Ribbon 1880s

Bon Marché, a company founded in France in 1852, produced these three lengths of ribbon. This was during a time of burgeoning consumer culture and industrial production, particularly in the fashion industry. These ribbons, with their varying widths and patterns, speak to the democratization of style. They offered a means of personalization and self-expression to a wider segment of society. Fashion has long been a site of negotiation for women, a space where identity is both policed and performed. What does it mean to have access to fashion? For some, fashion is frivolous, and for others, it's a marker of identity. It may reflect the complex ways in which women have navigated societal expectations and asserted their individuality through dress. These ribbons invite us to consider the social and economic forces that shape our relationship with fashion. They provide a glimpse into the aspirations and material realities of women in a rapidly changing world.