Take a tour of the giddy, gilded head spinning 18th century that gave us much more than Marie Antoinette.
The Bal Masqué
What they did before television. A popular eighteenth-century diversion was the bal masqué, for which the nobility would don elaborate masks and costumes and spend the evening flirting under false circumstances. Think Joe Millionaire, except with much, much better outfits.
Karl Lagerfeld in eighteenth-century fancy dress, circa 1978
The Corset
Spine-straightening, bosom-enhancing, and so much fun to unlace: Corsets were the mainstay, literally, of eighteenth-century dressing. There's still a loyal fan club for the curve-makers, and their modern maestro is the dandified Mr. Pearl, whose pricey custom models run well into four figures (so to speak). "I don't think that corsetry is about pain," Mr. Pearl has said. "It's about beauty. But there's always a little price, a little scar here and there."
Shalom Harlow in Christian Lacroix Haute Couture corsetry, from Vogue, December 1995
Deshabille
Undressing for success is nothing new. When tired courtesans needed relief from their restrictive corsets and panniers, they entertained at home in deshabille or undress. This did not mean the eighteenth-century version of sweatpants, though; yards of ribbon, lace, and flounce were involved, as well as high-heeled mules and garters. A contemporary reenactment would call for Pratesi sheets, La Perla underthings, and perhaps a little something from Christian Lacroix's latest couture collection.
Christian Lacroix Haute Couture, fall 2003
The Formal Garden
Nature, left to its own devices, is so messy! At least, that was the eighteenth-century attitude of many garden planners, who tried to mimic the breathtaking precision, if not the mind-numbing scope, of the gardens at Versailles. A favorite: tall hedges cut into winding mazes, which served both as an impressive architectural feat and a convenient trysting place.
Shalom Harlow takes a bit off the top in Vogue, October 1994
The Bal Masqué
What they did before television. A popular eighteenth-century diversion was the bal masqué, for which the nobility would don elaborate masks and costumes and spend the evening flirting under false circumstances. Think Joe Millionaire, except with much, much better outfits.
Karl Lagerfeld in eighteenth-century fancy dress, circa 1978
The Corset
Spine-straightening, bosom-enhancing, and so much fun to unlace: Corsets were the mainstay, literally, of eighteenth-century dressing. There's still a loyal fan club for the curve-makers, and their modern maestro is the dandified Mr. Pearl, whose pricey custom models run well into four figures (so to speak). "I don't think that corsetry is about pain," Mr. Pearl has said. "It's about beauty. But there's always a little price, a little scar here and there."
Shalom Harlow in Christian Lacroix Haute Couture corsetry, from Vogue, December 1995
Deshabille
Undressing for success is nothing new. When tired courtesans needed relief from their restrictive corsets and panniers, they entertained at home in deshabille or undress. This did not mean the eighteenth-century version of sweatpants, though; yards of ribbon, lace, and flounce were involved, as well as high-heeled mules and garters. A contemporary reenactment would call for Pratesi sheets, La Perla underthings, and perhaps a little something from Christian Lacroix's latest couture collection.
Christian Lacroix Haute Couture, fall 2003
The Formal Garden
Nature, left to its own devices, is so messy! At least, that was the eighteenth-century attitude of many garden planners, who tried to mimic the breathtaking precision, if not the mind-numbing scope, of the gardens at Versailles. A favorite: tall hedges cut into winding mazes, which served both as an impressive architectural feat and a convenient trysting place.
Shalom Harlow takes a bit off the top in Vogue, October 1994
