18th century English dresses. Rococo style in clothing and gentle rococo fashion (18th century)

Fashion of the 18th century is a fashion for youth, luxury and carelessness. - this is the fashion of the last carefree years of the French aristocracy, and the aristocracy of all of Europe as well. The 19th century will go down in history as a century of revolutions, one of the first, at the end of the 18th century, its crown, and at the same time the French king will lose his head.

Miniature depicting Marie Antoinette (seated on the right) and her sisters
Marie Antoinette - the last French queen, trendsetter in the Rococo style

But while the XVIII century, the time of balls and salons. Dress time with incredible fluffy skirts, in such dresses it is difficult to enter doorways, and it is unimaginable high hairstyles... With such hairstyles, sometimes you have to ride in open carriages, since the roofs of the carriages are small for rococo hairstyles. In the end, at this time, a whole ship could be worn on the head.

As for the costumes, the fashion of the 18th century in clothing adhered to three main principles:

Portrait of Louis XVI - husband of Marie Antoinette, the last king of France (before the French Revolution)

The first is youth. Both men and women had to look as young as possible. The men did not wear beards or mustaches. Whitewashed and blushed faces. They put on small ones on their heads, gathered in small tails or knots.

Women tightened their waist with corsets as much as possible, and small breasts were also considered beautiful at this time. There were even special planes that women put under the bodice of a dress in order to reduce their breasts. The faces were whitened and flushed, the eyes and lips stood out. As before, as in the 17th century, artificial moles-flies were worn.

By the way, in the 17th century at the French court, on the contrary, lush female forms- Lush breasts, rounded hips, but the waist is thin. The 17th century can be called a time when a mature woman was considered the standard of beauty, the 18th century is the opposite, now the ideal of beauty is a young girl.

The same thing happened with the colors of the clothes. If in the 17th century saturated dark blue and red prevailed, then in the 18th century both male and woman suit sewn from fabrics of pastel shades. And this is the second principle of 18th century fashion - your clothes should be in the most delicate colors possible: light green, white, pink, blue. Blue and pink were the favorite colors of the Rococo style.

Portrait of Francois Boucher - French painter of the 18th century

The third principle is as many bows, ribbons and lace as possible. And especially in a man's suit. Both in the 17th century and in the 18th century, French fashion, as never before and never later, brought the men's suit closer in its decorativeness, silhouette and complexity to the women's one. Men not only wore makeup, they also wore bows, lace, and stockings.

To look like a man in the 18th century meant wearing a white undershirt with lace cuffs, stockings, top short pants (culottes) decorated with bows, shoes with heels and a bow on the toe.

Outerwear was originally a justocor, which came in the XVIII century from the XVII century. Justokor is a long men's caftan, sewn to the figure, without a collar (the lace collar of the lower shirt was laid on it) and with pockets, decorated with a large number of buttons and belted with a wide belt.

A necklace was worn with a justocor white shawl- the prototype of the modern tie. During the Baroque, 17th century style, the Justocor was dark colors, during the Rococo period, they begin to wear a blue and even pink justocore.

18th century caricature of tall hairstyles

However, a frock coat soon replaced the justocor. A fitted coat of the 18th century, widening towards the hips, with pleats and with a narrow line of shoulders and sleeves. The coat was sewn of velvet, satin, silk, and decorative buttons.

At the end of the 18th century, appears the new kind clothes - tailcoat. The first tailcoats were sewn from silk and velvet fabrics of various colors and were decorated with embroidery.

Women also wear lace-trimmed undershirts. Then a whalebone corset and a frame under the skirt of the dress. The frames at this time are made on fizzy.

Figmas - a frame for a skirt in the form of sewn-in plates of a whalebone or willow twigs. It is believed that figs first appeared in England in 1711. By the middle of the 18th century, oval tans began to be worn under the petticoat, and a complex hinge mechanism for lifting the skirt appeared. The very wide doorway skirt can now be narrowed down and then straightened out again.

Antoine Watteau. Two cousins
Dress with "Watteau fold"

Various types of dresses appear. The kuntush dress is becoming the most fashionable. A kuntush dress (or a dress with a “Watteau fold”) is a dress narrow in the shoulders with a rather large neckline, its main feature being wide folds (“Watteau folds”) on the back of the dress.

These folds are named after the name of the Rococo artist Watteau, in whose paintings you can find images of a kuntush dress. Also, this dress has sleeves typical of Rococo style dresses - narrow, widening to the elbow, decorated with a cascade of lush lace.

Francois Boucher. Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour

Details of the dress of the Marquise de Pompadour

Also in the 18th century, a negligee dress appears. Such a dress could be worn at home. Negligibly worn without a frame and a rigid corset. On top of it, they often wore a karako - a kind of women's tailcoat or a jacket with long sleeves, short folds and cuffs on the chest.

Portrait of Marie-Antoinette by her court painter Vigee-Lebrun

Details of Marie-Antoinette's dress (one of the portraits of Marie-Antoinette by Vigee-Lebrun)

At the end of the 18th century, England began to exert an increasing influence on fashion in Europe, including France. In the 19th century, England will supplant France into the background and European fashion of the 19th century will be shaped by the influence of English fashion.

Francois Boucher. Portrait of Madame Bergeret

So, from England at the end of the 18th century, the fashion for polonaise dress comes to France. The polonaise dress was considered a morning dress, while it could be both home and formal. The hem of the polonaise dress was selected in the form of semicircles in such a way that the underskirt was visible from under it.

Portrait of Mrs. Oswald

Various accessories also played an important role in the women's rococo style costume - fans, ribbons that were tied around the neck, hats, combs and brooches, and handbags. For example, a handbag "pompadour", it got its name in honor of the favorite of the French king Madame de Pompadour. A pompadour bag is a small ladies' handbag in the form of a velvet, cloth or lace bag.

Vigee-Lebrun. Viscountess Vaudrey
The neckline of the dress is covered under the influence of English fashion

Also, ladies of the 18th century could wear very specific jewelry, for example, flea traps. Fleas were not uncommon at the time, and problems with hygiene in palaces have existed since the Middle Ages.

European aristocrats did not like to wash (and there were no conditions - there were no baths in the palaces) and therefore preferred to use perfumes in large quantities. So flea traps were both an ornament and a very necessary thing from a practical point of view. They looked like a fork with movable antennae. The secular ladies wore flea-catchers as an adornment around their necks.

Ring given by Marie Antoinette to her daughter Sophie.

Fashion is a lady, as you know, very capricious. Her mood changes, if not every day, then once a season for sure. Are you wondering what the beauties looked like a couple of centuries ago? You will learn about this in our review on fashion of the 18th century.

18th century fashion in Russia

First, let's talk about how our great-great-great-grandmothers looked and how the mod has changed over the past few centuries. This information will be of interest to both cultural experts, there and just people who want to know as much as possible.

18th century fashion in Russia assumed, as before, wearing a traditional Russian costume. It could be sewn taking into account fashionable world trends, but directly foreign styles were rejected. The features of French and Polish dresses were clearly traced in the outfits of the 18th century. Over time, with the light submission of Peter I, a European costume was nevertheless adopted in Russia - but this innovation concerned only the wealthy strata of society. The clothes of the peasant women changed very slowly and consisted, as before, of a shirt or shirt and a sundress, skirt, ribbons. Elderly women usually wore a deaf shushun sundress. A wide belt was worn over a sundress, which is characteristic, rather high - it served as a bra.

Hairstyles of the 18th century in Russia - smoothly combed hair, braided into a braid. To prevent the curls from getting tousled, they were usually "smeared" with kvass. Noble ladies were allowed more than peasant women - in addition to smooth braids, they made buns, curls, and used overhead strands.

How fashion has changed, and with it and appearance Russian beauties? In the 18th century, the main emphasis was on the gradual introduction of European trends. So in the middle of the century, cloaks began to be actively worn in the urban environment - a cross between the old Russian and modern European attire, because now they had not only slots for the arms, but also hoods. And at the very end of the 19th century, peasants began to wear instead of a sundress, a comfortable suit consisting of a skirt, a sweater and a scarf on their head. Then this outfit was called "German", since the style was worn by foreign women. In addition to the traditional Russian headscarf, they also wore a kiku, kokoshnik, and caps.

