Page:Fancy dresses described, or, What to wear at fancy balls (1887).djvu/241

 with alternate stripes of scarlet and gold; scarlet satin low bodice, laced and trimmed with gold; a black gauze scarf, the ends fringed with gold, and embroidered in red, tied round the head; gold chains from short sleeves to wrist; white satin boots laced with gold; gold ornaments.

POSTAGE, POST-OFFICE (See ). Short white satin dress and high bodice; on the skirt the different rates of postage, times of posting, names of several mails; flowers for the hair made of various postage stamps; scarves of different colours on the dress, denoting the names of mail-bags; enamelled postage-stamps for jewellery. Or, dress composed of newspaper headings, and trimmed with postage stamps round the skirt, red intersected with twopenny blue stamps; the same on the bodice.

POSTILLION, LE. Costume of white satin, ornamented with a military braiding in gold passementerie; epaulettes and cap arranged to correspond; the hair powdered and tied at the back with black ribbons; this would look equally well in pale blue satin, ornamented with silver.

POSTMASTER (LADY). Short white satin kilted skirt; red cloth or satin coat, white satin waistcoat; cocked hat; high black boots; satchel of letters carried at side. Or, French naval officer's cap, with peak bordered gilt braid; short red satin skirt trimmed with gold; black satin jacket with lappels over satin; waistcoat trimmed with gold.

POT-AU-FEU. White satin dress strung with all kinds of vegetables; black velvet bodice to simulate a saucepan, handles form the epaulettes to the sleeves; head-dress like the lid of saucepan.

POUDRÉ COSTUMES. Powder was adopted pretty well throughout the XVIIIth century by the upper classes in England and France, so that with any costume of that time, not worn by the lower orders, powder is admissible. It was the powder-tax imposed by Mr. Pitt in 1795 that sent it out of fashion in England. The following are some pretty poudré costumes: Short blue satin skirt, a Watteau tunic of old brocade, the Watteau plait double, and attached to the bodice only at the neck; the bodice itself pointed, a muslin fichu bordering the square-cut neck; the sleeves to elbow finished off with ruffles; on one side of the powdered hair, a black velvet hat, the brim turned up, and edged with pearls; a bunch of