Le Bon Ton, Journal de Modes, 1860, No. 234 : Chapeaux de la M.on Leroy (...) 1860

This fashion plate, published in France in 1860, captures the elegance of the Second Empire, dominated by elaborate dresses and bonnets. The bonnet, prominently featured here, is not merely a head covering; it is a potent symbol of feminine identity, signaling modesty and virtue. Consider its evolution: from simple protective headgear in antiquity to ornate displays of status in the Renaissance. We see echoes of this transformation in earlier depictions of female saints, their heads covered as a sign of piety, yet adorned with precious jewels. The bonnet in this image, while secular, still carries remnants of this sacred history. The desire to adorn and conceal—to project both status and virtue—speaks to the complex psychological undercurrents of the era. The bonnet, like the veil, becomes a stage upon which desires and inhibitions play out, engaging us in a timeless drama of display and concealment.