Page:Fancy dresses described, or, What to wear at fancy balls (1887).djvu/237

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WHAT TO WEAR AT FANCY BALLS.
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falling on each shoulder; beads strung as thickly as possible round neck; long bead earrings; richly embroidered leggings, Indian work of porcupine quills.

POLAR STAR. (See Star.)

POLICHINELLE. White satin short skirt, striped with crimson, trimmed with gold; tunic half blue, half white, forming two ends at the back, bordered with gold fringe and bells, and entirely covered with gold spangles; low bodice of red and white, with basque, trimmed with gold fringe and bells; a blue and white cocked-hat over powdered hair; a fool's bauble carried in the hand. (See Plate IX., Fig. 36.) Or, as follows:—Three skirts of alternate black satin and gold tissue, cut in points, a bell at each, surrounded by gold fringe; high bodice of black satin, with a gold diamond-shaped plastron; hair floating on the shoulders, surmounted by a cap, and bells of gold tissue; Punchinelle carried in the hand, viz., a small doll dressed in the same way. Or, short white skirt, low cut bodice, striped, bordered with gold; double-cornered cap of blue and red; powdered hair; blue and white scarf of satin round hips.

POLISH PEASANT at a Fancy Ball is very unlike the veritable peasant; the correct dress would be a striped woollen skirt; a scarlet bodice laced in front, and trimmed with yellow, over a high white chemisette, with long sleeves; and for a bride, a cap with as many ends of ribbon of all colours and widths as can be procured, replaced on less gala occasions by a cotton handkerchief folded first cornerwise, then the double-edge folded back twice, about 3 inches broad, and tied behind; a flower stuck at the side. A fancy dress Polish costume is as follows: A plain blue short dress, trimmed with minever; a yellow bodice with tight sleeves like a habit-bodice, with Brandenbourgs in black across the front; the Polish cap edged with minever. This cap is a distinctive feature of the costume; it is square at the top, and hard and stiff, the four sides diminishing in size where they rest on the head; the hair should hang in long plaits beneath it. Another style is a pink satin short skirt, bordered with swansdown, a polonaise over it, viz., a bodice and tunic in one, the latter bordered with swansdown and opening in front, the bodice cut to throat or square, and also trimmed with swansdown and heavily braided with silver; the sleeves close-fitting to the wrist, also braided;