,1 I, THE HISTORY OF FASHION IN FRANCE. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/historyoffashionOOchal_0 THE HISTORY OF FASHION IN FRANCE; THE DEESS OF WOMEN FEOM THE GALLO-EOMAN PEEIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME. FROM THE FRENCH OF M. AUGUSTIN CHALLAMEL. BY Mrs. CASHEL HOEY and Mr. JOHN LILLIE. Eontlon : SAMPSON LOAV, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET. 1882. [All rights reserved. \ LONDON : PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LIMITED, ST. JOHN’S SQUARE. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. PAGE V arious definitions of fashion — The grave side of its history — Quotations from the poets — Character of Frenchwomen — The refinement of their tastes and fancies — Paris the temple of fashion — -The provinces— Mdlle. Mars’ yellow gown — The causes of fashion — A saying of Mine, de Girardin’s — A remark of Mrs. Trollope’s — The dress of actresses — Earliest theories of fashion — The Gynaeceum of Amman — First appearance of the “Journal des Dames et des Modes” — Lamesangere— Other publications — An anecdote concerning dolls — Plan of the History of Fashion in France i CHAPTER I. THE GALLIC AND GALLO-ROMAN PERIOD. Gallic period — Woad, or the pastel — Tunics and boulgetes — “Mavors” and “ Palla ” — Cleanliness of the Gallic women— The froth of beer or “kourou” — The women of Marseilles ; their marriage-portions — Gallo-Roman period — The Roman garment — The “ stola” — Refinement of elegance — Extravagant luxury of women — Artificial aids — A “vestiaire” or wardrobe -room of theperiod — Shoes— Jewels and ornaments — The amber and crystal ball — Influence of the barbarians ... 13 CHAPTER II. THE MEROVINGIAN PERIOD. Modifications in female dress after the Invasion of the Franks — Customs of the latter — The Merovingians — Costumes of skins and felt ; cloaks and camlets — The coif, the veil, the skull-cap, the “guimpe,”the cape — Fashionable Merovingian ladies adorn themselves with flowers — Various articles of dress — The “suint” — Young girls dress their hair without ornaments — St. Radegonde — The hair of married women . 21 CHAPTER III. THE CARLOVINGIAN PERIOD. Reign of Charlemagne — The women of the tenth century wear two tunics — Judith’s belt — A veil is obligatory — Miniatures in the Mazarin Library— Charles the Bald’s Bible — Shoes — Dress of Queen Lutgarde — Dress of Rotrude and Bertha — Gisla and other kinswomen of the Emperor — The successors of Charlemagne — Cannes— Adelaide of Vermandois — The dress of widows . . . . . . . 2 < a VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. THE CARLOVINGIAN PERIOD. PAGE Earliest times of the Carlovingian period— Variety of costume in the provinces— Fashions in the Duchy of France —French taste dating from the eleventh century — Luxury increases with each generation — The dominical — The “bliaud ’’—Canes of apple-wood — Women in the twelfth century — Head-dresses ‘ Afiche Serpent-tails— Pelisses— The thirteenth century— “ Greves ” and veils are in fashion— The “ couvre-chef ” in the fourteenth century— The skirt, or “ cotte- hardie,” surcoat, or overall, or overskirt, cape, trained skirt, and “gauzape”— Accessories — Emblazoned gowns — Various kinds of stuffs . . . . • 3 1 CHAPTER V. THE INFLUENCE OF THE CRUSADES. Severity of feminine costume — Long gowns and guimpes — Marguerite of Provence — “ Fermaux”— Reappearance of splendour in dress — Eastern customs — The priests of fashion — Haberdashery and peacock-feathers — Female embroiderers — Taste for embroidery — Continual temptations— Earliest sumptuary laws — Furs — St. Louis’s opinion on dress— Prohibitions by Philippe le Bel; speech made by his wife — Crepine .••••• 39 CHAPTER VI. REIGNS OF JOHN AND OF CHARLES V. The States of Languedoc — A young French lady in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries — Low dresses — Saying of a mercer — Damoiselles — Garnaches and garde - corps — Le Parement des dames — Social distinctions— High character is worth more than gilded belt — Precious stones — The castles and other dwellings of the Middle Ages — Splendid furniture — Humble abodes of the poor — Evening assemblies . 45 CHAPTER VII. REIGNS OF CHARLES VI. AND CHARLES VII. Taste in dress becomes purer — Heart-shaped head-coverings, the “cornette,” and the “hennin ” in the reign of Charles VI. — Husbands complain — Preachers denounce — Thomas Connecte declaims against the diabolic invention — Brother Richard tries to reform it — The “hennin” gains the victory — Costume of Jeanne de Bourbon — “ Escoffion ” — An absurd figure— Gravouere — Isabeau de Baviere — Gorgiasetes — Tripes — Splendour of the court— Agnes Sorel — “Coifife adournee ;” diamonds; the carcan — Walking-sticks . . . . . . . • 5 1 CHAPTER VIII. REIGNS OF LOUIS XI., CHARLES VIII., AND LOUIS XII. Duchesses and bourgeoises under Louis XI. — “La grand’gorre,” or sumptuosity — The “troussoire” — Allegorical and moral costumes — Trains — Head-dresses — “Collets rebrass^s” — Wigs and false hair — Some results of the war in Italy— Italian fashions — “ Sollerets” and slippers — Gorgets — Garters — Jean Marot writes against novelties — Anne of Brittany — Pins — Menot “the golden-tongued ” — A Parisian in the time of Louis XII. — Coat a 1’Italienne — Manufacture of stuffs . 