A few weeks ago my historical costuming friends and I rented a cottage in the country for our fifth(!) annual Historical Sew & Eat Retreat. On Sunday we took a drive along the back roads in 18th ...
https://thedreamstress.com/2022/11/georgian-frolics-in-the-country/
I can usually anticipate some of the reactions to a Rate the Dress, but I was completely blindsided by the initial reactions to last week’s royal fancy dress. Sure, it wasn’t a court jacket...
https://thedreamstress.com/2017/11/rate-the-dress-a-robe-a-la-francaise-in-bizarre-brown-ca-1755/
Last week’s Rate the Dress was a natural-form day dress in palest blue and silvery ecru. To no-ones surprise ever, the rosette bows festooning the lower front bodice of the dress were not pop...
https://thedreamstress.com/2017/10/rate-dress-18th-century-wild-man-costume/
Last week I showed you a really frilly, over the top 1870s dress – but in a very restrained colour scheme. Unsurprisingly, for most people whether they liked it or not came down to whether th...
https://thedreamstress.com/2014/11/rate-the-dress-a-lady-on-horseback/
Remember this? And this? Yep, back in Jan/Feb I started a 1720s Robe de Cour. It was meant to be done in July, but things have been so hectic with the new house that it didn’t happen. But I...
https://thedreamstress.com/2014/11/a-skirt-for-mariana-victoria/
Last week I showed you an 18th century fashion plate, and to a man (or lady) you agreed that it was terrible. However, some of you thought it was so terrible that it became awesome. And some ...
https://thedreamstress.com/2014/08/rate-the-dress-out-of-time-in-1887/
Last week for Rate the Dress I showed a late Victorian walking dress, which the Mint Museum had styled as a skating suit. The mad authentic steampunk-ness of the ensemble captured some of your ...
https://thedreamstress.com/2014/08/rate-the-dress-a-galant-nymph-in-a-robe-a-la-chinoise-retroussee/
One of my goals for the Historical Sew Fortnightly, both 2013 & 2014, has been to expand my Regency wardrobe. So far, progress has been slow. I’ve made mitts, and my 1813 Kashmiri dress is a ...
https://thedreamstress.com/2014/08/a-simple-regency-chemise/
Last week’s 1910s suit had a few serious admirers, but also cropped its fair share of criticism: the colours were quite dull, the collar too frivolous, the cuffs awkwardly sized, the proportion...
https://thedreamstress.com/2014/07/rate-the-dress-18th-century-brocaded-silks/
We missed last week’s Rate the Dress because I was down sick. Sorry 🙁 The week before, most of you were quite taken with Toulmouche’s blue dress. There was only one dissenting view, an...
https://thedreamstress.com/2014/06/rate-the-dress-fra-galgarios-count-in-patterns/