Flapper Dress

I don't really know how flapper dresses came into being, and I'm not really sure I want to. If you were wondering, flapper dresses were worn during the 1920's for fun occassions. I guess you could consider them club attire. I've never been fond of flapper dresses because they look kind of sketchy. In this picture, the model's makeup even makes her look a little drunk. No wait, she actually looks like a zombie, a drunk zombie.

I have a friend who likes flapper dresses and would love to be a flapper. I asked her why, and she said that they were fun dresses. I really couldn't see the fun behind them, but I did try. Maybe they are fun because they're loose and flirty. Then again, maybe the freedom they stand for is supposed to magically carry over into the dresses. After all, they were worn to clubs. But neither of these explanations worked for me. I just couldn't find the fun, until I saw this picture. The fun has to be in the boa. It's fluffy, good for wrangling men, and handy in a cat-fight.

Kimono

Since I've recently posted on an Ao Dai dress, I thought I would write a post about a kimono. This dress is obviously Asian too; in fact, it comes from Japan. I'm pretty sure most people know what a kimono is. For some reason, they have become more popular in Western culture. I think that the movie Memoirs of a Geisha might have had something to do with it, but I've never seen that movie, so I can't be too sure. But if you want to see kimono in action, this movie would be the place to go.

I think kimono are pretty, but I'm not sure I would ever wear one. First of all, they are so loose, they have to be rearranged every time you put them on. Of course, you don't have to worry about having the right size, but I think I would prefer figuring out what size I should wear once instead of custom fitting a kimono every time. Second, the sleeves are long, and I know I would do something stupid, like getting them caught in doorways or maybe stepping on them. In short, it probably is a lot of hard work to wear a kimono. I would hate having to practice wearing my clothes, so kimonos probably aren't for me. But, just because I can't handle kimono, doesn't mean you can't. If you're really graceful maybe a kimono would highlight your gracefulness. Wear it around campus, and everyone will admire how you manuver up stairs or impossibly steep hills.

However, I did say they were pretty. Similar to Ao Dai dresses, they can have entire scenes depicted on their fabrics. I think this kimono has a flower scene on it. Now that I come to think of it, this kimono looks unusually shiny. I wonder what it is made of.

Victorian dress

Is anyone else yawning? Here, I have a Victorian dress, much like the kind I imagine Jane Eyre might wear. Not very colorful, is it? Well, now I know why Jane thought patterned silk dresses were too expensive. She usually wore one of these lovely creations. Those high necks and dull colors are enough to make anyone think patterned silk is extravagant.

However, what bothers me most about these dresses is not the boredom they spread, but the little bonnets. Not only did women have to wear corsets, but also they had to keep their hair up and covered by a bonnet whenever they left their houses. In fact, when they went outside without their bonnets, they were being “indecent.” I hate wearing hats, and I never put my hair up. If I suddenly was flung back into the Victorian era, I would proudly display my indecency. Of course, I would probably end up in an asylum for hysterical women, but that's okay because I would have plenty of company.

Ao Dai dress

What, you may ask, is this thing? I know it isn’t loaded with lace or hoop skirts or any of those strange items before mentioned, but this outfit is a historical costume. It’s an Ao Dai dress from Vietnam, and although these dresses are older than most of our outdated fashions, they still are worn today. What makes such an old style last so long? My reply is function and beauty. It’s kind of hard to see, but the gold garment visible through the slit actually is a pair of very loose pants. In fact, they are so loose that when I first saw one of these dresses, I mistook the pants for a skirt. Any outfit that gives an illusion of a full skirt but actually includes a pair of pants gets a ten on my function scale. Wondering where the beauty comes from? I think it’s easy to see; the shape is so simple. Anyone could look good in one of these dresses. Also, Ao Dai dresses come in every color and any pattern imaginable. Sometimes these dresses depict entire scenes, such as a sunrise in a rural village.

This example happens to be a wedding dress. No, it’s not white because in a lot of Asian cultures, they wear red to get married. In the US, red wedding dresses usually signify a naughty girl, but to the Vietnamese, red is a color of celebration.

As you may have guessed, I would celebrate if I had one of these dresses. Surprisingly, they’re not very expensive. They usually cost 70-80 dollars. Unfortunately, I can’t even spare that right now.

Italian Renaissance Dress

If you’re scratching your head wondering why this dress looks so familiar, you may have seen it before on one of English literature’s most famous characters: Juliet. Yes, Juliet always wears one of these dresses, and I bet no one loves these dresses more than Romeo.

I happen to like Italian renaissance dresses too for a bunch of reasons. I have to admit, there are a lot of Italian things I don’t like at all. For example, Italian food isn’t exactly a weakness of mine, but I do like Italian renaissance dresses. First of all, my ancestors probably wore them. It’s fun to think that one of my great grandmothers might have frolicked, or more likely toiled, in one of these dresses. Second of all, these dresses were relatively easy to put on although they were in six pieces. The first piece was a chemise, and women simply pulled it over their heads. Chemises are long, simple, loose white undergarments, and we can see a little of it peeking through the sleeves in this picture. Don’t worry; it’s supposed to, so our model isn’t unknowingly exposing her underwear. The actual dress was always sleeveless and also could be pulled over the head. Well, we’re up to two pieces, so where do the other four come from? The answer is the sleeves. Each sleeve was in two pieces, one piece for the upper arm and one for the lower arm; these sleeves were tied onto the arms. I imagine that it might be difficult to tie something on your arm because you would be trying to do it using only one hand, but that is what sisters, maids, and mothers are for. My third and final reason is that these dresses must have been comfortable. There is nothing to restrict the waist, and during the winter, the double layers could keep anyone warm.

An 18th Century Ball Gown

What do we have here? Well, this dress, my friends, is an 18th century ball gown. In my opinion, this costume is one of the most outrageous fashions in history. It even has two of the “accessories” in this blog's title: a hoop skirt and oodles of lace. Often, these types of dresses were made with silk, so this dress actually may have three out of the four items mentioned in the title. I can’t imagine wearing this dress and being comfortable. How would I fit through doorways? Unfortunately, the age of grand, open doorways is definitely over.

But, this dress isn’t all bad. At least that little man to her right seems to like it. Maybe he is attracted to her compressed waist or fluffy white hair. I guess corsets and powdered wigs really do come in handy; we can use them to pick up strange little men. Seriously though, these ball gowns were intricately designed, and they probably cost more than an entire modern wardrobe. Her admirer is probably dazzled by the treasury she’s carrying around on her person. Now that I think about it, I might endure corsets, powdered wigs, and hoop skirts to wear a dress worth the same as my bank account too.