Rate the Dress: Walking in Stripes in the late 1860s
Last week I showed you a Regency era fashion plate that featured a decidedly interesting evening dress. Opinions on the dress were decidedly divided: you either thought it was fabulous (with small caveats about the peplum and bodice trim), or hated it. And you either thought it would be even more fabulous on a body, or far less fabulous! So most scores were either well below 5, or well above 5, resulting in a rating of 7.4 out of 10. Wackiness and all, I guess more of you liked it than not! This week’s Rate the Dress in a little toned down compared to last week, but it does carry on the peplum theme. This striped walking ensemble features a fitted bodice, a bustled skirt, and a separate belt with false peplum. The dressmaker has made full use of the stripes: arranging them vertically, horizontally, and on the bias. But the striped usage isn’t always what we’d expect: note how the bias chevrons down the front don’t form further ‘V’ shapes, but crook at angles …