY FASHION FACT! As Halloween approaches, costume parties seem to be happening all over the place. So this seems like the perfect time to talk about one of the most famous costume parties in history: The Duchess of Devonshire’s Diamond Jubilee Ball.
In the summer of 1897, the nation was celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, 60 years on the throne. At the time, this was the longest reign by a monarch in British history (A few years ago, Queen Elizabeth II became the second British monarch to reach this milestone, surpassing Victoria’s full reign a just few months ago.) Louisa Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire, was well known in society. Before marrying the Duke of Devonshire, she had been married to the Duke of Manchester, causing her to commonly be referred to as “The Double Duchess.” When she was a young woman in the late 1850s, she was appointed to the highly respected position of Mistress of the Robes, giving her influence over the Queen’s household. She became very close to the the Queen at this time, and though it is rumored that Victoria became less fond of the Duchess in later years, the Duchess remained close with several members of the royal family.
It was only natural, then, that she would throw one of the most lavish Jubilee celebrations. On July 2nd, all of society’s elite flocked to the grand Devonshire House. It is rumored that up to 3,000 princes, countesses, lords, and other nobility from far and wide attended the event, though that number is likely exaggerated as only 700 invitations were sent. Even the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, and the Duke of York, the future King George V, attended. While it was always expected that guests would “dress to impress” at such an occasion, the expectation was taken up a level, as the soiree was declared a fancy dress (aka costume) ball. All the attendants were asked to dress as members of famed royal courts, whether foreign, ancient, or mythological. Of course, not everyone followed the guideline exactly, many guests taking inspiration from classical art instead. Yet all took great care, and money, in ensuring their costumes were flawless.
Top couturiers, including the legendary Jean-Philippe Worth (son of Charles) were hired to create elaborate costumes, often encrusted in fine gems, and intricately embroidered with precious metals. Seamstresses worked tirelessly to fill the demand. More money was spent on some of these ensembles, which were only worn once, than many people at the time made in a year. These efforts did not go unnoticed, though. The Duchess had a temporary photography studio set up at the ball to memorialize all of the elaborate looks. Of course, with so many guests (and the fact that at the time, one had to sit still for over a full minute for a clear photo) not all were photographed. Several gentlemen specifically avoided it, as they did not want to be seen as “foolish.” Sadly, many of the images were lost over the years, with about 200 surviving. Even so, it is incredibly rare for so many images from a single event to exist from the late 19th Century. It was well known that the photos would be published after the event, so several guests returned to the photographer in costume during the following months if they were not satisfied with their original portrait.
The photos were printed on cards and sold to the masses, not an uncommon practice at the time. Yet the prints were not available for some time after the event, and naturally no one wanted to wait so long to learn the details of the event of the season. Luckily, the press was all over it. The very next day, the papers were filled with every minute detail of the party, complete with sketches of some of many of the costumes. The buzz about the event remained for some time after, and thanks to the beautiful images that remain, we can continue to fawn over the incredible looks today!
Have a question about fashion history that you want answered in the next FRIDAY FASHION FACT? Just click the ASK button at the top of the page!
Mermay day 10 couture
𝓘’𝓵𝓵 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓸𝓷, 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓮’𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝔂
Since my French took the day off we had a sub and the she gave us was a passé composé work sheet that only took me 10 minutes so I got to draw a lady in a fancy dress
Oh dear, this took a while to make-
I was tagged by @thunfire0605 and @justrandomartpeeps !
Anyways, this is my AU Ink and Dream!
Who wants to see more Dream with slicked back hair-
Song: Diamonds by Rihanna
Roller disco fancy dress 'S' party theme....
Sesame Street
American Dad’s - Roger The Alien Disguise 349 - unnamed male 124
i love this dress, however it does not fit me anymore, ive had it since like 6th grade(yikes that was a while ago, an hoo boy i haven't grown that much, im just a short queen) and it was huge on me then. i can even lift my arms because of the sleeves, but hear me out. i hate throwing things away so i wanna alter it and make something cool
HERES THE PLAN!!!
1st: remove the sleeves and make the holes bigger so ican move my arms
2nd: move the end of the bodice up to my natural waist
3rd: add some fabric to the back to make it a little bigger
4th: dye it red????? i dont like white clothes all that much, but like imagine this dress dark red!!
5th: add flutter sleeves maybe?
6th: a slit in the back with a cool ruffle
7th: bead the top maybe?make it super intricate
8th: feel super pretty wearing it
I returned to my roots and watched the last unicorn, and like yea thats where i got my personality i bet... BUT THE SLEEVES ARE OFF AND THE ARM HOLES ARE BIGGER!! i dont have a sewing machine rn so i hand stitched around the edges to hem it down, and i think it looks good so far! i can move my arms around at least lol
and then i binged labyrinth, and dang i wish i could have the same vibes as David Bowie in that movie (next project??? lol)
it took a while but i picked it apart and took out the zipper, now i just need to figure out how to put it back together the way i want,,,