La Française Dress In Brocaded Pekingese Satin - France Circa 1780

Circa 1780 France Robe à la Française in brocaded pekiné satin, coat with Watteau pleats, pagoda sleeves and pannier skirt, possibly for the Court. Cream pekiné satin with fluted stripes and brocaded with undulating stems loaded with rose buds. Coat with train and stapled compères with a stomach piece effect. Rich undulating frills mounted with box pleats and appliquéd with chenillettes and cockchafer eyebrows. Cream silk pongé lining. Possible later modification of the bodice inside. No defects apart from a few pulled threads, clean silk without stains or holes. Very good condition for its age. Size: equivalent to a French size 36. At Versailles or in the kingdom, at the end of the 18th century, when court dress was considered inconvenient, the robe à la française became the outfit for court ceremonies. With its dynamic beauty, its undulations of flowers and ribbons, and the swinging of the basket under the skirts which gives the woman a voluptuous and decent gait 1, the French dress represents the perfect symbol of the aesthetics of the Enlightenment. 1. N. Rétif de la Bretonne, Monsieur Nicolas ou le Cœur humain ouvert