All posts tagged: children’s clothes

Rate the Dress: ruffly pink party frock of the late 1860s

Published by The Dreamstress

Goodness was last week’s acid green Callot Soers dress controversial and divisive!  You either really, really, really love it.  Or really didn’t.  If I’d gone with everyone who rated it 6 and over it would have come out an 8.1 out of 10.  If I’d gone with everyone who rated it 5 and under it it would have rated a 3 out of 10.  Combined, the rating comes to a 6.5 out of 10, which is a rating that no-one gave it on their own! It’s Valentine’s day, and even though I’m not a Valentines fan at all I thought it was a good excuse to show you something ruffly and pink. I failed to find a suitable frock that was quite and pink and quite as ruffly as I had hoped, but I did find this sweet but slightly restrained  pink and cream party frock from the MFA Boston. Doesn’t this girls dress with its stripes and panniered overskirt just speak of old fashioned Valentines: all flower garlands and cupids, and maybe just a …

Rate the dress: a girls party frock, about 1865

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week I presented a painting of a wealthy young Englishwoman of the 1750s, and the vast majority of you rated it very highly, and it achieved a 7.3 out of 10.  You know what though?  I’m disappointed in you!  So many readers criticised it, and then gave it a 9 out of 10 anyway!  What does that mean?  Shouldn’t a 9 be almost absolutely perfect ‘must-have-now’ with just the tiniest tweaks needed?  I think you are all just brainwashed to think that anything 18th century is fabulous, and don’t stop and think “but is this a good example of 18th century?”! So this week is about pushing our usual inclinations.  You, dear readers, have been rather disapproving of historical children’s clothes in the past.  But I’m feeling brave, and am wondering if I can’t tempt you out of ingrained likes and dislikes. So I’m presenting a striking girl’s dress of about 1865 in muted red and white. I imagine this would have been worn by a girl of about 9 or 10. So, do …

Rate the dress: a little girl’s frock, ca 1885

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week Princess Louise Marie’s dress was not a hit – between the fur, the colour, and the addition of the lace it rated only a 5.6 out of 10. I’ve had this weeks post all ready for months, and then, just when I was about to launch it, the website where I had the photo stored experienced technical difficulties, so I can’t show you the dress until it restores.  Grrrr… So…my backup plan is to show you an intriguing child’s dress from 1885.  It’s got it all: velvet, lace, smocking, ruffles, pleats, and the earliest example of child themed cartoon fabric used for children’s clothes that I am aware of. All of this may not necessarily add up to a good thing though.  What do you think? Check out the fabric: There are more views if you click through to V&A’s site. What do you think?  Is it a charming mix of 1880’s frills and childhood innocence or a clumsy mash-up of completely different themes? Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to …