I’m late again with Rate the Dress, but this time for happier reasons: I’ve been working on a couple of projects that I’m finding very fulfilling and engaging, and taking time to do things just for me. So I played Scrabble with Mr D instead of writing a blog post last week! (I won. He says using words like ‘bast’, ‘bodkin’, and ‘mercer’ is unfair and shouldn’t be allowed) Last Fortnight: late Victorian marquisette madness Some of you loved last week’s dress for its bold statement, unusual fabric, and elegant silhouette. Others liked it, but found it a bit headache inducing. And some just hated everything about it: very bold fabric and an 1890s cut aren’t generally popular here on Rate the Dress. Thank you to Daniel for all the extra information on last week’s dress: where it ended up, and the dodgy alterations. The Total: 7.5 out of 10 This is the rating that came up most often with this dress, and for once the mode was the mean. (although some of you rated …

I’m very fond of pink and green together, so it’s not surprising that I gravitated towards a green dress after last week’s pink dress. In an odd way, this week’s dress also remind’s me of last week’s dress. Will it remind you of it too? And if so, for all the right reasons, or all the wrong reasons? Last Week: a 1906 day ensemble in deep pink One of the interesting things that comes out of Rate the Dress is how much our prior perceptions colour the way we see a garment, whether they are distinctly personal, or a general product of the time and culture we live in. Usually this is a good thing, or at least neutral. Last week it got out of hand, and revealed some of the unpleasant underbelly of the society we live in. Luckily a quick clean up of the comments and a reminder to be kind got things back on track, and led to an amazing discussion: mostly about the dress, but also about negativity and positivity, how …

I know that boring colour to bold colour isn’t the most novel or inventive reason to choose a Rate the Dress, but Rate the Dress doesn’t always have to break the mould: sometimes it’s just about picking an interesting dress. Hopefully my choice this week at least fits that category! As to beauty, that’s up to you. Last Week: an 1805 dress of uncertain colour Last week’s Rate the Dress really was the opposite of the dress of the week before: muted hues, simple trimmings, a very different silhouette – and where the bustle dress of all-the-stuff elicited a lengthy and detailed conversation, the restrained Regency frock garnered half the amount of comments. And the rating spread was inverted: most ratings were right in the middle, with only a few on the extremities. The Total: 6.7 out of 10 Last fortnight’s dress was one to love or loathe, last week’s frock did not inspire, but did not offend – and came out with the better rating. But some of us will still adore (or hate) …