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In the Greenhouse
Circa 1881
Oil on canvas
Right: Dress from the painting
In my previous post, Impressions of a Polka Dot Dress, I wrote about a painting that was inspired by a dress.
The painter is a nineteenth century artist Albert Bartholomé, and the dress was a polka dot/stripes dress worn by his wife. Below is a description of the painting:
...you will in fact see [in the Impressionism and Fashion exhibition] the genuine striped and polka dot summer dress worn by Prospérie de Fleury in the painting by her husband Albert Bartholomé Dans la serre (In the Greenhouse)…Source: France DiplomatieThe dress was clearly a casual one, meant to be worn even into the greenhouse, possibly to pick some plants for the home, or to make sure everything is doing fine. But, it was also designed to be fashionable and attractive.
I tried to find some stripes and polka dot dresses of contemporary designers, and also "ordinary" women wearing such a combination.
This is what I found.
Designer dresses:
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Center: A Baggy Spring 2012 Luca Luca dress for $5,500
Right: A mish-mash of a dress from the Fall 2012 Chris Benz collection for $1,195 (Notice the huge bow on the right)
And this is what "ordinary" women are wearing:
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Some ordinary styles (the far left, for example) do have some appeal, but they hardly compare to the subtle, carefully structured dresses that Mrs. Albert Bartholomé wore for a visit to the greenhouse.
Outfit 1: The "sailor" stripes are too casual, and the top looks like a sweatshirt
Outfit 2: Again, the top looks like a sweatshirt; the skirt is too short; the large polka dots on the tights are too exaggerated; and of course, that handbag, or bag-lady bag, is just too big
Outfit 3: Jewellery too clunky, handbag to glittery, nail color too gaudy; blazer too casual, stripes and polka dots don't match
Outfit 4: No comment
And I think these "ordinary girls" are just going out shopping.