Freedom. Equality. Fashion. Women Who Changed European Fashion (1789–1804)
19.99 €
In stock
Freedom. Equality. Fashion. Women Who Changed European Fashion (1789–1804)
19.99 €
American art historian Anne Higonnet's book explores the fashion revolution that took place in France at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The study centers on the lives of three women who defined the new style: Josephine de Beauharnais, the future empress; Thérèse Tallien, nicknamed "Our Lady of Thermidor"; and Juliette Récamier, the legendary hostess of a literary salon.
Having survived the horrors of the Revolutionary Terror, imprisonment, and the collapse of the old order, they challenged centuries-old clothing traditions. Rejecting rigid corsets, layered skirts, and cumbersome hairstyles, they introduced lightweight dresses made of Indian muslin, Kashmiri shawls, short haircuts, and reticule handbags. Within a few years, the new style had conquered all of Europe. Drawing on unique archival materials—complete volumes of the Journal des dames et des modes (1797–1804), discovered by the author in the Morgan Library and the Design Museum in Copenhagen—Higonnet reconstructs the true history of this fashion revolution. The book analyzes not only the silhouettes and fabrics, but also the social, economic, and political mechanisms that enabled three women to become the leading trendsetters of European taste for a decade.
This publication is intended for fashion historians, art historians, cultural scholars, and a wide range of readers interested in the history of France and the history of dress.
Having survived the horrors of the Revolutionary Terror, imprisonment, and the collapse of the old order, they challenged centuries-old clothing traditions. Rejecting rigid corsets, layered skirts, and cumbersome hairstyles, they introduced lightweight dresses made of Indian muslin, Kashmiri shawls, short haircuts, and reticule handbags. Within a few years, the new style had conquered all of Europe. Drawing on unique archival materials—complete volumes of the Journal des dames et des modes (1797–1804), discovered by the author in the Morgan Library and the Design Museum in Copenhagen—Higonnet reconstructs the true history of this fashion revolution. The book analyzes not only the silhouettes and fabrics, but also the social, economic, and political mechanisms that enabled three women to become the leading trendsetters of European taste for a decade.
This publication is intended for fashion historians, art historians, cultural scholars, and a wide range of readers interested in the history of France and the history of dress.
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author
- All books in the series Historical interest