The turning point for 18th century fashion in Russia was the decree of Peter I, establishing a new form of clothing for urban boyars. For women, these were dresses with a neckline, wide skirts with a frame, tight corsets, wigs and shoes. The transition was not given to people smoothly, so the ruler introduced punishments for disobedience. This is such a difficult and sometimes cruel - fashion.

18th century European fashion

18th century fashion in France became legislative for the whole of Europe - this can be explained by the country's high influence on the world market. She was copied by noble ladies of all developed countries, Russian noblewomen were guided by the fashion of the 18th century in France when composing their toilets - with her corsets, skirts, wigs, narrow shoes and sometimes very revealing dresses. That is, the hairstyles of the 18th century, if we talk about Europe, are wigs, and quite voluminous and "artificial" (with tight curls, curls, etc.).

It was also quite interesting and dictated the male trends of that time in all countries. Its distinctive features are aristocracy, emphasized elegance, selection of outfits, taking into account the merits and demerits of the figure. Feathers, lace, jewelry, flies, ribbons are a thing of the past - 18th century fashion in England already relied on comfort (as far as possible at that time) and naturalness. But ladies' shoes in England were not very comfortable - narrow and with very thin soles, but without a heel.

Thus, the fashion of the 18th century in Europe was different, but still the bombast gradually faded into the past. France in this regard turned out to be slower, and England quickly realized that nevertheless feminine, tailored to the characteristics of the figure, outfits look much better than even the most ultra-fashionable styles that do not suit a lady.

What about today? Today, trends change not just quickly, but instantly. But modern ladies have freedom of choice - after all, they, like Englishwomen of the 18th century, can choose what they like. At the same time, there are much fewer restrictions now.

In Europe, the 18th century is an era called the century of women. Relaxedness and eroticism, huge dresses and grandiose hairstyles - all these are symbols of the 18th century. It was in the 18th century that women's fashion was at the height of luxury and splendor.

18th century fashion history

The beginning of a new century is marked by the arrival of a magnificent one. All fashionable novelties, as before, are dictated from Versailles and Paris. Fashion of the early 18th century brings to the fore the female silhouette with a narrow "corset" waist, lace neckline and a huge pannier skirt. This is a special device for giving the skirt the required dome-like shape. At first, these were round panniers, and in the second half of the 18th century, panniers with barrels came into fashion. Dresses appear with strongly protruding sides, but flat at the front and back. French fashion of the 18th century also offered a swing dress - grodetour, which was worn on top of a lower dress made of lighter fabrics without any cutouts or neckline. Grodetour was made of heavy fabrics - silk, moire, satin, brocade. Clothes were often trimmed with fur. By the middle of the 18th century, obeying French trends, tansy, which were made from horsehair, became fashionable in Europe. They were much softer than a whalebone pannier, they allowed the skirt to be squeezed in order, for example, to pass freely through the door. This is followed by even softer frames - crinolines. And dresses are covered with many bows, ribbons, frills. On ceremonial occasions, a train was attached to the dress, which could be removed during dances. It was a status thing: the longer the train, the more noble the lady.

18th century English fashion

In English fashion, the spoiled and depraved Rococo style did not take root. The practical British preferred cloth and wool over silk and lace. For the English society of that time, the main ideals were civic and family values, because the fashion of the 18th century in England for women's dress is distinguished by its simplicity of cut and decoration. Preference was given to smooth fabrics of calm light colors. The dress could be decorated with a small bunch of flowers. Notable Englishwomen wore an Angleise dress over a bottom skirt with tansy and a corset, which consisted of a tight bodice and a pleated straight skirt. The neckline was covered with a chest scarf. Often in home environment English ladies completely abandoned the figurine, preferring a dress with a simple quilted skirt. This dress was called negligee.

T. T. Korshunova

Russian men's costume of the XIV-XVII centuries. (ohab and hat)

The end of the 17th century - the beginning of the 18th century is a turning point in the history of Russia. The reforms carried out by Peter I widely affected all aspects of Russian life. There was a radical breakdown of the patriarchal way of life. The costume was also transformed. The old Moscow long-lined dress - ferezi, ohabnya and other things - is being replaced by a Western-style suit. But the process of penetration of Western forms of clothing into Russia began long before Peter's decrees.
According to the well-known connoisseur of Russian antiquity, I. Ye. Zabelin, already in the first half of the 17th century at the Russian court “there were people who liked German customs and who even wore German and French dress. Among such people [...] a very significant place [...] is occupied by a relative of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich boyar Nikita Ivanovich Romanov ", who loved to dress in French and Polish dress," but, however, only when he was in village "or went hunting, because it was impossible to appear in such a dress at court" 1. For the first time, the German dress 2 appears in the palace in the amusing chamber in 1632 as an outfit for the chief funny man Ivan Semenovich Lodygin, then as a funny costume for games - in the rooms of the princes. Documents of those years (1635-1637) repeatedly report the sewing of such a dress. So, in 1637, a dress for the German business was tailored for the Tsarevich Tsarevichs (Alexei and Ivan): velvet epanches, caftans and satin pants "3.
However, Western-style costumes were an exception in those days. Alexei Mikhailovich, as a child, wore German epanches and caftans, and when he became king, in 1675 he issued a decree strictly prohibiting everything foreign: and they did not wear dresses, caftans and hats from foreign models, and therefore they were not ordered to wear their own people. And if someone in the future learns to cut their hair and wear a dress from a foreign model, or such a dress will appear on their people: they will be in disgrace from the Great Sovereign, and from the higher ranks they will be written to the lower ranks ”4.

Costume of a French lady of the court End of the 17th century.

Nevertheless, growing ties with Western European countries, acquaintance with their culture and way of life led to the fact that European dress appeared in the everyday life of the Russian court at the end of the 17th century, even before Peter's decrees. It was sewn by craftsmen from the German settlement near Moscow, where foreigners settled, as well as tailors of the Tsar's workshop of the chamber and the tent chamber in the Kremlin. Information about the performance of costumes for Peter I by them in the 1790s has been preserved. Obviously, the same masters sewed for Peter I even before the decrees on changing clothes and a black velvet caftan, trimmed with lace, woven from gold and silver threads 5.

The costume of a French nobleman at the court of Louis XIV century.

The first of Peter's decrees on changing the costume was issued in January 1700. According to him, it was prescribed to wear a dress "in the manner of Hungarian", the loose fit and length of which were close to the old Russian clothes. This decree read: “Boyars and okolniks and duma and close people and stewards and solicitors and nobles in Moscow and clerks and tenants and all ranks, servicemen and clerks and merchants, and boyar people, in Moscow and in cities, wear Hungarian dresses, caftans, the upper ones are as long as the garter, and the lower ones are shorter than the upper ones, in the same likeness [...] "6

Unknown artist. Portrait of A. Ya. Naryshkina with children. First quarter of the 18th century.

In August of the same year, another decree was issued, commanding “all ranks of the people,” except for the clergy, cabbies and arable peasants, to wear Hungarian and German dresses 7.

B.-K. Rastrelli. Wax person. 1725 year.

Subsequent decrees, repeated several times, obliged nobles, boyars and “all ranks of service people” to wear German dress on weekdays and French on holidays 8, “[...] Russian dress and Circassian caftans and sheepskin coats and pants and boots and shoes to no one do not wear and do not do artisans and do not trade in the ranks "9.
Fashion magazines at that time were not yet published, they appeared only in the 1770s, mannequins in fashionable dresses that were transported from country to country. Therefore, in Russia, after the publication of these decrees, "[...] at the city gates [...] for a sample were hung stuffed animals, that is, samples of dresses" 10, as reported in the notes of 1700 by one of his contemporaries. The execution of the decrees was strictly monitored, adherents of the old costume were fined for insubordination at the city gates at special posts, which took "[...] from pedestrians 13 altyns for two money, from horsemen - two rubles per person [...]" 11, and a few years later, the punishment for wearing a Russian dress and beard becomes even more cruel - violators were threatened with exile to hard labor with confiscation of property 12.

Left: G. Prenner. Portrait of gr. Ya. E. Sivers. Mid-18th century.
Right: Unknown artist. Portrait of Tsarevna Natalya Petrovna. First quarter of the 18th century.

