Galerie des Modes, 42e Cahier, 3e Figure

Full Robe Française revived by the Court for the journey to Fontainebleau in 1783. (1784)

This plate was taken from the MFA Boston, 44.1581.

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Galerie des Modes, 41e Cahier bis, 5e Figure

Grand Robe Française which was that required for the journey to Fontainebleau in 1783. (1784)

Long trains. - "There is nothing lighter, more elegant, newer than what women wear now; and yet you found long trains at court in Louis XIV's time.  These trains remind me of Indian sheep which are driven in enormous trains by a chariot which follows behind them.  Our duchesses walk on the floor with these long gowns, while all the rest of the outfit is absolutely changed.  Why do we retain this train, two ells long, sweeping the dust behind them, if there had been dust on the daily-crowded floor of the court?"

Sébastien MERCIER, Tableau de Paris, 1788

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Galerie des Modes, 23e Cahier, 1ere Figure

Young Wife, as she is led to the altar; she is dressed in a gown of Pekin* trimmed with gauze ribbon and flowers.  Her gown is full dress over a medium hoop: the man conducting her is wearing a suit and a vest with a gold ground embroidered around with colored gold threads. (1779) 

 

WEDDING DRESS.  This is a full sacque of rich stuff, trimmed with taste.

Formerly, not only Dress but also the manner of being conducted to the Church and the place of Marriage varied according to the rank and quality of the person.  This is the result of a report from the first of December 1446, in the reign of Charles VII, which is here analyzed, which could give an idea of the fashions and customs of the time.

"The Dean of Gaye maintained, that Jean Bureau was a Human body, and was provided to serve his Church, because of his mother, wife of Jean Bureau of Tas, his father; and to prove the contrary, and that their people were not only frankish, but also noble, he alleged two things; the first, that this Jean Bureau of Tas was commonly dressed in tatters, in checks, and in a Gentleman's Suit; the second, that the same Jean Bureau had four sons, and a daughter called Perrette Bureau, married to Jean Legras; that she was carried in a hand-barrow, and a bundle of thorn and juniper, to the Monastery, as a gentle woman; that she appeared first in line on the wedding day, and was married in front of the Crucifix, in the Church of Demoine, and the next day was taken in a hand-barrow, on top of a bundle of thorns and juniper, and carried in that state, as it was formerly accustomed to do to Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of the country.  This is not done for those who are not noble, even if they are frankish people.  For the non-noble Wives of the country are conducted on the wedding day with their chaperone, without being first in line, and they are married at the door of the Church, and are not carried the next day in a hand-barrow."

With the times, these customs, these distinctions are fallen into disuse.  In the reign of Louis XIV, a suit of etiquette was introduced for Men on the wedding day.  It included leaving the hair hanging on the shoulders.  This was an ancient remainder of the fashion of long locks.  The purse, the tresses, and the train were deemed part of the Négligé parure, and would not be admitted in a ceremony as august as that of marriage.  One is already familiar with purses; they have become an integral part of the parure; and recently, a young Seigneur was seen on his wedding day to have his hair split in two queues.

Regarding Women, the etiquette is that their hair is coiffed, with let-down lappets, and they are shown in the Print that we are describing.  They must also have on the head, what is called a chapeau.  This was formerly a type of crown of flowers; it is now some orange blossom buds, forming a quarter circle, placed behind the head.  Capuchins and mantelets are also forbidden, and the hand bouquet must be composed of white flowers.

It is in this costume which the young Wife is represented in the Print.  It will not be, however, irrelevant to observe that all that traditional parure has no place for Widows tying their second knots.  The chapeau and the white bouquet, the loose lappets, etc., items that pertain to innocence and virginity, cannot be used by them.

It seems that the young Wife that the Print represents has not forgotten to make use of all the Jewels that her Husband, brave man, without a doubt, and a good Bourgeois, has given her.  Trembling earrings, soaring St. Esprit on her chest, brilliant star in her hair, gold bracelets of diverse colors, fan and shoe buckles trimmed with diamonds, nothing lacking, apart from the watch; but it is not she that must give the time to the Shepherd.

The St. Esprit which was just spoken of is one of the ornaments or jewels of the latest fashion: it succeeded the Cross that Women had so inappropriately converted to a piece of jewelry; as it is true that luxury and coquetry know how to take advantage of everything, even of that which seems to be the most opposite of them.  One can say as much of the St. Esprits, which have replaced the Cross, and that a new fashion has already taken apart.

To suspend from her neck and allow to rest on her chest a miniature portrait of her father, her benefactor, her husband, such is the fashion that Women have just adopted.  Charming fashion! sacred fashion! its invention is due, without a doubt, to the sweet impulses of a sensitive and faithful heart.  May it endure a long time! may it never be profaned!

But we return to our Print, and finish.  It is said in the caption, that he who conducts the Spouse is dressed in a Suit and a vest with a gold ground.  It is necessary to read: dressed in a Suit of spring cannelé velvet, lined with silk of a sharp color; breeches matching the Suit, the whole cut with a vest of cloth of gold, relieved with gold embroidery and sequins of diverse colors.  White gloves, bouquet in the hand, chapeau brisé under the arm.

