Lithograph, Incroyables of 1792
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Description
This image depicts Incroyable and Merveilleueses fashions of 1792, showing a man and woman dressed in brightly colored outfits. The woman is wearing a chemise a la reine or gaulle, which was made famous by Marie Antionette a few years earlier. It is a light and simple dress compared to the previous highly structured garments. It is made of layers of thin muslin, draped loosely and belted at the high waistline with a sash. The upper bodice has a round neckline and three-quarter length sleeves that are tied with the same-colored blue sash she wears around her waist. The bottom is a pink skirt that gathered at the small waist.
She accessorizes with a pink and blue hat that matches the rest of her outfit; it is a type of hat called Chapeau â la Montgolfier that consists of either a gauze or silk fabric with a large crown and wide brim (Walton). Her hair is long and curled, especially in the front around the brim of the hat. The coloration is intriguing because the original chemise a la reine was all white, while this image features a white blouse and pink skirt. This digression may have been something that the Merveilleueses employed to distinguish themselves from the elites who wore all-white versions of the dress, or it may have been the choice of the person who hand colored the lithograph.
The man’s fashion resembles the look of the early 1800s. His long tailcoat with its layered collar bears the only color in his outfit. His white shirt has a very high collar. At this point in time, pantaloons are slowly replacing breeches; he appears to be wearing closely-fitted light grey pantaloons with a fall front. His boots are black Wellingtons which he pairs with a black top hat. His hair is natural colored with dramatic rolled curls and long sideburns.
References
“The Chemise a La Reine.” The Fashion Historian, 1 Jan. 1970, http://www.thefashionhistorian.com/2012/03/chemise-la-reine.html.
Geri Walton. “Women's Hats and Their Evolution from the 1700 to 1800s.” Geri Walton, 24 May 2021, https://www.geriwalton.com/evolution-of-womens-hats-from-1700-to/.