Carrying out the reform of the costume, it was not by chance that Peter turned to the French model. Back in the Middle Ages, Parisian fashion mannequins were taken to all countries of Western Europe. And even during the Renaissance, this apogee of Italian art, in Venice in St. The stamp featured French mannequins that showed the wealthy citizens of the Venetian Republic how to dress. Even more importance was attached to fashionable mannequins in the 17th century, when the so-called "Big Pandora" mannequin in court dress - and "Little Pandora" - at home had the right to inviolability, as a result of which, during wars, battling squadrons had to even cease fire when ships passed from these precious messengers. The influence of Paris in the field of fashion during this period is growing more and more, and France for many years becomes a recognized trendsetter.

I. Ya. Vishnyakov. Portrait of Sarah Fermor. 1745-1750.

The men's costume, introduced by the reforms of Peter I, was formed at the court of Louis XIV and consisted of a caftan (justocor), a camisole (vesta) and trousers (culottes).

I. Ya. Vishnyakov. Portrait of S. S. Yakovleva. Mid-18th century.

The caftan was long, up to the knees, narrow at the waist, tightly fitting the figure in the upper part, with groups of deep folds on the floors (up to six on each side), with slits in the center of the back and on the side seams, which gave width to the hem and made these clothes comfortable to move, especially when riding. Wide cuff-lapels on the sleeves and figured flaps of welt pockets were decorated with decorative loops and buttons. Despite the fact that the floors were a large number of buttons, a caftan was worn, as a rule, unbuttoned, leaving a camisole visible, or buttoned up with several central buttons. The camisole was sewn shorter than the caftan, without folds at the hem (but the cuts were preserved), always without a collar, with a long narrow sleeve without a cuff. Pants were worn short, by the knee, they were sewn with a flap in front, on a wide belt, tightly gathered along the back. This costume was complemented by a lace frill and cuffs, leather shoes with a blunt toe, with heels, decorated with bows or buckles, and silk stockings. Everyday dress was made of broadcloth or linen fabric and was decorated with fabric of a contrasting color or only with buttons, the number of which sometimes exceeded it. Any citizen could wear such a suit. More expensive fabrics were used for the dress of the aristocracy: silk, velvet, brocade or very thin cloth. Such suits were sewn, as a rule, from imported fabrics - Italian, French, and English production, since the silk-weaving industry in Russia was still in its infancy, and the production of fine cloth was not well established either. Metallic lace, various types of embroidery, especially often gold and silver thread, and a large amount of galloon were used as decor. Kaftan, camisole and titans could have been made of the same fabric, but combinations that were different in texture and color were also used. In general, while maintaining a uniform cut, the dress varied in material and finish depending on its purpose and the social class of the wearer.
The reform also affected the women's costume. Already in the decree of 1700 it was commanded: "[...] wives and daughters to wear Hungarian and German dresses in January from the 1st of 1701 [...]" 14. Lush French robes with a bodice tightly tightened at the waist, a rather large neckline, sleeves to the elbow and wide skirt... These dresses, like men's suits, were adorned with elaborate embroidery and lace.

I. Ya. Vishnyakov. Portrait of M. S. Yakovlev. Mid-18th century.

The new costumes introduced by Peter towards the end of his reign had already firmly entered the life of not only the nobility, officials, the military, but also the advanced part of the merchants and industrialists, although at first the decrees on changing clothes caused great discontent. Starting from the time of Peter the Great, the development of urban costume in Russia went along with the general European one, however, for a long time, the influence of old traditions and folk costume, and on the streets of Russian cities, next to a dandy, dressed in the latest French fashion, one could see Russian sundresses, quilted jackets, underwear and so on.
The costume of the middle of the 18th century developed in parallel with the general direction of the Rococo style art, which expressed the whimsical tastes of the Russian court society, and retained its character until the last quarter of a century. This style has found a striking manifestation in the decoration of interiors and arts and crafts for several decades. His characteristic gravitation towards capriciously curved, restless lines, an abundance of decor and whimsical elegance of ornamentation is also characteristic of the costumes of this period with their pretentious silhouette, richness and variety of decor from lace and all kinds of embroidery, as well as a passion for pastel exquisite color combinations.
Women's and men's fashion in the 18th century is fairly stable. A type of male costume that developed at the beginning of the 18th century, with some changes in proportions and details, existed until the 1780s. In the first half of the century, it was not so much the cut of the suit that changed, but its details: for example, by the end of the 1720s and the beginning of the 1730s, the sleeve of the caftan was becoming shorter and a kind of cuff in the form of wings appeared, covering the bend of the arm near the elbow. The hem of the caftan was lined with horsehair, glued cloth or paper to give it a fashionable silhouette. The caftan and camisole were fastened only at the waist. During this period, men's suits were very colorful and were often made from the same fabrics as women's dresses: brocade, velvet, patterned silk, or plain with embroidery.
Interesting information about the nature of the fabrics used for the men's suit is reported in the notes by Count E. Minich, noting that the Duke of Courland “[...] wore speckled women's damask for five or six years in a row” and that even gray-haired old people in those years “ [...] were not ashamed to dress up in pink, yellow and parrot greens ”15.

Unknown artist. Portrait of Sarah Greig. Third quarter of the 18th century.

By the middle of the century, the entire silhouette of the costume becomes lighter and more graceful. At this time, the width of the folds on the hem of the caftan and the height of the cuffs decrease. The short pants complementing the costume did not change much during this period.
In the 1780s, the cut of the caftan changed, it received a stand-up collar, its floors are now strongly beveled towards the back, revealing the bottom of the camisole, a sleeve with a narrow cuff already becomes. surprising in the richness and variety of techniques and materials, embroideries performed with colored silks, gold and silver thread, capital, sparkles, often with the use of colored mirror glasses. In the most ceremonial costumes, a lush floral pattern almost entirely covered the chest, floors and back of the caftan. The camisole becomes much shorter, loses its sleeves and turns into a vest, in front of which it is richly decorated. Its back during these years was always made of another, simpler cotton or linen fabric and had lacing. For the last quarter of the 18th century, several styles of camisoles are characteristic: with a round neckline collar without a collar, or with a more or less high stand-up collar, sometimes with cuffs, with cut-off floors, or - after 1785 - with a straight bottom line.
On especially ceremonial occasions, a costume is sewn of gold and silver brocade with embroidery with silver or gold thread, sequins, using colored foil inserts as decor. The everyday men's dress of the townspeople was most often made of cloth of different colors and decorated much more modestly.

Robe-dress made of red-brick silk. Mid-18th century.

Throughout almost the entire 18th century, the type of formal women's dress was widespread, consisting of a strongly tightened corset-corset, the so-called "lacing", with a large neckline, sleeveless, a silk or satin underskirt, often quilted with cotton for winter, and an upper swing dress, with narrow sleeves to the elbow, ending with one or more frills in the form of a pagoda, from under which lace cuffs emerged in two or three rows. The skirt, originally round in plan, by the 1730s widens at the sides, acquires an oval shape and retains this whimsical silhouette, in harmony with the furniture and interior decor in the Rococo style, until the last quarter of the 18th century. They wear a skirt on a frame - a pannier, or fizma, a special device made of willow twigs, reed or whalebone and dense fabric. The scope of the fizzy at the front toilets sometimes reached more than one and a half meters. For less formal suits and for the house, more modest ones were used 16. There were many different forms this peculiar object of women's fashion: "geridon" - in the shape of a funnel, to the shape of a dome, "burula" - a roller, in the form of a gondola, with elbows and so on. In the middle of the 18th century, the figs were divided into two halves, the so-called double figs appeared, more convenient in movement.
One of the characteristic details of the costume of those years was the "Watteau" fold, a special cut of the back of the dress, in which the fabric, laid on the shoulders and at the collar in more or less deep folds, fell freely, passing into a train: sometimes folds were also laid in the shoulder seams of the front shelves. The "Watteau" fold has not gone out of fashion for a long time, however, in dresses of the beginning of the century these are soft folds extending from the collar and shoulder seams, and by the middle of the century the cut of the dress changes, the folds become deeper, they are laid only at the collar, smoothed and used up approximately to the level of the middle of the shoulder blade, and already below they diverge to the width of the fiddles, giving the dress a peculiar silhouette.

