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Wool dress, 1911, part of the wedding trousseau of Vendla Brown b. 1880, Sörmlands Museum, SLM11205A

Rate the Dress: 19teens trousseau

Published by The Dreamstress

I have Edwardian on my mind, because I just finished a late 1910s dress, and photographed it, and am in love with the era in general. So this week’s Rate the Dress is 1910s, and you get to decide if you’re in love with it in particular.

Last week:  a crinoline era gown in cobalt blue

Sometimes I’m completely surprised by your reaction to a garment. Last week…not so much! It wasn’t hard to guess that the fabric would be quite popular, or that the extremely long berthe might not. (I also feel slightly vindicated that a couple of half-points were lost for fringe 😉 )

The Total: 8.8 out of 10

A very, very good show, but the machine woven perfection of the fabric could not match the heart of the hand-embroidered frock the week before.

This week: a 1911 theatre dress, part of a bride’s trousseau

This dress was part of the trousseau of Vendla Brown, nee Hallström (1880-1964).

Wool dress, 1911, part of the wedding trousseau of Vendla Brown b. 1880, Sörmlands Museum SLM11205A

According to the musuem, Velda wore it to the theatre the day after her wedding.

Wool dress, 1911, part of the wedding trousseau of Vendla Brown b. 1880, Sörmlands Museum, SLM11205A

The dress is a lightweight wool, decorated on the skirt with greek key meanders, and on the bodice with two different kinds of lace, and a floral silk ribbon.

The bodice is finished with a bolero effect.

Wool dress, 1911, part of the wedding trousseau of Vendla Brown b. 1880, Sörmlands Museum, SLM11205A
Wool dress, 1911, part of the wedding trousseau of Vendla Brown b. 1880, Sörmlands Museum, SLM11205A

What do you think? An elegant ensemble for a slightly older bride (Velda would have been 33), or too boring, or too many design elements?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

A reminder about rating — feel free to be critical if you don’t like a thing, but make sure that your comments aren’t actually insulting to those who do like a garment.  Our different tastes are what make Rate the Dress so interesting.  It’s no fun when a comment implies that anyone who doesn’t agree with it, or who would wear a garment, is totally lacking in taste.

(as usual, nothing more complicated than a .5.  I also hugely appreciate it if you only do one rating, and set it on a line at the very end of your comment, so I can find it!  And 0 is not on a scale of 1 to 10.  Thanks in advance!)

Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Nā Hulu Ali‘i at LACMA, thedreamstress.com

The Pacific Influence on Western Fashion – 31 March – New Zealand Portrait Gallery

Published by The Dreamstress

Come hear me talk about how the Pacific has influenced Western fashion, from 18th century ballgowns made of tapa cloth, to Elvis in an Aloha shirt.

I’ll explore how the exchange of fabrics and fashions impacted both cultures, and the way in which the Pacific is perceived in the wider world.

Day: 31 March 2019

Time: 1-2pm

Where: New Zealand Portrait Gallery

Watteau in Paradise 1960s dress thedreamstress.com

This talk is given in conjunction with the exhibition Edith and George: in our sea of islands.

More information

Blue silk taffeta evening dress with two-tier skirt. All hems are finished with a border of silver floral jacquard ribbon and fringe. American, ca. 1855 Silk taffeta, jacquard woven ribbon, silk fringe, KSUM 2005.6.4 a-d

Rate the Dress: Blue borders on big skirts & berthas

Published by The Dreamstress

Rate the Dress is going big, little, and back to big again, with this blue bell shaped 1850s number.

Last week: a 1790s dress and matching fichu

Not everyone was sold on the shape of the dress, and the teeny-tiny bodice, but the sheer fabulosity of the embroidery carried the day, and (despite one person rating it only 1!) the dress rocked in with a round score of…

The Total: 9 out of 10

The things that a good fichu can hide!

This week: a crinoline era gown in cobalt blue

This dress belonged to Virginia Shields Vaden before her marriage to William Vaden in 1858.

Blue silk taffeta evening dress with two-tier skirt. All hems are finished with a border of silver floral jacquard ribbon and fringe. American, ca. 1855 Silk taffeta, jacquard woven ribbon, silk fringe, KSUM 2005.6.4 a-d
Blue silk taffeta evening dress with two-tier skirt. All hems are finished with a border of silver floral jacquard ribbon and fringe. American, ca. 1855 Silk taffeta, jacquard woven ribbon, silk fringe, Kent State University Museum 2005.6.4 a-d

It’s a classic example of mid-late 1850s fashion, with its full tiered skirt, wide sleeves, and deep bertha.

Blue silk taffeta evening dress with two-tier skirt. All hems are finished with a border of silver floral jacquard ribbon and fringe. American, ca. 1855 Silk taffeta, jacquard woven ribbon, silk fringe, KSUM 2005.6.4 a-d

The bright colour is a lovely illustration that the wardrobes of unmarried women weren’t confined to muted, pale shades.

Blue silk taffeta evening dress with two-tier skirt. All hems are finished with a border of silver floral jacquard ribbon and fringe. American, ca. 1855 Silk taffeta, jacquard woven ribbon, silk fringe, Kent State University Museum 2005.6.4 a-d

The fabrics illustrate textile advances of the mid-19th century. The ribbon borders of the sleeves and berthe, and deep patterned hems of the skirt, were woven on a jacquard loom. The jacquard loom was invented in 1801, but improved throughout the 19th century, and the dense patterning, with elaborate motifs that switch between naturalistic florals and geometric lines, is characteristic of designs made possible by developments in the 1850s.

Blue silk taffeta evening dress with two-tier skirt. All hems are finished with a border of silver floral jacquard ribbon and fringe. American, ca. 1855 Silk taffeta, jacquard woven ribbon, silk fringe, KSUM 2005.6.4 a-d

While the dress is contemporary with the invention of aniline dyes, and the vivid hues were probably inspired by the same fashion, it would have been dyed with the natural dye indigo. A synthetic (aniline) dye that replicated the blues of indigo dye wasn’t invented until the 1890s.

Blue silk taffeta evening dress with two-tier skirt. All hems are finished with a border of silver floral jacquard ribbon and fringe. American, ca. 1855 Silk taffeta, jacquard woven ribbon, silk fringe, KSUM 2005.6.4 a-d
Blue silk taffeta evening dress with two-tier skirt. All hems are finished with a border of silver floral jacquard ribbon and fringe. American, ca. 1855 Silk taffeta, jacquard woven ribbon, silk fringe, Kent State University Museum 2005.6.4 a-d

What do you think? Do you like the frock?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

A reminder about rating — feel free to be critical if you don’t like a thing, but make sure that your comments aren’t actually insulting to those who do like a garment.  Our different tastes are what make Rate the Dress so interesting.  It’s no fun when a comment implies that anyone who doesn’t agree with it, or who would wear a garment, is totally lacking in taste.

(as usual, nothing more complicated than a .5.  I also hugely appreciate it if you only do one rating, and set it on a line at the very end of your comment, so I can find it!  And 0 is not on a scale of 1 to 10.  Thanks in advance!)