Although many a newspaper lamented the crowds at masquerade balls were overstuffed with dominos and loo masks, there were many fashionable attendees or hosts and hostesses who relished a good masquerade costume. Whether a character from a favorite play or book, or an abstract concept like peace, masqueraders sought to amuse, astound, and entertain the other masqueraders.
Masquerade warehouses seemed to stock a staple of popular costumes, based on my research, or otherwise masqueraders had made or made themselves the costume they donned for the events. In my book, Masquerade Balls in Regency Britain, I break down categories of costumes from the comedic to the terrifying. Indeed, costumes were not so very different than today. The challenge was in trying to bring these to life based on first hand accounts. I also looked at many catalogues or other books from the Victorian era to get a sense of what may have been a variation on Regency themes.
One example of a fantastic Victorian resource that is available to view is Shakespearian Costumes: Illus. of the Whole of the Characters in Each Play, in Correct Costume, Compiled from Authentic Sources, as Given by Montfaucon, Royal Mss., Holbein, Zuccaro, Strutt, Etc. (1889). United Kingdom: S. Miller:
Shakespear was a consistent source of inspiration for Regency costumes, with the most popular being from plays still familiar today including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth.
The Victorian era, being a popular time for guidebooks of all kinds meeting demands of the middle class, offered other handy how tos like: Holt, A. (1882). Gentlemen’s Fancy Dress: How to Choose it. United Kingdom: Wyman & Sons.
While there was no Spirit Halloween with costumes stuffed into little bags, the masquerade warehouses offered familiar and well worn looks for attendees wanting to make a splash. There was also a fair amount of involvement from the theatrical community, who could borrow from costumes of the stage.
One contemporary reported in The Lady’s Magazine:
The Lady’s Magazine and Museum. (1836). United Kingdom: J. Page.
I created as comprehensive a list and examples of Regency masquerade and fancy dress costumes as I had ever seen, wanting to capture the cultural trends, subtext, and tensions present in dress for these style of entertainments. I truly hoped it to serve as a guide for authors, creatives, and historians in what people were wearing and what it may have meant, judging by the frequency and types of reactions each costume merited.
And there was a fair amount of terse reporting that for many masquerades those in attendance came unprepared, dressing at the door when masquerade warehouses were staged there with dominos and masks on offer. Which speaks to the varied approaches still today people have towards costumes.
The book also features detailed information, in many parts gleaned from these primary sources, on everything from decor, food, and venues to anecdotes about the people who made these events memorable.
Readers are saying: “fascinating read and it really opened the doors to see what masquerades were really like in the era of Bridgerton and other of my favorite period dramas”
“I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the social history of the Regency period, especially those curious about the cultural and performative aspects of elite society. It’s a valuable resource for researchers..”
“This fascinating work of scholarship is a feast for the imagination. The level of detail is incredible; the author definitely did her research!… it is a must-read for anyone who enjoys reading or writing about the Regency era in England.”
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