Masquerade Ball

Posted on May 7, 2011 by admin

May is a popular time to have a Masquerade Ball. Props n Frocks stocks one of the largest Venetian style eyemasks on the internet, we have huge stocks & can get your beautiful masks delivered to you the next working day.

We have a great range of mens masks from plain masks right up to elaborate Highwayman style masks. Mens eye masks tend to be secured either with elastic, or the more elaborate are fixed on a headband. Both ways are flexible and comfortable fits.

Our range of ladies masquerade masks is massive. We have some beautiful feather eyemasks in a wide range of colours. Ladies also have the option of having a mask on a stick. These masks give a very elegant look and do not interfere with your hairstyle in any way whatsoever. The other masks are secured either by elastic, or on a headband. Masks that are secured on a headband are very popular, as you are able to move the mask up to the top of your head if you need to move the mask out of the way to eat or drink.

A lot of our masks for masked balls have feathers as a form of decoration. The colour of the feathers does change under a flash light, so if you need a particular colour, we would recommend that you contact us before you place your order. It is also worth considering that feathers are a natural product and we cannot guarantee the shape of every feather as each one is unique.

In 1718, on May 7^th the city of New Orleans was founded by the French. Back then it was a bit of a swamp and much of the city was (and still is) below sea level, which was why Hurricane Katrina was so disastrous. After starting French, it became Spanish owned for a while, then reverted back to French rule and was eventually sold to the United States by Napoleon in 1803. The influence of its multicultural origins remain in its native Creole cuisine, its architecture and the fact that it’s distinctive ‘Dixieland’ music is so-called because of the old French currency. Aside from jazz, New Orleans is probably best known as a centre of Mardi Gras celebration. As our weather isn’t great when the festival actually occurs (February/March), now might be the weekend to ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ with a Mardi-gras style masquerade.

Mardi Gras / Carnival Fancy Dress

Posted on March 8, 2011 by admin

Lets’ have a Mardi Gras, or Carnival, fancy dress party as today is a day for great celebrations because it’s Mardi Gras. Although here in the UK we know it as Shrove Tuesday, in other parts of the world, notably the ‘centres’ of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro and the West Indies, today is the culmination of weeks of preparation with carnival parades and costumes much in evidence, prior to the sobriety that is the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday tomorrow.

Basically, anything goes for a Carnival theme, the brighter the better.

So you have the choice of playing with pancakes or getting creative with costumes. Actually, people are increasingly combining the two. Although Olney in Buckinghamshire is looked on as the pioneer in pancake-racing, many people are now using the day as a good excuse for some fund-raising built around this kind of event. Or just enjoy your pancakes – they may look crepe but they usually taste delicious

We are also finding that having a Masked Ball is becoming very popular at this time of the year. Props n Frocks has one of the largest ranges of Masquerade eye masks on the internet. We have a huge choice for both men and women.

Masquerade Fancy Dress

Posted on January 6, 2011 by admin

We thought we would recommend a Masquerade fancy dress party today.

Well, it’s Twelfth Night and hopefully you have taken down all your Christmas decorations – it’s supposed to be bad luck to keep them up after tonight (in Victorian times, when real braches of fir, holly, etc., had been used for decoration, these ‘Christmas greens’ were burnt on Twelfth Night). Meanwhile, over in New Orleans, (for some the Party Capital of the World), the serious fun can now begin. Between now and the start of Lent the various carnival teams (Krewes) begin the task of working out their themes, floats and costumes for this year’s parades. The costs involved are such that some serious fund-raising has to be done around the year (with occasional breaks for Lent and Christmas) and in the days leading up to Mardi Gras itself (March 8^th this year) the various Krewes undertake individual parade events prior to the Big One on the day itself. Doubtless we will return to this topic around that time as Mardi Gras is a major excuse for celebration, but meanwhile, why not undertake a masquerade event?

Now for Masquerade, you can either go down the eyemask route, or get your guests to dress up in Venetian costume as well. Most people will tend to opt for the eyemasks only as this is a very cost effective way of having a costume style party. One of the reasons that people have themed parties time and time again is that you can be guaranteed that the party will get going very quickly. In ‘normal’ (we think fancy dress is normal, but maybe we are all a bit mad here at Props n Frocks anyway?) parties, it takes a while for people to loosen up (normally after a drink or two) and the party gets going towards the end of the evening. With a fancy dress, or themed party, barriers are broken down so much earlier in the evening and the party tends to get going straight away. This means that you and your guests will have a fabulous time.

Props n Frocks stocks a huge range of masquerade eyemasks, in fact, we have one of the largest selections of male and female masks on the internet, so you are sure to find a design, or style that you love. There is a huge choice of colours of ladies eyemasks, so you can get colours to match your dress. One thing we will just add, is that, if your eyemask has a feather design, the colour may look different with the flash photography. If you have any doubt regarding the colour of the mask you like, just give us a call, 7 days a week and we can give you an honest answer.

Masquerade Fancy Dress Theme

Posted on December 11, 2010 by admin

A Masquerade Ball, or fancy dress party is an elegant way to spend an evening. Not only, does it have the overall effect of a

Mens Masquerade Eyemask

fancy dress party (barriers are broken down very early, so the party gets going really early and strangers will speak to each other) but, it is also a very cost effective way of doing it.

Did you know that on December 11^th , in 1769 apparently, the first venetian blinds were patented. Was it not the late great Miles Kington who postulated that ‘In the land of the blind, the curtain-maker suffers?’. It was, but that possibly seems scarcely relevant in a costuming blog until you speculate what the Venetians were actually hiding behind their blinds, curtains and of course masks. Fancy-dress and costuming are all about taking on a different persona, and when it comes to matters of masquerade, the Venetians were (and still are) masters. As we wend our way slowly towards the Christmas Season, why not make the most of our wide selection of eyemasks? Doubtless you might have invested in a new festive frock or two, and even if you do not need to hire , or purchase, a costume from us, we have a wide range of Venetian style masks in styles and colours to complement your ensemble and add to your air of mystery.

Props n Frocks stocks one of the largest ranges of masquerade eyemasks online, but remember, if you are near our fancy dress shop in Essex, you are welcome to pop in and have a look at them. Take a look at our Masquerade eyemasks

Our range of venitian masks includes:

Masks on a stick – very dramatic
Masks secured with elastic – saves you having to hold the mask all night.
Eyemasks on a headband – you can normally move the mask up to the top of your head if you want to move it from the front of your face to eat or drink
Mens eyemasks – from plain to the more elaborate