Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 28 août 1881, 10e année, No. 504: Savons & Parfums de la Parfumerie Ninon (...) 1881

This fashion plate by E. Cheffer was printed in Paris in August 1881, using chromolithography, a method of creating colored prints from stone. The printed image represents the height of Parisian fashion. Its importance lies less in its artistic expression, and more in its role in shaping an aspirational lifestyle for its readers, the rising bourgeoisie. Notice the dresses and the parasols held by each figure. Their intricate details, especially the lace-work, speak to the incredible amount of labor required to produce them. The image showcases the complex social relations of production and consumption. It reflects a world powered by intense manufacturing effort, and also the consumer’s desire to display a high level of taste. Looking at this image, we can see that even images of fashion, which might seem superficial, involve deep histories of making, materiality, labor and aspiration. They embody the social and cultural values of their time.