Apologies for the rather delayed Rate the Dress. We just had a three day weekend for Labour Day, and my internal calendar is completely confused.
On top of that, it’s the busiest time of year at work: the major show of the year + prepping for graduation + interviewing candidates for next year, all in a three week period! And if that wasn’t enough excitment, it’s a very important year in the Baha’i Faith: 200 years since the birth of the Bab. There have been nonstop commemorations and celebrations, and I’ve been dashing from work to receptions at Parliament one day, and then dashing home to do flower arranging for another event the next…
I really wanted to have a fancy dress for this week’s Rate the Dress, and this was the most striking example I could find that hasn’t been featured before. It is missing something though…
Last Week: a 1920s child’s frock
You found last week’s hand painted frock utterly charming. If there was any tiny fly in the ointment it was that it was almost too sweet, or that you weren’t sure about the bonnet. It was very of its time, but possibly a little much.
The Total: 9.7 out of 10
Practically perfect, but for a B for the bonnet.
This week: an 1860s fancy dress
This week’s ‘Rate the Dress’ is either a fancy dress, or a theatre costume. But what did it represent? That part is not clear. Without the styling and accessories that went with it, it’s clearly dress-ups, but not immediately identifiable.
My best guess is that it was either meant to be an 18th c lady as in the first plate below, a shepherdess (also rather 18thc ish) as in the second plate, or perhaps a national costume, like the Swiss Girl in the last plate.
What do you think? What was this dress meant to be, and how fetching would the wearer have looked, and felt, in it? Would she have been the belle of the costume ball, or that weird outfit that no-one quite gets (you know that costume. You’ve probably been the one in that costume at least once. I’ve been the one in that costume for sure…)
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, so I can find it! And 0 is not on a scale of 1 to 10. Thanks in advance!)
