Materials and Making

The simple forms of Classical Greek sculpture became a crucial source of inspiration for dress during the years leading up to the French Revolution in 1789 as the opulent fashions of the aristocracy became increasingly unpopular and ridiculed. Fashionable women felt pressured to exchange their fine silks and lavish embroideries for simpler styles, and even the French Queen, Marie Antoinette, popularised a more informal style of dress at Court in Versailles from about 1783. Dubbed the "Chemise a la Reine", this style was so simple and semi-transparent in appearance, that at first glance, it seemed like little more than underwear.

This dress is made from panels of white Jaindanie muslin from Dacca, figured with a tiny pattern on the loom, and it is actually very simply made-up, using full-width panels of muslin threaded with 3 drawstrings for shaping, at the neck, under the bust and at the waist. The high-waisted, neo-classical style persisted until the first decades of the 19th century, as illustrated in a fashion plate from The Lady's Magazine dated 1808.

Full item descriptions:

"dress (chemise à la reine)" [1947.1714]

Related Themes:

Neo-classicism
18th Century Women's Fashion