61 CONTENTS. vii CHAPTER IX. REIGN OF FRANCIS I. PAGE The court of Francis I. — A speech of Charles V. — The king’s liberality — Order of the Cordeliere — Word-paintings of the fashions of the day, by Rabelais — Costumes of the seasons — Feather-fans — Sunshades — The “ hoche-plis ” or vertugadin — Mme. de Tressan saves her cousin’s life — Satires and songs — Mdlle. de Lacepede — “ Contenances ” — Silk shoes with slashes — Head-dress called a “passe-filon ’' — Increase of love of dress — The bean- flower — Artistic head-dresses — Twists of hair called ratraprenades — Ferronieres — Coaches in Paris ; their influence on the fashions .............. 7 1 CHAPTER X. REIGN OF HENRI II. Fashions under Henri II. — The ruff — A satirical print of the time- — Catherine de Medicis eats soup — The Italian taste — Regulations for dress— Crimson — Who shall wear silk? — Lines on velvet, by Ronsard — Rotonde — “Collet monte” — Spring-water — Style of gowns and head-dresses — Wired sleeves— Girdles— Caps, bonnets, and hoods — The “ touret de nez ” — The “ coffin a roupies” — Shoes— A quotation from Rabelais ........... Si CHAPTER XI. REIGN OF FRANCIS II. The earliest queens of fashion — Mary Stuart’s costumes ; her jewels — Description of bodices and sleeves of that period — Crosses — The “loup” or small mask — Coiffure “ en raquette”— An anecdote concerning high heels— Regulations re- specting fashion — Remark of a lady of our own day on distinctions in dress — Exordium of the Edict of July 12, 1549— Maximum of marriage portions — The first knitted silk stockings . . . 89 CHAPTER XII. REIGN OF CHARLES IX. The wars of religion — The fashions of Italy are brought across the Alps, and are welcomed in France — Effects of the expeditions into Italy — Articles from Venice and Genoa are very fashionable — A cloud of sugar-plums, and a shower of scents — Effeminate style of dress — Charles IX. and his Edicts against extravagant display — Fashion rebels against sumptuary laws — Women of high rank, bourgeoises, widows, and spinsters — Wedding dresses — Observations of a Venetian ambassador — “ Corps pique ’’—Drawers — Paint — Cosmetics— Breast mirrors, girdle mirrors — Court dresses — “ Arcelets ”..... 95 CHAPTER XIII. REIGN OF HENRI III. Opposition to the laws of King Henri III. on dress — The wife of President N . ■ — How both sexes evaded the edicts — Gowns from Milan — Mixture of masculine and feminine fashions — Rage for perfumes — Recognition of rank is demanded — Costumes worn at Cognac by Marguerite de Valois in presence of the Polish ambassadors, and her costume at Blois — Brantome’s opinion — Pointed bodices, puffed-out sleeves, and “ bourrelets ”• — Remarks on hair — Ridiculous dress of men — Poucet, the preacher— Satirical lines on Joyeuse — Witty remark of Pierre de l’Estoile — Starch used by Henri III. — Cushions 103 a 2 CONTENTS. viii CHAPTER XIV. REIGNS OF HENRI IV. AND LOUIS XIII. PAGE Universal mourning on the death of the Guises ; intolerance of showy dress — Vertugadins, “espoitrement,” “corps espagnole ’’—Diversity of colours— The pearls, jewels, and diamonds belonging to Gabrielle d’Estrees and to the queen— Dress of Marguerite de France — Low-cut bodices — Head-dresses of hair — Various styles Venetian slippers— Edicts of Louis XII.— Caricatures : “ Pompe funebre de la Mode”— Words and fashions— Ribbons or “ galants ’’—Dress of widows — “Demi-ceint” girdles — Gloves of all sorts — Patches— Masks ; their use — “ Cache- laid ’’—The Frondeuses—Mme. de Longueville 1 13 CHAPTER XV. REIGN OF LOUIS XIV. Louis XIV. commands— Court luxury and pleasure; disguises— The Temple jewellery — Fashion and etiquette — Successive fashions — Royal edicts — The “ Tombeau du sens commun ’’—Dress of La Valliere — Of Mme. de Montespan— Costume of a ladyof rank in 1668 — The “echelles de Mme. de la Reynie ” — “Transparencies” — Manufactures — Champagne, the hair-dresser — Female hair-dressers— “ Hurlu- berlus” and Mme. de Sdvigne— Moustaches for women; patches — Palatines — Slippers; high heels — Corsets; fans; sweet lemons — Dog-muffs— Hair dressed “a la Fontanges” — English style of dressing hair— “ Esther ” — Steinkerks — “Cremonas” — “ Amadis” and Jansenist sleeves — Hair dressed “a l’effrontee ” — Dresses of the Duchesse de Bourgogne — Mignardises 125 CHAPTER XVI. REIGN OF LOUIS XIV. (CONTINUED). Painted faces — Reply of a Turkish ambassador— Ineffectual criticism — Mme. Turcaret’s “ pretintailles ” — Mme. Bonnet’s law-suit — Brocaded materials — “ Andriennes” — “Criardes” — Return of “hoops” and paniers — A sailor’s leap — Actresses’ paniers, and the Greek head-dress — Mme. de Letorieres — D’Hele arrives