A Lady in a Hunting Costume with a Lady in Walking Costume on a Mountain Path from La Mode Illustrée 1881

Adèle-Anaïs Toudouze created this print, “A Lady in a Hunting Costume with a Lady in Walking Costume on a Mountain Path”, as part of La Mode Illustrée. The print offers a glimpse into the gendered expectations of leisure and fashion in the 19th century. The lady in the elaborate walking costume, complete with ruffles and a parasol, stands in contrast to the lady in the hunting costume, who holds a rifle and a dead bird. Both women are adorned in fashionable attire, yet their clothing signifies very different roles. The lady dressed for hunting challenges traditional representations of femininity, suggesting a subtle shift in gender roles. At the same time, the image underscores how deeply clothing and fashion were intertwined with expressing and reinforcing social identity. Ultimately, the print invites us to reflect on the relationship between fashion, gender, and class in shaping societal norms and individual expression. It serves as a reminder that even leisure activities were subject to the constraints of social expectations, as women navigated their identities within a rapidly changing world.