What Are Your Thoughts On This?

[Amy Jeanne]

I like that dress! I would wear it. It's reminiscent of the 1860s.

 

[Land-O-LakesGal]

Ok...so now, if it was in your closet, a gift from your favorite relative...what would you do?
I'd take off the bottom ruffles and then[/a] it would be doable

Sell it and buy something that I like better. But I agree it would look a lot better without the bottom ruffle.

Smuterella Grey garden picture is now stuck in my head with that dress in it and raccoons climbing up the walls.

 

[Puzzicato]

Ok...so now, if it was in your closet, a gift from your favorite relative...what would you do?
I'd take off the bottom ruffles and then it would be doable

I'd wear it the next time I saw them and hope no one I knew saw me.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

Somehow, it just doesn't look 40's, not that it wasn't designed by Omar Kiam...
I just spent a little too much time looking him up.
He designed a lot of clothing for movies, historical films included, I can imagine that he designed this as well, and the style just didn't become popular. But if someone is organizing a book, why choose something this obscure and unrepresentative of a designer's style?
It is pretty, maybe its just poorly illustrated?

oh, i think there are more of his designs in the book. Perhaps the person who made the book just really liked this particular design. or maybe he wanted to show some of the more obscure designs as a lot of the designs in the book are sort of...odd!

xxxx

 

[Lauren]

I like that dress! I would wear it. It's reminiscent of the 1860s.

I'm with you, Amy! I'd wear it, too
But I kinda like vintage fashion that's outside the norm. I think I like it because it's such a novelty. I have some Vogues from 1939/1940 and some of the looks you'd swear were 70s. But, heck, I loved wearing 70s clothes in high school, that could have something to do with it. lol

 

[Amie]

Looks a bit like this dress by Topshop

 

[Sincerely-Dee]

Is that dress in a book from the Imperial War Museum?

Though the style does look more 70s to me also..maybe it's possible that Omar Kiam was simply ahead of his time?

 

[HadleyH]

OMG! wake me up from the nightmare!

My goodness.... what's that? half hippie, half oriental dancer with that jewelry hanging on the forehead, half peasant girl...


That's unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!! It takes the cake!!!!

(my personal opinion of course ... and apologies to all )

 

[KittyT]

My goodness.... what's that? half hippie, half oriental dancer with that jewelry hanging on the forehead, half peasant girl...

The jewelry doesn't actually scream "peasant" to me but "Orientalism". It's basically a diadem, worn throughout time in various Middle Eastern cultures. If you look at old photos of Mata Hari, you'll often see similar jewelry items. They're also popular among belly dancers.

 

[HadleyH]

The jewelry doesn't actually scream "peasant" to me but "Orientalism". It's basically a diadem, worn throughout time in various Middle Eastern cultures. If you look at old photos of Mata Hari, you'll often see similar jewelry items. They're also popular among belly dancers.

Oh i understand what you are saying.

It's just that the mix of all those styles together well.... it's like a dog's breakfast to me!

and BTW i never saw Mata-Hari wearing a little peasant scarf along with her diadem ... nevah!

 

[~Psycho Sue~]

I just made a McCalls sundress pattern that really closely resembles this dress.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The jewelry doesn't actually scream "peasant" to me but "Orientalism". It's basically a diadem, worn throughout time in various Middle Eastern cultures. If you look at old photos of Mata Hari, you'll often see similar jewelry items. They're also popular among belly dancers.

That's exactly why I thought. The whole thing comes across to me as sort of an eye-winking parody of pseudo-middle-eastern "exotic" styles, rather than anything intended to be taken seriously, especially since the designer called himself "Omar Kiam." "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, a ruffled flounce, and thou!"

 

[KittyT]

Oh i understand what you are saying.

It's just that the mix of all those styles together well.... it's like a dog's breakfast to me!

and BTW i never saw Mata-Hari wearing a little peasant scarf along with her diadem ... nevah!

OH! I misread your post. Yes, the jewelry = oriental dancer. The scarf = peasant girl. Got it. That's what happens when I try to read late at night. Comprehension fail lol

 

[Deleted member 12480]

from Amy Jeanne's Flickr

the one on the right looks kind of maxi-dress ish?

xx


Arh, it is not working,
heres the link, anyway.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/silent_screen_queen/4369316676/in/set-72157623369537401/

xxx

 

[Foofoogal]

I like Maxi dresses as another thread here exists.

I find it so interesting how clothing sort of repeats itself thru history.
I have a photo of a cousin from the 1940s and she is wearing the most 1970s halter top or should I say in the 1970s they stole the 1940s idea.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

That's exactly why I thought. The whole thing comes across to me as sort of an eye-winking parody of pseudo-middle-eastern "exotic" styles, rather than anything intended to be taken seriously, especially since the designer called himself "Omar Kiam." "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, a ruffled flounce, and thou!"

Just what I thought when I saw the designer's name!