Fashion Illustrations in France during the 17th & 18th Century - Essay Example

Fashion Illustrations in France during the 17th & 18th Century: Emergence and Development IntroductionFrom the seventeenth century, the development of Fashion in France was coupled with the absence of illustrations in the components of fashion that developed during this time. From 1600-1800, France emerged as a key world power, making it a cultural rival to cities such as Rome that had become the fountain of Baroque style. French monarchs, particularly Louis XIV, had absolutist aims, which saw him embrace painters, sculptors, architects, and fashions. The most famous fashion style in Europe during this time encompassed the Baroque style, which arrived late in France than any other part of Europe. During the 17th and 18th century, France witnessed a significant development in the fashion styles (Freres 2003, p. 22). Various styles of fashion emerged during this period and gained prominence all over France. This paper will discuss the fashion illustrations in France during the 17th and 18th Century. More specifically, the paper will discuss how the fashion illustrations emerged and developed in France during this period. Discussion In the 17th Century, France was under the rule of Louis XIV, the Sun King; during this period, French fashion gained prominence as the leading fashion in almost the whole of Europe. This resulted from the fact that France had developed into a significant cultural as well as political power. As such, the fashion illustrations from France became an absolutistic regime. Based on the absolutistic ideal, French fashion became rigid from 1660 because of the strong and strict etiquette, which characterised the fashion illustrations. By the year 1670, French fashion illustrations spread all over Europe to the extent that royal fashion of France dictated the fashion illustrations in many parts of Europe (Freres 2003, p. 27). This made European rulers imitate the powerful Sun King and they lost diversities and national differences in fashion, making French fashion a widely accepted world fashion. Fashion for men during the 17th century underwent considerable changes; this saw the men’s fashion change from the uniform style of military as they embraced overboarding gaudiness. The coats worn by men shrank towards a tiny, open doublet, and the sleeves only reached the elbows. The breeches became baggy and full as they resembled wide skirts; the trouser legs appeared extremely baggy and they were made using large amounts of fabric. In addition, using lace frills, they used to be gathered below the knees; this came to be commonly referred to as Canions. During this period, the fashion illustrations developed to the extent that men wore full skirts. These skirts used to be worn over what was commonly referred as breeches, which led to their naming as Petticoat breeches. This fashion was also characterised by fashionable men wearing the petticoat breaches. They hang loosely at the hips of such men, making it look like the men who wore them were about to lose their pants (Steele 1998, p. 102). Another significant aspect of fashion illustrations that emerged and developed in France during this period included Rhinegraves, which became popular. They used to be worn by people of all ages; the young and the old wore them. However, by the late 1680s, they went out of fashion. They comprised a full shirt between the low-hanging breeches and the short doublet. In some instances, the long shirt became the most essential component of fashion in the whole costume. The decoration of the costume used to be done using many ribbon bows at the breeches, doublet, as well as shoes (Dejean 2005, p. 69). Following the formation of permanent regiments, the freedom to choose the clothing to be worn by soldiers ended. This resulted from the fact that, before this development, a soldier used to serve in various armies. Later, the need arose to identify as well as note the differences between the various regiments during the war and times of peace. Large factories of clothes emerged in France, and this saw the manufacture of vast amounts of fabric. Since the officers had to abide by the uniform worn by their respective regiments, the uniform coat gained prominence as it became presentable and the male fashion adapted it (Freres 2003, p. 30). During the 17th Century, male fashion in France used to be more extravagant than the fashion illustrations and styles of women. This used to be the case during the reign of Sun King when male fashion was characterised with pomp and flare. In terms of hairstyle, men’s hair used to be curled and long, especially in wigs. Wide brimmed hats used to be worn by men; these wigs had feather decorations. In addition, men trimmed their fitted jackets using bow accessories, as well as wide-set lace collars. On their legs, they wore full breeches and lace stockings with high-heeled shoes to complete their flamboyant style (Dejean 2005, p. 75). Seventeenth Century France saw the emergence and widespread development of women’s style as their skirts gained rigidity and full shape through the use of hoops. Women wore long gowns, which used to be decorated by jewellery. In order to make movement easier, the doublets as well as waistlines on the bodices of women rose higher. This saw the removal of the padding that used to be on both bodices and doublets. Fashion changed considerably as it became softer than it was in the past. The starched whisks and ruffs, which used to be worn on the neck, had to be replaced with the comfortable, softer standing and falling bands. The sleeves worn by women began to rise; first, they could show the wrist, but afterwards, the whole forearm (Steele 1998, p. 106). The fashion styles preferred during the Seventeenth Century seemed simpler than the ones used during the Sixteenth Century. However, the fashion illustrations in France during the 17th Century still seemed quite ornate. The styles of fashion embraced during this period saw the illustrations coupled with accessories and fabrics, which led to the revival of fashion. Other components of fashion such as stomachers lengthened and became stiffer, with the overall profile of both women and men’s garments emphasizing vertical lines, which resulted to the wearers looking slim and tall. Women embraced high-heeled shoes, tall hairstyles, as well as long skirt extensions, which added to the fashion decorations. Ornaments worn during this period encompassed baldrics, decorated swords, high rolled boots, as well as fancy lace collars (Freres 2003, p. 32). The new, lavish clothing styles that emerged in France during the 17th century saw many people adopt the new styles. However, others rejected the new styles as they favoured the styles that seemed restrained. Throughout the seventeenth century, the clothing styles of people in France diverged along artistic lines. A