* Pekin is silk with stripes of equal width, but the stripes have been omitted in the drawing.

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Galerie des Modes, 16e Cahier, 4e Figure

Young Lady in a taffeta gown of any color, trimmed with spotted gauze; the Parlement of white taffeta, trimmed with spotted blonde lace: an English Cap. (1778)

The Parlement is a type of taffeta, satin, or gauze kerchief, with a hood à coulisse.  This garment has been very much in fashion.  It is completely exclusive to the full parure; also the Figure represented in the Print is only dressed in an informal sacque with a medium hoop, and trimmed with spotted gauze.  This gown is seen from the back; the pleats are caught a little below the collar; previously these pleats were free and in box pleats: a flat, smooth back has since seemed more agreeable, and it is the fashion which remains at present.

Chignon knotted at the bottom with a half-braid; the two ends forming two large curls.  Hair in a racine droite, with two stylish curls, and on the whole a crayfish pouf.

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Galerie des Modes, 15e Cahier, 6e Figure

Young Lady coiffed with a Herisson with two curls, not touching, on each side, and with a Queen's Pouf trimmed with a black tuft and girded with a blue satin ribbon, in the coque is a rose and crescent of diamonds.  She is dressed in a grand ceremonial gown on a hoop, of brocaded Indian taffeta in sky blue; matching trim.  Shod with a white shoe edged with pink, English buckles. (1778)

Sacque, on a little hoop, with a parement in a box-pleated band: both edges of the parement are trimmed with épis and juliennes,* or a narrow lace.  Very little sabot cuffs.  Kerchief trimmed all around, caressing the shoulders entirely and leaving the chest almost uncovered.  The two sides of the gown come very close under the contentement, and spread at the bottom of the waist, in order not to cover a little Peruvian vest which is in the place of a compere.  Volant with a simple head, with trim matching the parement.

This neglected beauty has recourse to a salutary flask that her Doctor gave her, to chase away the vapors.

* Both words have botanic meanings: an épi can be an ear of corn or a sheaf of wheat; juliennes are flowers in the Brassicaceae family, such as julienne des dames (dame's rocket).  I'm by no means certain, but judging by the picture I believe it may refer to a type of fly fringe.

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Galerie des Modes, 8e Cahier, 1ere Figure

Young Lady of Quality in full Dress, topped with an elegant pouf cap called "the Victory cap". (1778)

Grande sacque, with closed bodice.  This gown is pleated in the back, like all the other sacques, but has no pleats in the front: it is low-cut and busquée like a scabbard,* and the bodice seems, as it were, isolated in the center of a vast and rich drapery.  It requires an elegant figure from the wearer; it is only suitable for the beautiful young woman.


The parement is of blonde lace in even pleats, and cut by narrow, gathered blonde lace; the pleats on the flat trim are crossed by two rows of eight bouillons, edges covered with two bands of gathered lace; the ends of the bouillonné ribbons are left to fall diagonally, held up with tassels; the upper edge of the parement is covered with a third bouillonné ribbon, which marks the waistline and shows its lightness; two straight, gathered bands are the only trimmings on the bodice, which is busqué in a point; bunches of flowers are placed between the tassels on the parement, two on the front edge and three on the other.

Volant in regular pleats very high on the petticoat, with two gathered bands across it resembling those on the parement, positioned so as to curve and come up to join at one end in the center of the flounce, under a bunch of flowers which holds a hanging tassel.

The head of the ruffle has a gathered band where a garland of bouillonné ribbon is fastened at the ends and describes a half-oval, passing under the trim on the left and passing over it on the right: a gathered band runs below the trim and forms a frame with the upper band.

Manchettes with three rows of ruffles, trimmed with with bows, protected by the manchettes of the gown, and trimmed at the top with a gathered band.  Around the throat is a collarette or a "medici" of black lace, higher in the back than the front.

Pearl necklace, en riviere,** with two gold tassels, lying on the parfait contentement.

Hair done in the raised phisionomie style and in installments, or with an open and protruding coque, with four separated curls; the confident falling in front of the ear, which bears a pearl earring; the coque or phisionomie is caressed by a row of pearls put in a head-band.

"Victory" cap; this is a very elegant pouf, girded with a double laurel branch, and shaded by a panache of three ostrich plumes in various colors: a large gauze bow with two gathered and hanging ends is on the back of the head; bulging chignon, supported by a solid-colored ribbon.

This dress, no less excellent than it is pretty, agrees perfectly with less expensive material, and acts as the most full dress, the adorned gown of the French Ladies.***

* Or possibly like a gown en fourreau; busqué may mean that it is boned on the opening.
** With individually-set stones.
*** For more on the robe parée, see my post here.  These were worn for evening entertainments at court and eventually became the official presentation costume.  It is here described as the "plus grande robe" because the robe de cour was seen as a different animal, not made along the lines of ordinary formal dress.

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