PDA

View Full Version : Fancy Dress



sandyr1
25-Jul-11, 02:31
Someone please advise the 'Origin' of Fancy Dress.
It seems to be quite prevalent in the UK/ Europe and I remember as a youngster in Caithness doing it. And it still seems to be popular.
Nothing like that occurs in the West, other than at Halloween....

Kodiak
25-Jul-11, 11:59
The origins of fancy dress costumes and that of a fancy dress party can be traced right back to the fifteenth century in Italy. This is when the first masquerade balls or masked balls were held. These masquerade balls then developed into public festivities where elaborate dances were performed in fancy dress clothes. The fancy dress party is mostly organized and held for the upper class. Eventually, the fancy dress party became especially popular in Venice, Italy.

On the other hand, here in the United Kingdom, masquerade fancy dress balls only started to gain popularity during the eighteenth century and it was only by the Victorian era that the fancy dress parties were held similar to todays’ fancy dress parties.

Also Fancy dress comes from the fact that people would tend to wear quite plain and ordinary clothes, however when it came to a formal occasion they would dress up just like the upper classes, and this dress was called 'fancy' because literally it was.

And hence fancy dress is one of those phrases that actually has quite a sensible origin.

sandyr1
25-Jul-11, 15:46
Tks for the info....
Watched a 'Made for TV movie' last nite and it showed the 2nd US President visiting France in the late 1700's, and all the Frenchmen and Women were dressed in as you say 'fancy dress', while the Pres had only but a wig on....Oh he also had clothes but no ruffles and powdered face.
Very interesting.......I was just looking at the pics from the local Shows and Galas abd seeing it as I remembered many years ago....ty