Do you know when I last published a Rate the Dress? July!?! How the heck did that happen. Somehow all of August and September and most of October just disappeared on me…
Last time: An 1880s dress of plum velvet with lots of beading.
A very mixed reaction to the last dress – rather like my own. Some of you loved it, some of you found it too fussy, and some of you loved elements, like the colour, but felt that the outfit was less than the sum of its own parts.
The Total: 7.9 out of 10
A fair rating for the mixed reception.
This time: A 1908 Paquin ensemble
It’s not quite the 1909 Paris fashions I showed a few blog posts ago, but hopefully this is close enough for you to enjoy the comparison.
Paquin, Paris London, Winter 1908, ‘Carloman’, sold by Augusta Auctions May 2017
Paquin, Paris London, Winter 1908, ‘Carloman’, sold by Augusta Auctions May 2017
Also up for comparison is how different an ensemble can look depending on lighting!
Walking dress and jacket by Paquin, Winter 1908
This Paquin ensemble was sold at auction back in 2017. In the auction photos it looks tomato red:
Paquin, Paris London, Winter 1908, ‘Carloman’, sold by Augusta Auctions May 2017
But there’s another set of photos of the outfit on the internet, and in them the ensemble appears as a dark merlot:
These certainly look like the same pieces. The damage to the fur and the delicate tucked net on the sleeves is the same.
Paquin, Paris London, Winter 1908, ‘Carloman’, sold by Augusta Auctions May 2017
It’s quite interesting to see how different the colouration makes the outfit look, and the different details that come into focus in the different lights.
The auction photos, as they should, show the garment as clearly as possible: stains, tears and all. Their job is to both show off the beauty of the outfit, but also its flaws, so the buyer knows exactly what they are getting.
Paquin, Paris London, Winter 1908, ‘Carloman’, sold by Augusta Auctions May 2017
The darker photos, on the other hand, are museum or collection pictures, and aim to show the outfit in the most attractive light possible, and to hide the flaws as much as possible.
Walking dress and jacket by Paquin, Winter 1908
I do wonder what colour I would say the dress was in real life!
Paquin, Paris London, Winter 1908, ‘Carloman’, sold by Augusta Auctions May 2017
Ridiculous side note: thinking of the tomato red of the one set of photos, and the wine of the others got me wondering. Could you make tomato wine? As the infamous Peeps wine post showed us, technically wine just needs sugar, yeast and time. Do tomatoes have enough sugar for wine? Presumably it would be awful, but how much worse could it be than Peeps wine? And in any case, I’m a teetotaller, so the respective awfulness of wine is completely immaterial to me!
That aside, what do you think of the outfit?
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.
I like the elegance of it , but l am not sure about the lace and net on the bodice. It looks to me like it needed lining, maybe with matching satin ? The lace to be honest , doesn’t work ,black might have been better for contrast
With a couple of tweaks , 8.5
Hhhmmm, I am thinking that the dress may have been originally worn with a silk underdress/slip in whatever color the maker…or the client…thought the best. The Edwardians loved the look of colors popping and mixing in layers, as did the teens and 20s. With a long-sleeved underdress, the shock of white in the bust and arms, for instance, is no longer there. There was a dark silk underdress on Etsy recently, or was it Ebay? I couldn’t locate it in a quick search.
Anyhow, I think it’s a handsome dress and the cut divine, but have never been a fan of metallic trimmings on dress, except for Regency and precious eras. A self or coordinating color would have been more chic.
So, I give it an 8 🙂
I hope the darker mulberry is the true color, because it speaks to my heart. I would line the sheer sleeves and bodice with a matching color. The lightness without lining is jarring against the rich dress fabric. That’s my only objection. I even love the military look of the jacket when worn over the dress. 9/10, the only deduction is the lack of lining.
I would have hopes of the darker colour, too. And I do really like the ‘I’m an hussar’ look of the jacket. I once bought a dark green artillery jacket – men’s, real thing – and it was so fine. Sold, sadly, or I’d share.
