THE THIRD REPUBLIC.
1870 TO 1874.
The years 1870 and 1871—The siege of Paris—General
mourning—Simplicity and economy—Parisian velvet and
pekin—A concert costume—A cloth costume—Alsatian bows and
costumes—Soirées at the Presidency—Marie Stuart and Michael
Angelo bonnets—“Hunting stockings”—Rabagas hats—The years
1872 and 1873—Fan parasols—“Leopold Robert” bonnets—The
year 1873—Return of luxury—“Regent” belts and “sovereign”
dress-improvers—Silks—“Moderate” costumes—The burning of
the Opera House—Sale on behalf of those made orphans by the
war—The ball for the Lyons weavers—Cashmere tunics—Dislike
to gloves—Petticoats—Charles IX. shoes—Slippers—The
year 1874—“Page” bonnets and “Margot” hats—Hair in the
Swiss style; false hair—The ball given by the Chamber of
Commerce—Green—Jet—Various costumes—Hair-dressing—“Mercury”
bonnets.
The fatal year of 1870 will be long and sorrowfully remembered. Our
hearts are still bleeding for the misfortunes of our beloved France,
suddenly called upon to undertake a frightful war, and to accept a peace
purchased only at the cost of terrible sacrifices.
During the siege of Paris by the German troops, when all communication
with the departments was cut off, the part played by Fashion was
interrupted, and the source of caprice in dress completely dried up. How
could Frenchwomen indulge in the luxuries of dress while their native
soil was red with the blood of their fathers, husbands, brothers, or
sons? How could they occupy their minds with superfluities, when millions
were in want of the necessaries of life, when the inhabitants of the
capital lacked food, and when France, from one end to the other, was in
the agony of a great despair?
For many months the pleasant things of home were laid aside, and Fashion
veiled her face. Women passed their days in encouraging the soldiers, in
making lint, in nursing the wounded, and in all sorts of contrivances
for alleviating the privations of innumerable households. There was no
room for other pursuits.
Paris was encompassed by her enemies, and became like an extinct sun to
the rest of France. The journals of Fashion that had formerly taught the
whole world the latest Parisian inventions in attire or hair-dressing
were now silent! The love of dress, of jewels, of brilliant finery, had
vanished!
Charitable collections were set on foot, to which the wealthy contributed
some of their diamonds and lace.
How great was the change in a few months! From riches to poverty, from
thoughtless gaiety to universal mourning! The few heartless women who
ventured to parade the streets in gay attire were scathed by the contempt
of those who passed them by, and pitied by all generous minds.
Such theatres as remained open, gave performances only on behalf of the
wounded soldiers, all fêtes were for charitable purposes, and Fashion,
entering into the spirit of the times, ruled with both simplicity and
economy. The audiences on these occasions had no desire to shock public
opinion by brightly coloured dresses, by exaggerated “poufs,” or by the
display of valuable jewels. They bore in mind that boundless luxury had
contributed to the downfall of France, and they set the example of reform
both in dress and manners. They selected appropriate costumes, ladylike
and graceful it is true, but free from affectation, and with due regard
to the melancholy circumstances of that terrible time.
At the Trouville Races, in 1871, there was nothing new in the costumes
worn, in the true signification of the word, but they were neither like
those of the preceding year, nor, as regards brilliancy, like those of
the latter years of the Second Empire, and on that account alone they
deserve mention. Gowns, without crinolines or trains, no longer swept the
beach as formerly, nor did they display the wealth of their wearers; the
visitors to the seaside were simply and modestly attired, and resorted
thither for bathing merely.
“Parisian velvet” was the new winter material. This was a sort of black
satin, with velvet lozenges or diamonds. Another kind of velvet-satin,
called Pekin, was very fashionable. Different varieties of these two
materials made them suitable to every figure. The costume was completed
by a black velvet bonnet with curled black feathers falling over the
crown, and velvet strings.
Satin was mixed with “Irish” cashmere for gowns, and trimmed with
fringe, gimp, and lace. The above styles were, I repeat, dignified,
and appropriate to the then position of France. There were some rare
exceptions that contrasted with the general rule.
