Gallerie des Modes et Costumes français...Coiffure á la Flore... c. 1776 - 1787

This print, "Gallerie des Modes et Costumes français...Coiffure á la Flore..." was created anonymously in France, a visual document of the extravagant hairstyles that defined elite fashion. Consider the towering hairstyles and elaborate hats, ornamented with flowers, feathers, and pearls. These aren't just fashion statements; they're potent signifiers of social status and economic power. In pre-revolutionary France, fashion was deeply intertwined with courtly life and aristocratic privilege. The higher the hair, the wealthier and more influential the wearer. These visual codes reinforced existing social hierarchies. To understand this image fully, we need to delve into the social and economic conditions of 18th-century France, the world of the French court and the ancien regime. We might look at fashion plates, conduct studies, and even scrutinize contemporary accounts. It is through such investigations that we can truly grasp the social life of images.