Photo credits include: Siberfi, Cory Doctorow, Andrew Smee, Ben Hopper.

If one of your photographs is used here and you would like crediting, or if you would like it removed, please contact us.

Our March 27 third birthday extravaganza, “The Great Exhibition”, is based upon the wonders of Victorian science. Our compere is a pith-helmeted colonel; on stage a mad scientist will conduct bolts of lightning through a Tesla coil; in the lobby you’ll meet Hodman and Sally, explorers from Oblivia. Throughout the building there will be Victorian and steampunk works of art.

Be sure to read these relevant articles on our site:

• Steampunk clothing at White Mischief
• The neo-Victorian look
• How to get 20% off costumes from Prangsta
• Our guide to London’s best vintage, second-hand and costume suppliers

Here are some ideas for costumes:

• Steampunk
• Neo-Victorian
• Top hats / waistcoats / frock coats
• Bustles / corsets / dresses
• Explorers
• Scientists / Engineers
• Remarkable exhibits
• Discoveries from the Empire
• Zoological phenomena
• Dinosaurs
• Workers
• Prince Albert / Queen Victoria
• HG Wells / Jules Verne
• Businessmen, women and philanthropists

Looking for that particular accessory? For the perfect haircut? For a costume to rent? Or to buy some second-hand clothing? Be sure to read our guide to London’s best vintage, second-hand and costume suppliers.

With White Mischief so heavily inspired by Jules Verne (we’ve had shows entitled “From The Earth To The Moon”, “Journey To The Centre Of The Earth” and “Around The World In 80 Days”, the steampunk aesthetic is one of the dressing-up themes we encourage. (Line-up for June 7 show; details on tickets and group discounts.)

Check after the jump for a magnificent collection of images taken from the last White Mischief show… thank the photographers and congratulate the Mischief-Makers who dressed up in such formidable outfits. We recommend Prangsta as a place from which to hire your steampunk outfit, but our guide to London’s best vintage clothing emporiums and costume rental locations offers many more suggestions.

If you want to know more about steampunk, visit our pages of steampunk photos and steampunk videos. Steampunk is all about imagining the future as it might have been had the silicon chip never been invented. All the optimism of the Industrial Revolution, of the Victorian Empire, of the Age of Steam, propelling us around the world with magnificent steamships and airships, with our goggles polished and neo-Victorian uniforms worn by space pirates and sky captains. Read on to see how partygoers at the last White Mischief looked.

Credit: Siberfi Credit: Nicolle Carter

Credit: Alasdair Watson Credit: Alasdair Watson

Credit: Siberfi Credit: Wozza_efx2

Credit: Wozza_efx2 Credit: Wozza_efx2
Steampunk rayguns, pith helmets and goggles from Stentor Industries:

Remember that our dressup partner Prangsta offers a 20% discount for anyone quoting White Mischief.

We have also created this extensive list of costume, vintage, second-hand, hair and make-up providers which should help you make your dressup dreams come true.

Dressup inspirations for New Year’s Eve 1910

Read Wikipedia’s 1909 and 1910 timelines or the Guardian’s timelines for 1899-1909 and 1910-1919.

Imagine yourself into the era between 1909 and 1910. Work begins on building the mighty cross-Atlantic ship the Titanic. Louis Bleriot makes the first flight across the Channel in a monoplane. The first rugby football match at Twickenham is played. Edward VII dies and George V becomes King of the United Kingdom. Henry Ford sells 10,000 automobiles.

Ladies, check out this 1900-1910 fashion timeline and these Titanic fashions

Men, visit this 1910 formalwear guide

For our splendid dinner party and New Year’s Eve ball, we invite you to explore the formalwear of the time, or alternatively any vintagewear from 1900 to 1940:

• Ballgowns
• Fine dresses
• Hats
• Frock coats
• Top hats, canes
• Edwardiana
• Dinner jackets
• Black tie
• Formalwear
• Military wear
• Poor 1900s vagrants who have sneaked into the party!

Dressing up is not compulsory at White Mischief, but we strongly encourage it…

…especially at Halloween, arguably the costume and make-believe highpoint of the year!

To help you along on your creative journey, we have compiled this massive list of London’s best providers of vintagewear, second-hand clothes, make-up, hairstyling, costume rental and steampunk accessories: White Mischief’s recommended dress-up providers.

And White Mischief’s preferred costumier, Prangsta, is offering a massive 30% discount to anyone who quotes White Mischief when booking a fitting for one of their extravagant outfits.

