Fashion across social ranks
Fashion across social ranks in late 17th-century France
By popular request, here is a look at how people from different social backgrounds were represented in late 17th-century France — from men and women of quality to peasants, shepherds, tradespeople, street vendors, a midwife, a financier and members of the clergy.
The images come from Recueil des modes de la cour de France, a remarkable collection of French costume and fashion prints produced between 1670 and c. 1693.
Artists: Jean Bérain · Jacques Lepautre · Jean Dieu de Saint-Jean
Published by: Jean-Baptiste Bonnart · Henri Bonnart · Nicolas Arnoult · Nicolas Bonnart · Robert Bonnart
An important note: these prints should not be read as a documentary record of how every member of each social group actually dressed. They are artistic representations of contemporary social types, shaped by the conventions, observations and sometimes stereotypes of their makers. Still, they offer a fascinating glimpse beyond court fashion and show how differences in occupation, status and lifestyle were expressed through clothing.
I have kept the original French titles of the prints, with English translations beneath them.