Uniform dress of Catherine II in the form of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. 1770s

Quite widespread in the middle of the 18th century is the so-called raised dress, or draped in the pockets, although its name does not quite define the nature of the style.
The peculiarity of this toilet was that with the help of a structure consisting of a system of rings sewn from the inside of the skirt of an upper swing dress on the sides and back and ribbons passed through them, the ends of which were fixed at the pockets, it was possible to change the style of the dress by draping it into puffs , forming three rounded floors - shorter on the sides (like wings) and long at the back (tail). Thus, a dress with a train and a “Watteau” fold turned into a dress without a train with a beautifully draped skirt of a swinging top dress, from under which one could see the lower skirt, usually made of another fabric, more or less richly decorated along the hem.

I.P. Argunov. Portrait of P. B. Sheremetev. 1753 year.

There were also other types of ladies' dresses: "adrienne", a la Circassian, Polish dress, or polonaise, and the like. All these styles were inspired by various events of cultural, secular and political life, they differed only in details, retaining the design principle inherent in all women's costumes of that time. So, in a dress a la Circassian woman, the bodice had a long narrow sleeve, and the upper swing dress was rather short and wide, from under which the bodice sleeve was visible. The adrienne dress had a peculiar wide, loose silhouette 17. In museums, very few women's costumes of the 18th century have survived, so we can judge about many of their varieties only from written sources and those portraits in which the ladies are depicted full-length.
Dresses were sewn from a wide variety of fabrics. The surviving wardrobe inventories, accounts and other documents mention dresses made of gold and silver herbal damask, satin and grisette of various colors, plain and patterned taffeta, velvet and the like 18. Obviously, most of these fabrics were already produced in Russia. This is evidenced by the list of silk fabrics of Russian work, submitted to the Senate in 1749, with which the manufacturers pledged to supply the domestic market. The list includes smooth and grassy velvets, colored and smooth shtoffs, grisettes, grassy taffeta and smooth grassy grodetura, etc. 19.
In the decor of the dress, mites, embroidery were widely used (embroidery with gold and silver thread was a favorite), various laces, gold and silver 20, as well as all kinds of lace, the varieties of which existed in those years, judging by the documents, a great many. Along with imported from the West, laces of Russian work were also used. A significant number of them were supplied by monasteries in the 18th century. Particularly famous were the works of the craftswomen of the Passion and Ivanovsky monasteries in Moscow, and the names of some of them have also survived. These are Nastasya Andreeva, Maria Semenova, Anna Dmitrieva and others. The assortment of braided laces was very rich: "blonde" laces, silver with white silk, gold with beaten, gold with white silk, silver with white silk "on one side of the town" (that is, teeth), silver with purple silk, were supplied to the court. lace with bugles, simple white and black without silver, blond lace made of black linen and others "21.
Information about the masters - creators of 18th century costumes is scarce and sketchy. Documents rarely mention only their names, sometimes they list the dresses they made 22. Along with foreign and Russian tailors who worked at court to create magnificent costumes of the Russian aristocracy, many unknown tailors and dressmakers, embroiderers and lacemakers from serfs worked on the estates and city estates.

D. G. Levitsky. Portrait of the architect A.F. Kokorinov. 1769 year.

Already in the second half of the 18th century, the first attempts to give court costumes a national character were observed.
In the 1780s, Catherine II issued a number of decrees regulating both ceremonial and everyday costumes.
Caring for the prosperity of domestic manufactories, whose products during this period were already significant in volume and of rather high quality, Catherine II in these decrees commands great holidays ladies and gentlemen wear Moscow brocade, on other days - all kinds of silk mothers, and gentlemen also wear cloth. According to the decrees, the splendor of dressing is also regulated. Basically, these costumes followed French fashion.
In some especially solemn cases - the end of the war, New Year, weddings and the like "[...] ladies came to all meetings in Russian dresses", which Catherine II introduced at court, and "she herself did not have any other festive attire," 23 - as one of her contemporaries informs us. Unfortunately, such a costume has not survived in museum collections, and only some idea of ​​it can be gleaned from memoirs and notes. So M. I. Pyliaev, describing life at the court of Catherine II, notes that this costume looked like an old Russian one, with a veil and open armholes on the sleeves 24.
Probably, variants of such a "Russian" dress were the uniforms of the empress, in which she, on holidays of the guards regiments, "received officers in the same uniform as them" 25. These costumes in a peculiar way combined the forms of the dominant French fashion (a swing dress with fancy dress, sometimes with a "Watteau" fold) with elements of the old Russian costume (folding sleeves with open armholes, decor arrangement). A whole collection of these costumes has survived to this day and are now kept in the State Hermitage. The dress in the shape of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment was made of blue, and the lower one was made of red silk, repeating the colors of the uniform of this regiment (the uniform of the cavalry regiment was blue cloth, and the camisole was made of red), and was decorated with a golden uniform lace and hemispherical gilded buttons. what they wore on their uniforms. Uniform dresses in the form of an infantry regiment, corresponding to the color of the uniform, were sewn from green silk, also with a uniform galloon and buttons, and in the form of a sea crew - from white and green silk with gold embroidery.
Perhaps this kind of costumes, close to dresses "in Russian" or uniforms, were meant by the chronicler of the magazine "Le cabinet des modes" ("Cabinet of fashion") for 1788, noting that dresses "after the tsarina" are fashionable in Paris 26. The Paris correspondent F.-M. Grimm and Catherine II herself: "You are now in Paris with hats, with ribbons in Russian: the French are carried away by me, like a feather in their hair."

Boy's suit made of pink and white satin with embroidery. 1780s

Until the middle of the 18th century, fashionable mannequins were still the only messengers of fashion novelties, but they were brought to Russia not only from Paris, but also from London, which testifies to the emerging influence of fashion in England 27.
In the second half of the century, mannequins do not keep pace with the change of fashions: when they arrive abroad, some details of the costume are already out of fashion. They were replaced by fashionable almanacs and periodically published magazines 28, and in 1785 a fashion magazine began to be published, published every fifteen days and publishing color tables - "Cabinet of Fashion". It covers all the fashion news from costume to furniture and carriages. Six months later, it receives a new name, reflecting the growing influence of England, - "Magasin des Modes nouvelles francaises et anglaises" ("Journal of new French and English fashions").
In 1779, the first fashion magazine in Russia appeared under the name "Fashion Monthly Edition, or Library for Ladies' Dress". However, it was short-lived - only four issues were published 29. It was followed by a number of others, especially many magazines were published in the 19th century, but they all had a French orientation and, as a rule, came out with inserts of French fashion prints.
The fan was the constant companion of the fashionistas of the 18th century. The first information about fans in Russia, which at that time was called a fan, we learn from the descriptions of the royal treasury of the 17th century. Fans were made from feathers of the "sturzovyh" (ostrich), from wood with painting, from silver with enamel, from silk, from parchment with painting and were richly decorated with gold and stones. Inventories of the tsarist treasury report that the fans were partially brought as gifts from Byzantium, while they were partially manufactured in the Tsar's workshop and in the Armory in the Kremlin. With the reclusive lifestyle of women in the 17th century, the fan hardly served as an "instrument of coquetry," which it becomes in the 18th century, when a Russian woman appears in public and household meetings, after the charter on assemblies of 1718. At the same time, a folding fan replaced the pre-Petrine fan. Throughout the 18th century, fans were made of a wide variety of materials: steel, silk and parchment painted with gouache or watercolors depicting allegories, gallant scenes, mythological subjects, and so on. The frame was made of gold, turtle, ivory and decorated with carvings, inlaid with precious metals and stones. At this time, fans are brought from abroad or they are performed by foreign masters living in Russia. The first Russian fan factories also appeared in Moscow: “Vladimir Ruzhnov and his comrades”, “Ivan Erin and his comrades”, “Petra Filippova” and others 30.
Fans were especially loved in Russia in the second half of the 18th century, at the court of Catherine II. The Smes magazine for 1769, characterizing the role of the fan in the life of society ladies, noted that they are able to depict various passions with a fan, depending on its position and hand gesture: jealousy, love, can make a date and express contempt, and the like. This figurative language of the fans was called at that time "waving", and "waving" meant to flirt. With the help of this graceful trinket, it was possible to show the beauty of a hand or an elegant gesture, and the "Satirical Herald" of 1790 informs that the beauties know "how many times you can wave a fan so that from this the scarf covering their chest takes that lovely position when which, in spite of the pins, could be visible admiring dishonesty ”31.
During this period, narrow-toed shoes with high curved heels were worn in the first half of the century and lower in subsequent years. Depending on the height of the heel, they were called French or Italian. Along with closed shoes, mule shoes were widely used. Casual shoes were made of leather, weekend shoes were made of silk fabric, brocade, velvet. The shoes were decorated with all kinds of buckles, bows and embroidery.

