Le Coquet, No. 185 bis, Paris Figurine, No. 161, ca. 1884, No. 949 : Toilette de Ville c. 1884

This fashion plate, titled "Toilette de Ville", was created around 1884 in Paris, by an anonymous artist. The print presents a standing woman in a high-fashion tailored coat and hat in tones of grey-blue, with dark blue decorative accents. The plate embodies several oppositions: the soft pastel shades of the garments contrast with the darker hat and accents. The woman’s delicate posture creates a tension with the straight lines of the architectural element that appears to ground her. The composition directs the viewer's gaze along the model's silhouette, where the eye meets both hard edges and soft curves, such as the dark velvet collar and the folds of the drapery in the coat. The image functions as a sign, reflecting the semiotic language of fashion, and communicating status and ideals of beauty through specific design and construction. The artist draws our attention to how garments mediate identity, playing with visual codes to create a sophisticated commentary on the era's aesthetic and social values.