This article presents the costume to the XVIIIe century .

Context

At the 18th century, the fashion had a strong influence on the French. Colbert explained that well when he said “the fashion is in France what the mines of the Peru are with the Spain”. Of the 18th century, the fashion in France thought the social and political attitudes, arts, and of course, the richness and the social class of people. The 18th century brought a new king and a new hope to France: Louis XV and a period of cheerfulness succeeded the rigid reign of Louis XIV. It was the time of the Rococo. With the advent of the king, the heaviness and the black colors of the previous period disappeared and were replaced by the pastels, the light, and a certain independence of mind.

The mistresses of the new king, the female tastes of this last and its love for the entertainments, influenced the culture of time. The Art S, the Theater, the Architecture and the mode felt some. With this young king also arrived a direction of freedom and a love of life which were reflected well in the fashion of the time. At the court, a certain frivolity developed. The policy and the administration of the country were forgotten by the noble ones and the king. The businesses of the country were abandoned to people of the middle-class while the noble ones and the royalty continued the entertainments and the pleasure. The distance of the government, combined with a new skepticism, drew aside the styles of the male traditional mode; in the transition from the Baroque to the Rococo, this change brought the elegant, soft, and female styles. The fabric S soft and the reasons with flowers gained in popularity.

Costume

Everywhere at that time, the styles of clothing became charged while the fabrics became more invaluable. The silhouettes became more natural and less bulky, and the colors started to be cleared up towards the Rococo style. The styles for the two sexes found a conformity simple.

Men

The article of first need for the men was the costume. Each man had a Justaucorps, short breeches, long a Veste, and sometimes a white jabot.
The jackets, generally of Brocart, were very adjusted in top, and in bottom, they widened body, leaving a place for the sword to go down to the knee. The handles are adjusted and decorated galons.
The shirt goes with a Gilet as long as the jacket to tight buttoning and with low pockets. The shirt goes sometimes with a white jabot. The men put, under the tight breeches just in top of the knees, of the Bas of Soie. The Chaussure S punts and black with a loop finished the behavior. All the social classes put these costumes during the whole century without much of changes.

The Coiffure consists of rollers of hair covering the ears also called wings of pigeon ; this elaborate hairstyle entraïne often the port of Wig imitating it.

Between the economic and social classes, the style of clothing really did not differ; but it was by fabrics that they were easily distinguished.
The higher classes used silks, the Brocart S and the Velours for the Costume S and the dress S, while the working class used the Laine and the Coton, which were less expensive. The jackets of the nobility had the embellishments, of the Broderie S and the dozen Bouton S which were regarded as jewels. The men of the higher classes put also Postiche S white powdered with loops of Cheveu X close to the face and a tail. The working class carried the jackets far from decorated and the long hair in tail with horse tied on the nape of the neck.

Women

Being made the echo of the government, clothing of the women of this time adopted a more abstract fashion. The shapes of the dresses became more natural. As for the men, it is not by their form but by their fabrics which clothing of the rich women differed from those of the modest women.

During most of the 18th century, the fashion for the women was with the floating dress S. They had skirts amply draped over Panier S . The silhouette of the women who carried them seemed a large bell with very a small size and broad hips. The majority of the dresses were with low size, at a peak. Under each dress the women put a Corset and Jupon S. the corsets were essential to obtain a small size and to maintain the form of the Corsage S, and the underskirts helped to support the baskets under the skirts. Watteau folds covered the backs of the coats and a Traîne supplemented these elegant dresses. Into 1740, the silhouette of the dresses was transformed. The baskets became extensive around the hips, the skirts starting to resemble boxes. Just before this passion does not disappear, the width of some of these dresses reached four meters. But after this short whim, the more natural forms returned.

This fashion of the imposing and inconvenient dresses to arise in company will bring the appearance of the Négligé in order to take on a comfortable behavior at home.

Until 1720, the fashion is with the cap fontange consistent in a bonnet trimmed with the shape in wire rather high made up of several degrees furnished with muslin, ribbons, flowers and feathers.
The hair is not cut any more, one adds of them even Postiche S to gain puffing out . Many accessories (flowers, birds, headstock, animals, etc) are added to the Coiffure to express the tastes of that which carry them. They are also powdered in order to be white.

They carry sometimes a leave-all-to make which is a decorated Tablier which goes by elegance. It is the fashion of the Ombrelle S. the shoes are Escarpin S or silk mules with heels very high.

Like Louis XV, the rich women used fabrics of luxury for their dresses. The Satin, the Taffeta, velvet, and silks were popular, and the dresses were often covered with flowered embroidery, in the female style of the Rococo. The middle-class women used cotton and the wool and they put rigid underskirts instead of baskets. The detail and the jewels missed in the dresses of peasants, but the fundamental form remained the same one. Without exception, everyone essait to be with the mode. Rich people, even the peasants, imitated the styles of the king and his court.

The social classes influenced certainly the fashion at the 18th century, but the fashion also influenced the social classes.

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