Galerie des Modes, 45e Cahier, 2e Figure

-
The Beauty in the uncertainty of sitting waits with impatience for her lover while walking; she is wearing a Caravan hat, a chemise à la Reine, trimmed, with a streaked belt tied in a lover's knot. (1785)

On Marie-Antoinette's toilette. - "At noon she dressed for the whole day.  She slept laced in corsets with flaps of ribbon and sleeves trimmed with lace, and wore a grand kerchief.

"After her bath, a very big and very long chemise was passed to her, open entirely and trimmed with lace, more of a bedgown of white taffeta.

"In the first part of her reign, the Queen loved to put on a little rouge, but several years before her death, she had renounced this practice.

"In summer, she often wore white percale gowns, a gauze kerchief, and a straw hat."

MADAME DE CAMPAN, Memoirs.

Comments

  1. Thread-HeadJuly 5, 2013 at 1:37 PM

    "After carrying the chair three-quarters of a mile while waiting for a lover, Millicent Breakwood was finally able to press it into service. Metro police were notoriously harsh in their treatment of street-walkers, but had not yet expressed an official opinion on the professional habits of street-sitters."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gabriela January 12, 2015 at 11:41 AM

    Dear Cassidy, I have a little question for you... I'm writing an article about chemise gowns and I would adduce quotes from "Galerie des modes". But... when those description were written? I mean this second description, not this in fashion plate... in 1785 nobody knows Memories of madame Campan, so I think they will be add later? I'm sorry for my english, it's so bad, I know :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CassidyJanuary 12, 2015 at 3:04 PM

      Your English is fine, I get you! The book is called "Memoirs of the Private Life of Marie Antoinette", by Jeanne-Louise-Henriette Campan. You can find the full text on Google Books as it's in the public domain. The earliest English translation is, I think, from 1823; I'm not sure when it was originally published, but probably sometime around then.

      Delete
    2. Gabriela January 12, 2015 at 3:52 PM

      Thank you so much for your answer! Yes, I know this book, but I think about same description in Galerie des modes. I was sure that there are originally from XVIII century, but a citation from madame Campan negate it. Do you know if all the description in Galerie des modes are later than those fashion plates? Perhaps this describtion is an exceptiom and other descritbion are originally... I will be very grateful for your answer!

      Delete
    3. CassidyJanuary 12, 2015 at 4:48 PM

      Oh, I see! Sorry, I guess I didn't understand as well as I thought.

      The third and fourth volumes of the Galerie are only available (as far as anyone knows) in the 1912 reprint. For some reason, the reprint uses quotes from other books and publications in place of the original text. So none of the text from those volumes is original to the magazine.

      Delete
    4. Gabriela January 13, 2015 at 1:52 AM

      Thank you so much for the answer! So... when I read Galerie, I have to note if decription has a citation from other book? And if decription is a citation, from Campan or Bachaumont par exemple, it means that it was add in 1912, but when the decription looks like that: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0g03ju106Ys/UOXoSUXRjiI/AAAAAAAAFZY/XCrfH2op4X8/s1600/206-0002-019.jpg, it's original from XVIII century? I hope I understand it! :)

      Delete
    5. CassidyJanuary 13, 2015 at 7:14 PM

      Yes, exactly!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pride and Prejudice 1995: The Little Things

-
Image
I did threaten to write about the Ehle/Firth Pride and Prejudice , and since I'm in a writing mood without a topic I decided to make good. Regency adaptations tend to go for an overall accurate look, interpreting age and income within the confines of realistic silhouettes and colors, and so they avoid the scrutiny and reputation that a more obviously artistic and unrealistic production garners. But just as this version of P&P  is not entirely faithful in every respect (e.g. the added Darcy-perspective scenes, the actors nearly all being significantly older than their characters - perhaps the most egregious example being Julia Sawalha in her late twenties playing teenage Lydia), Dinah Hill's costuming is not entirely accurate - mainly in ways that make the period more appealing to modern tastes. The exact date when the story is set is never given; generally, the movie's taken to be set in 1813, when the book was published. I'm not going to go into the full story of
Read more

Pattern Time: 1860s Chemise

-
Image
For my 150th post ( \o/ ), a quick little pattern someone might find useful. When I was working my way through a box a few weeks ago, I came across a chemise that didn't quite want to lay flat.  I took a closer look at it to figure out why, and noticed that it had a unique construction with the sleeves cut in one with the body and gussets inserted in the neckline.  I did a really quick sketch of the cutting layout and measured the important bits, so that when I got home I could draw it up in proportion on graph paper. (nb. I messed up. I've been noticing it for a while, but didn't want to point it out from shame, but I accidentally gave the neckline length as it is when gathered - the horizontal cut should be much longer, to within about four inches of the side seam. Please correct for this when making your own version.)
Read more

A Difficult History: Corsetry and Feminism, Part One

-
Image
Recently, I began following a couple of Tumblr blogs focusing on waist training and daily corset wear. Daily wear is not for me, waist training even less so, but I find it an interesting practice. It is also a controversial one. For example, a recent Huffington Post article, " Corset Queen Penny Brown Loves Getting 'Waisted' ," drew comments which were nearly all extremely negative, as do most articles that bring the practice to mainstream attention. Usually, the mental states of the women who waist-train are called into question, and there are numerous references to feminism as incompatible with corsets. The general idea is that the first wave feminists of the late 19th and early 20th century would be horrified by women today wearing them, and that their assumed reaction is an objective statement on the practice. My feeling is that the subject is complex, and cannot be simply declared feminist or unfeminist. There are far more factors than the average internet comm
Read more