Page:Fancy dresses described, or, What to wear at fancy balls (1887).djvu/26

 satin and angola fringe; gold belt; crimson cashmere scarf across the bodice, fastened on left shoulder with a lizard, ends floating on dress. Tiger skin attached to the back, gold diadem with stiff red feathers peeping above it. Necklace and large ear-rings of beads of all colours. Africa is sometimes dressed in more realistic fashion; the skin blackened; short skirt of cotton, bright coloured scarf worn about bodice and head; bead ornaments, large bracelets, ring in nose.

AGNES SOREL. (Edward IV.'s reign, 1461–1483.) Soft brocaded white dress, made long, caught up and bordered with ermine, over gold and white brocade bordered with same fur. Jacket bodice of white brocade, with wide revers edged with gold; tight sleeves, puffed and slashed at elbow. Hair in two plaits; high horned head-dress of period, with gauze veil. Pearl ornaments.

AIR. A white tulle or gauze dress made with several skirts, one over the other, or blue over white, as light and gossamer as possible; made long for an adult, short for a child. The lower skirt is dotted about with silver swallows and other birds, the upper edged with silver fringe or lace, and covered with silver bees and a variety of insects. The low bodice similarly trimmed, a silver-spangled scarf loosely thrown across; a veil attached to the head with silver butterflies; marabout feathers. Ornaments, silver; satin shoes, with silver butterflies on the bows. The insects may be, if preferred, of their natural colours, the birds of gorgeous plumage. A newer and more original rendering is a short blue satin skirt, painted red towards the waist; a windmill on one side, a balloon on the other. The low blue bodice draped with grey tulle, forming the tunic, but starting from a gold brooch in the form of a face; crimson embroidered waist-band, bellows and horn hanging from it; birds nestling in the tulle. Head-dress, a gold weather-vane. (See Plate I., Fig. 4.)

ALBANIAN. Short, scanty skirt, trimmed with gold; full white chemisette; low under-bodice laced with gold; long-sleeved jacket of contrasting colour, or a sleeveless paletot reaching to knees, showing white chemisette in front; many-coloured scarf about waist; round satin cap or fez, placed on the side of the head; gauze veil, hair in long plaits. The following colours may be chosen, viz., dark blue, amber, and