Les Modes Parisiennes, 1877, No. 1748: Spécialité de Costumes (...) 1877

E. Cheffer made this print, titled Les Modes Parisiennes, in 1877. It was meant to be published as an illustration, probably in a popular magazine. The image encapsulates many of the political tensions of the French Third Republic, founded in 1870. The Republic was constantly challenged by conservatives and monarchists who looked to the past for social and cultural values. This print seems to show the fashions of the wealthy, with long dresses and elaborate bonnets. These are the people who benefitted most from the old feudal system. But note that the women depicted are strolling casually along a riverbank; this is a new kind of leisure, available to those with wealth but also suggestive of a modern lifestyle. Is the image self-consciously conservative, then, or secretly progressive? The historian's job is to find out. We could start by researching the magazine it was published in, to learn about its editorial line and readership. We could look at similar images of fashion, to see what other styles were popular and what social classes they represented.