frozen at the Cafe Procope- — Waterproofs — Finishing touches- — Fans and fan-makers in the seventeenth century — What Mme. de Stael- Holstein thought of fans — Transition 143 CHAPTER XVII. •REIGN OF LOUIS XV. The Regency — War is declared against paniers — The Oratorian Duguet — Opinion of the “Journal de Verdun” — Various publications against paniers — Lines by Voltaire — Whale-fishery company — Paragraph from the “Journal de Barbier ” — Mines. Jaucourt, De Seine, Delisle, Clairon.and Hus — Lines in praise of corsets — New bodices — Coloured prints are forbidden — “ Perses ” or “Persiennes” — Bagnolette — Adjuncts of dress : necklaces, ridicules, andpoupottes — Contents of a patch-box — A sermon by Massillon — “ Les mouches de Massillon,” or Massillon’s patches — “ Filles de Mode, ” or Fashion-girls — Some passing fashions — Powder remains in fashion — •“ Monte-au-ciel ” — Simply made gowns —The first cachemire 151 CHAPTER XVIII. REIGN OF LOUIS XVI. The influence of Marie Antoinette on fashion — Letter from Maria Theresa — Leonard and Mdlle. Bertin — Various styles of head-dresses — “Pouf” — The “Journal de Paris”— Reign of Louis XVI. — Male and female hair-dressers — Plumes — Hair CONTENTS. IX worn low — The queen’s “ puce ’’-coloured gown ; shades of colour in dresses — Oberkampf and the Jouy prints — Expensive satins — Trimmings, their great number and importance— Gauze, blond, tulle, and ribbons— Some kinds of shoes — Venez- y-voir— The “ Archduchess ” ribbons — A dress worn at the opera . . . 161 CHAPTER XIX. REIGN OF LOUIS XVI. (CONTINUED). Peasant dress is universal — Fashion “a la Marlborough” — Caps — Bonnets — Mdlles. Fredin and Quentin— Ruches— Low bodices ; “postiches” — Costume of Contat- Suzanne — Fashions “a la Figaro” — Literature and politics signified in dress; the Princess de Monaco’s pouf — Pouf “a la circonstance the “ inoculation ” pouf — The “ innocence made manifest ” caraco — The “ harpy ” costume— Coats, cravats, and waistcoats — Sailor jackets and “ pierrots ” — Deshabilles ; “ the lying fichu ” — Etiquette in dress — Seasonable costumes — The queen’s card-table — State of trade in Paris, circa 1787 — “ Pinceauteuses,” or female colourers ..... 171 CHAPTER XX. THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. The year 1789 — Masculine style of dress — The double dress vanishes — Caps “a la grande pretresse,” “ a la pierrot,” and “ a la laitiere — The “ pouf ” bonnet —Paint and powder disappear — Prediction by the Cabinet des Modes — Anonymous caps — Cap “a la Charlotte Corday ” — Trinkets “a la Bastille” — Mme. de Genlis’ locket — Cap “ a la Bastille” — Federal uniforms — Claims to equality in dress — Reaction under the Directory — “ Incroyables ” and “ merveilleuses ” — Coiffures “a la victime ” and “a la Titus”— Blond wigs and black wigs —The Hotel Thelusson — Which is the most ridiculous ? — Mme. Tallien’s costume — -Epigram on bonnets “ a la folle ” — Reticules— Transparent dresses— Lines by Despreaux. 179 CHAPTER XXI. REIGN OF NAPOLEON I. Fashions under the Empire— Sacks — “Personnes cossues” — A saying of Napoleon’s — White gowns — Valenciennes lace — Ball dresses ; walking dresses — Polish “toquets” and bonnets — Turbans — Muslins— Artificial flowers — Wenzel’s manu- factory; “The Offspring of Imposture,” Campenon’s verses — Parisian ladies, as sketched by Horace Vernet— Stays — Cashmeres — Protest by Piis — Ternaux assists in establishing the manufacture of cashmere shawls in France — Cotton stuffs — Richard Lenoir ; importance of the Rouen manufacture — Violets during the Hundred Days — The “ eighteen folds,” and white silk ..... 191 CHAPTER XXII. REIGNS OF LOUIS XVIII. AND CHARLES X. Importation of foreign fashions in 1815 — White dresses, white feathers, and fleurs de lys — Emigrant ladies — Russian toques — Male and female dressmakers— Ruchings— Short sleeves and long gloves — Herbault’s bonnets — “ Chefs ” — Anglo- mania in 1815 — Green gauze veils; spencers — The “canezou” — Lacroix, the stay-maker — Dr. Pelletan and Charles X. — Wasps — The “ Ourika ” fashions — The famous leg-of-mutton sleeves —Fashions “a l’lpsiboe,” “au Trocadero,” and ‘‘ala Dame Blanche” — Blonde caps and turbans — Head-dresses — Fashions “ h la giraffe ;” “ the last sigh of Jocko” — Female book-keepers ; shopwomen — The Cafe des Mille-Colonnes . . . . . . . . . -197 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIII. REIGN OF LOUIS PHILIPPE. PAGE The Revolution of July, 1830 — Fashions in Louis Philippe’s reign — Microscopical bonnets, called “bibis,” “cabriolets” — Variety of caps— Fashions of the Middle Ages and of the Renaissance — The stage — Historic costumes — Influence of Rachel, the actress — Greek and Roman fashions — Colours — Various designations of materials — Bedouin sleeves — Bonnets and head-dresses — Pamela bonnets — Novel eccentricities — Taglioni gowns, gathered “ k la Vierge,” laced “a la Niobe,” &c. — The “ Sylvestrine ” — Costumes to be worn on occasions of attempts on the king’s life — Bouquets for balls 205 CHAPTER XXIV. THE SECOND REPUBLIC. Tricoloured stuffs of 1848 — Girondin mantles — Open gowns — Summer dresses — Kasa- wecks and their derivatives — Beaver bonnets ; velvet bonnets, and satin or crape drawn bonnets — Cloches, Cornelie, Moldavian, and Josephine cloaks ; mantles — Isly green — Opera cloaks — Numerous styles of dressing the hair ; a la Marie Stuart, a la Valois, Leda, Proserpine, and Ceres — Marquise parasols — Jewellery — Straw bonnets— “ Orleans” and “armure” — Work reticule or bag — “ Chines” — Pagoda sleeves — Waistcoats; basque bodices — New and economical canezous . 