In the late 1770s - early 1780s, the spread of the ideas of the French philosopher J.-J. Rousseau, his speech against luxury, ostentatious external gloss and idleness of secular society and a call for a simple, natural life in the bosom of nature. The influence of the English costume is increasing, due to the historical characteristics of its development, it is more rational and less influenced by court fashion.

D. G. Levitsky. Portrait of E. N. Khovanskaya and E. N. Khrushcheva. 1775 g.

The desire to simplify the silhouette of a woman's dress was outlined in the 1780s, when the entire width of the skirt was concentrated at the back; bulky figs were replaced by a horsehair roller attached to the back at the waist level. Fabrics in a strip are becoming fashionable; for formal dresses they are often combined with luxurious embroidery. Less formal toilets are increasingly beginning to be made of light-colored cotton fabrics.
New trends became especially noticeable after the Great French bourgeois revolution of 1789. In the art of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, a new style finds vivid expression - classicism, with its characteristic borrowing of antique forms. Due to the inevitable evolution of style, radical changes take place in the costume.

White satin dress. 1790s

In its quest for simplicity, fashion also turns to the aesthetic norms of antiquity, which is manifested in the change in the entire design of the costume, its cut and silhouette, in turn, these changes determine the nature of the fabrics used, their texture and ornament, as well as the decor of the dress. Calm, austere lines of the silhouette of the costumes of this time supplant the pretentious forms of the Rococo costumes.
The new type of costume spread with extreme speed throughout Europe and, despite the opposition of Paul I 32, frightened by the events of the French Revolution and forbidding everything French, this fashion did not escape Russia.
Lush formal dress-robes are replaced by tunic-like ones, to replace heavy multi-layered patterned silks, velvet and brocade with their melodious colors there come racing, airy linen and cotton fabrics: muslin, cambric, muslin, roll, most often white, more consistent with the new character of the costume and giving it stately simplicity. Figs, whalebones in corsages, corsets are disappearing. Dresses with a high waist, a large neckline and narrow short sleeves are in vogue. The skirt of such dresses falls from the waist in soft flowing folds, rather thick on the back, and ends with a train. This costume was supposed to emphasize the natural beauty of the forms. female figure... “In the current costume,” says the chronicler of the “Moscow Mercury” in 1803, the main thing is the outlining of the body. If a woman doesn’t see the folding of her legs from shoes to her torso, then they say that she doesn’t know how to dress ”33. V last years XVIII - early XIX century dresses become even more transparent and open, they are often sewn without sleeves at all, with straps and are sometimes worn on only one bodysuit, for, according to the dandy of those years, “[...] the thinnest skirt took away from thin dress all transparency ”34. These costumes were distinguished by simple silhouette lines, and the women in such toilets resembled antique statues. A very apt description of the costumes of that time, especially for women, is given in his notes by the famous memoirist F.F. who was dressed by Cornelia, who was Aspazia [...] Be that as it may, but the costumes, of which the memory of one sculpture preserved on the shores of the Aegean Sea and the Tiber, were renewed on the Seine and taken over on the Neva. If it were not for uniforms and tailcoats, then balls could then be looked at as at ancient bas-reliefs and at Etruscan vases. And really, it was not bad: on young women and girls everything was so clean, simple and fresh; the hair gathered in the form of a tiara adorned their young brow. Not fearing the horrors of winter, they were in translucent dresses, which tightly clasped their flexible waist and correctly outlined their lovely forms; [...] it seemed that light-winged psyche fluttered on the floor ”35.
The famous French portraitist L.-E. Vigee Lebrun, who lived in Russia from 1785 to 1801.

1 I. Zabelin. Domestic life of Russian tsars in the 16th and 17th centuries. Vol. 1. Part 2. M., 1915, p. 63.64.
2 German in Russia at that time was customary to call everything Western. “German dress is a common European, male and female, as opposed to Russian,” - this is how V. I. Dal defines the meaning of this term for the 18th century in the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language”.
3 I. Zabelin. Domestic life of Russian tsars in the 16th and 17th centuries. Vol. 1. Part 2. M., 1915, p. 65, 66.
4 Complete collection laws of the Russian Empire. First meeting Vol. 1. SPb., 1830, No. 607. p. 1007 (hereinafter PSZRI).
5 See: E. Yu. Moiseenko. Master tailors of "German dress" in Russia in their work. - Works of the State Hermitage. XV. Russian culture and art. L., "Aurora", 1974, p. 143-146. The author of the article believes that the cut of this caftan is reminiscent of the 17th century justocors, as evidenced by wide sleeves with very large cuffs - cuffs, a large number of buttons and their arrangement on the floors to the very edge of the hem, vertical welt pockets and decoration of the seams, typical of men's clothing of the 17th century.
6 PSZRI, vol. 4, No. 1741, p. 1.
7 See: N. Ustryalov History of the reign of Peter the Great, T. 3. SPb., 1858. p. 350, footnote 35.
8 See: for example, the decrees of 1701 - PSZRI, vol. 4, No. 1887, p. 182.1704, - PSZRI, vol. 4. No. 1999, p. 272, 273.
9 PSZRI, vol. 4, No. 1999, p. 272.
10 I. Zhelyabuzhsky. Notes. - In the book: Russian life according to the memoirs of contemporaries. XVIII century. Part 1. M., 1914, p. 51.
11 PSZRI, vol. 4, No. 1999, p. 272.
12 See: PSZRI, vol. 5, no. 2874, p. 137.
13 In the decree of 1719, it is still allowed to export brocade and silk fabrics from European states, since the factory of "all kinds of fabrics and brocade" founded in 1717 by F. M. Apraksin, P. P. Shafirov and P. A. Tolstoy cannot satisfy " the whole state ”- See: PSZRI, vol. 5, no. 3357, p. 694, 695.
14 See: N. Ustryalov. History of the reign of Peter the Great. T. 3.SPb., 1858, p. 350, note. 35.
15 Russia and the Russian court in the first half of the 18th century Notes and remarks by Ernst Minvod. SPb., 1891. 96.
16 In Russia in the mid-18th century, such skirts are given the name "fizbein", or "fizhmennye". In the documents of the 18th century, found in the archives, skirts of different types are simultaneously mentioned. For example, the inventory of costumes from the 1750s named "a crimson taffeta semi-bodice skirt with a wide falbala," which was made with a "steel feather" and four pounds of "bones"; A "yellow taffeta large skirts", also with a steel feather, ten feet of "bones" had already been used to make it. In addition, the same document mentions skirts “for a hoop” and “for buns”; which were worn with "half-jacket". Obviously, depending on the purpose of the suit, the type of skirt used was also determined - TsGADA, f. 14, op. 1, d.88, l. 1 vol. 9.1745-1755
17 The appearance of this style of dress is explained by the French costume historian F. Boucher with the success of Terence's play "Adrienne", where the heroine, whose role was played by the famous actress, was dressed in wide dress... This style came into vogue in France and was named after the heroine. In Russia, its name was somewhat distorted and sounded like "adrieni". So in the list of costumes in 1754 there are four "adrieni". Other types of dresses are named in the same document; “Blue half-jacket with silver”, “dressing-gown of rich golden damask”, “robe-dress” from golden damask, coat, as well as “half-adrieni”, always combined with a dress from the same fabric - “white half-adrienne and a dress embroidered silver ", masquerade dress" blue grosser domina "," crimson grisette caftan and dress ", black fox fur coat covered with silver damask, etc. - TsGADA, f. 1239, op. 3. h. 114, d. 61631, l. 1-7; F. Boucher. Histoire du costume en Occident de l'antiquite a nos jours. Flammarion, 1965, p. 294. Warm quilted skirts, sweaters and a "quilted pair" dress are also widely used in women's suits in Russia. - See: TsGADA, f. 14, op. 2, d.88, l. nine.
18 See: TsGADA, f. 1239. op. 3, h. 114, d. 61631, l. 1-7 vol .; f. 14, op. 1, d. 113, l. 3 vol. - 6. These documents mention such fabrics as violet damask with silver and silk herbs, gold brocade with whipping and silk herbs, taffeta ringing blue.
19 See: S. M. Soloviev. History of Russia since ancient times Ed. 2nd Book 5. 1858, p. 609.
20 So, for example, in 1752, the maid of honor N. A. Naryshkina was granted thirty-four and a half arshins of wide slotted gold braid, and forty-five and a half arshins of the same narrow, for “laying out” the dress in 1752. - See: TsGADA, f. 14, op. 1, d. 90, h. 2, l. 1 a.
21 See: TsGADA, f. 14, op. 1, d. 90, l. 177-197.
22 See: TsGADA, f. 14, op. 2, d.88, l. 1-4; d. 192, l. 1.
23 Features of Catherine the Great - Russian Archive, 1870, p. 2112, 2113.
24 See: Old Petersburg. Stories from the past life of the capital. M. I. Pylyaeva. SPb. , 1839, p. 190.
25 See: Old Petersburg. Stories from the past life of the capital. M. I. Pylyaeva. SPb., 1889, art. 2105.
26 F. Boucher. Histoire du costume en Occident de l'antiquite a nos jours. Flammarion, 1965, p. 299.
27 In 1751, by order from St. Petersburg, the ambassador to England, Count Chernyshev, ordered a three-foot-tall doll, and for it "dresses of all sorts, which on any occasion the local ladies wear and with all their accessories." In total, three sets of dresses were performed, "which the Aglinsky women of all knowledge, uniformly shaded by their wealth, wear", during holidays and in public meetings; when they are at home and "not on very official visits", as well as in a walk, in which they ride a horse and are "on the road." - TsGADA, f. 1239, op. 3, h. 114, d. 61615, p. 1-7, 1751
28 "Journal good taste"(" Journal du Gout "), Paris, from 1768; "The Lady's Magazine", London, from 1770; "Monument of the costume" ("Le monument des Modes"), Paris, since 1774, etc.
29 See: Vl. Fashion Monthly, 1779 Magazine. - Russian bibliophile, 1913, no. 6.
30 See: TsGADA, f. 277, op. 2, d. No. 1734-1738, 1752-1767
31 V.A. Vereshchagin. Memory of the past. Article and notes. SPb., 1914, p. 91.
32 F.F. Vigel notes in his notes that “Paul armed himself against round hats, tailcoats, vests, trousers, boots and boots with cuffs, strictly forbade them to be worn and ordered to replace them with single-breasted caftans with a standing collar [...]” - See: Notes of Philip Philipovich Vigel, part 1. - Russian archive, 1891. Book. 2. Issue 8. Appendix, p. 141.
33 V.A. Vereshchagin. Memory of the past. Article and notes. SPb., 1914, p. 53.
33 V.A. Vereshchagin. Memory of the past. Article and notes. SPb., 1914, p. 54.
34 Notes of Philip Philipovich Vigel. Part 2. - Russian archive, 1891. T. 3. Book. 10, p. 38, 39.