distinguishing factor of clothing styles during this period entailed the fact that they did not centre on looks only. As a result, the choice of clothing told more about the political or religious orientation of the person wearing the clothes. French fashion during the seventeenth century coupled with Roundhead styles and Cavalier attractions led to a quick pace in the fashion world (Steele 1998, p. 108). A notable aspect of fashion during the seventeenth century included French painting, which developed profoundly following the founding of the Royal Academy. The first director and founder of the academy, Charles Le Brun, became the most prominent personality in French painting during the seventeenth century. The artists who emerged during this period created paintings of large gardens using geometric designs. The start of the eighteenth century saw the beginning of numerous changes in the French fashion and lifestyle. The advent of the Enlightenment age heralded a movement away from the magnificent and ponderous clothing, which had characterized the era of classical Baroque. The French borrowed much of the fashion styles from the ancient Romans and Greeks, which influenced the way of dressing in the free thinking generation. Clothes developed into a less rigid structure, more relaxed, with a great emphasis on the natural flow of figure and line (Steele 1998, p. 114). The fashion styles that developed during this period glorified the position of women in the French society, with Rococo becoming the most prominent fashion in all aspects of French lifestyles. The French Court had a significant influence on the 18th century fashion in France; light fabrics, as well as light colours, characterised most aspects of French fashion. During the 18th century, the clothing of women became cumbersome and confining as a result of the aristocratic fashions in 18th century France. Hoop skirts gained popularity during the 18th century, but they had to be replaced by the emergence of panniers. In addition, the fashion in France encompassed inverted conical torsos above full skirts. In the 18th century, the pouter pigeon front of the skirt that had many cloth layers came into fashion. Towards the end of the 18th century, skirts lost their shapes that used to be unnatural. The aristocratic fashions in France were also characterised by the wearing of gown, which were also known as a robe in French. These gowns could be worn over a petticoat; they also used to have a stomacher, which decorated them and pinned to the gown, especially if opened in front. The fashion sleeves with the length of elbow also used to be common with the use of frills and tight ruffles. The trimming of the necklines used to be done with the use of lace as well as ruffles, a phenomenon that became fashionable (Dejean 2005, p. 80). In terms of hairstyles and undergarments, women in French wore a chemise underneath the gown; this chemise had a plunging neckline as well as tight sleeves. The aristocratic French fashion during the 18th century also portrayed strapless stays, which used to be boned and tightly laced in order to make the torso attain a conical shape. Stays were used to provide the needed support at the back and enhance the elegance in the aristocratic fashion. The most popular hairstyles during this period included elaborate wigs, which comprised of decorative objects and used to be built up high. The fashions also emphasised on the need to powder the hair in various colours so as to make it look attractive. Towards the end of this century, curls as well as natural hair curls become a fashionable aspect of the fashion trends in France (Steele 1998, p. 118). Ideally, French women during the 18th century had black, blond, or even black hair; red hair was considered unfashionable and could be dyed to an appealing colour. However, blond and chestnut used to be popular during this period. The fashionable colours used for the eyes included chestnut, black or blue with the eyebrows divided. Women lips were small, although the bottom lip used to be slightly larger than the upper lip. Eighteenth century French fashion saw the emergence and development of the Banyan, which used to be a robe that men wore. There used to be two different variations in which the banyan could be cut; a fitted version with loose skirts of full length and an unfitted version. Women wore bed gowns, which comprised of loose fitting, informal, garments with the length of a thigh and skirts, as well as sleeves (Dejean 2005, p. 84). During both the 17th and 18th century, both women and men in France used to wear cosmetics. Cosmetics used to be a symbol of marking a person as aristocratic and class differences used to be more valuable than gender differences in when it came to wearing of cosmetics. Makeup represented a person’s aristocratic identity rather than making a person look natural. Both men and women portrayed their class and respectability by the use of white skin, with makeup regarded as more respectable than being seen as light skin. As a fashion trend, cosmetics had some practical aims; the use of cosmetics created what the French regarded as an attractive face, which helped people hide the effects that could result from blemishes, sun, age, or even disease (Steele 1998, p. 120). Another notable aspect of French fashion during the 18th century includes the art movement of Rococo, which gained prominence in France during the beginning of the 18th century. The word comes from rocaille, which means shell work or rock work that used to be a common motif during the time. With its influence on fashion, Rococo purely emphasised on light, casual ornamental, irregular design. The most common aspects of the cosmetic look during the 18th century in France entailed complexion between pale and white, red cheeks that assumed a large and circular shape. The two key cosmetics that both men and women wore included rogue and blanc (Dejean 2005, p. 87). Conclusion While concluding this study, it is worth noting that French fashion developed significantly during the 17th and 18th century. Both men and women in France embraced the new fashion trends, which had gained prominence throughout Europe. During the 17th century, the main work of art that influenced fashion was the Baroque style. In the 18th century, the Rococo art style became famous in France as it spread to most parts. During the 17th and 18th century, cosmetics formed a crucial aspect of the fashion trends in France. References List Dejean, J. A. (2005). The Essence of Style: How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafés, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour, New York, Simon & Schuster. pp. 64-90. Freres, P. (2003). Full-Colour Sourcebook of French Fashion: 15th to 19th Centuries, Paris, Courier Dover Publications. pp. 20-34. Steele, V. (1998). Paris Fashion: A Cultural History, New York, Berg. pp. 97-123. Read More