All posts tagged: 17th century

Rate the Dress: Elizabeth of Bohemia pre-bohemia

Last week there was no Rate the Dress, as I rated the Oscars instead. I hope you enjoyed that, and thank you for your patience. The week before last I presented a very deco 1920s frock, and quite a few of you were vocally NOT IN FAVOUR of it. The poor thing got compared to a kindergarten uniform, a girl scout uniform, maternity dress, Nancy Drew (and you didn’t think that was a good thing), air hostess on a 1970s children’s show, or just the airplane the air hostess would be in. Maybe overwhelmed by the dislike, many of you quietly gave it rather high ratings, but it wasn’t enough to keep the much-maligned frock from a sad 4.8 out of 10. This week, let’s go back a few centuries, and look at an always contentious ‘child in an adult frock’ Rate the Dress. For a 17th century royal, Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Anne of Denmark and James I of Scotland and England, had a lucky life. She had a idyllic childhood. She wasn’t married …

Rate the Dress: a 17th century Allegory of Astrology

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week you either appreciated the mix of simplicity and complexity in the floral bedecked late 1820’s frock, and rated it highly, or really hated either the fabric or period and rated it poorly, or experienced a mix of the two elements with a resulting middle-of-the-road vote. The first tipped the scales just enough to bring in a rating of 7.2 out of 10 – a bit above average. It may be coming into summer here in New Zealand, but I’m reminded that many of you are moving into winter, and (based on my latest poll) looking forward to celebrating Christmas. So, just to mess with your heads, I’m presenting this nice warm, snuggly, Christmas-coloured 17th century rate the dress, which actually isn’t Christmas-y at all, because it’s a portrait of a lady posing as an Allegory of Astrology. What makes her an Allegory, I’ve never figure out.* And also, on second thought, that neckline isn’t really very warm and snuggly after all. So, with a bit of confusion carefully established, what do you make …

Rate the Dress: Charles I before he looked like Charles I

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week, despite my (unvoiced) personal misgivings about wearing such a vast quantity of red, you were generally very approving of the 1865 red dress. Oh, you had a few niggling complaints: the skirt trimming was a bit off, the colour too tomato-y, the bodice too square, but it still came in at 7.7 out of 10. Since you like red, let’s look at another red outfit. And since tomato red wasn’t your favourite, maybe rose-red will be even better. Charles I is one of those historical figures that you have such a clear mental image of: the mustache, the hair, the boots, the capes! But he didn’t always dress like that. This is Charles in his formative years: Yep. Very late Elizabethian. Also very red. Red doublet, red cape, super-poofy red pantaloons, red tights, red shoe-rosettes. And a kinda hilariously phallic hat with red trimmings. What do you think of a guy in head to toe red? Is Charles working it and showing the sartorial awesomeness he would be known for later in life? …