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Rate the Dress: mid-century ‘Drumbeats’

Well, last week’s dress was proof that not everything Worth did was perfection.  Due to a bit of un-subtle trimming, the dress had to bow out of the top ranks (pun totally intended) with a paltry 6.4 out of 10 – low by any standard, and terrible by the standard of Worth garments featured in Rate the Dress.

I just can’t keep track of the day/time differences between NZ and CA, and when I’m supposed to  do Rate the Dress, so once again you’re getting it a little late.  Next week should be right on time though – I’ll be back home (yay! and sniff  at the same time)

This week’s Rate the Dress is California inspired – and what could be more California than a mid-century playsuit by a Los Angeles designers collaborating with Jantzen, now in the collection of LACMA?

While the artist is Californian, the inspiration for this playsuit’s design comes from much further afield, with motifs probably taken from African textiles, and a name that reflects the mid-century obsession with all things ‘exotic’ and jungle-y.

The playsuit’s accompanying skirt is even more exotic, giving a restrained nod to pareu and the ‘sarong’ dress that Edith Head created for Dorothy Lamour’s Jungle Princess in 1936, a look that became iconically associated with tropical-inspired fashions – whether they were from Africa or the South Pacific.

What do you think?  Does this look like a chic way to keep cool in the California heat?  Do you like the mix of modernism and exoticism?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

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Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 – Friday photos

It’s that time of year again!  The time when you get to see all the AMAZING things that were created for Costume College.

I didn’t get as many, or as good a selection of photos, as I did last year, because I’d packed my schedule far too full with teaching (3x 2 hour classes was too much…), and had sewing to finish, which left me stressed and over-busy.  I’ve realised in looking over my photos that the really bad side-effect of stress is that I didn’t talk to as many new people as I would have liked, and didn’t get everyone’s information and links to their blogs etc.

So this post doesn’t have the name of everyone I photographed.  I’m so sorry about that, and if you do know who anyone featured is, please let me know so I can credit and link to them.

The other side effect is that the majority of my photos are from the evening events, when I had time to hang out with a camera and squee over the fabulousness.

And there was so much fabulousness…

Like the suffragettes, who included Katherine of Koshka the Cat, Loren of Costumer’s Closet,  Jen of Festive Attyre (in the most phenomenal teens hat),  Nicole of Diary of a Mantua Maker, and a bunch of other fabulous ladies.  I’m swooning over every single garment in this photo!

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Nicole was wearing and is showing off the new American Duchess Molieres. She was wearing a prototype so they are the tiniest smidge different in the finished version, but they were still so deliciously covetable.

I didn’t managed to get a good photo of Nicole’s Saturday Gala gown, but it was phenomenal, and she made her own shoes, and they were even more phenomenal. You can see some good images on American Duchesses’ photo post.

1790s (which is an era I’ve long wanted to do, but keep being distracted by other obligations) was also wonderfully represented by Lauren of The Lady of Portland House, and Abby & Lauren of American Duchess.

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Those hairstyles!

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

And more gorgeous later Regency frippery on Jenny La Fleur (who is always rocking the most perfectly-done period hairstyles, naturally!)

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Amazing 18th century stuff is always well represented at Costume College, and Friday night was no exception, with Taylor of Dames a La Mode and a bevy of other beauties in Georgian finery.

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

And Christina of The Laced Angel in be-you-ti-ful  1740s (I may not be a fan out Outlander, but, with the help of American Duchesses’ superlative patterns, it has resulted in lots of fabulous reproductions from that era – and that I am a fan of!)

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

The Friday Night theme was Casino Royale, and some costumers went on-theme in the most wonderful and creative ways:

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

That’s Meg of Nutmeg Sews  (who was one of my fabulous roommates) in Regency playing cards, and Teresa Nguyen (Tall Princess)  in the scrumptious Romantic Era frock with epic hairpiece.

My other fabulous roommate was Christi (@g0thlette), doing glamorous 1930s with the most drool-worthy sequinned lace piece:

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

So Marlene!

I did glam 1920s in my Hula Goddess frock, so I had fun posing with the glam ’20s & ’30s crowd:

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

And showing off our matching green & gold ’20s finery with Tanya of Mrs Hughes, who was one of the people I know online who I was thrilled to finally meet in-person this year.

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

To finish, the costumes I was most excited to see:

Costume College 2017 Friday thedreamstress.com

So exciting!  So perfect!  Alas, no Magrat – though I would happily have volunteered.  My hair is very cooperative in the Magrat look  (much to my usual chagrin).

Rate the Dress: Red ribbons, 1884

I’m very sorry for completely dropping the ball on the blog for the last two weeks.  Some unexpected things came up in the run-up to Costume College, and blogging was one thing I just didn’t get to.

So, quite late, the total score for the Lucile lingerie frock: a rather disappointing 7.5 out of 10.  Too many of you thought it was a bit limp, and had slightly weird design features, or was just lacking in overall oomph.

This week’s Rate the Dress is partly inspired by all the amazing Victorian costumes I saw at Costume College, and partly carrying on the neutrals with ribbons theme of the not-so-popular Lucile lingerie frock:

This 1884 House of Worth 2nd-bustle era gown many use three textures of silk fabrics (faille, satin and organza) in the same serene shade of stone, with touches of cream lace, but the deep red ribbons, rather than the sweet pastels of Lucile’s confection, provide colour and contrast

Like the Lucile gown, Worth’s reception gown combines many different forms of textile manipulation, but the overall effect is one of sculptural stiffness and structure, rather them delicate frothiness.

What do you think?  Within the range of Worth gowns, is this one of the House of Worth’s total winners, or won where they didn’t quite win the fashion sweepstakes? (because even Worth had off days, or garments where the client’s design requests added combined with the designer’s vision in less than ideal ways).

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10