From the book: T. T. Korshunova Suit in Russia XVIII- the beginning of the 20th century from the collection of the State Hermitage. L .: "Artist of the RSFSR", 1979 (excerpt from the introductory article).

After the death of Louis XIV and the coronation of Louis XV in 1715, the brilliant and sophisticated Rococo style began to flourish. Despite the fact that later, in the 19th century, the word "rococo" was often used in a derisive and derogatory meaning, suggesting the presence of excess and frivolity, today this term is used to denote an artistic trend that became the emblem of French culture of that era, a culture that was distinguished by its sophisticated desire for pleasure.

And since clothes, like nothing else, could bring this pleasure, the art of sewing was lifted to unprecedented heights. And although during the reign of Louis XIV France was already considered the recognized leader of fashion, the Rococo period strengthened its reputation as "the main fashionista in Europe."

As the Rococo era drew to a close, two diametrically opposite tendencies emerged in fashion: one based on the fantasy aesthetics of the outgoing era, and the other called for following nature. The French Revolution of 1789 radically changed the life of society, along with this, the style of clothing changed: the decorativeness of the Rococo gave way to the simplicity of neoclassicism. Such a radical change is unique in the history of global fashion, but it reflected the unprecedented social upheaval that swept Europe.

Elegance and sophistication, alternating with whimsy, extravagance, coquetry, and the use of ornamental and decorative effects, became the distinctive elements of women's fashion of the Rococo era. In contrast to the arrogant solemnity of the 17th century costume, the 18th century women's dress can be called elaborately decorative.

The 17th century men's costume was much more pretentious and colorful than the women's, but now the ladies have taken the initiative, and their outfits have become brilliantly elegant. At the same time, people were striving for comfort, for the coziness of living rooms and boudoirs, where they could spend long hours surrounded by their favorite trinkets. To meet these more everyday and mundane needs, a relatively free and informal style of dress has emerged.

A new style at the beginning of the 18th century was the so-called "flying dress" - an outfit derived from the "negligee" dress popular at the end of the reign of Louis XIV. This garment featured a bodice with large pleats flowing from shoulder to ground over a rounded petticoat. Despite the fact that the bodice was firmly held on the corset, this outfit, loosely fitting on the figure, gave the impression of calm comfort. Another typical women's costume of the Rococo era can be called a dress in the French style, it was this dress that became the main official court dress until the beginning of the revolution.

Throughout this era, the main items of women's clothing were a dress, a petticoat, much like what we would today call just a skirt, and a triangular, tapering bodice, or "stomac", which covered the chest, going down below the waist. They put it under the narrow shelves of the bodice. The dress was worn over a corset and pannier - accessories that shaped the silhouette of the figure. (The term "corset" was not used in the 18th century, but here we used it to define the lower element of clothing reinforced with a whalebone. revolution.

Artists such as Jean Antoine Watteau, Nicolas Lancre and Jean François de Troyes captured the magnificent outfits of their contemporaries in great detail on their canvases, depicting everything from individual stitches on lace to intricate shoes. In his painting Signboard of Gersen, Watteau surprisingly accurately conveys the elegance of a woman's outfit, the delicate movement of draperies and folds, with special skill the artist depicts the iridescent, smooth texture of silk and satin. Despite the fact that the painter himself never dealt with clothing design, the double drapery folds on the back, captured in his work, soon became known as "Watteau folds".

An integral part of the Rococo era clothing was extravagant silks produced at the Lyon manufactories in France. From the 17th century onwards, the French government supported the weaving industry in Lyon, generously funding the invention of new looms and dyeing technologies. French silks became famous for their first-class quality and gradually replaced the Italian silk fabrics that dominated fashion in the previous century. In the middle of the 18th century - in the golden era of the Rococo style - the favorite of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour, appears in portraits in amazing dresses made of high quality silk. In the painting of Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher, she is dressed in a typical dress that reveals a tight-fitting bodice. The artist depicted in detail both the petticoat and the triangular stomak, richly decorated with a whole cascade of lace, emphasizing the outlines of a woman's breasts, seductively lifted by a corset. Ruffles, lace, ribbons, artificial flowers - the abundance of decorations seems to us too intrusive, unnecessary, but the elements successfully harmonize with each other, reflecting the stylistic nuances of the Rococo era.

It was when the Rococo style reached its peak that the aristocracy suddenly turned to the fashion of the commoners, looking for a clue on how to make outfits more functional and comfortable. The practical dresses and skirts of middle-class women influenced the costumes of aristocrats, and gradually their attire became simpler, with the exception of ballroom outfits. Short semi-camzole - sazakt or sagaso, began to be used in everyday life, and dresses acquired a simpler cut. Stomak, which was recently attached to the dress with pins, has now turned into a kind of vest that connects the shelves of the dress.

In France, the growing popularity of modest, functional dress is partly due to "Anglomania" - a fascination with all English that began to prevail in French culture at that time. The first symptoms of Anglomania were found in men's clothing in the last years of the reign of Louis XIV, in women's clothing they appeared only after 1770. As the English custom of walking outside the city enjoying the fresh air became more and more popular among the French, this dress became a fashionable outfit for women. In the side pockets of the dress, special slits were made through which the skirt could be pulled up slightly and draped in the back, which was very practical, although at first this cut was used only by female workers for physical labor or walking around the city. Soon, this cut was replaced by a new "dress in the Polish manner."

