Fashion and Elegance: French Fashions of the 1720s

During the early 18th century small series of costume plates reported on the fashion of the day. Women wore the loose-fitting robe volante, also called a ‘sack-backed gown’ in English, over which women sometimes added a short, hooded cloak known as a bagnolette. Men dressed in long coats over a waistcoat and knee-breeches. Pig-tail wigs were adorned with large bows, and tricorne hats were tucked under the arm rather than worn on the head. The two large prints from around 1760 show Parisians out for a stroll. Curiously, the women wear wide paniers (hoop skirts) for their promenade on the ramparts. In the caption underneath, they are condemned as silly slaves of fashion who blindly follow the dictates of the latest trends.