213 CHAPTER XXV. REIGN OF NAPOLEON III. Ready-made mantles — Talmas, mousquetaires, and rotondes — The Second Empire ; reminiscences of the reign of Napoleon I.— Marriage of Napoleon III.; dress of the new' Empress ; her hair dressed by Felix Escalier ; court mantle and train — Four kinds of dress — Opera dress in 1853-4 — Bodices “a la Vierge,” Pompadour bodices, and Watteau bodices — Skirt trimmings — A new colour, “Theba” — Light tints — Social and theatrical celebrities — The Eugenie head-dress and Mainnier bands — End of the first period of Imperial fashions .... CHAPTER XXVI. REIGN OF NAPOLEON III. (CONTINUED). Crinoline inaugurates the second era of Imperial fashions — The reign of crinoline Starched petticoats — Whaleboned petticoats — Steel hoops — Two camps are formed, one in favour of, and one inimical to crinoline — Large collars — Marie Antoinette fichus and mantles — Exhibition of 1855 — Cashmere shawls — Pure cashmeres — Indian cashmere shawls — Indian woollen shawds — “ Mouzaia” shawls — Algerian burnouses — Pompadour parasols — Straight parasols — School for fans — The fan drill — The Queen of Oude’s fans — The Charlotte Corday fichu CHAPTER XXVII. REIGN OF NAPOLEON III. (CONTINUED). Sea-bathing and watering-places— Special costumes — Travelling-bags— Hoods and woollen shawls — Convenient style of dress — Kid and satin boots ; high heels — Introduction of the “ several” and the “ Ristori” — Expensive pocket-handkerchiefs —Waists are worn shorter— Zouave, Turkish, and Greek jackets— Bonnet fronts — Gold trimmings universally used — Tarlatane, tulle, and lace .... CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER XXVIII. REIGN OF NAPOLEON III. (CONTINUED). PAGl Fashions in i860 and 1861 — Jewellery — Shape of “Russian” bonnets— Nomen- clature of girdles — Different styles of dressing the hair— The “ Ceres” wreath — Flowers and leaves for the hair — Prohibition of green materials — Anecdotes from the Union Medicale and the Journal de la Nievre — Cloth and silk mantles — Braid and astrakan — Four types of bonnet — Morning bonnet— Artificial flowers . . 237 CHAPTER XXIX. REIGN OF NAPOLEON III. (CONTINUED). Sunshades, en-tout-cas, metis, in 1862 — Sailors’ jackets, jerseys, and pilot -jackets— Princess or demi-princess gowns; S.wiss bodices; corset or postillion belts — Lydia and Lalla Rookh jackets ; Vespertina opera cloaks — “ Longchamps is no more ” — Bois de Boulogne — Russian or Garibaldi bodices — -Paletot vest — Empress belt — 1885 patents for inventions regarding dress are taken out in 1864 — Victoria skeleton skirts, Indian stays, train-supporters — “ Titian ’’-coloured hair — The Peplum in 1866 — Epicycloide steels ; aquarium earrings — Description of a court ball-dress — The fashions of Louis XV., Louis XVI., and the Empire are revived — Sedan chairs — Handkerchiefs at all prices ....... 241 CHAPTER XXX. REIGN OF NAPOLEON III. (END). Five different styles of dressing the hair in 1868 and 1869 — Petit catogan ; three triple bandeaus — The hair is worn loose — Dress of the Duchess de Mouchy — Refine- ments of fashion — Various journals — New shades — Crinoline is attacked ; it resists ; it succumbs — Chinese fashions ........ 247 CHAPTER XXXI. THE THIRD REPUBLIC. The years 1870 and 1871 — The siege of Paris — General mourning — Simplicity and economy — Parisian velvet and pekin — A concert costume — A cloth costume — Alsatian bows and costumes — Soirees at the Presidency — Marie Stuart and Michael Angelo bonnets — “ Hunting stockings ” — Rabagas hats — The years 1872 and 1873 — Fan parasols — “Leopold Robert” bonnets — The year 1873 — Return of luxury — “Regent” belts and “sovereign ” dress-improvers — Silks — “Mode- rate ” costumes — The burning of the Opera House — Sale on behalf of those made orphans by the war — The ball for the Lyons weavers — Cashmere tunics — Dislike to gloves — Petticoats — Charles IX. shoes — Slippers — The year 1874 — “Page” bonnets and “ Margot ” hats — Hair in the Swiss style ; false hair — The ball given by the Chamber of Commerce — Green — Jet — Various costumes — Hair-dressing — “ Mercury ” bonnets ............ 