It’s Rate the Dress day again! Every week I feature a historical garment — whether an extant original, or an artistic depiction, and you have your say about its aesthetic merits within the context of its time. This week’s pick is a seasonally inspired 1820s dress with red & green zig-zags. Last week: ca. 1910s purple polka dots Last week’s purple polka dotted frock was an interesting one.  Nobody loved it enough to give it a 10/10, and a few of you really didn’t like it, but most of the ratings were pretty positive. I have a love/hate relationship with the purple number.  Or, more accurately, a hate/love relationship.  My initial reaction was “Gah, it’s hideous!”  The more I looked at it, the more I found elements that I ought to love, or that were beautifully done.  There is so much there that is good, and yet somehow, for me, it just doesn’t work. The Total: 7 out of 10. That’s the lowest we’ve had in a while, and pretty bad for the perennially popular …

My much-anticipated American Duchess Moliere shoes have come in, and I have given them a thorough look-over, and a proper wearing.   (Plus a bit of petting and cooing over them).  Now I can give you an equally proper review! My feet: You might find it helpful to know all about my feet, so you can take that on board when I discuss the Moliere’s fit: Because there are slight variations in size and shape between brands: 65% of my shoes are a size 39 (which is between a US/NZ 8 – 8.5) 20% are a US/NZ 8.5 (these are predominantly summer shoes, because my feet swell when its hot) 10% are a US/NZ 8 5% are a 38 I have very high arches and insteps, and ballerina toes* (my first three toes are exactly the same length).  I’m a true B width, with an even width from heel to front.  Overall, I have a very standard foot shape. In general, it is extremely easy for me to find shoes that fit perfectly.  I can …

When I plan for big costuming events like talks and Costume College I always have ambitious ideas of new things I’m going to make, and realistic back-up plans of things that are already in my costuming wardrobe that I can pull out in a pinch if I can’t sew as fast as I had hoped to. I had grand plans of a new 1920s dress for Costume College 2017, but things just kept going wrong in the months leading up to CoCo, and eventually I had to concede that it just wasn’t going to happen. My backup dress was the 1921 ‘Daisies and the Devil’s Handiwork’ frock  (go read that post!  It’s a very good post!).  I was feeling pretty meh about it when I packed it, but it turned out to be pretty much my favourite thing that I wore the whole weekend!  Super comfortable, I felt gorgeous, and I got SO many complements, and tons of people (including lots I thought couldn’t possibly be fooled!) thought it was true vintage.  (yes, I even …