All posts tagged: trousers

Rate the Dress: Chanel does trousers

Julia of the Perfect Victorian Figure says that I do too many frilly uber-historical dresses for ‘Rate the Dress’, and challenged me to post a 1930s Chanel trouser suit for your perusal. There aren’t actually that many 1930s Chanel trouser suits out there, so hopefully this one will meet with your approval as a suitable interesting ‘Rate the Dress’, although it might not meet with your approval as a suitable elegant and sartorially fabulous ensemble. Between the 1930s photograph and the detail of the extent blouse and jacket, what do you think of the ensemble?  Imagine Diana Vreeland in it, with a black ribbon around her neck, and a red rose tucked into it, as V&A’s blurb describes. Fabulous?  Or Frumpy? Rate the Dress on a scale of 1 to 10

Rate the Dress: 1830’s menswear

Despite my concerns about your interest in last week’s Victorian Batgirl dress (black and white and a fashion sketch), it attracted lots of attention.  So much discussion about bats and aesthetics, and links to modern versions of the dress!  It rated an 8.3, because while some of you thought it was fabulous, a few of you don’t care for Victorian fancy dress. This week I felt it was time for a change – we leave the details of the Renaissance, the splendor of Worth, the puffs of James, the wacky sexiness of Victorian fancy dress, indeed, all the frills and furbelows of womenswear, behind. Instead, we look at menswear.  What will you think of this restrained man’s ensemble from the early years of the Romantic era? The fitted blue silk jacket dates to 1833, and is worn with a palest yellow waistcoat, pleat-front buff trouser-breaches with stirrup bottoms, and a black silk cravat.  Simple with a touch of interest, or boring and mismatched? Rate the outfit on a scale of 1 to 10