Here is one thing that dastardly proliferation of sheers has done: made me happy to see a fishtail hem.

It helps that the lady in the fishtail is Bernadette Peters, a freaking legend, looking regal in aptly royal purple. Had she never done anything else, I’d still consider her legendary just for being Lily St. Regis in Annie, but obviously that’s just the tip of her professional iceberg. The last of which was Smash, as Megan Hilty’s mother, which… can we just step aside to note what a bad decision that was? They never should’ve made that character a legacy, because it COMPLETELY shot to hell the theory that a) she wasn’t famous enough to carry a musical, and b) she couldn’t do it because she was caught on pills that one time and fell over during a production of that other show she did. PLEASE. If Bernadette Peters had an ACTUAL daughter who ruined another musical because she was whacked out on pills while conveniently up for the part of Marilyn Monroe, producers would CLAMOR to put her in that sucker — ESPECIALLY if they, like the Smashites, knew from personal experience that she was actually super talented and committed. SIGH. That show was insane. It could not come up with any truth that the audience agreed with, except that Ellis sucked, and even that took twenty-two episodes.

None of which diminishes the fact that La Peters looks tremendously diva-perfect in this gown. I just love an excuse for a tangent, and without Smash to hate-watch, the charred corners of my soul are a little bereft.

[Photo: Getty]