Galerie des Modes, 58e Cahier, 4e Figure

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 The Adonhiramite Philosopher,* dressed in a light Coat trimmed with oval Buttons in English Steel: walking on the Boulevards.

"Of indecent short gilets, shameless breeches, without pockets, and which cannot hold an écu coin nor a watch, this is the strange dress of the day.  The fool of the bon ton, gloved in his clothes, could not bend his knee or sit.  What is he doing? he sits by leaping and gets up in the same way.  Without this carousel, the fabric creases.  Adam, with his fig leaf, was more decently dressed than these latter giddy children, walking at the Palais Roayl in tight breeches, canary-tail colored."

SEBASTIEN MERCIER, Tableau de Paris, 1788

* A member of the Adonhiramite sect of Freemasonry.

Comments

  1. Vincent BriggsOctober 29, 2013 at 9:21 PM

    What a stunning coat! I really, really don't need another project, but I have got quite a large amount of silk in that exact shade. Onto the to-do list it goes.

    There are some things about this outfit that puzzle me. Wouldn't those buttons be extremely awkward to fasten? And what is going on with the top of his breeches? I'm guessing that the 2 dangly things are fobs and the 3 red dots above that are buttons, but overall it gives the impression of a whole lot of radishes falling out of his waistcoat.

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