Just two questions (okay, maybe three)
Lisa sent me a link to this site, The Dress, and visiting it left me with a few questions:
First, has anyone purchased this dress, and if so, can I meet her? I think we'd have a lot to talk about. Unless, of course, this was purchased for some kind of manga cosplay I don't know about (um, which would be ALL of them), in which case I wouldn't talk, I'd just nod a lot. But I'd still be interested! Other people's outré enthusiasms are my favorite things!
Also, I know I'm more sensitive on this subject than a lot of other people (except for all you copyeditors reading this) but -- please, please, if you are building a web page, have someone proofread it for you! This site spells 'peplum' at least two different ways, and talks about flounces "ascending down dress back." (Note: if something is ascending, it is going UP. Things that go down DESCEND.) I don't know why these kinds of things bug me so much on dress sites -- probably because the dresses are so beautiful that I want everything surrounding them to be perfect, too. (Note: I will copyedit for dresses ... and I know a lot of other people who probably would, too!)
This shop is at 138 Ludlow Street, in NYC. It's definitely on my list for my next visit ... and I promise not to pull out my sharpie to correct their signs, if any.
posted by Erin @ 8:41 AM
33 Comments:
At May 9, 2007 8:50:00 AM,
Jennifer said…
That dress looks like a shortie opera costume. Say, for Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, or Cherubino dressed as a girl in Figaro. Love it!
At May 9, 2007 9:03:00 AM,
Chintz22 said…
Amy Sedaris gets many of her clothes at The Dress. They suit her too.
At May 9, 2007 9:21:00 AM,
ShannonAnn said…
Come on, Erin you expect too much. The opening page has a link for a "c-thru peasant." Spelling and grammar are obviously not a priority. I'll admit, however, that I do not patronize merchants with lax standards- especially in communication and cleanliness!
At May 9, 2007 9:41:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Jennifer, I thought HMS Pinafore when I saw the dress!
At May 9, 2007 10:01:00 AM,
smonster said…
Oh, I really adore twirl, even if it does have a "rushe-topped bodice."
At May 9, 2007 10:02:00 AM,
phoenix said…
I'm pretty sensitive to errors too so I know where you're coming from. I had brunch once at one of the better dining establishments in the city run by one of the star chefs here and was so annoyed with the obvious spelling errors on the menu that it's since coloured my opinion of said chef.
I love the "fancy halter" on the site...makes me think of a 50s cocktail party.
At May 9, 2007 10:10:00 AM,
Nora said…
I don't think it's too much to ask that someone who charges $1500 for a dress (worth every penny, I'm sure) pays someone to proofread their website copy; nor do I think it's ridiculous to assume that someone can spell the words that pertain to their trade!!! (Whoever wrote the copy is also unclear on "ruched," and just for style purposes I would recommend "cascading" over "descending," and of course "ascending" is right out.)
Sorry, I'm a little strict about those things too; but I think spelling is part of aesthetics (not to mention clarity - "pepplon"? what is that?). I agree with Erin wanting everything to be beautiful; a dressmaker is in the beauty business, after all.
But enough early morning crankiness. The dresses themselves are inspiring, and in general I like her sense of color and layering. How fun would it be to have a custom-made dress with layers and layers of silk? (And when in hell would I wear it? I
couldn't let the cats near me, that's for sure!)
At May 9, 2007 10:22:00 AM,
kathyg said…
Lovely as this dress may be, it does look like a Civil War reenactor costume...one that had the bottom of the skirt amputated!
At May 9, 2007 10:38:00 AM,
India said…
"navey"?!?
At May 9, 2007 11:14:00 AM,
Dawn said…
*Unless, of course, this was purchased for some kind of manga cosplay I don't know about*
I'm off to Wikipedia....
At May 9, 2007 12:00:00 PM,
Jess said…
Maybe it's just me, but when I look at that dress, all I can see is a little outfit I'd wear for my husband for a little July 4th bedroom rendezvous, if ya know what I mean. ;)
Something to give him a laugh and a memory while giving a shout out to historical holidays. Although the skirt would have to be an eency bit shorter and the neckline would need to get rid of that little "V" with the three stripes. But other than that, this looks like a striptease waiting to happen...
;)
At May 9, 2007 12:26:00 PM,
yarnivore said…
Oh, I love a lot of those dresses! I'll bet they don't come in my size, though, which is just as well, since that means I can just admire them from afar.
At May 9, 2007 12:31:00 PM,
Veronica said…
Looks like Japanese "Gothic Lolita" wear.