251 CHAPTER XXXII. FASHIONS OF THE PRESENT DAY. Dinner, casino, and ball dresses in 1875 — Importation of false hair — Manufacture in France — Modification of waterproofs — “ Estelle” bonnets — Tunic-aprons — Cuirass- bodices — “Montespan ” sleeves — “ Sant-du-lit ” — Shoes of past times — “ Bonne- femme” pockets — Henri III. plumes — “ Inez” veils — Ribbons and flowers — Heavy style of dress — “ Pouf” petticoats — Composite fashions of 1876 — Armenian CONTENTS. xii toques — “ Ophelia ” bonnets ; “ Danichef” bonnets — Mdlle. Bettina Rothschild’s wedding trousseau — A splendid parasol — Gondolier hair-nets — “Baby” sashes and “ Baby ” bonnets — “ Fontanges ” fichus — “ Platitudes ” — Red, as a colour — Pockets of various kinds — Majestic appendages — Princess dresses — Bouquets on the bodices — Hair dressed in the Greek style — A thousand curls — Breton style — Organ-pipe frills — Coat-bodices — Trinkets in black and silver .... CHAPTER XXXIII. FASHIONS OF THE PRESENT DAY (CONTINUED). The International Exhibition of 1878 — Foreign countries — Japanese fans — The little lace-makers of Peniche — Retrospective exhibition of costume in France — Con- siderations snr le Vetement des Femmes, by M. Charles Blanc — Historical Exhibition at the Trocadero — Comprehensive glance at the curiosities of that exhibition — “The Movement” in 1879 — “ Merveilleuse,” “Niniche,” and other bonnets — Plush — Gown-stuff at a hundred francs the yard — Scarfs, casaques, and various bodices — Madras costumes — Under-clothing ; chemise-corsets, morning gowns — Housewife fans; fan-holders — Trinkets — New materials — Visites; jackets; bows; neckties — The year 1880 — “Cabriolet” bonnets; “ passe-montagnes ” — The pilgrim costume — Satins — Favourite colours — Vests — Art buttons — Bulgarian cos- tumes — Jerseys — Scented gloves — Flowers in profusion ; a bridal bouquet — Midshipman bonnets — Nordenskiold — Dust cloaks — Revolution in bonnets — Art and fashion — “ Porte- veines ” Conclusion . CHAPTER XXXIV. PAGE 263 277 289 THE HISTORY OF FASHION IN FRANCE. INTRODUCTION. Various definitions of fashion — The grave side of its history — Quotations from the poets — Character of Frenchwomen — The refinement of their tastes and fancies — Paris the temple of fashion — The provinces — Mile. 1 Jars’ Alow gown — The causes of fashion — A saving of Mme. de Girardin’s — A remark of Mrs. Trollope’s — The dress of actresses — Earliest theories of fash ion — The Gynzeceum of Amman — First appearance of the “Journal des Dames et des Modes ” — Lamesangere — Other publications — An anecdote concerning dolls — Plan of the History of Fashion in France. Fashion is the expositor, from the standpoint of costume, of our habits and our social relations ; in a word, of everything appertaining to the charm of life. Therefore to write the history of female fashion in France is a more serious task than it might seem to be at the first glance. The levity of the subject is mastered by its moral interest. Montesquieu remarks, in his c{ Lettres Persanes,’’ “ A certain ladv takes it into her head that she must appear at an assemblv in a particular costume ; from that moment fifty artisans have to zo without sleep, or leisure either to eat or drink. She commands, and is obeyed more promptly than a Shah of Persia, because self- interest is the mightiest ruler upon the earth.” Far from serving only as a source of frivolous talk, even when it is specially concerned with our dress and ornamentation, the subject of fashion, it has been wisely observed, has its value as a B 2 THE HISTORY OF FASHION IN FRANCE. moral sign-post, and supplies the historian, the philosopher, and the novelist with a guide to the prevailing ideas of the time. Fashion, in fact, acts as a sort of thermometer of the infinitely various tastes of the day, which are influenced by many external circumstances. It is the continuous development of clothing in its thousand varying forms, in its most striking improvements, in its most graceful or most whimsical fancies. The type of dress scarcely changes within the limits of a century ; but its adjuncts and characteristics vary frequently every year. To the proverb, “ Tell me your friends, and 1 will tell you who you are,” might we not add, after serious reflection, “Tell me how such a person dresses, and I will tell you her character ” ? Numerous poets have defined Fashion, and for the most part petulantly and disdainfully. One of them says, — “ Fa mode est un tyran, des mortels respecte, Digne enfant du degout et de la nouveaute .” 1 Another adds, — “ Les modes sont certains usages Suivis des fous, et quelquefois des sages, Que le caprice invente et qu’approuve l’amour.” 2 A third remarks with truth, and less severity, — “ Le sage n’est jamais le premier a les suivre, Ni le dernier a les quitter.” 3 And La Bruyere asserts that “ it shows as much weakness to fly from Fashion as to follow it closely.” We must not limit the causes of Fashion to three only, — love of change, the influence of those with whom we live and the desire of pleasing them, and the interests of traders in the transient reign of objects of luxury, so that their place may be supplied with fresh novelties. There remains to be pointed out a fourth and nobler cause ; it is the frequently though not always successful desire to improve the art of dress, to increase its charm, and to advance its progress. 