I had one goal choosing this week’s Rate the Dress: it had to be orange. Which is why it’s yellow. Close enough? Life right now is about accepting compromise and imperfection, and being OK with what you have. So we have yellow. Last Week: a late Victorian dress in muted pink Last week’s Rate the Dress definitely had its fan club, but it also had its naysayers. Those fell into the category of people who liked everything about the dress except the lace, or maybe the sleeve ruffles, or the category of people who liked pretty much nothing about the dress. The resulting total? The Total: 7.4 out of 10 A whole point down from last week! And very representative of all the people who liked the dress except for one or two elements. This week:  an almost-certainly-a-tea-gown in warm yellow This week’s Rate the Dress is from the Helen Larson Private Collection that was sold by Whitakers a couple of years ago. The unusual train of this dress, which spills from between the shoulder …

I went looking for a Rate the Dress option this week, and everything that sparked my interest was either too similar to something I’d done recently, or came in a weird print, or muted half shades, both of which I was hoping to avoid, because that’s what we did last week! I finally had to concede that this week was simply going to have to be shades of last week, although in a different hue. Last Week: an 1840 dress in harlequin pattern I’ll admit that I wondered what the reception to last week’s dress would be, but it turns out that most of you are harlequin fans – or at least appreciate a bit of wacky pattern now and again! Not everyone was convinced that the pleating was as successful as it could be, and there were a few people who really didn’t like the print. The Total: 8.4 out of 10 We’re creeping up… This week:  a late Victorian dress in muted pink This week’s Rate the Dress is an excellent example of …

Apologies for the late Rate the Dress. But, the late post means I found an dress I’d entirely forgotten about in my inspiration file, and it’s so fabulously fascinating I’m hoping it makes up for a late post! Last Week: an Empire era spencer & petticoat I’m not usually a brown fan, but I’m obsessed with the particular ochre shade of last week’s spencer, but alas, many of you do not share my love. And even those who loved the spencer weren’t sure about it paired with the frilly petticoat – though you liked each garment on its own merits. However, I’m afraid I may have cheated the score every so slightly by showing that interior view, because I suspect some of the costume nerds among you were so charmed by the details you gave the outfit a higher score for it! The Total: 7.9 out of 10 An improvement on the week before, but hardly brilliant. This week:  an 1840 dress in harlequin pattern This week’s Rate the Dress carries on my love for …