Life has decided to be unrelentingly busy, so it’s taken me a while to get back to Rate the Dress. But it’s here in the form of a white and gold 1830s evening dress.
Last week: a 1913-14 evening dress in salmon pink, bold black and gold
Those of you who are rating at the moment are very opinionated. There wasn’t much middle ground to the reactions to this dress. Most of you loooooooooved it. So many 10s! But a few couldn’t get on board with the colour, or felt there were just too many elements.
The Total: 8.6 out of 10
A whole decimal point up from last week. I mean, I guess that’s an improvement!
This week: An 1830s evening dress in gold and white
I woke up today and decided that the next Rate the Dress should be 1830s. I was vaguely thinking of something quite bright and a bit ridiculous, but this was the first 1830s item in my Rate the Dress inspiration file, so here it is:
Muslin evening dress with gold metal thread embroidery, 1830s, Fashion Museum Bath
This dress, with its sophisticated gold embroidery on a white ground, is definitely not brightly coloured. Whether it is ridiculous or not is up to you!
I’m not entirely sure if the satin underdress is original, or if it’s a museum recreation meant to represent the type of dress that might have been worn under the sheer muslin overdress. In either case, you are rating the dress based on what we see here, and how it’s presented.
What do you think? Ridiculous? Elegant? Ridiculous in the best possible way?
Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10
A reminder about rating — feel free to be critical if you don’t like a thing, but make sure that your comments aren’t actually insulting to those who do like a garment. Phrase criticism as your opinion, rather than a flat fact. Our different tastes are what make Rate the Dress so interesting. It’s no fun when a comment implies that anyone who doesn’t agree with it, or who would wear a garment, is totally lacking in taste.
As usual, nothing more complicated than a .5. I also hugely appreciate it if you only do one rating, and set it on a line at the very end of your comment.
1830s has never been my favorite fashion era. Everything is so over the top and the fashions made women look like weird little dolls. However, I find this gown to be utterly charming. It somehow avoids the worst excesses of the period and manages to look elegant and graceful even with the enormous sleeves. And they work for me as well. I really like it. 9-10
It’s pretty , maybe it’s the underdress or the embroidery on the skirt but it’s giving me folk costume vibes . Did the dress originally have sleeves in the same fabric l wonder ?
I give it a 9
Such an interesting period. A bit bouncer-ish in the sleeve department, but otherwise, rather graceful, not too bulky, and surely giving ease of movement. One could indeed party in that dress. I wish to join the vote for…
9 out of 10
I don’t love the 1830s but it is a cute dress and I would totally wear it. 8/10
Oh I love it! What an elegant shape! And those sleeves are all in again, I bought an orange dress very similar to the underdress quite recently in polished cotton.
I think its lines and proportions are so pleasing. Being a texture junkie, that surplice bodice and the heavily gathered skirt and the big sleeves all throw such delicious folds of shadow. Yum. I guess I should mention the patterning hehe. I just love the horizontal frieze in hte middle, so much more interesting than at the hem. Nice balance, It must have been so glamorous in candlelight when it was new and shiny.
9.5.
I basically agree with everything said above.
9/10
Controversial opinion: the 1830s sloped shoulder is superior to the 1950s sloped shoulder.
I tend to find a mildly shortwaisted, but not empire, silhouette to be elegant and lovely, myself. This is no exception. I like the embroidery at the neck and hem, but I’m of two minds about that bold bit round the middle of the skirt which MrsC has taught me is called a “frieze” (thank you!). The embroidery itself is pretty, but it seems awkwardly placed to me. My guess would be that it might appear better placed over a fuller petticoat situation. May one assume massive pettis for this era?
Assuming, also, a more intentional sash, I like this one a lot!
9
I’m not sure I’d go that far (I have a huge soft spot for the 1840s sloped shoulder, though); but the conparison delights me now because I’ve started harbouring ideas of making up my favourite 1830s extant (not this one, although this one’s also great; the one I mean is one I saw in person and did a blog post on years ago) as a 1950s dress to be able to get some wear out of the style. 😀 (Still haven’t figured out how to deal with the sleeves. The original sleeves are FABULOUS, but also the main reason the dress doesn’t seem entirely wearable today.)
One of my least favourite eras of fashion because of the sleeves, and yet this example manages to be simple and elegant. I like the colour and the embroidery contrasting with it.
9/10
Oh dear… It looks something like a clothespin doll, and all I can think is that I would look like a clothespin if I tried to wear this.
6/10
PAX
This dress strikes me as being somewhat less ridiculous for its decade, but nevertheless 1830s with the characteristic frieze and sleeves. I think if the waistline and frieze were dropped ever so slightly, it would be perfect. Definitely something I’d wear.
9/10
I love this version of 1830s, it’s the crazy sleeves, but not the insane 1830s sleeves that are insane, but it’s still the huge sleeves.
10/10
While I like the idea (and I often even like the era), I’m underwhelmed, I even put off writing this in the hopes I will like it more (or less) with time.
I like the cross-bodice idea, and you can never go wrong with a gold embroidery on a pale cloth. It seems to me that the inside-bodice and the sleeves are presentation aid – and while inoffensive, it lacks…something. Maybe more pizzas on the sleeves would balance the elaborate embroidery strip on the skirt, which I find oddly placed for it’s length and shape…
As it is, 6/10.
I don’t normally like 1830s dresses (something about the combination of the huge impractical sleeves, and the weirdly short hems just make it look like a doll’s dress) but I was pleasantly surprised with this dress. It’s cute, I like the neckline, the sleeves are charming, and the embroidery (for the most part, I still can’t really get over that line of it in the middle) is tasteful.
7.5/10
I like it! It has renaissance vibes and doesn’t overdo the extremes of the 1830s silhouette, I like the air of simplicity of the design, with the embroidery and trim delicate touches. 9/10
It’s middle of the road for me. It’s neither elegant enough for me to admire or silly enough for me to enjoy. It’s just awkwardly inbetween. So it’s getting a 6
The skirt is elegant and graceful, although I think the embroidery in the middle is placed just a little high. I’m indifferent to the bodice, and if that were all it wouldn’t affect my rating. But those sleeves ruin the whole thing for me. 5/10.
Nope nope nope.
Those sleeves are just hideous, and I love dramatic sleeves!
The skirt print is at an awkward level, drawing the eye to where exactly?
But the dress and bodice are sweet. If I put my fingers over the sleeves and imagine the print at the bottom of the skirt it would be lovely.
2/10
I think it’s LOVELY! Very pretty in its details but NOT over the top. A beautiful example of the “Less is More” approach I favor with most everything, anyway. I’d rate this a 8/10.