Thank you to everyone who comment on my post on climate change and mental health. I really appreciate your support, suggestions, and empathy. I’m still working through them, and allowing myself to do just a little bit every day to cope, and even though I haven’t managed to respond yet, I really appreciate that you took the time to comment. One thing that does generally help me is having a schedule, so, although it’s a day late, here’s Rate the Dress. Last Week:  an 1890s evening dress by Mrs Cuttle Here in NZ things that people either really like, or really don’t like, are sometimes described as ‘the vegemite option’ (or, ‘the marmite option’, because using either immediately triggers a vehement argument about which is the better/true extremely weird tasting yeast spread). Vegemite is either something you like, or…isn’t (unless you’re me, and you think it’s revolting as you eat it, and then immediately want another piece of vegemite toast) Last week’s dress was vegemite. And, carrying on the analogy, only a few of you …

This week’s Rate the Dress tones down the colours, with an 1850s dress in fresh green with touches of white and small formal paisley motifs.  From contrast to calming green: how will the ratings compare? Last week: a bright blue and burgundy 1870s number Well, moths were all the rage on most of the internet last week, but not here on Rate the Dress!  With very few exceptions the ratings were #teammothbowsarebad.  The colours were actually pretty popular, and a few people really did like the dress wholeheartedly.  The rest of you?  Not so much! The Total: 6.6 out of 10 Ouch.  Even the rating is giving the dress side-eye. This week: 1850s ruffles in green silk gauze The overall style and silhouette of the dress is much simpler than last week: a classic second-half-of-the-1850s ballgown silhouette, with tiers of ruffles either woven a la disposition, or edged with a wide border print ribbon. The border features a highly fashionable paisley motif, with a slightly blurred aesthetic that indicates it was created with a warp …

The response to last week’s Rate the Dress was quite a surprise to me, so this week I’ve picked something surprising: a crinoline era dress that combines a very traditional silhouette, and very traditional trimmings, with very unusual fabric, in a very unusual layout.  What will you make of it? Last week: A blue bustle-era dress with embroidered roses I can never exactly predict how a garment will be received, but sometimes I can make a pretty good guess.  Less often, I am totally and completely wrong.  Last week was one of those.  I thought the dress was an awful mish-mash of unrelated ideas, in a very unflattering colour combination.  Most of you, however, did not agree! The Total: 9.2 out of 10 It’s quite unusual for me to think a dress is a 6, and most of you think it’s a 9 or 10 – usually it’s exactly the opposite.  It’s great though: lovely to see totally different perspectives. This week: This striking purple and grey number makes full use of its bold, big …