All posts filed under: Rate the dress

Woman's Dress Ensemble, United States, circa 1870, Silk taffeta, linen plain weave, and cotton twill weave with silk macrame fringe, LACMA, M.2007.211.773a-d

Rate the Dress: Raspberry pink 1870s with two types of fringe

After all the excitement of the festive fancy frock-a-thon, it was hard to pick an ensemble that wouldn’t seem like a letdown for this week’s Rate the Dress.  Hopefully this week’s pick is interesting enough to pique your interest, even if it isn’t a glittering evening gown. Last week: a sparkly, pleated, bow-bedecked 1920s frock Last week’s 1920s dress didn’t receive quite the enthusiastic reception that heralded the House of Worth frock of the week before – at least in the number of commenters.  Those that did rate it, however, quite liked it (except the bow), and so it received exactly the same rating! The Total: 9.3 out of 10 I was very surprised by how many people didn’t like the bow (and didn’t realise that it was exactly the same fabric as the bodice – it just appears different because you’re seeing many layers of it).  Rachel’s comment sums up exactly how I feel about the bow and the dress.  Without it, I thought the dress would actually have been very boring and ordinary. …

Evening Dress, Yteb, silk, sequins & metallic thread, 1926, The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rate the Dress: pleats, bows & lots of sparkles

I started the Rate the Dress party-frock-a-thon with an orange dress, and it felt right to finish it up with the same colour.  It’s not usually a favourite colour, but the first one was a smashing success.  Can this week’s pick rival it? Last week:  a House of Worth  Robe à transformation  in red velvet Red velvet was always going to be pretty popular, and the ratings and comments did not disappoint.  There was a veritable sea of “ooooh” and swooning (and two outlying ‘nopes’). There was a bit of a divide in those who preferred the draped bodice, and thought the evening bodice looked like a forced exercise in using the lace, and those who thought the day bodice was unrelieved or contrived, and the evening bodice incredibly clever and spectacular. I’m one who didn’t love the evening bodice at first glance, but the more I looked at it up close, the more it grew on me.  There were some incredibly clever features that were really struggling to show in the photos.  I think …

Rate the Dress: Red Velvet Worth

This week’s Rate the Dress, like last week’s dress, comes with both a day and an evening bodice.  In contrast to last week’s pastel confection, this week’s choice is in deep red velvet. Last week:  an 1865 Robe à transformation The theme of gala frocks is sitting well with you: last week’s dress was another success.  You loved both the aesthetic of the dress, and the practicality.  It may have been in delicate, pale silk, but at least the wearer was getting as much use as possible out of it.  The few points the ensemble lost was for the colours.  Not everyone loved the gold & lavender, or the ochre sash that went with the day dress. The Total:  9.4 out of 10 Not quite the most popular dress we’ve had in December, but still a fabulously good score! This week: a House of Worth  Robe à transformation  in red velvet The House of Worth may have been the pinnacle of high fashion in the Victorian era, but even its august and moneyed clientele wanted …