The Original Red Death?! An Antique Victorian Fancy Dress Costume Fit for a Phantom

The perfect outfit for threatening guests at your next Masquerade!

Hello and Happy October, world! This blog began over 5 years ago this month when my very first post went live on October 5th, 2011.

Great Galloping Galoshes, how things have changed!

My blog is now old enough to be trusted with knives, open flames, and witchcraft according to antique greeting cards.
I’m so proud…*sniff*

5 years ago to the day (on October 28th, 2011), I posted a photo of a delightful vintage fancy dress costume in honor of Halloween:

To pay homage to that anniversary, here’s another amazing fancy dress costume I recently found on eBay: a STUNNING Victorian version of a Tudor gentleman!

Or perhaps, since this fabulosity hails from France, we should call this a Third Republican version of a Valois/Bourbonic gentleman, but that doesn’t sound quite as romantic…

From the seller’s description:

“This is a complete outfit for a young nobleman of the Renaissance, 5 pieces:
– the doublet, (inner front is padded)
– the breeches [trunk hose]
– the cape
– the hat and
– the scabbard belt”

The original eBay listing can be found here.

 

It’s encrusted with faceted jet black glass beads and buttons– an elegant look in full sunlight, but even more decadent and  glittering in the light of gaslamps and candles!
(And I can’t be the only one getting Phantom of the Opera vibes, right…right?!)

Judging by the colors, shapes, and especially the trims, this handsome outfit likely dates between 1885 and 1895–more likely the latter (that’s when black beaded trim was in vogue and just look at that cape…it screams 1890s!) This fabulous fancy dress costume could have either been worn for one of the many costumed balls popular during the late 19th century, made for a sumptuous Shakespearean spectacle, or donned during an opulent opera. Whatever the event, the costume has survived in superb condition! It is made of, as the seller perfectly put it, “soft red silk satin, the finest lightweight silky clothing velvet, very thin brown and cream polished [cotton] for the inner linings of the doublet and breeches.”

I do believe the trunk hose are displayed backwards. The buttons probably went in back and the open “butt” was worn in front– filled in with a (now missing) codpiece, of course! Since it’s a Victorian recreation, it probably wouldn’t have been a very exciting codpiece by 16th century standards, though. ;P

The full list of detailed measurements:

Cape height : 29″ width at top: 17″ width at bottom : 107″ 
Doublet Armpit to armpit : 20″  (chest about 40″) length : 20″ 1/2 collar : 17″ waist flat : 21″ chest flat : 19″ 1/2 
Breeches  waist : 15″ 1/2 to 16″ 1/2 legs opening : 21 ” length : 17 ” 
Hat inside: 21″ 1/2 length: 11″

Such a miraculously fine bit of fantasy to survive in such condition for 120 years!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Nothing Beats Beets!

18th Century Makeup for $1.50

I had beets for dinner last night. They really are an underrated treat. Our ancestors knew the awesome power of beets: sweet, healthy, easy to grow, easy to store, and that bright color! The beets I have are the canned kind from the grocer’s, but that didn’t dampen their brilliant red color.

Added Bonus: 100% Natural ingredients:
Beets, Water, and Salt

Looking at the bright red juice left over in the pan, I was reminded of a tip my Nana had told me her mother used during the Great Depression in the 1930s: instead of lipstick, dab a slice of red beet onto your lips. The tip echoed especially clear because only a few hours earlier, I had checked up on Madame Isis’ Toilette, a fabulous 18th century cosmetics blog that explores and recreates historical recipes for rouge and other applications. I admit to cheating when it comes to rouge. Usually, I just dab on red lipstick and blot the majority of it off for a pinkish tinge on my lips and cheeks (yes, you can use lipstick as cream blush!). The method works well and looks period correct even though the method is not.

Madame Adélaïde, circa 1765
Mid-18th century make-up is heavier than later make-up, especially on the cheeks.

So, here I am with a pan of beet juice and a sudden urge to try out an 18th century-inspired look. It really doesn’t take much beet juice to get strong color, so two tablespoon of the leftover broth is plenty. In addition, I grabbed some fine cornstarch to be my face powder.

I used a q-tip to apply the juice (For you cheeks, use your fingers to dab, but be warned! It will stain your fingers, so watch what you touch) and a foam paintbrush to apply the cornstarch over the beet rogue. Here’s the result:

Any blotchiness is a fault of my bad skin, not the fault of the beets! If it were really the 18th century, my poor face would be practically covered in little black “beauty mark” patches!

Not bad, for under $2! Cornstarch is a great hair powder, but it isn’t the best facepowder. It doesn’t adhere well to skin and is too matte for my tastes, so if you can, try out a real 18th century white face makeup. The beet juice, however, works brilliantly. You can build up layers of color to make it as heavy as you desire. The natural red of beets is a beautiful cool, blue-based red that flatters most skin tones. The beet juice also works well for Elizabethan make-up (for gentlemen, too)!

“Lettice Knollys” attributed to George Gower, 1585
For Elizabethan make-up, use less rouge on your cheeks, if any, and plenty of white face make-up. Add a dab of beet rouge to your lips and you’re good to go!