All posts filed under: Rate the dress

Rate the Dress: 1780s pick ups and pleats in peppermint ice cream green

Yellow is the colour I reach for when I want to be happy, but green is my go-to for calmness and de-stressing. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks in my life. Some of it has been good stress, with fun adventures, and the start of the new school year at Toi Whakaari the New Zealand Drama School. There’s also been some less happy stress, with a spike in my ever-present-but-mostly-under-control-most-of-the-time-climate-anxiety, and worries about the coronavirus (people I know who are in the know are very worried, and that’s even more worrying…). So this week I want to be calm. And while some think historical fashion is frivolous, I’d strongly argue against that. Clothes are a universal need that links almost everyone on the planet. What we wore tells us a lot about where we’ve come from as a society, and where we can learn from that. And looking at old garments is a very low climate impact way to de-stress! So here’s to pretty (or not – that’s what RTD is all about!) frocks. …

Gold silk dress with tiered, tasseled skirt Label- “Mrs. W. Wilds, Auburn, NY” American, ca. 1879-80, Silverman:Rodgers, KSUM 1983.1.156 ab

Rate the Dress: Tasselled fringe & gold

Last week’s dress was all sweet and serene. This week is the first full week back at Toi Whakaari: The New Zealand Drama School. All our new students have arrived, and we’re back into the swing of things. So I’m feeling a bit more dramatic. And what’s more dramatic than gold and tassels? Last Week: a 1790s over-robe in pale pink Most of you loved last week’s Regency over-robe, and thought it was a perfection in pink. And then some of you thought it was a bit….boring. The Total: 9 out of 10 Still a very, very good score, but not as good as the preceding weeks. This week:  ca. 1880s tiers of tassels This week’s dress is VERY natural-form-to-second bustle-era Victorian. Trim and textures and layers upon layers. The pleats and tasselled fringe and metallic embroidery and damask silk and lace are all held together by a single colour scheme: a medley of apricot and gold. So what do you think? Dramatic but elegantly harmonious, or tasselled tackiness? Rate the Dress on a Scale …

Rate the Dress: Pastel Pink Over-Robes

I’ve got Regency on my mind at the moment. It’s probably because I have absolutely no events coming up for which I need a Regency frock, so my wayward mind is fixating on the most impractical thing it can think of! So, this week’s Rate the Dress is 1790s… Last Week:  A 1910s dress in devore velvet and metallic lace I’ll let you in on a secret. I think last week’s dress is hideous. And I don’t know why, because I usually love that style of dress, and the individual elements. I’m ashamed to say it may be the presentation: I’m usually good at overlooking presentation, but somehow that too-tall mannequin and bare foot is just a bit offputting… Luckily for the dresses final rating, you do not agree with me. Other than the big beaded element at the bust you were on-board with the dress, finding the devore divine, and the gold lace the perfect amount of gilding. The Total: 9.3 out of 10 Just .1 point shy of the week before! This week: …