Journal des Demoiselles, 1 Septembre 1898, No. 5176 : Toilettes et Modes (...) 1898

This fashion plate was created by P. Deferneville in September 1898, and published in the *Journal des Demoiselles*. It demonstrates that the fashion industry was already highly developed at this time. The print shows three women dressed in the latest styles, with careful attention given to fabrics, colors, and cuts. The garments would have required skilled labor: design, pattern-making, cutting, sewing, fitting, and finishing. The range of expertise required reflects the increasing specialization and industrialization of clothing production in the late 19th century. While the women depicted appear to be strolling leisurely, the image quietly speaks to broader issues of labor, class, and consumption during this period. Publishing this image would have relied on an entire division of labor, from paper manufacture to printing, distribution, and sales. The print acts as both a reflection of, and a participant in, the growing fashion industry and its intersection with the burgeoning forces of production and capitalism.