Last week I presented a 1860s dress that Daniel dubbed “daft as a bucketful of monkeys.” It was pretty excessive: all those ruffles and frills and poofs!
The rating divided you into two groups: those of you who like “almost stupidly romantic and frilly” (as Libby described it) and those of you who thought that it looked like it was hiding a roll of toilet paper. The lovers of feminine froth outweighed the naysayers just enough to bring it in at a passable 6.3 out of 10.
This weeks ‘Rate the Dress’ takes us from almost saccharine sweetness to avant garde sophistication. The MFABoston holds this Lavin designed green harem-panted evening ensemble with gold Celtic knot inspired gilded-leather trim, clearly designed for the fashionista who wasn’t afraid to take risks.
Woman's evening ensemble in two parts, Winter 1935—36, Lanvin, MFA
The outfit teeters between frumpy and sultry: the lack of sleeves would show off fashionably toned and tanned arms, but the details of the deep armscythes might draw attention to your armpits, which aren’t usually the most attractive bit of our anatomy. The light, flowing fabric is designed to cling alluringly to curves, but is there just too much gather and blouson effect to allow that? And are harem pants ever a good idea, even when designed by Lanvin?
Only you can say! Rate the dress on a scale of 1 to 10
