Revolution In Fashion: European Clothing, 1715-1815

Revolution in Fashion: European Clothing, 1715-1815

Dust jacket notes: "From the elaborate, elegant rococo styles of the early eighteenth century to the simple, neat neoclassic designs of the early nineteenth century, the clothing of western Europe reflects a period of dramatically changing values. Throughout the century, successive casts of characters on the political scene played out their own form of costume drama. The shiny satins, exaggerated silhouettes, and whimsical extravagance of the French court under Louis XV gave way to the simple cottons and ascetic line favored during the French Revolution and into the beginning of the nineteenth century. The brilliant exhibition of these clothes assembled at the Kyoto Costume Institute in spring 1989 was recreated in part by the exhibitions Ancien Regime (Revolution in Fashion) at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, and The Age of Napoleon at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1989-90. This enchanting volume presents 150 extraordinary costumes dating from 1715 to 1815. In a series of highly informative essays, the text surveys such topics as costume as a reflection of social upheaval, the influence of the fashion leaders of the century - the Marquise de Pompadour, Queen Marie Antoinette, and Empress Josephine - and the actual construction of the clothes. Of special value are a chronology comparing political, cultural, and sartorial developments and a glossary of fashion terms. The superb photographs, including delicious details of embroidery, laces, fans, buttons, buckles, jewelry, hats, and shoes, perfectly capture the spirit of the period and prove that fashion is inseparable from its times."