Rococo fashion
Rococo Fashion
The Rococo fashion (also referred to as “Late Baroque”) was THE fashion style during the most of the 18th century (1730-1780). During this time France was the fashion-country of the world. This style is much lighter and more elegant than the “heavy” Baroque fashion. The clothes should have many details and the wealthy women had gowns that were spectacular, covered with bows and flowers and a fancy corset above the waistline. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s motto “Back to Nature” had an immense impact on the excessive use of flowers, butterflies, berries et.c. as ornaments.
This was a time when new ideas about human existence were introduced and Rococo is the visual representation of the optimism people felt in response to that.
The Rococo style is very influenced by China; women even did their makeup to look like Chinese china or “the white gold” as they also called it.
But at the same time the style was a torture for the women. To be able to fit in the dresses they had to be very skinny. They had to wear a corset to hold everything in; the “fine” women had an average waist on 30 cm in circumference, which is crazy! This is why so many women died in childbirth. And if they took the corset of, they had no back muscles that supported them. This is the same concept that they use in China where they squeeze the girls’ feet in a pair of very small shoes because it is considered beautiful to have small feet there.
// Hedvig
Great article, Hedvig!
I like how you have been explaining how the Rococo style came along as an influence from China. It's a good example of showiing that globalization have existed for a very long time. When we today talk about globalization, we usually think of... well at least today's society. Or do you think about the 18th century?
Great article, Hedvig!
I like how you have been explaining how the Rococo style came along as an influence from China. It's a good example of showiing that globalization have existed for a very long time. When we today talk about globalization, we usually think of... well at least today's society. Or do you think about the 18th century?
Great article, Hedvig!
I like how you have been explaining how the Rococo style came along as an influence from China. It's a good example of showiing that globalization have existed for a very long time. When we today talk about globalization, we usually think of... well at least today's society. Or do you think about the 18th century?
Great article, Hedvig!
I like how you have been explaining how the Rococo style came along as an influence from China. It's a good example of showiing that globalization have existed for a very long time. When we today talk about globalization, we usually think of... well at least today's society. Or do you think about the 18th century?
I think this is insane! Why would you wear a corset so that you could not breath? Nice article though :)
Like your article, it really shows that it wasn't always fun to be rich and beautiful. I think it's crazy what they did to small girls just to make them look the way that the fashion wanted them to do. Good that you're giving examples of what they did. It must have been horrible to have that kind of small waist. It makes you pretty happy that we were born here in sweden at this time and not at the french court during the 18th century
