Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 28 mars 1880, 9e année, No. 430: Toilettes de Mme Bazin (...) 1880

This fashion plate by A. Chaillot, printed on Sunday 28 March 1880 for the ‘Revue de la Mode’, presents three figures adorned in the latest Parisian styles. The visual language of fashion, much like the symbolic language of art, communicates status, identity, and desire. Consider the elaborate drapery of the central figure’s gown. This motif of flowing fabric, reminiscent of classical sculptures of goddesses, has been appropriated here, in a secular context. It speaks volumes about the aspirations of the wearer. We see echoes of this motif in earlier Renaissance art, in depictions of the Virgin Mary. Here it is reconfigured to denote contemporary elegance and status, rather than divine grace. The emotional power of clothing cannot be dismissed. Fashion engages viewers on a deep, subconscious level; the desire to emulate the looks of the elite are an expression of a deeper, primal urge to belong and assert oneself. This cyclical progression of symbols resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.