It’s spring in New Zealand, and it’s certainly beginning to look like spring: my tulips and freesias are blooming, and the first of the blossom trees and kowhai are out.
Meanwhile, so many of my friends in the Northern Hemisphere are sweltering in horrible heat waves.
So, here’s something cool and refreshing for those of you in the heat, and spring themed for those of us looking forward to that.
Last time: Alexandra Pavlovna in the most gothy Hungarian court dress possible.
Very, very VERY mixed reviews for the knitted cape. Everyone could admire the skill, but you definitely weren’t on the same page about the aesthetic.
The Total: 8.9 out of 10
Our goth princess was a huge hit, racking up a solid selection of 10s and 8s, and then we got one dissenting opinion – a 3! And that dropped the rating down to under 9.
This time: Spring flowers on silk in the 1910s.
Could anything be more spring like than a pale green dress painted with pink and peach flowers?
And could anything be more quintessentially 1909-1912 in style than a pastel evening dress in layers of different textured silks and lace, with an empire inspired waistline, cut-on ‘kimono’ sleeves, and a distinctly classical asymmetrical over-drape held in place with ornamental buckles? It’s every element of ca. 1910 evening fashion, all in one dress!
Evening dress, 1910s, hand painted silk chiffon over silk crepe de chine and silk lace, sold by Whittaker Auctions
Evening dress, 1910s, hand painted silk chiffon over silk crepe de chine and silk lace, sold by Whittaker Auctions
Evening dress, 1910s, hand painted silk chiffon over silk crepe de chine and silk lace, sold by Whittaker Auctions
So, what do you think? The perfect frock for a late Edwardian Flora to dance the night away in?
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.
8, bumped up from 6 on the strength of that picotee edging. Wow.
i think it’s absolutely beautiful, in every detail. romantic and dreamy but not twee. wouldn’t change a thing. i picture a lovely lady, perhaps with ginger hair, perhaps with dark brunette lock, softly coiffed with a coordinating scarf or ribbon. she wears a gorgeous parure of peridot and carnelian, and shimmers in the candlelight all evening.
rating: 10/10
Lovely! I think that it would be in its element if its wearer were lounging on a velvet settee, all the better for the drapery to drape and the many layers to flutter languorously.
10/10.
Lots of beautiful details, but somehow it doesn’t come together for me. 8/10.
Absolutely beautiful- the colours, the light and airy fabric, the floral design, the draping…just lovely
10/10
It’s beautiful and I can’t really find any faults on it, but it doesn’t make me go “wow”. So I will go 8/10
*_* It looks like a Persephone theater costume and I love it so much!
The only thing distracting from that image are the (otherwise pretty) buckles. They seem somewhat clunky for a spring goddess, Persephone might wear golden leaves or flowers instead. Due to that:
9.5
Oh, I love the idea of a golden leaf! Yes, something like that would fit the overall easthetic much better.
It is perfect, 10/10.
I have something against the white rhinestone ornaments and I’m not on board for the lace. After a second look, the color of the rhinestones is too cold and harsh for the golden feel of the dress.
The lace has straight edge, which also detracts from the flow and dreaminess – or maybe, the underlayer used to be as long as the lace, but it got stretched out in the passage of time? If/ the lace ended together with it, I would like it better.
Otherwise, it’s very pretty and the chiffon over layer pulled up to the shoulder is inspired.
As it is, 8/10
Absolutely a stunner.I love the color I love the design.I love the fabric in its application ten out of ten
Absolutely a stunner.I love the color I love the design.I love the fabric in its application ten out of ten
9/10 for me – lovely dress.
9/10 for me – lovely dress.
Gorgeous and beautiful details.
10/10
10/10 would waft around diaphanously in (i am the opposite of this normally but I think in this dress I could fool anyone, including myself)
The hand-painted flowers are exquisite. The buckles are rather heavyy, and the straight edge of the lace feels just a bit too much like a slip hanging accidentally below one’s skirt.
Leimomi – didn’t you write once about using a hemstitching machine, then cutting the line of stitching in half, to achieve a picot edge like this one?
8/10
So lovely! Absolutely perfect for a spring day! And, I’m curious as to how the (embroidered?) buckles don’t seem to have pulled at such gorgeously light fabric – there must be a really clever technique to that.
9/10
10/10. What a beautiful dress. I’d wear it to a party today.
10/10. What a beautiful dress. I’d wear it to a party today.
10/10. First impression is that the buckles keep it from achieving absolute perfection, but the rest of the dress is so powerful that it still deserves a 10!
The understated elegance of the hand painted flowers, the exquisite frontal drape, the delicate contrasts of color and texture, evoke quiet and self-assured refinement. Imagine this dress next to the modern gowns at the Oscars; every woman standing next to it would look so vulgar. Come to think of it, the buckles make sense if the wearer needed a gown that could also be worn on a formal occasion, not just a garden party. The extra bling adds a touch of evening formality; picture the wearer with a delicate diamond tiara in her hair, diamond earrings, satin slippers. I think it could come together very nicely, buckles and all, in the right setting, with the right accessories.
All in one dress, but elegantly and subtly combined, I love it! My one quibble is that the cold-toned diamante “brooch” rather clashes with the gold at the waist, gold in both cases would tie it together better.
9/10
This was never my favorite era, but the beautiful materials and the drape justify it, I think. I’d give it an 8.5/10
I don’t think the buckles distract from the dress, but instead add a tone of formality to it, suitable for an evening gown. The picot edge, painted flowers, soft colors, and perfectly flowy drapery make this dress so essentially 1910s in my eyes.
10/10
I love it when the fabric and silhouette of a dress are married perfectly together, as they are here.
The buckles detract a little from this for me (silver, too heavy) so
9.5