Journal des Dames et des Modes: Ladies’ Fashion 1824

August Delvaux made this fashion plate, featuring two women modeling the latest styles, in 1824. It’s a hand-colored engraving, a process that begins with an incised metal plate which is then printed, and finished with watercolor washes. Look closely, and you’ll see the real subject is textiles. The fabrics on display speak volumes about the burgeoning textile industry of the 19th century. We see variations in texture, from the soft drape of the shawls to the sheen of satin ribbons. Each of these materials represents a chain of labor, from the cultivation of raw materials like cotton and silk, to the complex weaving and finishing processes required to make them. These new materials, often produced in factories and shipped across empires, made this kind of fashion accessible to a growing middle class. Fashion plates like this one were more than just pretty pictures. They played a crucial role in shaping consumer desire, and in circulating the latest trends to a broad audience. They testify to the powerful and often unseen influence of materials and making on our everyday lives.