Ever
since I was a little girl reading fairy tales, I’ve wanted to go to a
ball. The real Cinderella type event,
complete with glittering chandeliers, handsome beaux and – most importantly –
beautiful ball gowns. The kind that features
in most historical romances, especially the Regency ones. If only …
I have been to what passes for a ball
these days – a couple of American high school Proms and a university ball – but I must
admit they fell a bit short of the perfect vision I had in my mind. Possibly because my escorts weren't exactly ideal - one was a boy I
didn’t really want to go with and another a boy I had to bribe as he didn’t
really want to go! Not the stuff of fairy tales really, is it?
And my
dresses? Well, they were very pretty and
I was pleased with them at the time, but they weren’t what I would call proper
ball gowns - I would have liked something a lot more glamorous.
So what
should a real ball gown look like? To
find out, I recently went to the Victoria & Albert museum in London where
they have an exhibition at the moment called ‘Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950’. It’s right next to the section of antique
clothing, where you can find real Regency ball dresses (like the one in this drawing), so I had a look at those first in
order to have something to compare with.
Then I headed into the new section and I wasn’t disappointed.
There
were ball gowns in all manner of weird and wonderful styles – some stunningly
beautiful, some downright strange and (to my mind) very unattractive. And although I found the Cinderella type
dresses I’d longed to wear myself, I discovered that I actually liked the
simple styles best. The kind of dress
that flatters the wearer and enhances someone’s figure without being too over
the top.
The
materials used made a huge difference.
Latex, ostrich feathers, silvered leather and knitted foil might make
you look twice at someone, but were just too peculiar for words! Much more glamorous were dresses made of
yards and yards of tulle with a silk under-skirt and bodice (the layers of
tulle added depth and made for an ethereal quality – as in this drawing). Or the
ones sewn out of just silk, which shimmered beautifully on its own or was
enhanced by the addition of Swarovski crystals, beads or pearls. For me, silk and satin proved to be a
definite must.
As the
exhibition catalogue said, ball gowns have not followed fashion as much as
other types of clothing, although I had no trouble pin-pointing which era the
various dresses on show were from. What
they all shared though was that extra effort the designer had made, as well as
the costly materials and ‘wow-factor’ that showed they were to be worn only for
a very special event. Even today, ball
dresses are often hand made in order to make them unique and they incorporate
the owner’s personal tastes.
We
don’t often have occasion to wear such gowns these days, but it’s still fun to
look at them and dream. There are
debutantes every year, of course, and I sometimes take a peek at their outfits
in various magazines just to see what this year’s styles are like. Movie premieres and events like the Oscars
provide more chances for a few lucky ladies to show off stunning dresses and I
admit I enjoy this vicariously. They
help me to imagine what someone going to a real ball must have felt like in all
her finery. And there are the royal
occasions when visiting heads of state and their partners all dress up,
providing some wonderful magazine spreads as well.
If
you’re at all like me, in love with the idea of balls and ball gowns, I
recommend seeing the V & A exhibition – it’s well worth a visit!
Christina
www.christinacourtenay.com
(Drawings © Josceline Fenton – the first one
a ball dress ca 1820-25, English, and the second a dress in a similar style to
some of the ones in the current exhibition where photography was not allowed)
7 comments:
Lovely post, Christina.
I grew up in the mini-skirt age and in a very working class area, so the only long dresses were worn at weddings. I always longed to wear a long floaty dress and be whirled around the ballroom by a handsome hero ... only my dancing is pretty terrible, too, so I write about my heroines doing all those lovely things.
Oh, Christina! I do understand the lure of the ball gown! But I also know that you need the handsome young man to go with it. And this can bring problems.
I remember going to a Highland Ball where the men looked simply spectacular in kilt, doublet, buckled shoes, socks with the sgean dhu tucked into it, frilled shirt etc. They completely outclassed the women who, if they were sensible, wore a simple white dress with a tartan sash over the shoulder - if entitled to it.
We were definitely geese to their swans!
I did go to a ball once which was hosted by King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie - I was a teacher years ago and taught their children. It was fantastic, a treat I'll never forget. It was in the eighties and I wore a dress with a velvet bodice and a silk plaid skirt.
I loved your descriptions-fabulous post!
Oh, Christina, your post made me long to go to a ball! I love those gorgeous dresses. As a little girl I used to love all the Disney princesses because of their clothes! I must go to the V & A.
Melinda - yes, I used to wear mini-skirts too while dreaming of the ballgowns. I wasn't too bad at dancing but definitely needed a handsome hero to whirl me around!
Elizabeth - I'd absolutely love a Highland Ball since I have a weakness for men in kilts :-) You're right though, the women are bound to fade into the background in comparison!
Jane, that sounds lovely, especially the silk plaid!
Amanda - yes do go if you can, it's worth seeing!
I still love the Disney princesses :-)
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