I popped into the Patricia Harris Costume and Textile Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum and was stunned to see that Marie Antoinette's dress is still on display. When the dress was first brought out on exhibit in October, the ROM widely advertised that it would only be out of the vault for two weeks. Given the inherent fragility of this garment, it is surprising that the dress has been on display for over three months!
There is now a video of curator Dr. Alexandra Palmer talking about the dress. She did not add much new information except to say that Versailles had asked to borrow the dress.
I also enjoyed listening to one of the textile conservators talk about her work on the dress. Apparently the skirt is badly stained but it is hard to see evidence of that in the dim light of the display case.
In any case, if you have not yet seen the dress and are interested in fashion, it is worth a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum.
Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park Circle, Toronto