To get an idea of what other people might come up with, take a look at the many photos from the Halloween party we threw last year, THE HOUSE OF THE SANDMAN:

Dressup inspirations for Le Chateau de Barbe-Bleue:

We recommend you read the original 1697 Charles Perrault story and take a look at the 1867 illustrations from Gustave Dore and the 1875 illustrations from Walter Crane.  Visual influence can also be drawn from the silent film Barbe Bleue by George Melies.  For Halloween this will be a dark interpretation, drawing upon the decaying ambers and browns of autumn as well, of course, as the deep red of the blood lake in Blue Beard’s chamber.

Suggestions:

• Blue Beard himself
• Anything blue at all
• Dripping with gold and jewellery – Blue Beard has given you the keys to all his riches
• Blue Beard’s seventh bride
• Blue Beard’s six wives, or any corpse bride
• Anything involving blood, invoking murder or a loss of virginity
• Guests at a sumptuous ball
• Lords and ladies from the Elizabethan through to Georgian eras
• Keepers of the castle, knights, guards, armourymen and treasury keepers
• Servants of the castle, cooks, maids
• Dashing knight brothers on horseback
• Locksmiths
• Barbers
• Any Halloween character or theme
• Any vintage theme

Remember to check out our recommended dress-up providers.

(Photo credit Tammy and Bella by Siberfi)

Find within the original Blue Beard story as written by Charles Perrault. If you would prefer to read a shorter version of the story, please check Barbe Bleue abbreviated.

To read more about our October 30 Hallowe’en spectacular “Le Chateau de Barbe-Bleue” or to book tickets,  click here.

The full Blue Beard story – as written by Charles Perrault

There was once a man who had fine houses, both in town and country, a deal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches gilded all over with gold. But this man was so unlucky as to have a blue beard, which made him so frightfully ugly that all the women and girls ran away from him.

One of his neighbors, a lady of quality, had two daughters who were perfect beauties. He desired of her one of them in marriage, leaving to her choice which of the two she would bestow on him. Neither of them would have him, and they sent him backwards and forwards from one to the other, not being able to bear the thoughts of marrying a man who had a blue beard. Adding to their disgust and aversion was the fact that he already had been married to several wives, and nobody knew what had become of them.

Bluebeard, to engage their affection, took them, with their mother and three or four ladies of their acquaintance, with other young people of the neighborhood, to one of his country houses, where they stayed a whole week.

The time was filled with parties, hunting, fishing, dancing, mirth, and feasting. Nobody went to bed, but all passed the night in rallying and joking with each other. In short, everything succeeded so well that the youngest daughter began to think that the man’s beard was not so very blue after all, and that he was a mighty civil gentleman.

As soon as they returned home, the marriage was concluded. About a month afterwards, Bluebeard told his wife that he was obliged to take a country journey for six weeks at least, about affairs of very great consequence. He desired her to divert herself in his absence, to send for her friends and acquaintances, to take them into the country, if she pleased, and to make good cheer wherever she was.

“Here,” said he,” are the keys to the two great wardrobes, wherein I have my best furniture. These are to my silver and gold plate, which is not everyday in use. These open my strongboxes, which hold my money, both gold and silver; these my caskets of jewels. And this is the master key to all my apartments. But as for this little one here, it is the key to the closet at the end of the great hall on the ground floor. Open them all; go into each and every one of them, except that little closet, which I forbid you, and forbid it in such a manner that, if you happen to open it, you may expect my just anger and resentment.”

She promised to observe, very exactly, whatever he had ordered. Then he, after having embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on his journey.

Her neighbors and good friends did not wait to be sent for by the newly married lady. They were impatient to see all the rich furniture of her house, and had not dared to come while her husband was there, because of his blue beard, which frightened them. They ran through all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so fine and rich that they seemed to surpass one another.

After that, they went up into the two great rooms, which contained the best and richest furniture. They could not sufficiently admire the number and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets, stands, tables, and looking glasses, in which you might see yourself from head to foot; some of them were framed with glass, others with silver, plain and gilded, the finest and most magnificent that they had ever seen.

They ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who in the meantime in no way diverted herself in looking upon all these rich things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the closet on the ground floor. She was so much pressed by her curiosity that, without considering that it was very uncivil for her to leave her company, she went down a little back staircase, and with such excessive haste that she nearly fell and broke her neck.