In outfits of this style, the back of the hem of the skirt was held in place by cords, dividing into three draped sections. It is believed that this style became an echo of the difficult political situation of that time: in 1772, three European powers divided the territory of Poland. When the folds in the center of the back were closed from top to bottom to the waist, this style became known as "dress in the English manner." It was distinguished by a narrow bodice, a dress swinging open in front, revealing a petticoat. Sometimes such an outfit was worn even without a pannier, since the cut of the suit made it possible to maintain a rounded shape thanks to the drapery of the skirt. Later, during the French Revolution, both the stomac and the skirt changed, the outfit was transformed into a one-piece dress.

In the Rococo era, rich colors, intricate embroidery, an abundance of decorative buttons and puffy frills on the neck and chest, as well as lace on the cuffs were considered important elements of a noble's clothing in the Rococo era. Abi and the westcoat of a typical men's suit were embroidered with gold, silver and multi-colored threads, sequins, artificial and precious stones... There were many workshops specializing in embroidery in Paris. Fabrics used on abi or westcoats were often embroidered before cutting, so that men could first choose their favorite color or pattern, and then order a tailor-made suit.

Anglomania, preserved in French men's suits, remained fashionable until the end of the 17th century. For example, a riding suit with a collar (dressing coat) in English style became popular in everyday life as an alternative to the French outfit. Towards the end of the second half of the 18th century, for the first time, the French version of the English men's suit came into fashion - a tailcoat, with a turn-down collar, cut from monochromatic fabrics. At the dawn of the French Revolution, there was a demand for striped fabrics, and, along with this, the fascination with complex embroidery in a man's suit gradually disappeared.

Throughout the 18th century, the cut of a woman's dress largely depended on such elements of underwear as a corset and pannier. In the Rococo era, the corset had a low cut, which made the chest almost open. His task was to lift the bust, seductively visible through the thin lace frill in the neckline of the dress.
The early pannier shape resembled a bell, however, as the skirts became wider in the mid-18th century, the pannier also underwent a modification, dividing into left and right halves. Despite the fact that huge, impractical panniers were often the object of caricatures and ridicule, women simply adored this piece of clothing. At the court, wide panniers eventually became an obligatory part of the court dress.

Interestingly, sophisticated women's costumes were traditionally made by men. Back in the Middle Ages, a guild of tailors was established in France, and from that time on, the role of each craftsman in the manufacture of clothes was strictly regulated. Despite the fact that in the second half of the 17th century a society of women-dressmakers emerged, which set itself the task of producing clothes, men-tailors sewed almost all court costumes of the 18th century.

FASHION IN THE PERIOD OF REVOLUTION

In 1789, the French Revolution marked a profound change in the aesthetics of fashion, and the preferred material was no longer refined silk, but unpretentious cotton.

All those who continued to wear extravagant silk clothes in bright colors were declared enemies of the revolution. Instead of tight-fitting knee-length pants and silk stockings, an attribute of the nobility, the revolutionaries wore long trousers, calling themselves "sansculottes" ("who did not wear culottes").

The extravagant trend spread during the Directory period and among the dandy veils and bohemians. They wore incredibly high collars with wide lapels that fell back, brightly colored vests, lush neckerchiefs, breeches, short hairstyle and hats, but not with three, but with two corners. A group of ladies who called themselves "wonderful" adhered to a similar style in women's fashion, they dressed up in thin and translucent dresses, not wearing a corset or pannier under them. Attire traditional for that time, dresses with a waist located directly under the bust, a bodice and a skirt made from one piece of fabric, can often be seen in engravings and paintings of that time, for example, by Nicholas von Heideloff.

Throughout the 18th century, France remained the recognized leader in the world of women's fashion. In the next century, this reputation only strengthened, and France became an indisputable authority in the field of ladies' costume. As for men's fashion, it was mainly dictated by England. Back in the 18th century, this country was famous for its developed woolen industry, first-class weaving equipment, and innovative sewing techniques. Such pronounced trends have led to the emergence of concepts such as "Parisian fashion" and "London style". In the 19th century, the ever-changing silhouette of the dress became, perhaps, the main hallmark women's clothing, while men's clothing retained basic form, changing only in small things.

The French Revolution of 1789 led to the collapse of the social hierarchy, and the big bourgeoisie came to the fore and became the pillar of French society in the 19th century. During the Second Empire (1852-1870), the nobility somewhat strengthened their positions, and Empress Eugenia, wife of Napoleon III, was recognized as the trendsetter of women's fashion. After the proclamation of the Third Republic (1870), the class structure of society again experienced serious shocks, while contradictory trends were outlined in fashion. Gradually, a circle of women began to form, influencing the development of "high fashion": wives of wealthy bourgeois, actresses, ladies of the semi-world (expensive courtesans), tailors were guided by them in the second half of the 19th century.

In the second half of the 19th century, wider sections of the population began to join fashion, even the lower classes followed the style changes in clothing. Appearance in 1850s in France department stores contributed to the popularization of fashion. Huge department stores gave their customers freedom of choice, combining it with a variety of goods at quite reasonable prices.

EMPIRE STYLE AND COURTWEAR

Already during the first period of the French Revolution, there were serious changes in the style of women's clothing. The dress became dominant - shemiz, which got its name for its resemblance to the undershirt - shemiz. Its simplicity was strikingly different from the lush outfits of the Rococo era. Elements of underwear such as corset and pannier, which were required in the previous century to form a characteristic silhouette, were forgotten. From now on, ladies preferred to wear thin, almost transparent white cotton dresses, putting on one or two layers of linen down or even without it. The shemiz dress was distinguished by a clear, almost ascetic silhouette, due to the high waistline, as well as a one-piece bodice and skirt.

Gradually, the dress was transformed, and, as we see in the portrait of Madame Recamier by François Gerard, more and more began to resemble the attire of neoclassicism, which glorified the strict, classical forms characteristic of the times of Antiquity. Translucent materials came into fashion: muslin, gas, percale - they were appreciated for their simplicity. Such fabrics rather draped the figure, creating a flowing airy silhouette. The shemiz dress has become a symbol of a new, post-revolutionary aesthetic concept. However, European winters turned out to be too cold for thin materials, and shawls from Kashmir, which were supposed to be thrown over the shoulders, came into fashion: they not only warmed their mistress, but also served as a good addition to her dress. Spencer and a redingot, practical outfits tailored in the English style, also protected from the cold.

Luxurious Kashmiri headscarves cost a lot of money, and therefore it is not surprising that they were included in wills or dowry lists. After 1830, the popularity of such capes was so great that by the 1840s, large weaving factories for the production of shawls opened in both France and England. And if in Lyon in France they worked with expensive, refined materials, then in the Scottish town of Paisley, mass production of less expensive woven shawls and their imitations with a printed pattern was established.

After the French Revolution, cotton fabrics, produced mainly in England, replaced expensive silk. Silk manufactories in Lyon, until recently the mainstay of the French economy, were in a serious crisis. Napoleon, alarmed by the economic situation in the country, attempted to revive production by imposing customs bans on the import of goods from England, as well as banning the population from wearing English muslin clothes. However, even these harsh measures could not withstand fashion trends. After his coronation in 1804, when Napoleon was proclaimed emperor, he issued a decree requiring both women and men to appear at all official ceremonies in silk attire.

So the emperor managed to revive the luxurious court fashion. pre-revolutionary period... The Empress Josephine loved the silk ceremonial gowns and the gorgeous trailing gowns that became typical of the court fashion of the Empire era. It is in this dress that Napoleon's wife is captured in the famous painting by Jacques Louis David. The velvet train of the empress's official dress with ermine padding symbolizes the luxury and power of the French court: revolutionary ideals gradually became history. Such exquisite dresses with a train have long remained an invariable attribute of the court ceremonies of the European royal courts.

In the first decade of the 19th century, the style of women's dresses did not undergo any significant changes, but after 1810 the length of the skirts was noticeably shortened. Demand for underwear has re-emerged; they also wore soft corsets, without whalebone inserts. The fashion for the materials from which casual clothes were sewn changed again, and cotton gave way to silk. The abundance of decorative elements and bright colours they really liked women of fashion all over the world and again won their hearts.