At a private concert for the benefit of the sufferers by the war, the
principal singer—an amateur—wore a gown of white double crape, with
demi-train and puffings at the bottom; three large “pattes” of black
velvet fell over the skirt, and on each of these was an anchor in Rhine
crystal; the bodice was low, and trimmed with two ruchings of black
velvet, divided by one of white crape. The head-dress was black velvet
and pale Bengal roses.
Under the melancholy circumstances, black was universally worn, but it
was not like ordinary mourning, being richly trimmed; and by degrees, as
months passed on, and the remembrance of recent disasters became fainter,
lighter shades were permitted to modify the exclusively black garments.
The so-called “cloth costume” was also much worn; this consisted of
a tunic, jacket, and skirt. The tunic was polonaise shape, plain in
front, and with two Watteau plaits behind; the skirt was of silk, either
flounced or kilted, or else in orleans or cashmere, for morning wear. A
wide-sleeved jacket, cut out all round in “battlements,” was worn over
this costume.
Alsatian bows for the hair, in remembrance of our beloved and lost
Alsace, were much worn by young girls. Marie Antoinette fichus and
Charlotte Corday caps were still in fashion, and becomingly adorned with
Alsatian bows.
During the Carnival of 1872—hardly a brilliant one, as may be
imagined—the Alsatian costume was quite a success. The same may be
said of the costume of Lorraine. But, to our mind, there was something
childish in thus exhibiting our regret at having ceded two of our finest
provinces to Germany; it was no affair of fashion. Visiting costumes
were trimmed with ribbon rosettes at the side, in imitation of the
Alsatian custom, and this style remained in fashion for more than a year.
When summer came, alpaca, mohair, and grey “poil-de-chèvre” or
goats’-hair dresses were seen at all the public promenades. Black and
dark shades were worn less and less every day. It was evident to all that
the worldly spirit was reviving to a certain extent. Moreover, trade and
manufacture required support; manufacturers, traders, and workmen had all
of them suffered, and custom was needed to repair their losses.
Towards autumn the managers of theatres began to bring out new pieces;
and shortly afterwards, receptions at the Presidency gave some impetus to
the manufacture of dress-stuffs, which had been seriously affected by the
siege of Paris.
Among other dresses, I recollect having seen one made with a demi-train,
a deep kilting “à la vieille” round the bottom of the skirt, at the
head of the kilting five rows of thick cording, and two bias flounces
gathered together. The bodice was in one piece, and cut like a long
square waistcoat. The basques and sleeves were in woollen material, and
the waistcoat in silk. With this was worn a Marie Stuart bonnet in China
crape and “faille” silk, edged with jet beads, and trimmed with a tuft
of black feathers with one long hanging plume. The “Michael Angelo”
bonnet, lined with some light colour, and the “sailor” hat, in felt or
dark velvet, were also favourites. Sets of collars and cuffs were made
in linen, trimmed with Valenciennes or guipure; and dresses were trimmed
with China crape, cashmere, and black or white lace.
We may mention, as novelties, doeskin, kid, and cashmere gloves, with as
many as five, six, and even ten buttons; and clocked stockings in all
colours, called hunting stockings, and very much liked by the public.
Ladies’ costumes were completed by small muffs, braided and fur-trimmed
dolmans, circular lined cloaks of silk or cachemire; the comfortable
“Duchess mantles,” that might well have been called Oriental; satin-lined
hoods; and “Rabagas” bonnets, which were made of the same velvet or
satin as the dress, and with a long feather curled round the crown.
The “Rabagas” hat was brought into fashion by a play of Victorien
Sardou’s, that attracted much attention by its political and reactionary
character.
An absurdity of the winter of 1872 deserves notice. Ladies carried
enormous fans, almost as big as parasols, with a painted bouquet of
flowers in the left-hand corner. This unfortunate invention was intended
to serve both as fan and screen, but its reign was of short duration. The
“fan-parasol” was, in fact, a failure.
The “Leopold Robert” bonnet, on the contrary, had a great success,
owing to its artistic shape. It consisted of a wreath of flowers or
foliage placed on a band of plain or puckered velvet; ribbon or lace at
the back fell over the chignon; there were no strings. A veil called
a “provisoire” was wound round the head; it covered the face, Jewish
fashion; and the long ends crossed behind, then brought forward and tied
under the chin, took the place of bonnet strings.
