Rate the Dress: 1720s green mantua
If you’re a fan of early 18th century fashion, you’ll probably recognise this week’s Rate the Dress pick. There are so few surviving examples of 1720s mantua, that ‘the green one’ is instantly identifiable.
If you’re a fan of early 18th century fashion, you’ll probably recognise this week’s Rate the Dress pick. There are so few surviving examples of 1720s mantua, that ‘the green one’ is instantly identifiable.
This week I’ve been a bit daring for Rate the Dress, by picking something that’s a bit hard to rate, because it’s mostly fabric. Hopefully I’ve given enough context, and a even a bonus painting as an illustration, to give you something to consider! Last Week: a mid 1920s evening gown by Callot Soeurs I don’t feel too bad about this week’s simple but tricky in its simplicity pick, because last week’s Callot Soeurs evening dress was so fun and easy to rate. Beautifully and cleanly presented, and easy to imagine on a wearer. It clearly struck a chord with many of you, and was very popular, though most of you thought it was almost perfect (9) rather than absolutely sublime (10) The Total: 9.1 out of 10 Almost, almost perfect! This week: a 1720s dress I think the 1720s & 30s were a fascinating period in fashion history, but unfortunately I rarely get the chance to feature them on Rate the Dress. There are few surviving examples of garments from this period, and even …
A few of you like the red floral and striped 1890s dress last week, but most of you found it well, frankly headache inducing, or even more frankly, umm…anatomically suggestive. I was NOT expecting that! Eye-strain or brain-stain, the dress raked in a barely positive 5.9 out of 10. This week I’m going from anatomically suggestive dress to someone who probably would have enjoyed the suggestion. Anna Karolina Orzelska, the illegitemate daughter of Augustus II of Saxony and Poland, is shown in a blue dress with silver trimmings. Anna was an ‘adventuress’ (was there ever a more evocative description?) known for her beauty, uncanny resemblance to her father, and scandalous behaviour – quite a feat considering she lived at the wildest court in early 18th century Europe! via Wikimedia Commons When not posing in pretty (?) blue dresses Anna entertained herself by drinking, smoking, dressing like a man, and having numerous affairs, including one with the future Frederick the Great of Prussia. Her life was certainly wild and unconventional, but what do you think of …