1 “Fashion is a tyrant, respected by mortals; The fitting offspring of distaste and novelty.” 2 “Fashions are certain usages, invented by caprice, and approved by love, which fools, and sometimes the wise, observe.” 3 “ The wise man is never the first to follow, nor the last to abandon them.” INTRODUCTION. 3 We do not undertake to relate the history of fashion in male attire, albeit its variations and singularities are by no means less numerous and remarkable than those of the history of fashion for women, which in every age has proved itself both powerful and tyrannical. We must restrict ourselves to the garments worn by women in each succeeding age, and indeed we must confine ourselves to France alone, if we would achieve as complete a picture as possible of the transformations in female dress from the time of the Gauls to the day on which we shall have accomplished our task. Grace, vivacity, and, we must add, caprice, are the distinguishing characteristics of Frenchwomen. With some very few exceptions we shall find the qualities or the failings of our charming country- women reproduced in their mode of dress. Be she a peasant or a dweller in cities, a working woman or a duchess, every French- woman in town or country reveals herself frankly by the clothes she wears. FTer innate desire to please makes her especially object to wear garments of any one particular fashion for long. She is ingenious in devising countless novel accessories to her dress, and adding to its effect. She adorns herself with embroidery, with lace, and with jewels, and, if need be, with flowers, that she may be irresistibly attractive. A Frenchwoman endeavours to supplement those gifts bestowed upon her by nature by the refinements of the toilet. She maintains that fashion is never ridiculous, because good sense is never wanting in France to curb extravagance, and good taste will ever preserve the harmonious proportions that are an inherent necessity in dress. It has been said by a woman of tact and observation, “ It is perhaps allowable to be sentimental in a sky-blue bonnet, but one must not cry in a pink one.” This remark as to the fitness of dress shows that Frenchwomen are properly attentive to the harmony that should exist between the moral state of a person and the garments suitable for her wear. Mme. Emile de Girardin observes acutely, “ There is but one way of wearing a beautiful gown, and that is to forget it.” “Go where you will,” wrote (in 1835) the travelled English- b 2 4 THE HISTORY OF FASHION IN FRANCE. woman Mrs. Trollope, “and you see French fashions, but only in Paris do you see how they should be worn. . . . The dome of the Invalides, the towers of Notre-Dame, the column of the Place Vendome, the windmills of Montmartre belong to Paris less essentially and less exclusively than the style of a bonnet, a cap, a shawl, a curl, or a glove . . . when worn by a Parisian in the city of Paris.” It is therefore perfectly true to say that a history of fashion in women’s dress in France has a singular likeness to a history of the French female character. There exists not a woman, according to Mine, de Genlis, who does not possess at least one secret in the art of dress, and that secret she is sure to keep to herself. In France, the classic land of fancy, the empire of Fashion has assuredly been more deeply felt than elsewhere. From time immemorial Frenchwomen have altered their fashions each succeed- ing day. An eminently French poet was thinking of his country- women when he composed the following lines, which sum up all that has been said on our present interesting subject “ II est une deesse inconstante, incommode, Bizarre dans ses gouts, folle en ses ornements, Qui parait, fuit, revient, renait en tous les temps ; Protee dtait son pere et son nom est la Mode.” 4 Now, Proteus the sea-god, in order to escape from questioning upon the future, changed his shape at pleasure . It might be said that the poet we have just quoted was referring to Parisian ladies in particular; but this would be a mistake; for a great number of elegant women reside in the provinces, and have quite as fervent a devotion to the inconstant goddess as their Parisian sisters. In former times Fashion reserved its great effects and its utmost brilliancy for the rich only ; in the present day it pervades every rank of society, and exercises its influence even over the national costume of the peasant ; for a cotton gown will now be cut on the same pattern as a velvet one. 1 “ There is a goddess, troublesome, inconstant, Strange in her tastes, in her adornments foolish ; She appears, she vanishes, she returns at all times and seasons ; Proteus was her sire, and 4 Fashion ’ is her name.” INTRODUCTION. 