Last week I drove from Wellington to Gisborne, 9 hours drive up the eastern coast of North Island, and back, and was reminded again how stunningly gorgeous New Zealand is. The country is currently bedecked in autumnal splendour: end of season flax flowers standing in stark black against the sky, pampas grasses blushing pink and champagne and silvery lavender, the occasional stands of deciduous trees in a blaze of colour, meadows returning to lush green with the resumption of rain, and sudden storms bringing exhilarating downpours and rainbows at the end. So my Rate the Dress pick for this week comes in all these colours: though it’s not a style of dress that was ever worn in New Zealand! Plus, the totals are (finally) in for the feather bedecked confection of the week before! Last week: an 1870s dress in pale pink and ivory, with historical touches The general reaction to last week’s dress was that it just didn’t quite get the balance right. Something was missing, or was there that shouldn’t be, for almost …

This weekend I gave a talk on the ways in which the Pacific influenced Western fashion, including goods made from very Pacific birds: kiwi feather muffs, and bird of paradise bedecked hats. So I have feathers on my mind, and have picked a very feathery dress for this week’s Rate the Dress feature. Last week: a 1910s dress from a brides trousseau I don’t think anybody is going to be hugely surprised that last week’s frock was pretty popular. Sure, not everyone loved the muted colour, or the floral ribbon, and some of you thought it was almost boring in its tastefulness and elegance and general perfection, but only one person actually disliked it and rated it less than 8. The Total: 9.3 out of 10 Nice!   This week:  an 1876 reception or day dress said to have been worn by Empress Eugenie   This feather bedecked dress is said to have been worn by Victorian fashion icon Empress Eugenie (in her post-Empress days). Eugenie was known for her excellent taste, which combined impeccable …