This ensemble hits so many right notes, despite the colour debate.
9/10
And here is the original design – classy grey with a zing of sage green! Super interesting to see all the tweaks made to the design, not just the colour but the addition of fur, removal of some of the trim on the hem, etc.
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O537137/carloman-fashion-design-jeanne-paquin/
I actually prefer the original vision, but I enjoy the boldness of the red, so I’d say 8 out of 10 (that fur looks a bit sad/incongruous (sp?)) and 9/10 for the original design, so let’s say 8.5/10
oh, i absolutely love it and would wear it right now! i would prefer if the colour was somewhere south of tomato…anything from true red to burgundy would be fine. i think it is just a stunning ensemble.
rating: 10/10
as for the tomato wine question… https://wineturtle.com/how-to-make-tomato-wine/
purportedly the result tastes reminiscent of sauvignon blanc, but i rather doubt it. however, sources all agree that it does not taste notably tomato-y, more just lightly sweet/fruity.
There is so much I should like with this ensemble, but I just don’t. I don’t know if it’s the tomato red and the gold/brown lace colour, or simply the sheer bodice. I can’t put my finger on it really, which is bad when you are going to rate it, but it just does’t work for me. I prefer it in the burgundy colour with the coat on, but in red without the coat I have to just give it a 4.
4/10
I love it. That tomato red is one of my favorite colors. But more, I didn’t see the lighter lace at the start and it worked for me as skin-color; like the lace parts are supposed to disappear a little, and suggest more of a working dress.
9/10
I love it. That tomato red is one of my favorite colors. But more, I didn’t see the lighter lace at the start and it worked for me as skin-color; like the lace parts are supposed to disappear a little, and suggest more of a working dress.
9/10
I’m sorry, but I almost hate this dress. The look of the bodice is what turns me off; I like the lace, but then the little jacket over that is, in my eyes, ugly. With the overjacket on, the effect is not bad, but I don’t think I would ever choose this dress to wear. Of course, those who know me know that this isn’t my era either, but I’m not even taking that into consideration here. I just don’t like that top. So the rating becomes:
1/10
I want to like this one, and I *do* like the silhouette, but I can’t get beyond the bodice juxtapositions. The curvilinear lace pattern, the shell-like, fan border … and then the sudden, fine striping. That little red stripe at the top of the neck just doesn’t have a harmonious echo, imo. All that in rapid succession before we even reach the bust is a little much for me. Maybe it’s encompassing the idea of feminine/masculine, but my eye stumbles.
6
I really like this. I even like the brighter red rather than the darker burgandy. I agree with previous posters that there seems to be missing an underlayer, which would help make the bodice and sleeves make more sense. But even without that, the dress pleases me. I’m not as enamored with the jacket, which I think is a little too shapeless for the dress. I also think the fur trim is not what it was when this dress was made. Given all that, I say it’s a solid 9.
I like it in either shade of red, it would be interesting to see the dress in real life to see how it moves between the two colours. I find myself undecided on the dress bodice, and how much difference an underlayer would make.
7/10
My first thought was: this is Madonna in 1985 materialised in an Edwardian dress: so really fashion forward for 1908 dress , but kind of dated for 2024 anyways. I prefer the muted merlot colour. And while i don’t like 1980s Madonna , I still think, I’d put jewellery on her all along the neck (more like queen Alexandra though and less like Madonna). Also she could benefit from some generous bling around her wrists.
The coat doesn’t seem to fit the dummy very well. But a plain jacket like this only works when it is perfectly tailored. I probably would prefer it on top of a gown with a high waisted empire dress (but in 1908 that cut might have still been to daring).
6/10
The added jacket is clever, and I don’t mind either color. What I do mind is the front of the bodice. The lacings on the bodice are too clunky and tacky. The tassels might mirror the jacket’s decor, but we see either the jacket or the bodice, so makes no sense.
The cut of it, combined with the sheer net above and the color, throws it straight to vulgar for me, which, for a dress that covers you from your face to your toes, is quite the feat.
6/10