Dedicated followers of fashion
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Between 1750 and 1820, fashion went through an amazing metamorphosis. The embroidery-encrusted suits of the macaronis and the stiff-boned bodices of the female elegantes gave way, after the French Revolution, to the unbuttoned excesses of the `merveilleuses' and `incroyables'. In France, women dressed a l'antique or a la sauvage, burning their corsets and exposing their flesh in skimpy shifts, while male fashion victims sported immodestly
skin-tight breeches,
chin-hugging cravats and jackets designed to be too small. The elderly English buck in Rowlandson's caricature (left) is attempting to ape French style with his too small coat. From `The Art of Dress: Fashion in England and France 1750-1820' by Aileen Ribeiro (Yale, pounds 40)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments