Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 19 septembre 1880, 9e année, No. 455: Toilettes de la M.on Duboys (...) 1880

Curator: This print, titled "Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille," comes to us from 1880 and is by the artist E. Llanderal. It gives us a glimpse into the fashions of the time. Editor: The contrast between the olive green and deep aubergine gowns creates a pleasing visual dynamic. And look at how each dress emphasizes different lines through their shape and structure. Curator: Indeed, these fashion plates offered bourgeois women insight into the styles of the day, instructing them about suitable garments for various social activities. The presence of this kind of material tells us a lot about the aspirations and everyday lives of women during the late nineteenth century. Editor: Let’s look closer. See how the artist plays with texture. The meticulous pleating of the skirts contrasted against the smoother surfaces and the use of delicate lace trimmings offers visual complexity. The watercolor illustration technique used brings softness and charm. Curator: Precisely. This image was circulating at a time when new departmental stores were transforming women’s interactions with commodity culture. Prints like this would fuel consumer desires, reinforcing established societal norms and defining women’s social role within this framework. Editor: The details are remarkable—the tight corsetry, the ornate decorations, the overall silhouettes that shape and reshape the women’s forms to emphasize elegance. You know, these prints provide insights into not just fashion but beauty and gender ideals. Curator: Without these popular magazines, how would a middle-class woman know what was currently ‘in style’, and subsequently hope to move about the same social circles? It is worth keeping in mind just how much images of fashionable attire were central to societal advancement during this era. Editor: This artwork showcases an incredible arrangement of texture, color, and pattern that truly celebrates an artistic design approach to 1880s fashion. Curator: It’s through artifacts like this that we can start to really investigate how fashion played such a crucial role in solidifying class identity. Editor: I see your point! Let us hope visitors take time to inspect how Llanderal brought late nineteenth-century clothing aesthetics into vivid life on the page.