La Mode actuelle, ca. 1875, No 284 : Modes de la M.on Chiloret (...) c. 1875

A. Portier produced this print titled “La Mode actuelle” around 1875, capturing the latest fashions in Paris. These images weren't simply about clothing; they were powerful tools for shaping and reinforcing social hierarchies. In France at this time, fashion was big business. Publications like "La Mode Illustrée" fueled consumerism and defined ideals of femininity for the bourgeoisie. This print, with its emphasis on elaborate dresses and ornamentation, subtly reinforces the idea that a woman's value lay in her appearance and adherence to current trends. Fashion plates served as a visual language, communicating status and belonging within a specific social class. They also shaped desires, encouraging women to aspire to an ideal that was often unattainable. To understand the full impact of this image, we might look into periodicals of the time, business records for fashion houses, and conduct a social history of the illustrated press.