Return of the Empire (waist)
Alert Janeite Laura wrote to tell us that a commentator on the Style network mentioned that the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2006 collection is featuring the Empire silhouette, inspired by Pride and Prejudice and Napoleon. We think it should never go out of style!
October 18th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
Actually, I like this take on the Empire waist, I must admit. His short dresses, with the wrapping bodice and puffed sleeves , are actually very cute, and the red velevet long sleeve version (pic #33?) is elegant indeed.Very wearable, very Jane Fairfax. However, those gauzy long gowns with the puffy ruffs are harder to imagine. I mean, I wouldn’t want the worry of working out if my boyshorts actually matched, if I was going to a ball. Would Lydia Bennet, do you think?
It will be interesting to see how much , and how fast, this design trickles down to Target or Marks and Spencer.
October 18th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
So D&G have finally caught up to me. LOL I’ve been designging empire waste dresses in my mind for years.
October 18th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
“Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2006 collection is featuring the Empire silhouette, inspired by Pride and Prejudice and Napoleon”
Despite what SOME people claim (yes, Joe Wright, I am looking at you) Empire line dresses are very flattering, as long as they structured well (and depending on ones…ahem…measurements…there is proper support).
Did Napoleon wear Empire dresses? Sorry, being flippant!
October 18th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
Heh. Some of the dancers we saw at Winterthur were not, um, properly corseted. I understand now why society was so scandalized at the young ladies who damped down their petticoats!!! (And some were very obviously and properly corseted…might be less comfy for dancing but it surely looked better.)
October 18th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
I like the collection (am interested to see that I am drawn more to the men’s military style breeches and jackets, must either be my cross dressing fetish or my Patrick O’B/Hornblower obsession), but what is with the see-through Emprire waist frocks with boy shorts underneath? Even Caroline Bingly, clothes slut though she is, would not dare! I love it, 200 years later our victory is that we can wear transparent clothes. Indeed, the Emperor has none!
Also, did you see the (borrowed verion?) belted chest dress like Keira K. already wore to fashionista gasps? Hmmm.
October 18th, 2006 at 6:05 pm
“I’ve been designging empire waste dresses in my mind for years.”-Ina
LOL, Ina! Me too, although only like a year for me, b/c I just started getting interested in fashion.
Some pretty nice stuff. I like all the military, buttoned jackets and short pants. Yeah, what was with that see-through, chiffony dress with the weird ruff?!
I love the Empire waist!
October 18th, 2006 at 6:17 pm
No freakin’ way!! Mags, there’s a great coat in there!!!!
Real Regency dresses were better. D+G’s were pretty much all sheer and structured so badly! Some were nasty unflattering. Also the busts often seemed to stick into the models’ armpits.
October 19th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
They did say that they were inspired. These are obviously modern takes. I remember wearing empire style when I was a young teen. Now that I’m short and fat, I would look ridiculous, especially at my age. Does anyone really buy these things?
October 19th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
Of course. People who have too much money and no sense buy these things. Actually I haven’t looked at the pictures.
Apologies for misspelling waist in my previous post.
October 19th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
Ok now I’ve looked at the pictures. I have only two comments: those models are way too thin; and what were they thinking?
Chantel, if you make it big in fashion, please don’t design stuff like that. There was barely any color to that line.
October 19th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
I agree, too thin. The pants sag and wrinkle at the groin since there is not enough flesh to fill them out! Makes one miss Jennifer Ehle’s bosom in P&P2.
October 20th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
Yeah; I want to give these poor girls some food!
I do like the empire waistline, though. I don’t think that it makes you look pregnant, contrary to some peoples’ opinions.
October 20th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
Arrrgh! While I agree that the Empire style is charming when executed properly, this is far from that. They should’ve called this the Vampires in Bondage collection. Yuck City! And showing off your knickers is never nice–though I am grateful they were wearing them.