5 All Frenchwomen like perpetual change in dress, and foreigners follow French fashions almost implicitly. Spanish women only, actuated by their national pride, refused for a long time to make any change in their costume, yet even they are now beginning to dress “ a la Francaise.” At present the type of feminine dress always originates in Paris, and spreads thence, throughout France, into the most distant regions of Europe, and even into Asia and America. In both those countries our fashion-books are widely circulated. “ Paris,” writes a contemporary author, “ possesses the undisputed privilege of promulgating sumptuary laws for nations. The fashions of Paris are and will be the fashions of the world ; that of which Paris approves will endure ; that which Paris condemns must disappear. But for the good taste and the fickleness of Parisians, but for the inventive genius and manual dexterity of their artisans, mankind might be clothed indeed, but never dressed.” And what of womankind ? Where is the Frenchwoman, the Englishwoman, the Italian, the German, or the Russian, who does not require her milliner to make her a bonnet on the pattern of those which emanate from a Parisian c atelier : ? “ France,” as Victor Hugo has said, “will always be in fashion in Europe.” Those nations who are least in sympathy with her accept and observe her laws on elegance and c ton.’ This can be proved by figures. The exportation of articles of fashion manufactured in France reaches a very high figure; our importations of foreign goods of the same kind are, on the contrary, quite insignificant. The word “ fashion ” seems to convey to young people an almost absolute sense of novelty. Yet are there distinctions. There is new and new, just as, according to Moliere, there are “ fagots ” and “ fagots.” That which is new to-day may be but a revival of what is old, a reminiscence of the past. The axiom, “ There is nothing new under the sun,” applies with special force to Fashion. What ! nothing new ? No, absolutely nothing. Who knows whether the pretty trifles, the “ mouches ” worn by women at the 6 THE HISTORY OF FASHION IN FRANCE. present day, are not a reproduction or at any rate an imitation of similar adornments once worn by the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, or the Gauls ? The ruffs which are so generally worn at present were in fashion in the time of Henri III. They were then an adjunct to masculine dress ; they hold their place now in a lady’s wardrobe. As we study the history of the variations of Fashion in France alone, we perceive that feminine fancy describes an endless circle ; that a particular garment is readily cast aside just in proportion as it has been eagerly adopted ; that supreme, unjust, and unreasonable contempt succeeds to irresistible attraction. Fashion changes her idols at times with such rapidity, that one might exclaim with reference to female dress, — “Je n’ai fait que passer, il n’dtait dejA plus!” It frequently happens that the general public will adopt any costume, however eccentric, which has been worn by a celebrated person. That which seemed hideous before the whim of a celebrity induced her to appear in it, becomes the height of fashion immediately afterwards. We may quote as an instance of this an anecdote that appears in the “ Indiscretions et Confidences ” of Audebert, a work published a few years ago. Mile. Mars was giving some performances at Fyons, and was not a little astonished, on the day after her first appearance, to receive a morning visit from one of the principal manufacturers in that city. “ Mademoiselle,” said he, “ I hope you will pardon the motive of my visit; you can make my fortune.” “ I, monsieur ? I should be delighted, but pray tell me how ? ” cc By accepting this piece of velvet.” So saying, he spread out on the table several yards of yellow terry velvet. Mile. Mars began to think she was being “ inter- viewed ” by a madman. cc Mon Dieu ! ” she exclaimed in an agitated voice, “ what do you wish me to do with that velvet ? ” “ To have a gown made of it, mademoiselle. When once you INTRODUCTION. 7 have been seen in it, everybody will wear it, and my fortune will be made.” “ But nobody has ever worn a yellow gown.” “ Exactly so ; the point is to set the fashion. Do not refuse me, I implore you.” “No, monsieur, I will not refuse you,” replied Mile. Mars. And she moved towards a writing-table on which lay her purse. “ Mademoiselle will not affront me by offering payment. All I ask is that mademoiselle will have the goodness to give the address of my factory, which I may say stands high in reputa- tion.” Mile. Mars promised, and was delighted to be rid of her visitor. On her return to Paris she saw her dressmaker, and in the course of conversation said, “ By-the-bye, I must show you a piece of terry velvet that I have brought back from Lyons ; you must tell me how it can be used.” “ It is of beautiful quality — quite superfine. But what is to be done with it ? ” “ It was given to me for