Page:Fancy dresses described, or, What to wear at fancy balls (1887).djvu/239

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
WHAT TO WEAR AT FANCY BALIS.
183

long-pointed waists, and rich embroidery. A pretty costume of hers is as follows: Long embroidered skirt of white satin, with pink rosebuds and silver leaves; tunic of pink brocade; long-waisted, pointed bodice, open in front, laced across, with a stiff and narrow stomacher; sleeves to elbow, terminating in ruffles. Sometimes the upper skirt is open, and forms a train over a lower one, covered with embroidery. Silk, satin, and brocade are suitable. Pink and blue are the mixture with which she is most associated, but the following combinations may be employed: Black and pink, blue and cerise, violet and blue, white and blue, maize and white, grey and rose-colour. The hair should be dressed high over the forehead in numerous small curls, like a pouf à la neige, and be ornamented with feathers, pearls, and roses. Or, skirt of apple-green satin, trimmed with mother-o'-pearl embroidery; bunches of large roses fastened on the right side; the waistcoat, green satin; the bodice and paniers, flowered moire; the low neck surrounded by a row of large pearls, below which a pearl fringe; a chaplet of roses on the powdered hair.

POMPEIAN LADY. White llama skirt, with Grecian border worked in purple; purple chitonian joined on the shoulders, plaited back and front, and falling in points on either side (see Ancient Greek Dress, and Penelope), and trimmed with gold lace; hair bound with a fillet; handsome Etruscan ornaments.

POPPY. Short skirt of blue satinette, upright poppies and small buds worked from the hem upwards; bodice and upper skirt of red crêpe, cut out like a large poppy, with waist-band of greenish grey to represent head; large poppy on the head; small poppies for ornaments; long gloves, a poppy worked on each. Sometimes it is rendered with red tulle and huge poppies, a poppy for cap. Or, dress of red tulle, with the tunic of crimped surah, in imitation of a full-grown flower; short bodice, pointed back and front, of dark green; red tulle above, and edge of poppies and leaves; a single large poppy as a cap on the hair, another for the circular fan, and small poppies for ornaments; either long red silk gloves, or the dark green of the bodice in kid painted with poppies up the back.

PORTIA (Merchant of Venice) wears either a black brocaded over-dress like a barrister's black robe, and wig and bands, or a loose black silk under-robe with scarf about the waist, having tight sleeves; a loose over-robe of black brocade, the