Having come to the closet door, she made a stop for some time, thinking about her husband’s orders, and considering what unhappiness might attend her if she was disobedient; but the temptation was so strong that she could not overcome it. She then took the little key, and opened it, trembling. At first she could not see anything plainly, because the windows were shut. After some moments she began to perceive that the floor was all covered over with clotted blood, on which lay the bodies of several dead women, ranged against the walls. (These were all the wives whom Bluebeard had married and murdered, one after another.) She thought she should have died for fear, and the key, which she, pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.

After having somewhat recovered her surprise, she picked up the key, locked the door, and went upstairs into her chamber to recover; but she could not, so much was she frightened. Having observed that the key to the closet was stained with blood, she tried two or three times to wipe it off; but the blood would not come out; in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand. The blood still remained, for the key was magical and she could never make it quite clean; when the blood was gone off from one side, it came again on the other.

Bluebeard returned from his journey the same evening, saying that he had received letters upon the road, informing him that the affair he went about had concluded to his advantage. His wife did all she could to convince him that she was extremely happy about his speedy return.

The next morning he asked her for the keys, which she gave him, but with such a trembling hand that he easily guessed what had happened.

“What!” said he, “is not the key of my closet among the rest?”

“I must,” said she, “have left it upstairs upon the table.”

“Fail not,” said Bluebeard, “to bring it to me at once.”

After several goings backwards and forwards, she was forced to bring him the key. Bluebeard, having very attentively considered it, said to his wife, “Why is there blood on the key?”

“I do not know,” cried the poor woman, paler than death.

“You do not know!” replied Bluebeard. “I very well know. You went into the closet, did you not? Very well, madam; you shall go back, and take your place among the ladies you saw there.”

Upon this she threw herself at her husband’s feet, and begged his pardon with all the signs of a true repentance, vowing that she would never more be disobedient. She would have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Bluebeard had a heart harder than any rock!

“You must die, madam,” said he, “at once.”

“Since I must die,” answered she (looking upon him with her eyes all bathed in tears), “give me some little time to say my prayers.”

“I give you,” replied Bluebeard, “half a quarter of an hour, but not one moment more.”

When she was alone she called out to her sister, and said to her, “Sister Anne” (for that was her name), “go up, I beg you, to the top of the tower, and look if my brothers are not coming. They promised me that they would come today, and if you see them, give them a sign to make haste.”

Her sister Anne went up to the top of the tower, and the poor afflicted wife cried out from time to time, “Anne, sister Anne, do you see anyone coming?”

And sister Anne said, “I see nothing but a cloud of dust in the sun, and the green grass.”

In the meanwhile Bluebeard, holding a great saber in his hand, cried out as loud as he could bawl to his wife, “Come down instantly, or I shall come up to you.”

“One moment longer, if you please,” said his wife; and then she cried out very softly, “Anne, sister Anne, do you see anybody coming?”

And sister Anne answered, “I see nothing but a cloud of dust in the sun, and the green grass.”

“Come down quickly,” cried Bluebeard, “or I will come up to you.”

“I am coming,” answered his wife; and then she cried, “Anne, sister Anne, do you not see anyone coming?”

“I see,” replied sister Anne, “a great cloud of dust approaching us.”

“Are they my brothers?”

“Alas, no my dear sister, I see a flock of sheep.”

“Will you not come down?” cried Bluebeard.

“One moment longer,” said his wife, and then she cried out, “Anne, sister Anne, do you see nobody coming?”

“I see,” said she, “two horsemen, but they are still a great way off.”

“God be praised,” replied the poor wife joyfully. “They are my brothers. I will make them a sign, as well as I can for them to make haste.”

Then Bluebeard bawled out so loud that he made the whole house tremble. The distressed wife came down, and threw herself at his feet, all in tears, with her hair about her shoulders.

“This means nothing,” said Bluebeard. “You must die!” Then, taking hold of her hair with one hand, and lifting up the sword with the other, he prepared to strike off her head. The poor lady, turning about to him, and looking at him with dying eyes, desired him to afford her one little moment to recollect herself.

“No, no,” said he, “commend yourself to God,” and was just ready to strike.

At this very instant there was such a loud knocking at the gate that Bluebeard made a sudden stop. The gate was opened, and two horsemen entered. Drawing their swords, they ran directly to Bluebeard. He knew them to be his wife’s brothers, one a dragoon, the other a musketeer; so that he ran away immediately to save himself; but the two brothers pursued and overtook him before he could get to the steps of the porch. Then they ran their swords through his body and left him dead. The poor wife was almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength enough to rise and welcome her brothers.

