The 18th century saw the peak of the Age of Enlightenment. This was focused very much on reason (in various forms, some of which we don’t really use today), but also on values such as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity and more. These values were all based on the (re)discovered idea that humans had power over nature. This is why we see a spike in values that center around people and a human-centric society.
The Rococo style became very popular in the arts. In fashion, we could see the notion of artifice appear, with many decorations and exuberant details being the mark of most looks. In fact, sometimes, these decorative and ornamental pieces became downright exaggerated.
In drawings and paintings, we often see these fashions, which came mostly in the forms of wigs and, in the case of women, in dresses being exaggerated and caricatured. We’re pretty sure there were no birds actually getting caught in the wigs of the aristocracy. However, in daily life, these wigs and dresses were bigger than we can actually imagine. In fact, often, dresses which were based on paniers, which were the basked-shaped structures on which those huge dresses were built, were so large that doors had to be enlarged so that women could pass through them. The new architectural creations often involved very wide doors by default. This way, they hoped women would be less uncomfortable. While style in this era was at its peak, the same can’t be said about comfort. The layers of clothes (including for men) the people mostly of the nobility wore, the heavy makeup (which was not as light and comfortable as the makeup of today), the corsets and the powdered wigs were highly uncomfortable.
The 18th century made many fashion staples popular: from gold threads to ribbons and embroidery, all these decorative elements exploded during this period. Moreover, this was the time when stripes became popular, but which became a really big thing in the 19th century.
The over-the-top fashions of the 18th century continue to inspire and amaze many people to this day. Many designers still use them as sources of inspiration for their creations and many people find a lot of meaning in them.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
Attire Club Mood Board: Court Details
Attire Club Mood Board: Racinet’s Costume History Book
Attire Club Mood Board: German Court Clothes
Attire Club Mood Board: Prints and Patterns
AC Mood Board: Royal, Military and Court Costumes from the Jacobean Era
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