Uitknippop in onderjurk 1825 - 1875

This paper doll in a petticoat was published by the Journal de Modes, in Paris. This was a time when fashion was dictated by the elite, setting standards for the emerging middle class. This doll represents a woman in her undergarments. While seemingly demure, there's a complex narrative at play. The layers of the dress hide the female body, yet they also confine and shape it. The underdress was the foundation upon which respectability was built, but it also dictated posture and movement, reflecting societal expectations of women during that period. What did it feel like to be encased in these layers? The lack of a known artist gives this image a universal quality. It speaks to the anonymous roles women often played, hidden behind layers of fabric and societal expectation. The woman looks out as if to meet our gaze. Consider the doll as a reflection of our own constructed identities. What do we reveal, and what do we conceal?