The “Leopold Robert” bonnet lent a charm to ugliness itself. Was it on
that account that pretty women gave it up? Were they afraid of being lost
in the crowd, and of receiving only a divided homage?
In 1873, feminine dress became extremely complicated. All kinds of
ornamentation were used with more or less happy effect. It seemed as if
feminine vanity were endeavouring to make up for the lost years 1871 and
1872. Simplicity was succeeded by finery of all sorts, and the trimmings
of dresses cost ruinous prices. Fifteen or twenty flounces would be put
on one skirt. Costumes were trimmed with chased, bronzed, or oxydized
buttons.
After an interregnum of many years, steel ornaments were again worn in
the hair, and young girls wore a locket on velvet round their throat.
“Regent” belts and “sovereign” dress-improvers were much worn, and were
very becoming.
Although there were no essential changes in the fashions, they became
every year more difficult to define, because women were beginning to
dress independently, each one according to her own taste, and with
reference to age, position, and means, without servile imitation of any
particular fashion. The ground-work of dress varied little, but the
details were almost infinite in number, and were, in fact, characteristic
of each individual wearer. This was regarded as anarchical by persons
accustomed to the strict discipline of Fashion.
In a space of less than two months appeared the “Montenegrin,” a sort
of dolman which defined the figure becomingly, and was covered with
braid and silk embroidery; jet ornaments in great profusion (aigrettes,
buckles, sprigs, and wheat-ears); “Michael Angelo” bonnets, trimmed with
moss-roses and lilies of the valley; Tussore gowns (an Indian silk),
trimmed with black velvet; “Abbé” collars of the Louis XV. fashion, in
plaited muslin, with embroidered bands in front; and deep cuffs worn over
tight sleeves.
A great variety of materials was used, but plain or figured silks in
medium qualities were always more popular than fancy stuffs. Frills, and
ruchings of net or “crêpe lisse,” were worn round the throat.
Lockets and “saint esprits” in brilliants, strass, or Alençon diamonds,
and Normandy crosses delicately carved in light foliated patterns, were
favourite ornaments at this period.
Many Parisian ladies wore tight-fitting tunics or polonaises in the
street. Some very fashionable bonnets were made without crowns; these
were merely a thick wreath of vine leaves or flowers, rising rather high
in front. Clusters of curls fell over the back of the neck, displaying
the colour and beauty of the hair in a most charming way.
Costumes were of two kinds, the “extraordinary” and the “moderate”—the
latter were rather less worn than the former. Waistcoats and corslets
remained in favour during the summer; also long sleeveless cashmere and
velvet jackets, and Louis XV. “casaques” in winter.
On Tuesday evening, October 28, 1873, an unforeseen calamity befell the
world of fashion. The Paris Opera House, in which so many masterpieces
had been performed, and which was so admirably adapted for music, was
burned to the ground.
One of the temples of Fashion had perished in a night; and for a time the
splendid attire that had been wont to display itself at the Opera, had
also to vanish and be seen no more. No more was the dazzling light of the
great chandelier to be shed upon the “poufs” in English point, blond,
jet, or tulle; the tiaras and “rivières” of diamonds, the state costumes,
the magnificent Circassian belts!
The destruction of the Opera House dealt a terrible blow to aristocratic
finery, and forced it to take refuge in balls and promenades.
The “toilette d’Opera,” which was to rival that “des Italiens,” had to
wait until its temple should be rebuilt. The probation, however, was
short.
We are bound to admit that things were not so bad as might have been
expected. At that very moment luxury and fashion were assuming gigantic
proportions, and under the Third Republic women continued to wear clothes
of excessive costliness. It was fortunate that persons of slender means
were permitted to copy in simple materials the shape and trimming of
high-priced costumes. The “cut” became the principal point in dress,
other things being left to the choice and discretion of the wearer.
On the occasion of a charity sale on behalf of the orphans of the war,
at the new Opera House, Parisians perceived that the love of striking
costumes had not passed away. The lady stall-holders—Mme. Thiers, Mdlle.
Dosne, the Maréchale de MacMahon, and the Princesses Troubetskoï and
De Beauvau—vied with each other in elegance of attire, and the lady
purchasers were not left behind; their dresses were of various colours,
more or less harmonious, and composed of mazes of material and floods of
ribbon, heaps of lace, kiltings, flounces, and bows; in a word, all that
can be conceived of richness and elegance.
