1790s short stays (and a petticoat)

In January I made a decision to begin a 1790's ensemble. I originally wrote the majority of this post in February and have only just got round to editing it.

 I have wanted to make one of these costumes for some time, the craziness of the transitional period from Eighteenth Century to Regency styles as well as the surrounding history fascinates me. In the 1790's partly due to the influence of Neo-classicism which idolised the styles of the ancient Greeks and Romans and also due to the effects of the French Revolution clothing began to become much simpler and less structured. The executions of the French aristocracy in the late 1780's had led to the casting off off the previous rococo styles in order to avoid being targeted for being sympathetic to the monarchy and to show allegiance to the new republic. (This is despite the fact that Marie Antoinette was instrumental in the adoption of the classical style but I'm hoping to cover that in a future post).

tirical Print Ah! Quelle antiquité!!! Oh! Quelle folie que la nouveauté … by Alexis Chataignier (1797)

This shows the dramatic change in fashionable dress