Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 27 novembre 1881, 10e année, No. 517: Toilettes de Melles Vidal (...) 1881

P. Deferneville created this print for the "Revue de la Mode" in 1881. The fashion magazine offered a glimpse into the aesthetic ideals and social expectations of the late 19th century. Here we see two women, presumably of the French upper class, displaying different garments. The woman on the left, in a frilly dress, glances down at a book, perhaps a symbol of the era's emphasis on female education and intellectual pursuits. The other stands tall in a dark-blue dress and gazes out, as if at the viewer, perhaps embodying the poise and self-assuredness expected of women in that time. These dresses reflect the restrictive yet opulent clothing styles of the period, with their tight corsets and elaborate embellishments. While the image may seem like a benign display of fashion, it speaks volumes about the limited roles and identities available to women of the time. The attire, while beautiful, symbolized a confinement within the boundaries of social expectation.