At May 9, 2007 1:27:00 PM,
Robinson said…
Where do people wear such dresses? They (almost) all seem to be appropriate only for the set of Moulin Rouge... or Jess's bedroom on July 4 ;)
At May 9, 2007 2:07:00 PM,
Theresa said…
I really liked the pink dress. Good thing I did not know about there when wedding dress hunting -- not that I could afford one - and no sleeves on me, probably a bad idea
At May 9, 2007 3:16:00 PM,
vicki jane said…
I also thought Japanese Goth. They lok like frocks that would be in a Gwen Stephani video. I do love the taupe/blue dress though. I would actually wear that one... though where? hmmmm
At May 9, 2007 4:39:00 PM,
The Momma Chronicles said…
Hmm... it's kind of a "Sound of Music meets Lost in Space and got mixed up in a blender with Pirates of Penzance" kind of dress, isn't it. I think I like it. But wear would I where it? (couldn't resist)
At May 9, 2007 4:57:00 PM,
oracle said…
This post has been removed by the author.
At May 9, 2007 5:01:00 PM,
Ivy Frozen said…
I'd wear that dress everywhere, of course! To the park, out shopping, to class...
As for the spelling errors, they jarr me too, but they're mildly better than entirely wrong terms used to describe something, such as a corset topped dress I saw labeled as empire waist. As this description was right next to the picture, it made no sense at all, and caused me to question whether it was the correct picture of the dress being sold. Bad spelling and the random tossing out of terms will make me not buy something, even if I really, really like it, because I just don't trust the sellers.
At May 9, 2007 5:04:00 PM,
Kate in England said…
It looks Gothic Lolita to me, too, or at least the sailor dress does. There's similar stuff on Gothic Lolita sites Metamorphose and Baby The Stars Shine Bright. I'm kind of intrigued by the Little Red Riding Hood-themed embroidery on this dress, although as I am 35 and 5ft 9, it would clearly look utterly ridiculous on me.
At May 9, 2007 9:55:00 PM,
Saint Pud said…
Mmmm! It's like looking at one of those books on cake decorating where each cake is more luscious and extravagant than the last! Who cares if I have no place to wear any of them (at age 22, I would have)?
However, I went to junior high school, so I would not have to hire a copy editor in order to catch those glaring errors. Sheesh!
At May 9, 2007 11:35:00 PM,
Val said…
If you do find a place that will trade dresses for copyediting, give them my number.
At May 10, 2007 3:21:00 AM,
Šárka said…
Oh, how I love this cute dress! It looks slightly "marine" doesn´t it? It makes me want to have a sailor collar real bad! :-)
At May 10, 2007 7:01:00 AM,
Maddy said…
I would give anything for the guts to rock that dress.
At May 10, 2007 8:04:00 AM,
Nancy Bea said…
Visited the site and wow: eye candy like I have never seen it before. I'm still on an ocular sugar high as I type. Amazing!
These people know from frou-frou.
At May 10, 2007 9:19:00 AM,
Christina said…
Amen to "I want everything surrounding them to be perfect": I just realized that the instructions on green carding which I found at ins (dot) gov contain the heading "Becomeing a lawful permanent resident." All I want to do is become Mrs. Jon B., American! Why must you hurt my eyes so, government of the country in which I hope to reside, permanently?
Also, Jon B. says hi.
At May 10, 2007 12:18:00 PM,
Elrond Hubbard said…
"Ascending down" -- is that like "stand down," as American soldiers will do when Iraqi soldiers stand up?
At May 10, 2007 1:54:00 PM,
La BellaDonna said…
Christina, good luck in your endeavors to become a citizen. I once saw the phrase From sea to shining sea from America the Beautiful
on a banner on television, only they'd spelled it "shinning." "From sea to shinning sea," in big. Huge. Letters. On television. Uck.
I freely admit to being a seamstress and a crank. You can't invest in a spell check program? You can't do a cursory review of your copy? You don't get my money. I used to correct the graffiti on the bathroom walls in college. I don't see any reason to be more indulgent towards people who want my hard-earned money.
elrond, it's sort of like their "advancing to the rear." Like the ruffles.
At May 10, 2007 1:57:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
The fact that "navey" was right beside "navy" was highly amusing, and yet slightly annoying. How do you miss that?
At May 11, 2007 6:27:00 AM,
Balwearie said…
Ascending down..... like... "Up the Down Staircase".....
At May 17, 2007 9:43:00 PM,
Astrafiama said…
I love this! I'm a copy editor and wrestled all day with an Associated Press story describing Queen Elizabeth's outfit for the recent state dinner at the White House (6 May 2007) as a "white dress with a blue sash." That's not only utterly misleading, it makes Americans look like complete yokels -- when we're really only 75% yokels.
At May 19, 2007 9:07:00 AM,
Alicia P. said…
"Will copyedit for dresses." You should absolutely get this on some business cards and carry them everywhere.
At Jun 10, 2007 11:46:00 AM,
kagitsune said…
This has been said several times already, but it really does look like a more 'cosplay' version of Gothic Lolita/Gosuloli (i.e. simpler lines, less 'wearable'). It's funny: my friends and I just finished a cosplay skit where one of the girls wore a costume similar to this...
I'd been wondering if there were any good Gosuloli-type stores in the States...thanks so much for posting this!! ^^
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