La Mode, 1830, Pl. 35, T.2: Chapeau de Gros de Naples (...) 1830

Vittore Pedretti created this print, titled "La Mode," around 1830. It captures the opulent fashion of the French Restoration, a period defined by a yearning for pre-revolutionary elegance mixed with the burgeoning industrial era. At center stage, we see a woman adorned in a dress with gigot sleeves and a large bonnet. Her clothing signifies her status, underlining the rigid class structures of the time. Yet, this print also speaks to the emerging roles of women in the fashion industry as both consumers and drivers of taste. Note how the male figure is relegated to the periphery. Although his presence alludes to the prevailing social norms, the woman commands the viewer's attention. The emotional resonance of "La Mode" lies in its ability to reflect the aspirations and constraints of women in a rapidly changing society, reminding us that fashion, then as now, is a deeply personal and political expression.