Under the peristyle of the Opera Garnier, parasols in “écru” silk spotted
with blue or pink, trimmed with bows and two rows of lace; and also
“cane” parasols with large handles, were seen. According to the strict
laws of costume, the parasol should be suited to the costume, and even
the fan should match.
A ball was given afterwards at the same theatre for the benefit of the
Lyons weavers, and the dresses were more magnificent than ever. But
no one found fault. Mme. Musard made a great sensation in a dress of
lime-tree colour, richly brocaded with bouquets of roses. The material
had been manufactured at Lyons at a cost of 100 francs per yard. White
predominated in the dresses of the queens of the ball—Mmes. de Mouchy,
Aymery de la Rochefoucauld, De Béhague, De Pène, De Beaufort, Alphonse
and Gustave de Rothschild. The latter wore a wonderful “apron” of pearls
worth several fortunes.
A lady not quite in the first circle, would practise economy by wearing
a cashmere tunic. This was simply her venerable burnous, that had been
lying for years in her wardrobe, re-made and trimmed with lace and jet
braid. Or she would resort to the art of the dyer, and her old green gown
would emerge from his hands a new handsome black one, with a few yards of
velvet added. The art of dyeing performs miracles, and at small cost.
A strange rumour was current in the highest circles in 1873.
What was that?
Nothing less than the abolition of gloves! This was assuredly no question
of economy, for their place was to be taken by a fashion worthy of the
days of the Directory. Women of fashion proposed to wear clusters of
rings between every finger joint; each hand to bear a fortune.
This was the fantastic dream of some “blasée” fine lady, longing for
novelty at any price. It was not realized, as may be imagined; and gloves
kept their place—an important one—among articles of feminine attire.
A desirable change in taste was manifested in the almost total
suppression of the trimmings with which gowns had been overloaded.
Dress remained as pretty as before, and cost much less. A Frenchwoman
can easily attain the beautiful, without over-stepping the bounds of
moderation. Much of the grace and becomingness of a costume depends on
the under-skirts, and, simple as they seem, they will long retain their
importance.
Waistcoats, “French Guard” coats, and “Leaguer” hats seemed like
encroachments on masculine dress, but the waistcoat was partially
disguised by a good deal of ornamentation.
Charles IX. house-shoes were much worn; they were of fine kid, rounded
at the tips, with high pointed heels and low vamps trimmed with bows; a
kid strap across the instep, with a large square buckle in steel or Rhine
crystal.
Felt slippers were worn of every shade of colour, braided in wool. Cloth
boots, with kid under-leathers, were made to match the costume with
admirable skill.
The year 1874 effected no change in the fashions of 1873 as we have
described them. But some of the minor accessories were varied, and thus
an air of novelty was given to the beginning of each season.
Flounces of English, Alençon, and Mechlin lace were mixed with quantities
of raised embroidery, beautifully executed.
A new shape for bonnets was favourably received in the highest circles
of fashion. It was of black velvet, with low round crown, and wide brim
slightly curled, something like a miller’s hat. The edge and crown were
bordered with jet beads. Some ladies wore this shape in felt, with a long
natural ostrich feather. Young girls preferred the “Page” hat, with soft
crown and drawn brim, and the “toquet Margot,” the brim of which was
plaited, and widened at the back into something like a bonnet curtain.
Black continued in fashion during the winter, and was made brilliantly
effective by the addition of lace trimmings and quantities of jet. Very
pretty fichus made of white or black tulle, sprinkled with jet beads, and
a high collar with frills on the inner side, were sometimes worn over
black costumes.
Ball dresses were characterized by deep “Henri II.” ruffs, and “Louis
XV.” sleeves trimmed with steel, silver, or gold beads, embroidered,
and even gold lace. Muslin and tarlatan resumed their former place in
female attire. Past periods were called upon for their fashions, either
successively or together. Costumes of a composite order, if I may borrow
an architectural term, were introduced.
The hair continued to be dressed high, and frizzed or waved over the
forehead. Ringlets at the back of the head went out of fashion; only a
couple of curls were allowed to stray on the neck. We may mention the
“Swiss” style of head-dress as something new. It consisted of two long
plaits hanging behind, and ending in a curl, above which was tied a
narrow ribbon.
