Rate the Dress Mid-Century Maybe-Maternity
Today’s Rate the Dress pick was chosen because it’s a garment that has fascinated me for years. There are so many mid-century gowns that museums claim were maternity dresses, where I really don’t see it. It’s just a wrapper, or a dress in a larger size, or… The Met doesn’t claim that this dress dress was a maternity dress, but gosh, that waistline is high… Last week: an 1780s gown with an embroidered hem Wow! I thought last week’s dress was very pretty indeed, but I didn’t expect the outpouring of adoration that it received! You loved every detail, from the not-quite symmetrical embroidery, to the vandyked bodice trim. You just wanted to see it fully styled, with fichu and bows. The Total: 9.7 In Rate the Dress, anything about a 9.5 is as close to perfection as you can get! This week: a very short-waisted ca. 1855 afternoon dress The Met’s description of this afternoon dress is very simple and generic, and makes no mention of how unusually high the waist of this dress …
