Back in 2020, at the end of New Zealand’s first lockdown, I found an amazing ramie-cotton blend fabric with an adorable pineapple print on it. It just called out to be made into a 1790s dress as an homage to the Georgian obsession with pineapples.
I’ve got Regency on my mind at the moment. It’s probably because I have absolutely no events coming up for which I need a Regency frock, so my wayward mind is fixating on the most impractical thing it can think of! So, this week’s Rate the Dress is 1790s… Last Week: A 1910s dress in devore velvet and metallic lace I’ll let you in on a secret. I think last week’s dress is hideous. And I don’t know why, because I usually love that style of dress, and the individual elements. I’m ashamed to say it may be the presentation: I’m usually good at overlooking presentation, but somehow that too-tall mannequin and bare foot is just a bit offputting… Luckily for the dresses final rating, you do not agree with me. Other than the big beaded element at the bust you were on-board with the dress, finding the devore divine, and the gold lace the perfect amount of gilding. The Total: 9.3 out of 10 Just .1 point shy of the week before! This week: …
This week’s Rate the Dress goes from big 1890s sleeves, to little tiny 1790s bodices Last week: an 1890s reception gown in pumpkin orange Many of you loved the Anne reference, but not everyone is a puffed sleeve fan. It lost some points just for the sleeves. And gained some just for the sleeves. And lost some points just for the colour. And gained some just for the colour. The one thing everyone seemed to agree on was a not-sure-ness about the scale of the beading and the chiffon overlay. The Total: 7.9 out of 10 Well, and improvement on the week before, and almost good enough to count as a proper success. This week: a 1790s dress and matching fichu This dress represents a very brief and specific moment of fashion, where the last remnants of 18th century styles, in the form of fichu and an open overskirt, meet the extremely brief bodice of the early Regency/Empire silhouette. When I say extremely brief, I mean it. The bodice appears to be no more …
