Magasin des Demoiselles, 10 avril 1878 : Toilettes de Mme Desertr (...)

This fashion plate, made by Rigolet in Paris in 1878, is a printed image, likely an engraving, with added hand coloring. Its purpose was to illustrate the latest styles, focusing on the cut and construction of dresses that were clearly meant for a wealthy clientele. The image’s material quality speaks directly to its moment. This was the era of high industrialization, and fashion became ever more responsive to the quickening pace of production. But look closely, and you can see the incredible amount of labor involved. The complex tailoring of the black dress, and the elaborate lace trim of the wedding gown, would each have required many hours of skilled handwork. This image thus encapsulates a contradiction: mass media showing garments which were far from mass-produced. By attending to the making of these dresses, we get a glimpse of the complex social realities that underpinned the fashion industry. It was an era where industrialization and handcraft continued to coexist.