Fashion of the 18th century: the era of royal luxury sunset

Fashion of the 18th century: the era of royal luxury sunset
Story

the fashion of the 18th century Fashion is cyclical, like all other processes in one way or another involved a person throughout his life. During the heyday of the reduction should be, the dominance of austerity and high moral standards may be replaced by the era of freedom and pretentiousness. Fashion of the 18th century marked a smooth transition from the gluttony of the previous century in the luxury of a new, absorbing its main features, which have been delicately adjusted. Fashion of 18th century - a rococo as a new word in the culture of visual images, still carefully soothing topical classicism.

In the first half of the XVIII century, the era of "gallant century", which was replaced by preceding the "Great Century". Images of the end of the XVII century were pretentious, greedy wealth of decoration and expression of emotional impulses of the individual, so long fettered choking canons of the Middle Ages. At first glance it may seem that the fashion baroque and rococo are no different from each other - the same lush dresses, ribbons, bows, corsets and neck freely. But on closer examination rococo image seem more polished. It was not a nervous, almost random jumble of elegant draperies hung with accessories, as well formed images penciled under a single denominator.

Rococo

the fashion of the 18th century The name of "Rococo" is associated with the French designation of decoration in the form of shells. In the sixteenth century silhouettes were clad in tight geometric shapes, in the seventeenth was a moderate release of figures shrouded softer lines. And all this for the sake of the eighteenth century there was again a contraction figure, which at this time was not a manifestation of piety. Fashion "gallant century" with its powdered wigs and faces painted with flies and rouge was playful and light.

Rococo style was a fantasy and very feminine, it is impossible to ignore and even deny the male image. The woman in this era became the center of attention, the object of pleasure, she knew about it and it seems that was not against. The lady of the eighteenth century - the flirtatious, sometimes a little frivolous, conscious of its attractiveness to the opposite sex so strongly emphasizing its different tricks. The main ones were tall fancy hairstyles with curls (natural hair Hair: structure, characteristics of growth and development often replaced wigs), narrow waist dress layered skirt with heavy drapes and deliberately raised the hips, which created a daring contrast to the waist. Large breasts, small waist and wide hips area creating the perfect appearance of the silhouette "hourglass", which to this day is considered to be the personification of female attractiveness. For the integrity of women's suits, two dresses: a lower - and upper frepon - Modesto. But the most vivid detail - rigid multilayer skirt.

Skirt-petticoat (panier - French. "Basket") has become one of the main "attractions" of the 18th century fashion. To give it stiffness and elevated form used frame of wood or steel rods, wealthy ladies wore dresses with a frame made of whalebone. Petticoat skirt has become one of the indicators of the fashion of the eighteenth century as an expression of theatricality. It seems that in these clothes a woman could not do anything - just sit or walk slowly for a walk or a secular reception. Fashion "gallant century" - a celebration of idleness, which was an essential attribute of life of noble ladies of that era.

Men's fashion

the fashion of the 18th century The male costume of the XVIII century in many ways resembles the outline of a female. The main part of the image became justacorps men who began to wear during the second half of the seventeenth century. This coat adjacent silhouette, diverging about waist length to about the knee, did not have a collar, but it was a lot of small buttons. Over time justacorps became more decorative: it was worn unbuttoned, sewed coats with voluminous folds of the side seams. Later, the front shelves in the bottom of the coat disappeared entirely, which gave birth to the new part of the male wardrobe - English Thrace. Knickers were an indispensable part of the male costume Men's Suits: tradition and modernity But they lost their decorative splendor and became concise, complemented stockings, culottes and exquisite shoes with pointed heels and capes, more like a ladies' shoes.

In the 70 years of the XVIII century in men's fashion in Western Europe gradually ending undivided domination of France, which is inferior to the sphere of influence of England. Male begins to reach for the image of simplicity and elegance, splendor and disappear shown theatricality. Even the most violent mods assess the practicality of everyday clothes, so close to the end of the century disappear fancy hats and wigs. In the women's suit is increasingly being used more simple, natural materials to replace the shining silk Silk - a legacy of the Yellow Emperor , Satin, taffeta come cotton and linen. By the end of the century rococo uncomfortable in women's fashion is replaced by the Empire style, the hallmark of which was overestimated waist, straight skirt and a common desire for verticality in silhouette.