All posts tagged: 1890s

Rate the Dress: Tea Gown Time

Published by The Dreamstress

Well, I appear to be on a theme roll, because once again I’ve picked a dress with front view vs back view. This one is quite intentional though: it’s a tea gown with a specific over-robe effect. Last Week: an early 1860s dress in blue floral silk Last week’s dress was the opposite of the week before’s. A fortnight ago you liked the back view but not the front, last week you loved the front, but if you had any quibbles it was that you thought the additional back tails were awkward and misplaced. The dress was also quite different to last weeks in that many of you absolutely loved it – somewhat to my surprise. The Total: 8.9 out of 10 Not quite perfection, but getting there! This week:  an 1890s Liberty Tea Gown This Liberty tea gown has all the classic elements that make a tea gown: a robe effect with an unbroken line flowing past the waist, rather decadent sleeves, and elements of exoticism and romantic historicism. It’s no surprise this tea …

Rate the Dress: Turquoise puzzle pieces, 1890

Published by The Dreamstress

It’s always nice to have the most lovely, polished photos for Rate the Dress, but that does limit the options. So sometimes I have to choose a poorly staged garment, just because it’s so interesting. And I think the fabric, colour, and design of this week’s pick make it worthy of inclusion, lacklustre images notwithstanding. Last Week: a 1912 afternoon dress by Jeanne Hallee There was a lot of confusion about the colour of last week’s dress. Was it black? Blue? Purple? My screens say purple, but unless one of us has seen the dress in person we’ll never really know. Photography can be so misleading! There was also a lot of variation in the rating, with scores hitting every whole point from 4-10. And everyone loved, or didn’t love, it for different reasons. No consensus at all! The Total: 7.3 out of 10 It does actually reflect this largest clump of ratings, even if it was a proportionally small clump compared to other Rate the Dress selections. This week:  an 1890s evening dress by …

Rate the Dress: a not-white 1890s Wedding Dress

Published by The Dreamstress

This week’s Rate the Dress, in contrast to the three that proceeded it, is quite muted and restrained, and not just one colour (though the primary fabric is admittedly equally monochromatic) Last week: a very green 1810s dress Some of you really loved last week’s dress, mostly because of the picture it brought into your mind of the young lady who would wear it, and how she would look dancing. Others, not so much, either because you didn’t like the colour, are opposed to small puffed sleeves on principle, or felt the hem treatment made it odd and bottom heavy. A number of people on instagram observed that if it was displayed as it would have been worn, with better petticoats, and the hem a good few inches off the ground, it would look less awkward and bottom heavy. The Total: 8.2 out of 10 Quite good, but not a patch on the week before it! This week:  an 1890s wedding dress is muted purple with cream and mouse-brown After three weeks of very bright …