Petit Courrier des Dames, 1823, No. 104 : Robe de bal (...) 1823

Jean-Charles-Michel Barreau made this print titled Petit Courrier des Dames in 1823. It’s a hand-colored engraving, published in Paris, that advertises a dressmaker. Printed fashion plates like this one were a new phenomenon in the early 19th century. They served as advertisements for dressmakers but also as markers of bourgeois identity. Note how this plate is very attentive to the details of the dress’s design, the trim, the sleeve, and the hem. Also take note of the aristocratic associations in the dress's coloring, the woman’s jewelry, and her elaborate hairstyle. This imagery would have been very powerful for newly wealthy middle-class women looking to emulate aristocratic styles. Historians use primary source documents like this to understand the nuances of social class. These fashion plates are valuable resources for understanding the visual culture of the early 19th century. They reveal how the newly empowered bourgeoisie saw itself and aspired to live.