Last week’s Rate the Dress was so dark and heavy that I really wanted a light coloured, light feeling frock to balance it out. I couldn’t find something that was as light and frothy as I’d hoped – but this beaded and be-spangled ca. 1908 evening gown is certainly a contrast to last week. Last week: a very short-waisted ca. 1855 afternoon dress No consensus on whether the dress might have been a maternity gown, but lots of discussion of the non-mirrored front (as expected – not a point winning feature). The general feeling was the fabric was so lovely, and the dress was overall rather elegant. The Total: 8.4 (I’m mildly amused that this weeks rating is 8.4 – both numbers that always look like they are pregnant to me!) This week: a ca. 1908 evening dress covered in metallic embroidery & beading Augusta Auctions describes this strikingly beaded frock, with its streamlined silhouette, as a ball gown. With that elaborate train, it’s not exactly practical for dancing, but it definitely would have been worn …

Today’s Rate the Dress pick was chosen because it’s a garment that has fascinated me for years. There are so many mid-century gowns that museums claim were maternity dresses, where I really don’t see it. It’s just a wrapper, or a dress in a larger size, or… The Met doesn’t claim that this dress dress was a maternity dress, but gosh, that waistline is high… Last week: an 1780s gown with an embroidered hem Wow! I thought last week’s dress was very pretty indeed, but I didn’t expect the outpouring of adoration that it received! You loved every detail, from the not-quite symmetrical embroidery, to the vandyked bodice trim. You just wanted to see it fully styled, with fichu and bows. The Total: 9.7 In Rate the Dress, anything about a 9.5 is as close to perfection as you can get! This week: a very short-waisted ca. 1855 afternoon dress The Met’s description of this afternoon dress is very simple and generic, and makes no mention of how unusually high the waist of this dress is. …