Bluebeard had no heirs, and so his wife became mistress of all his estate. She made use of one part of it to marry her sister Anne to a young gentleman who had loved her a long while; another part to buy captains’ commissions for her brothers, and the rest to marry herself to a very worthy gentleman, who made her forget the ill time she had passed with Bluebeard.

If this story has interested you, take a look at some analysis from literary critics or the alternative version from the Bela Bartok opera.

To read more about our October 30 Hallowe’en spectacular “Le Chateau de Barbe-Bleue” or to book tickets,  click here.

Unlike some clubs, White Mischief does not enforce a strict dress code. We’ve seen guests at White Mischief wearing everything from t-shirts and jeans to nu-rave looks to suits and cocktail dresses to facepaint, Adam Ant outfits and even badger suits. In terms of era, Mischief-Makers have represented every age from the 1890s through to the 1990s. So while we make a point of being inclusive – we don’t turn anyone away – we do encourage everyone to get into the spirit of things by dressing up in whatever way they feel is appropriate. And there are prizes for the most sensationally dressed. So here are a few inspirations for those who plan to get their glad rags on.

Dressup inspirations

Retro:

Any era from the 1890s through to the 1950s. Pick any year from fashion’s history and try it on for size!

Characters:

Dresses, bustles, corsets, hats, top hats, dress shirts, waistcoats, ties, walking canes, frock coats

Literary influences:

This is your chance to raid the bookshelves for inspiration: particularly any Jules Verne book (eg From The Earth To The Moon, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea), or anything by HG Wells (The Time Machine, The First Men In The Moon, The War of The Worlds)

Film influences:

The combination of Victoriana and sci-fi that we are referenced with the forthcoming White Mischief night is richly evoked throughout the history of film.  Start with Georges Meliés’ terrific A Trip To The Moon (1902); then try Metropolis (1927); 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954); The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958); Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (1959); Return To Oz (1985); Brazil (1985); The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988); The City of Lost Children (1995); Wild Wild West (1999); Sleepy Hollow (1999); Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003); Steamboy (2004); Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004); The Prestige (2006); Stardust (2007), The Golden Compass (2007).

Steampunk:

The fusion of sci-fi with the rivets-and-brass mechanics of the industrial revolution. For more general reading, check this Wikipedia article on steampunk.

For a visual feast check out our collection of videos and photos on steampunk. See some steampunk props made by a White Mischief regular. And be sure to check out some photos of neo-Victorian White Mischief partygoers in action! (older photos) 

Steampunk websites include the UK-based BrassGoggles; Anachrotech; the SteamFashion community; Steampunkopedia; and Aether Emporium.

Costume rental and vintage stores:

Feel like dressing up but wondering where you might find an outfit? Visit our guide to costume rental and vintage stores which contains our recommendations for the best outfitters in London including hair and make-up. In particular we recommend Prangsta which can construct you a perfect high-end steampunk look in minutes for a price that’s right – with a 30% discount for Mischief Makers!

This time round the theme is “Around the World in 80 Days”, again drawn from a Jules Verne novel, allowing those of you with a love of Victoriana to indulge your steampunk fantasies. For everyone else there is a whole globe’s worth of inspiration to make use of. India, Africa, China, Japan, Mexico, Polynesia, the USA, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Thailand, South America, Egypt, the Middle East, Brazil, Spain… literally any country could become the basis for a look. Check inside for videos, photos and links not only to our articles on steampunk but also links to our huge directory of London’s best second hand, charity, vintage, retro and antique clothing shops – plus information on costume rental locations, accessories providers and hair salons.

Useful links:

Our directory of second hand and vintage shops/ costume rental

Steampunk clothing at White Mischief

Phileas Fogg / Steampunk-inspired site:

Inspirational photographs: (Click on image to view full size)

Phileas Fogg and characters from the novel:

About Around the World in 80 Days:

Wikipedia entry on the Jules Verne book

Illustrated online version of early edition of book

“Around the World in 80 Days” film (1956) starring David Niven

More scenes from the 1956 film:

Marlene Dietrich saloon scene / Bangkok hallucination scene

“Around the World in 80 Days” film (2004) starring Steve Coogan

Watch the film:

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 /Part 10 /Part 11 / Part 12

Further examples can be found on the Stentor Industries website.