Halloween is nearly upon us and
every self-respecting Victorianist is contemplating stepping back in time and
into the breeches of our favourite historical characters—real and imagined.
Below is a list of the Secret
Victorianist’s top picks of nineteenth-century-inspired costumes for you to
consider.
1. Miss Havisham
The perennial bride in Charles
Dickens’s 1860-1861 Great Expectations
is a killer Halloween choice. White dress? Check. Veil? Check? Grey hair and
cobwebs? For extra Gothic flare consider singeing your gown and adding dramatic
flames. Who says a wedding dress need only be worn once?
2. Queen Victoria
That’s right—go as the monarch of
the era herself, with Prince Albert in tow if you’re after a couples’ costume.
Otherwise, embrace widowhood and dress head to toe in black.
3. A character from Pride and Prejudice (zombies optional)
Who doesn’t want to an excuse to
unleash their inner Lizzie Bennet? Grab some friends and argue about who is
each sister if you’re not lucky enough to have found your Darcy. The Pride and Prejudice with Zombies movie
is recommended Halloween viewing and could also provide a fun twist on the
costume idea.
4. Long John Silver
Before Captain Jack Sparrow lit up
our screens it was Long John Silver, the villain from Robert Louis Stevenson’s
1882 Treasure Island, who was the
world’s most famous fictional pirate. This costume is all in the accessories:
strap on a wooden leg, perch a parrot on your shoulder and grab a map marking
the way to those elusive pieces of eight.
5. Abraham Lincoln
The United States’
most-distinctive nineteenth-century president is a great costume choice. The
top hat and facial hair will make you instantly recognisable, even if you don’t
want to shell out on realistic historical garb.
6. Florence Nightingale
While others are donning their
‘sexy nurse’ outfits, dress up as the lady with the lamp, who tended to British
soldiers during the Crimean War.
7. Napoleon
The French emperor shares the
laurel with Queen Victoria for the most famous nineteenth-century look. Don’t
forget the hat, the epaulettes, or, our course, the pose.
8. The Statue of Liberty
This famous gift from the French
to the American republic was dedicated in 1886. Dress in copper tones, rather
than green, for a true nineteenth-century feel.
9. Dracula
What could be more classic for
Halloween than to dress as the count from Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic. Many won’t
know the story’s Victorian provenance though, so try to read the novel before
you go to your party!
10. The Nutcracker and Sugar Plum
Fairy
If you’re itching for Halloween
to be over, Christmas can come early with your costume choice. The ballet was
first performed in 1892 and is great Halloween inspiration. Don your tutu to be
the Sugar Plum Fairy, look distinguished in your red coat as the nutcracker
himself, or maybe even go for a giant rat costume.
Do you have any other
Victorian/nineteenth-century costume ideas (or pics!) to share? Let me
know—here, on Facebook or by tweeting @SVictorianist.
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