ROMANTIC STYLE

The raised waistline of the Empire-era dress was a thing of the past by the mid-1820s. Corsets again became a necessary element of women's clothing, as the new style of the suit required an emphatically thin waist. The skirts widened and began to resemble a bell, and their length decreased, revealing the ankle. Now, when graceful legs have opened for all to see, stockings have become an important attribute of a lady's outfit. But the most characteristic feature of the new style trend of this period can be considered (the leg of lamb sleeve), which was distinguished by a sharp expansion at the shoulder and an equally sharp narrowing at the cuff. The peak of popularity of such sleeves came in 1835.

Another notable feature of the fashion of this era was the neckline, so deep that in daytime ladies were instructed to wear headscarves-fishyu, capes, shawls or “berts”. In order to accentuate and shade the voluminous sleeves and low cut of the dress, the hairstyles and hats were enlarged, they were distinguished by an abundance of decorative ornaments made of feathers, artificial flowers and precious stones.

The whims of fashion of the period described were significantly influenced by romanticism, distinguished by a special sensuality, praising creative, extraordinary impulses, characterized by an interest in the past and exotic worlds. The canons of romanticism demanded that ideal woman was fragile and distinguished by its special sophistication. The cheerful and healthy look began to be found vulgar, and therefore it was customary to admire the pallor of the face.

CRINOLINE

The foundational style of the 1830s continued to dominate into the 1840s, but deliberately decorative ornaments such as the §Scho1 sleeves gradually fell out of fashion and were replaced by more "calm" styles.

The waists nevertheless became even narrower, and the skirts continued to expand. The widened contour of the skirt was formed with the help of several layers of petticoats, although their abundance significantly limited the movement of women. However, since physical activity was not one of the activities that women from high society could afford, heavy clothing was considered, rather, not a hindrance to movement, but an indicator of high position.

In the 1850s, skirts featured an abundance of horizontal ruffles that accentuated the tapered silhouette. On the sleeves, ruffles at the shoulder have given way to ruffles at the wrist. Headdresses have also shrunk, becoming modest hats or bonnets that cover the face. The painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, who worked in the first half of the 19th century, captured on his canvases with the utmost precision fashion trends that era.

In the late 1850s, women's clothing underwent dramatic changes, most of all affecting skirts. The invention of new materials led to the emergence of the "crinoline-cage", a petticoat with hoops. In the 1840s, the term crinoline referred to petticoats made from horsehair woven into heavy linen. After 1850, the term began to refer to a petticoat with hoops made of steel or whalebone, in the form of a "cage". Thanks to the appearance of crinolines, skirts have reached a truly immense width.

The increased demand for fabrics can be considered a boon for the French textile industry, in particular for the silk manufactories of Lyon. Napoleon III pursued a policy that supported the development of textile production, and the French bourgeoisie happily welcomed his endeavors. Celebrity couturiers such as Charles Frederick Worth have designed dresses using exquisite silks from Lyon.

Beginning in the late 1860s, the skirts continued to be bulky in the back, but noticeably "flattened" in the front. A similar silhouette was achieved with the help of such an element of underwear as a bustle. Tournures were called overlays that were worn at the back to give expressiveness to the silhouette, stuffing them with a variety of materials.

In order to give the costume a deliberately voluminous shape, skirts and outerwear sometimes gathered in folds on the back. With only minor changes in the details, bustles continued to be in vogue into the 1880s. A typical dress silhouette from the 1880s can be seen in Georges Seurat's painting Sunday Walk.

Many of the costumes worn in the second half of the 19th century consisted of two separate items: a bodice and a skirt. As the century drew to a close, the number of decorative details in clothing increased. It got to the point that literally every seam and every fold of the dress was decorated in abundance with complex decorations.

Ultimately, it became almost impossible to see the natural outlines of the female body. The only exception was the one-piece dress, introduced in the early 1870s, which allowed some outlines of the figure to be discerned. This dress was named the "princess dress" after Princess Alexandra (1844-1925), who later became Queen of England.

By the end of the century, ladies began to wear voluminous hairpieces. The headgear, which was practically obligatory in the 19th century, turned into a small hat with narrow brims that barely covered the intricate hairstyle. The current that has no fields has become especially popular.

The period between the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the First World War in France is called the Bell Epoque ("Belle Epoque"). The predominant decadence of the Art Nouveau era dictated its own special, somewhat perverted aesthetics. The atmosphere of the transition period seemed to breathe new life into women's fashion. The artificial silhouette, so characteristic of the 19th century (it was formed by structural underwear), gave way to new forms of the 20th century, which followed the curves of the female body, trying to emphasize its uniqueness.

Marcel Proust, in his "Memories of Lost Time", correctly noted that it was at the beginning of the 20th century that the structure of a woman's dress completely changed. One of the innovations characteristic of this period was the appearance of an 8-shaped silhouette, which is notable for emphasizing the waist by forming a voluminous, protruding bust and a lush back of the dress. Lingerie companies offered women several corset options to help them achieve the graceful, thin waistline that fashion demanded. The 8-shaped figures of women were supposed to resemble the wavy line that became the ideal of the Art Nouveau era.

As for the decorative arts, and above all, jewelry, then the bold, innovative ideas of artists promoting the Art Nouveau style are especially noticeable in it.
Until the 19th century, women more than once wore outfits with elements borrowed from men's clothing, however, only for horseback riding. Passionate about costumes special clothing for sports or travel became a characteristic feature of the outgoing 19th century.

At the dawn of the 20th century, ladies began to use costumes. male type and in everyday life. At that time, women's costume consisted of two pieces: a jacket and a skirt, which were worn with a shirt or blouse. The blouse had to be in harmony with the outfit, and therefore it quickly became important element female fashion. Women, dressed in elegant blouses, were nicknamed "Gibson's girls": the American illustrator Charles Gibson (1867-1944), often depicted a similar lady's outfit.

If we talk about dresses designed to emphasize the natural outlines of the female body, then it should be noted that in the 1890s, the fashion for giant sleeves revived again, so, albeit not for long, the trendsetters retreated from the desire for simplicity. This trend faded away by 1900. During this period, hats became larger, they were again supplemented with extravagant decor, for example, stuffed birds, and this fashion lasted until the beginning of the 20th century.

THE EVOLUTION OF UNDERWEAR

In the second half of the 19th century, the industrial revolution had a significant impact on the life of society. She also touched clothing, which henceforth became a commodity of mass production. Gradually, a strict etiquette was formed in high society, requiring women to change outfits seven or eight times a day. The names of the costumes themselves help us to understand when a lady had to wear a certain toilet: "morning dress", "dress for afternoon tea", "dress for visits", " Evening Dress"(For theater)," ball gown”,“ Dress for dinner ”,“ home dress ”(it was worn before going to bed) and, finally,“ night dress ”.

Each of these dresses required its own underwear, which was now distinguished by a special variety. In addition to the shemiz shirt, pantaloons and a petticoat were used. The linen was decorated with an incredible amount of decorative elements. We must not forget that the main function of underwear was the modeling of a fashionable silhouette: crinolines, bustles, corsets were a vital part of a 19th century women's dress. Lingerie manufacturers often used the latest patented inventions. Steel wire and springs were used to make underwear, although traditional materials were not excluded: horsehair, whalebone, bamboo sticks and rattan supports.

In the second half of the 19th century, the standard of living of certain segments of the population increased significantly, people had more free time, as well as money that they could spend on recreation. It was considered fashionable to visit fashionable resorts, which became more accessible thanks to the development of public transport.

From now on, sports activities were also a prestigious entertainment. The jacket and three-piece suit, so beloved by modern men, were originally conceived as informal clothing for travel or sports exercises. Women's sports attire for riding, hunting or tennis was practical enough, but not much different from everyday urban clothing. Medical luminaries have often recommended that women swim in the sea as modern method recovery, but the women were more likely to splash in the coastal wave, rather than make long heats. Their swimwear was designed in such a way that they could walk on the beach and play sports, but not swim.

As the 19th century drew to a close, the length of the skirts gradually decreased, in such a dress it was possible to practice active sports: golf and skiing. It was at this time that knitted sports sweaters first appeared, and when hunting, ladies began to wear a men's jacket, the so-called "Norfolk jacket". Practical plaid fabrics came into vogue, which differed unique combination colors and patterns, it was from them that they began to make clothes for resorts. Such costumes gained particular popularity after the English Queen Victoria appeared in one of them.

Fashion history. Kyoto Costume Institute Collection