Catherine the Great’s “Metamorphosis Balls”

When Russian Men Stepped Into Women’s Silks

In the glittering social world of Catherine II’s Russia, few court inventions were as visually striking—or as politically shrewd—as the so-called “metamorphosis balls.” These events, held during the early years of her reign, required the entire court to invert traditional dress codes. Women wore the garments of male courtiers; men appeared in the full regalia of women’s fashion.

While the court gossiped about their novelty, the balls served a deeper purpose: they showcased Catherine’s absolute authority over court ritual while gently mocking stiff aristocratic hierarchies. And no aspect drew more fascination than the way Russia’s most powerful noblemen suddenly found themselves trussed up in gowns, lace, and towering coiffures. 

Why Catherine Introduced the Metamorphosis Balls

Catherine understood the political utility of spectacle. Within a court known for rigid ceremonial formality, she engineered an event that:

• Defused political tension by placing everyone in a mildly ridiculous position.
• Flattened rank and gender expectations, if only for a night.
• Signaled her control, since no one could refuse to participate without appearing disloyal.

By inverting appearances, she reminded the nobility that identity at court was ultimately constructed—not inherent—and entirely at the Empress’s mercy.

Men in Women’s Dress: A Bold, Carefully Controlled Transformation

At a metamorphosis ball, male courtiers weren’t simply asked to wear a token shawl or skirt. Catherine expected full fidelity to the women’s wardrobe of the era, which was lavish, structured, and utterly foreign to the men who normally strutted in military-inspired uniforms.

Gowns and Silhouettes

Men wore:

• Floor-length silk or brocade gowns, often borrowed from court seamstresses. 
• Stiff corsets, laced tightly, forcing the inexperienced wearers into an elegant posture that felt unnatural and often uncomfortable.
•  Wide panniers or side hoops to create the fashionable broad-hipped silhouette.

The contrast between the men’s natural build and the exaggerated feminine silhouette was part of the intended theatricality.

Hair, Wigs, and Cosmetics

The transformation didn’t stop at clothing:

• High powdered wigs, decorated with ribbons, feathers, or miniature ornaments.
• Rouged cheeks, powdered faces, and tinted lips, applied by court attendants with a seriousness that mocked the men’s unfamiliarity with cosmetics.
• Beauty patches, those small decorative black appliqués, were placed on cheeks to complete the look.

For men who had spent their lives cultivating martial gravitas, the sight of themselves in delicate ringlets and powdered rouge often produced a mix of embarrassment and laughter—exactly the disarming effect Catherine intended.

Jewelry and Accessories

Men were expected to carry themselves as fully as any noblewoman:

• Fans, which they were required to flutter and use in social conversation.
• Lace gloves, often impractically thin.
• Necklaces, drop earrings, and bracelets, borrowed from the imperial wardrobe.
• Delicate slippers replacing boots, forcing many men to mince rather than stride across the ballroom.

Eyewitnesses noted that the uncertainty in these men’s movements was part of the night’s entertainment.

The Social Theatre of the Evening

The fun wasn’t only in the clothes—it was in the behavior.

Catherine expected the men to perform femininity, including:

• Curtseying instead of bowing
• Adopting light, measured steps
• Using fans expressively
• Even attempting the conversational style of women at court

The goal wasn’t humiliation but a kind of communal play-acting that dissolved the stiff seriousness that hung around Russian aristocrats. It created a temporary world where gender, rank, and identity were theatrical roles rather than fixed traits.

Cultural Significance and Legacy

While these events were short-lived, their symbolism endured:

• They exemplified Catherine’s fascination with Enlightenment ideas about identity and performance.
• They showed how fashion could be used as political theater.
• And they hinted at a proto-modern understanding that gender presentation was partly social ritual.

Today, the metamorphosis balls are remembered as a charming oddity of the Russian court—but they were also a strategic masterstroke of social engineering.

Wearing Boston Proper

Peter Alexander femulating in the Austrian film Die Abenteuer des Grafen Bobby.