a gown.” “ A yellow gown ! I never sent one out in my life ! ” “ Well, then, suppose we make the experiment.” “ Madame can venture on anything.” A few days later, Mile. Mars, who had gone early to the theatre, put on the yellow terry velvet gown. When her toilet was finished, she inspected herself in the glass from every point of view, and exclaimed,— “ It is impossible for me to appear on the stage in such a gown ! ” Vainly did the manager, vainly did her fellow-actors implore her not to ruin the performance by refusing to appear. Mile. Mars was obstinate. “ She would not,” she declared, “ look like a canary bird.” At length Talma succeeded in persuading her that her dress was in perfect taste, and eminently becoming. Convinced by his arguments, Mile. Mars at length ventured, though with some misgiving, on the stage, where she was received with a murmur of admiration. All the ladies inspected 8 THE HISTORY OF FASHION IN FRANC?:. her through their opera-glasses ; there was loud applause, and “ What a charming gown ! ” was uttered on all sides. The next day all Paris was ringing with Mile. Mars’ yellow gown, and the week was hardly over before a similar one was to be seen in every drawing-room. Dressmakers were overwhelmed with work, and from that day yellow has held its own among the colours considered as the right thing for gowns. A few years later Mile. Mars revisited Lyons; the manufacturer, whose fortune she had made, gave a splendid fete in her honour, at his charming country house on the banks of the Saone. He had paid for the mansion out of the profits arising from the enormous sale of yellow terry velvet. How often since Mile. Mars’ time have actresses decisively set the fashion in dress! The Theatre-Frangais, the Gymnase, and the Vaudeville have been, as it were, exhibitions, where the feminine world has taken lessons in dress. Who does not recollect Sardou’s comedy > C£ La Famille Benoiton,” in which for several years there was a continuous show of eccentric costumes? It must be admitted that actresses, who charm by their genius, their gestures, and their diction, confer on costume all the expres- sion of which it is capable, and lend a significance all their own to the achievements of the mantua-maker. Is it enough to be brilliantly attired ? to be remarkable for eccentricities in dress ? to display costumes of the most fantastic kinds ? Certainly not. Besides these things the wearer must know how to make the very most of her attire. Fashion and coquetry are twins. It matters not how far we may look back into antiquity, among the Egyptians, the nations of the East, the Greeks, the Romans, or the inhabitants of Gaul, we shall always find these two sisters linked together, giving each other mutual help, and adapting themselves to the climate, to the peculiarities of the soil, and to the passions of the inhabitants. From earliest childhood our French girls are trained in coquetry by their own parents, innocently enough no doubt, but still such training is not without its dangers. “ Louise,” says a mother to her little daughter, “ if you are a INTRODUCTION. 9 good child you shall wear your pretty pink frock on Sunday, or your lovely green hat, or your blue socks,” &c. The little girl accordingly is “ good,” in order to gratify her taste for dress, and her budding love of admiration : both of these qualities will develope as her years increase. “ Cast a glance on the graceful perfection, on the inimitably attractive charm which distinguishes the dress of a Frenchwoman from that of all other women on earth,” says a contemporary writer, “ and you will soon see a difference between mademoiselle and madame ; the very sound of their voices is not the same. The heart and the mental faculties of a young girl seem to be wrapped in slumber, or at any rate dozing, until the day comes when they are to be roused by the marriage ceremony. So long as only mademoiselle is speaking, there is in the tone, or rather in the key of her voice, something limp, monotonous, and insipid ; but let madame address you, and you will be fascinated by the charm with which rhythm, cadence, and accentuation can invest a woman’s voice.” As we have said, Paris and the whole of France have for a very long time inaugurated the fashions which every other nation has adopted. Yet the first journal especially devoted to fashion was not published in France. One Josse Amman, a painter, who was born at Zurich, and who died at Nuremberg, brought out, in 1586, a charming series of plates on the fashions of his day, under the title of “ Gynaeceum, sive Theatrum Mulierum,” &c. ( cc The Gynaeceum or Theatre of Women, in which are reproduced by engraving the female costumes of all the nations of Europe”). This work was published at Frankfort, and although it cannot be duly appreciated by women, because it is written in Latin, it must be regarded as the origin of all the Journals of Fashion which have since grown and multiplied. Under the title,