False hair was worn more generally than ever. We learn from some
interesting and curious statistics that 51,816 kilogrammes of false hair
were sold in France in 1871; 85,959 in 1872; and 102,900 in 1873. These
figures were probably surpassed in 1874 and the succeeding years.
The hair is chiefly procured from Normandy, Auvergne, and Brittany.
Haircutters whose special business is the collecting of it, procure it in
April and May. They give in exchange coloured prints, muslin, and calico,
or they pay for it in money at five francs the kilogramme.
Who could have thought, at an earlier period, that the trade in hair
could have become so greatly developed in France?
During the winter, ladies principally aimed at warmth, and replaced
the classic waterproof by a circular cloak of silk, lined with flannel
or with fur, and slightly wadded. The furs most commonly used, besides
squirrel and Russian wild cat, were otter and Russian fox.
The Chamber of Commerce in Paris gave a ball in honour of Marshal
MacMahon, the second President of the Republic, at which thousands of
fairy-like costumes were all the more admired because they had been so
long unseen at official receptions. Few dresses came unhurt out of the
palace on that occasion; the dust was stifling, the crowd overwhelming,
and the pushing most unpleasant.
In the spring of 1874, tunics were succeeded by a sort of peplum, cut in
one piece with the bodice, and forming basques at the back.
Ladies wore “merveilleuse” hats in jet lace, one side turned up, with a
bunch of flowers.
Green was the favourite colour for gowns—verdegris, mignonette,
frog-green, bottle-green, canary-green, sage-green, &c., &c.
This reminds us of an historical incident in the reign of Henri III., on
the occasion of a banquet given by that king to some gentlemen who had
accompanied him to the siege of La Charité. “The ladies,” says Pierre
l’Estoile, “were all dressed in green; and all the guests were likewise
in green, for which cause, 60,000 francs worth of green silk had been
obtained from Paris.”
But to return to 1874. Green did not in that year create any great
excitement in trade; but jet was so extensively used, that the effect
was similar to that produced by the rage for green silk under Henri III.
In the course of a few months, several bead manufacturers at Venice made
immense sums of money. The foreign manufacturers who supplied our French
ladies with jet beads are at the present day millionnaires.
Together with the “merveilleuse” hat, the “incroyable” bodice came into
fashion. The latter opened over a waistcoat fastened by handsome fancy
buttons. The top was trimmed with a ruching lined with lilac; the sleeves
were in three pieces, with embroidered bands between.
Generally speaking, costumes were made in shades of one colour, rather
than in contrasting colours.
Pelted boots for ladies were introduced. This fashion probably originated
on the turf, but the boots were practically useless, except for
travelling.
Foulard was the favourite material for gowns, and the delightful
Hungarian or Croatian paletot was universally adopted. This was trimmed
with glass beads and frogs, and the shape was exquisitely becoming to the
figure, while the long flowing sleeves lent grace to the least graceful.
Some women of the highest rank favoured an extraordinary costume called
the “sheath” or “cloche.” They enveloped themselves in a garment which
fitted closely to the whole body. This whim was adopted only by a few,
because it was not becoming.
A great deal of trimming was worn on beige, mohair, tussore, alpaca, and
écru foulard gowns.
False hair went out of fashion, and was succeeded by the “knocker” or
“Catogan” style. Instead of being frizzed and twisted in every direction,
the hair was gathered together at the back of the head in a loose wide
plait, and looped on the nape of the neck with a ribbon bow.
Several new bonnet shapes were introduced during the summer, viz. the
“Trianon,” the “Elizabeth,” the “Charlotte Corday,” the “sailor hat,” the
“shepherdess,” the “Bersaglière,” the “Bandoulier,” the “Fra Diavolo,”
the “Orpheus,” and others. At the seaside the “Mercury” hat was popular;
it was a sort of “toquet,” with two wings in the front, springing from an
Alsatian bow, and the crown turned up at the back under a Catogan bow,
in which was fastened a poppy, or a large “Reine Marguerite” or ox-eyed
daisy.
In the autumn, the polonaise was succeeded by the tunic. Beaded, shining
trimmings became more fashionable than ever. Open or flat collars took
the place of frills. A small gold pencil-case was worn hanging from the
watch chain.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Present Fashions 1875 and 1876
Present Fashions 1877 and 1878]