The 2009 Art Deco Ball On The Queen Mary!

Did You Know? - The phrases 'to the nines', or 'to the nine', were used to indicate perfection - the highest standards. That was in use in the 18th century, as here from William Hamilton's Epistle to Ramsay, 1719: "How to the nines they did content me."

'To the nine' also appears in a translation of Voyages de Jehan de Mandeville chevalier, which appeared anonymously in France, circa 1357 and is attributed to Sir John Mandeville:

"Sir king! ye shall have war without peace, and always to the nine degree, ye shall be in subjection of your enemies, and ye shall be needy of all goods."

The original work was written in Anglo-Norman French and is much translated. Whether the 'to the nine' is a literal translation from the original or whether it was added by translators later, and possibly as late as 1900, isn't clear. It doesn't seem likely that the phrase existed in English as early as the 14th century, not to appear again in print until the 18th century.

Did you know? - A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan. But generally, purpose-made hand-held fans are shaped like a circle segment made of a thin material (such as paper or feathers) mounted to slats which revolve around a pivot so that it can be closed when not in use.

The movement of a hand-held fan provides cooling by increasing the airflow over the skin which in turn increases the evaporation rate of sweat droplets on the skin. This evaporation has a cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation of water.

Did You Know? - Adjective: Someone or something that is really extravagant and awesome looking! They are indeed!!!

Verb: deck out dek awt 1. Put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive - overdress, dress up, fig out, fig up, deck up, gussy up [N. Amer], fancy up, trick up, trick out, prink, attire, get up, rig out, tog up, tog out

Derived forms: decked out, decks out, decking out Type of: dress, get dressed

Did you know? - The term a feather in your cap is an English idiomatic phrase believed to have derived from the general custom in some cultures, of a warrior adding a new feather to their head-gear for every enemy slain, or in other cases from the custom of establishing the success of a hunter as being the first to bag a game bird by the plucking of the feathers of that prey and placing them in the hat band. The phrase today has altered to a more peaceful allusion, where it is used to refer to any laudable success or achievement by an individual that may help that person in the future.

Did you know? - In some forms, it is the belief that some people can bestow a curse on victims by the malevolent gaze of their magical eye. The most common form, however, attributes the cause to envy, with the envious person casting the evil eye doing so unintentionally. Also the effects on victims vary. Some cultures report afflictions with bad luck; others believe the evil eye can cause disease, wasting away, and even death. In most cultures, the primary victims are thought to be babies and young children, because they are so often praised and commented upon by strangers or by childless women.

The late UC Berkeley professor of folklore Alan Dundes has explored the beliefs of many cultures and found a commonality — that the evil caused by the gaze is specifically connected to symptoms of drying, desiccation, withering, and dehydration, that its cure is related to moistness, and that the immunity from the evil eye that fish have in some cultures is related to the fact that they are always wet.

Did you know? - A top hat, top-hat, silk hat, cylinder hat, plug hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat (sometimes also known by the nickname "topper") is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat worn prior to and including the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, it is usually worn only with morning dress or white tie, as servants' or doormen's livery, or as a specific rock culture fashion statement.

Did you know? - In much of Europe during the period 1550-1850, hats made of felted beaver fur were fashionable because the soft yet resilient material could be easily combed to make a variety of hat shapes, including the familiar top hat.

The demand for beaver pelts in Europe ultimately drove the animal to near-extinction. The booming demand for this type of fur helped cause the dwindling of the supply of beavers in the New World, and fueled colonial expansion to a significant degree as more people sought the fortunes of the trade.

In 1624, the year New York was first settled, Dutch settlers were recorded having shipped 1500 beaver and 500 otter skins to Europe.

Used, smelly winter coats worn by Native Americans were actually a prized commodity for hat making, because their wear helped prepare the skins, separating out the coarser hairs from the pelts.

Did you know? - Top hats started to take over from the tricorne at the end of the 18th century; a painting by Charles Vernet of 1796, Un Incroyable, shows a French dandy (one of the Incroyables et Merveilleuses) wearing such a hat.The first silk top hat in England is credited to George Dunnage. A hatter from Middlesex in 1793.

Within twenty years top hats had become popular with all social classes, with even workmen wearing them. At that time those worn by members of the upper classes were usually made of felted beaver fur, while those worn by working men were made of rabbit fur; the generic name "stuff hat" was applied to hats made from fur. The hats became part of the uniforms worn by policemen and postmen (to give them the appearance of authority); since these people spent most of their time outdoors, their hats were topped with black oilcloth.

During the early part of the 19th century felted beaver fur was gradually replaced by silk "hatter's plush", though the silk topper met with resistance from those who preferred the beaver hat. A short-lived fad in the 1820s and 1830s was the "Wellington" style of top-hat with concave sides. The peak of the top hat's popularity in the 1840s and the 1850s saw it reach its most extreme form, with ever higher crowns and narrow brims. The stovepipe hat was a variety with mostly straight sides, while one with slightly convex sides was called the "chimney pot". The stovepipe hat was popularized in the US by Abraham Lincoln during his presidency; it is said that Lincoln would keep important letters inside the hat.

Did you know? - A boutonnière is a floral decoration worn by men, typically a single flower or bud. The word comes from the French boutonnière, or buttonhole, which is the British term. The flower itself is often a carnation, which is most formal white, while red remains a classic alternative. Other colors may also be chosen to better coordinate with whatever else is being worn, such as a blue cornflower.

Traditionally, a boutonnière was worn pushed through the lapel buttonhole (on the left, the same side as a pocket handkerchief). However, on many recently made coats and jackets, the lapel is made without the stem loop required, which would normally sit on the reverse of the lapel, beneath the buttonhole. Sometimes, the lapel buttonhole is in the 'keyhole' shape, as opposed to the traditional straight cut, or is not even pierced through, in which case the boutonnière may be pinned onto the jacket lapel, although this is considered unsightly by many.

While worn frequently in the past, boutonnières are now usually reserved for special occasions for which formal wear is standard, such as at proms, homecomings, funerals, and weddings. (Women who wear jackets on these occasions also often may wear 'buttonholes', but more typically a woman would wear a corsage.)