For many people, Halloween is all things dark, supernatural, and macabre. However, I associate it largely with costumes. As a dancer, I am used to wearing costumes a lot, but most people aren’t. Halloween might be one of the only chances that you get to wear a costume. (Or wear one without people wondering why…) If you go back in British history though, costumes are in no way limited to this darker time of year. Fancy dress parties have long been popular in the UK, and remain to this day. And there is no shortage of historical examples of fancy dress. For this week’s Style File Friday, I putting Dress: Fancy podcast in the spotlight.
What is “Fancy Dress”?
If you are from North America (or perhaps elsewhere), if you hear someone say “fancy dress”, you are probably thinking of cocktail or black tie attire. It is albeit, a somewhat childish way to say “nicer clothing” here, but that’s about it. If you are in the United Kingdom or Ireland though, it has a very different meaning. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as,
an unusual or amusing costume worn to make someone look like a famous person, fictional character, or an animal, especially as part of a theme at a party.
So, when you find yourself invited to a fancy dress party, know that you are going to need a costume of some sort.
Dress: Fancy Podcast
Dress: Fancy is one of my favourite podcasts, and its roots are in fancy dress. Hosted by Lucy Clayton, this series originally premiered to explore the history of fancy dress. In addition to looking at notable fancy dress moments in history, like the Devonshire House Ball (more on that next week…), it explores how fancy dress has evolved and been used for different purposes throughout history.
In terms of fashion history podcasts, Dress: Fancy still remains in my top three. (And there are a lot to choose from these days.) Clayton is more than knowledgeable and has some absolutely fantastic guests who share their love of fashion history with us. As someone not from the UK, I always find it very new to me, which is quite novel. And the show has branched out in later seasons to cover different areas and moments in fashion history!
If you want suggestions on which episodes to start with, these are my favourites: Masqued Realities, Barbaric Splendour- The Devonshire House Ball, 1897
Have you listened to Dress: Fancy yet?
Cheers,
The Historian
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