Petit Courrier des Dames, 25 juillet 1829, No. 655 : Redingote. Colet de Velours assorti... 1829

This fashion plate, titled "Petit Courrier des Dames", was made anonymously in France in 1829. Published during the Bourbon Restoration, this print reflects the sartorial tastes of the Parisian elite. Note how the figure's clothing—a redingote with velvet collar, striped waistcoat, and pique trousers—marks him as a man of means. The location given in the inscription, Boulevard des Italiens near the Opera, was a fashionable spot for conspicuous consumption, where social status was performed through dress. Consider how the figure is posed, nonchalantly raising his hat, an action that is in keeping with the sartorial codes of class and social status of the time. Fashion plates like these played an important role in shaping the cultural values of the era, reinforcing social hierarchies through visual codes. To understand the nuances of dress during the Bourbon Restoration, historians consult periodicals, etiquette manuals, and even police records.