Look at me! Three weeks of Rate the Dress in a row, AND an additional sewing post! And wait till you see what this weeks non-RTD post is!
Last week’s Rate the Dress was lush and decorative, with elaborate fabric. This week I’ve opted for a more restrained fabric pattern, although the dress still has some ruffles and fun.
Last week: a 1720s mantua in green
Was it a grand green gown?
The Total: 9.6 out of 10
Grand indeed! That’s practically a perfect score!
This week: a striped 1840s dress.
This 1840s day dress is made from a wool gauze with a striking large-scale stripe pattern in blue and beige. The stripes are used to striking effect on the bodice, with the bold pattern skilfully pleated in to the waist, with the dividing line of the colours running down the centre of the dress, but the same blue stripe balanced across the waist.

Day dress of wool gauze with silk rosettes, 1840s, Fashion Museum Bath
The division of the stripes is continued down the skirt with a line of bias-cut trim echoing the bias stripes of the sleeves. Bold blue rosettes pick up the blue in the stripe, and a ruffled trim (possibly a later addition) matches the buff and protects the hem.
What do you think? Is the dress clever, or cartoonish?
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. Phrase criticism as your opinion, rather than a flat fact. 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.